District 1 COUNTY Housing Update
Saturday March 9, 2024, 10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.
Flowery Elementary School Multi-purpose room
Permit Sonoma and Supervisor Gorin’s Office are partnering to present an informational meeting on a variety of important housing topics described below, including brief status updates on major Sonoma Valley housing projects currently in process. Online resources for each topic are hyperlinked in the text below.
What is the Housing Element and why is it important? The Housing Element is one of the seven mandated elements of the County-wide General Plan that must be updated regularly. A housing element is required by State law (“Housing Element law”) to establish policies and programs that will support the provision of an adequate housing supply for all income levels. The Housing Element was recently updated and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in August 2023. A summary of the updated Housing Element will be discussed.
Permit Sonoma Policy Initiatives - Permit Sonoma will provide background and updates on three major policy initiatives that affect the Sonoma Valley:
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The General Plan is a master policy document that prioritizes, organizes, and directs patterns of land use within the unincorporated county. A comprehensive update of the General Plan is beginning this year.
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The County is updating the General Plan 2020 Safety Element and creating a new Environmental Justice Element to incorporate the latest requirements and information about environmental hazards in the county and identify and prioritize communities that are vulnerable to pollution and other environmental burdens.
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The Springs Specific Plan development is ongoing. The plan is a long-term comprehensive planning and zoning document with standards that are tailored to regulating land use in the Highway 12 corridor. This plan re-imagines the corridor as a diverse public space with a community plaza and safety improvements for walking and biking.
State Housing Law - California legislators are responding to the state’s housing crisis through updates to housing laws. New regulations give housing developers incentives and consistency to get through the development process successfully. The following regulations and how they affect the County’s permit process will be discussed:
- Senate Bill 330
- Housing Accountability Act
- Builder’s Remedy
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