Piedmont’s 2010-2014 General Plan Housing Element
Piedmont was assigned the goal of 40 new housing units by 2014: 13 for very low income residents, 10 for low income residents, 11 for moderate income residents and 6 for above moderate income residents.
Piedmont has been updating its 2002 Housing Element (Public Review Draft of the Housing Element available here) to conform to Article 10.6, Section 65583 of the California Government Code. The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) determines each community’s fair share of future housing needs. The type of units are structured by income so that the more affluent communities are assigned the largest percentage of lower income units while the lower income cities are assigned the above moderate housing units.
Piedmont was assigned the goal of 40 new housing units by 2014: 13 for very low income residents, 10 for low income residents, 11 for moderate income residents and 6 for above moderate income residents. The formula was to be based on projected local job growth, land supply, public transit availability, household growth, environmental and infrastructure constraints, and the real estate market conditions. Since the city has been built out for more than fifty years, Piedmont has chosen to satisfy most of its additional housing units through the active encouragement of second units.
State law requires that no policies in the Housing Element may conflict with other elements of the General Plan. This led Hillsborough to define rent-free servants’ quarters as the lowest cost housing. Piedmont has no land available for multi-family development except the former P G & E property, which has been sold to a developer who proposed market rate townhouses. The Piedmont 2002 Housing Element predicted the townhouses would be completed by 2006 but due to a failure to procure financing, the developer has not begun construction.
An important aspect of maintaining affordable housing in the City is the protection of Piedmont’s small homes. Yet every year many small houses are enlarged, sometimes by 50% or more, increasing their market value.
The process of adopting a new Housing element has been underway for several years with hearings by the Planning Commission and City Council in 2009. In 2007 a four page resident survey was mailed to every household — 1,100 completed surveys were returned to the City. Working drafts were posted on the City’s website during the process of drafting each chapter. The document is being finalized in October based on comments from the State’s review of the draft and will be submitted in final form to the Piedmont City Council this fall.
Reported by Susan Southworth
