Introducing the Danville 2030 General Plan

INTRODUCING THE DRAFT

Danville 2030 General Plan

A Message to the Community Over the past two years, the Town has conducted over 20 public meetings to prepare an update to the Town’s General Plan. The draft 2030 General Plan (the draft Plan) is now available for additional community input. The draft Plan carries forward the vision set forth in 1987, as part of Danville’s first General Plan - preserving and reinforcing our unique small town character, preserving the history and scenic beauty, and protecting the quality of life for our residents.

Since incorporation, the Town has worked diligently and proactively to uphold this vision … adopting specific plans, development standards, design guidelines and review processes (all with substantial community input) that have enhanced a physical environment that is second to none.

Residential Character Danville is known as a residential community. Historically, residential growth has largely been planned in the form of single family neighborhoods on undeveloped land. With little undeveloped land remaining, future residential growth is envisioned to take the form of infill projects that are located in and around downtown. As of 2012, single family residences continue to represent well over 90% of the housing stock in Town. This pattern is expected to carry forward into the future, reinforced through the goals and policies contained in the draft Plan.

Open Space Preservation Open space preservation has always been a focus of every Danville General Plan. The Town has led the way in the preservation of open space, ridgelines, and the scenic areas which serve as the visual hallmarks of our community. Through careful planning, 40 percent of the Town’s land area is now categorized as permanent open space, parks and recreational facilities, or agricultural.

Maintaining this high standard is one reason why the Town sponsored, and the voters approved, Measure S in 2000. Measure S mandates that changes to the land use designation on any of these three categories require a vote of the people. The draft Plan incorporates these requirements, and makes no changes to Measure S. Regional Impacts and Local Control Danville’s first General Plan recognized that our challenge was to accommodate “responsible growth while enhancing our small town flavor.” The policies set forth in that plan coupled, with high development standards, have allowed the Town to carefully plan for growth that has occurred within the community.

However, today, much of the growth and change that impacts Danville occurs around and outside of the Town boundaries beyond our direct control.

In addition, a growing challenge is the impact of State and regional agencies’ involvement at the local level … either through the adoption of new laws or by encumbering funds necessary to provide services. The policies in the draft Plan would continue the Town’s proactive efforts to protect Danville’s interests, advocate on behalf of our residents, and influence regional decisions that affect Danville.

The goals and challenges described above (in addition many others) are detailed in the draft Plan. We invite your review and encourage your input it by telephone, email, or at one of the upcoming public meetings.

Sincerely,

Joseph A. Calabrigo, Town Manager

ics and scale; (2) protect the quality of life within the community; (3) couple orderly and appropriate growth with high quality public facilities and services; and (4) protecting the physical setting through preserving critical open space areas.

GENERAL PLAN OVERVIEW All cities and towns in California are required by state law to prepare a General Plan to manage their physical development over a 15 to 20 year period.

The previous General Plans for Danville are an important part of why the Town looks and feels the way it does today. These Plans have helped Danville to be one of the most attractive communities in the Bay Area.

Although it is primarily a factual update, the Plan addresses challenges that have emerged since the late 1990s, when the last Plan was updated. It seeks to retain the desired small town character, in light of continued growth and change occurring within the Tri-Valley, Contra Costa County and the greater Bay Area.

Limited additional growth planned within the Town’s boundaries is expected to occur through infill development on sites that are located closer to downtown, shopping, and transpor-

The Danville 2030 General Plan (the Plan) seeks to preserve

tation. The draft 2030 General Plan addresses sustainability

the fundamental qualities that make Danville an exceptional

practices for the first time, and includes: an updated Growth

place today … expressing the community’s visions and goals

Management Element, new economic development policies

through four basic principles: (1) preserve the small town

to create a business-friendly community, and a focus on mo-

character by reinforcing and preserving the present aesthet-

bility to accommodate more transportation modes.

danville at a glance The Town of Danville encompasses approximately 11,600 acres (18.1 square miles), and is characterized by suburban and rural residential neighborhoods. Commercial development is located primarily in the downtown area.

The pie chart at right illustrates the three largest land use categories in Danville. About 40 percent of the Town consists of open space, parks, and agricultural lands. Another 41 percent consists of single family homes. Approximately 12 percent consists of streets and public rights of way.

The Plan would not alter the proportionate percentages of land use categories shown at right.

Highlights of the Danville 2030 General Plan “The Danville 2030 General Plan seeks to preserve the fundamental qualities that make Danville an exceptional place today.”

housing opportunity sites DESIGNATING LAND FOR A VARIETY OF HOUSIN G TYPES

The Preserves at the Iron Horse Trail: For sale townhomes (22 du/acre)

The State of California requires all cities and counties to designate land for housing to accommodate all segments of the community. The State assigns the responsibility for determining each community’s “fair share” of housing to the regional Councils of Government (COG) in California. The COG for the San Francisco Bay Area is the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), with 100 cities and 9 counties in its region. ABAG has undertaken the housing assignment process, called the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), for the past 20 years. Through membership in ABAG, the Town has a voice and a right to object to appeal its assignment. Cities that are not ABAG members cannot opt out of their housing allocation, but instead, receive their assignment directly from the State.

Through the General Plan, the Town is responsible for designating sites that may be used for future housing construction. The Town is not responsible for building houses. That process is market driven and initiated by property owners. Property owners retain all of their rights and are not required to change the current use of their property. All proposed development is subject to the Town’s high planning standards, including a thorough design review process.

Sycamore Place Apartments (27 du/acre) provides high demand housing for “very low” and “low” income seniors.

Currently, the Town is required to designate at least 9.6 acres (7.6 acres as Multifamily residential at a density of 25-35 units per acre and 2 acres at 20-25 units per acre) to meet its fair share housing allocation. A total of 14 different sites are included for potential consideration in achieving this aggregate acreage. Not all sites that have been reviewed are expected be designated for housing. Danville is home to several examples of housing hat has been built to these densities while adhering to the desired community character and scale.

The table at left illustrates estimated population growth through 2030, under two scenarios: the current 2010 General Plan (defined as “Year 2030 without GP Update”) and the draft 2030 General Plan (defined as “Year 2030 with GP Update”). Under these scenarios, which assume full build out of all residentially designated lands within the Town, the actual population growth is expected to be less than the estimates shown.

For comparison purposes, the table illustrates the Town’s actual population growth between 2000 and 2012.

Measure S PROTECTING DANVILLE’S MAJOR RIDGELINES & SCENIC HILLSIDES In 2000, the Town sponsored and the voters approved Measure S, which mandates that changes to Danville General Plan Land Use Map for all properties designated as “Parks and Recreation,” “General Open Space,” and “Agricultural” require approval by Danville voters. The full text of Measure S, without any change, is incorporated into the Plan by reference.

Lands designated as “Parks and Recreation” and “General Open Space” have no residential development potential. Therefore, of the three categories of lands subject to Measure S, the only remaining category with limited development potential are privately held properties currently designated as “Agricultural.” The maximum development potential of the two remaining Agricultural parcels town-wide is 60 units (illustrated at right).

downtown FOCUSING GROWTH NEAR EXISTING SERVICES The Plan proposes to designate Downtown Danville as a “Priority Development Area” (PDA). The net acreage of the PDA represents less than 3 percent of Danville’s land area. The purpose of designating a PDA is to focus new development closer to downtown, existing services and transportation corridors - rather than locating it in single family neighborhoods or on the edges of town.

In and of itself, the PDA designation does not increase the amount or intensity of development that could occur in the future. Rather, the PDA designation would allow the Town to be more competitive in receiving federal, state and local funds for road maintenance and improvements. Funding for transportation is extremely competitive, and Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is consciously directing its funds to those communities with designated PDAs. Without a PDA designation, Danville will likely be unable to compete for a significant portion of these funds.

public process COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION The Danville 2030 General Plan (the “Plan”) was developed through a cooperative effort among citizens, the Town Council, its Commissions, Town staff and consultants, and representatives from other public agencies.

The draft Plan is the product of input provided over 25 public meetings that began in 2010. At least three Planning Commission meetings are scheduled to take public input on the draft Plan from December 2012 through March 2013. An extensive public outreach was undertaken including newspaper notices, newsletter articles, and two direct mailings of post cards to every mailing address in Danville. To receive up to date meeting notices, everyone is strongly encouraged to sign up for CONTACT US eNews Updates (danville.ca.gov/ Kevin Gailey, Chief of Planning eNews_Updates).

925.314.3302 | kgailey@danville.ca.gov 510 La Gonda way, Danville CA 94526 www.danville.ca.gov/planning/general plan & zoning SUBSCRIBE: www.danville.ca.gov/eNews_Updates