To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Jane Riley 565-7388
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Local Early Action Planning Grants Application
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Approve resolution authorizing application for, and receipt of, a Local Early Action Planning Grant to support the county’s efforts to streamline and accelerate housing permitting and production.
end
Executive Summary:
This item is a request for authorization from the Board of Supervisors for the Permit and Resource Management Department to apply for and accept grant funds offered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The grant would support the County’s ongoing efforts to streamline and accelerate housing permitting and production, consistent with the policies and programs of the General Plan, and to meet state requirements for a future housing element update.
Discussion:
In the 2019-20 Budget Act, Governor Gavin Newsom allocated $250 million for all regions, cities, and counties to do their part by prioritizing planning activities that accelerate housing production to meet identified needs of every community. With this allocation, HCD established the Local Early Action Planning Grant Program (LEAP) with $119 million for cities and counties. LEAP provides one-time grant funding to cities and counties to update their planning documents and implement process improvements that will facilitate the acceleration of housing production and help local governments prepare for their sixth cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation, much like the SB2 Planning Grants that were awarded to the County in December of 2019.
The purpose of the LEAP Grants is to provide over-the-counter grants complemented with technical assistance to local governments for the preparation and adoption of planning documents, and process improvements that accelerate housing production, and facilitate compliance to implement the sixth cycle Regional Housing Needs Assessment.
This non-competitive grant would provide up to $500,000 to the County of Sonoma to support housing production where consistent with the General Plan, while also supporting economic recovery necessitated by the effects of the global pandemic. The grant would support the following projects:
1. Springs Area Specific Plan. This Specific Plan effort is underway but cannot be completed without additional environmental analysis, including a VMT analysis and expanded analysis of related GHG impacts to support additional housing units in the 155 acre area. Housing development potential within the Specific Plan area has the potential to increase by 350-500 units with adoption of this Specific Plan.
2. Preparation of the Housing Element - following receipt of the County's 6th cycle Regional Housing Need Allocation, the County will embark on preparation of its next General Plan Housing Element. Because the Housing Element must be completed prior to December 2022, policy development and more focused public input will begin in earnest in late 2020 as the RHNA and potential housing inventory are completed.
3. Implementation of a Workforce Housing Combining District in the Local Coastal Program. The County is completing its LCP Update, which contains a policy directing the consideration of Workforce Housing in the Coastal Zone. This project would consider and adopt the Workforce Housing Combining Zone in the Local Coastal Program (Coastal Zoning) and would have a significant public outreach component.
4. Revamping local planning processes to speed up housing production - these efforts will be focused on process streamlining through code improvements including: adoption of objective development standards to allow decreased permitting levels, adoption of VMT thresholds or guidance to applicants; initiation of a new zoning administrator process to improve review timelines, and adoption of updated ordinances to reflect changes in state law including accessory dwelling unit ordinances for both the coast and inland. These efforts will have a significant public outreach component.
Prior Board Actions:
Not applicable
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
250,000 |
250,00 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
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Total Expenditures |
|
250,000 |
250,000 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
250,000 |
250,000 |
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Fees/Other |
|
|
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Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
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Total Sources |
|
250,000 |
250,000 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
LEAP Grants funding of $500,000 will reimburse the department for qualifying project costs, estimated $250,000 one-time per year for FY 2020-21 and FY 2021-22.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
N/A |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
Not applicable
Attachments:
Exhibit A - Resolution Authorizing Application for, and Receipt of, up to $500,000 in LEAP Grant Funds
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Sonoma LEAP Application