Sonoma County Housing Element Update

Sonoma County Housing Element Update

The proposed project would update the Housing Element of the County’s General Plan. to further the goal of meeting the existing and projected housing needs of all household income levels. The project also provides evidence of the County’s ability to accommodate its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation through the year 2031, as assigned by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), and identifies the rezone program needed to reach the required housing sites capacity. Sonoma County’s RHNA allocation for the 2023-2031 planning period (6th RHNA cycle) is 3,881 units. The project would amend the General Plan to adopt an updated Sonoma County Housing Element; amend the General Plan Land Use Map to change the land use and density on sites identified for rezoning, as necessary; amend area plans to change land uses and densities on the Rezoning Sites, where applicable; and, rezone up to 59 parcels to match new General Plan land uses or densities and/or to add the Workforce Housing (WH) Combining District, which would allow the development of jobs and housing on the same site or within walking distance from one another. The Housing Element Update includes a variety of programmed implementation actions, including rezoning under Senate Bill (SB) 10 (Government Code sec. 65913.5), which allows up to 10 dwelling units on any parcel, to allow additional density on urban infill sites that are zoned R1 (Low-Density Residential) and located outside of high and very high fire hazard severity zones. The Housing Element also proposes an implementation program (Program 15d) that would modify current zoning limitations on cottage housing developments in R1 and R2 (Medium-Density Residential) zoning districts and revise the by-right allowance for cottage housing from three units to four units per qualifying parcel.

Sonoma

Countywide, Northern California, Unincorporated

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Coastal Commission (CCC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marin Region 7 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Transportation, District 4 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Planning (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region 1 (RWQCB), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, District 18, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, State Water Resources Control Board, Divison of Financial Assistance, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (CDFW)

California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (CDFW)

Other (Housing Element Update)

General Plan Element

Aesthetics, Agriculture and Forestry Resources, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Cumulative Effects, Drainage/Absorption, Energy, Flood Plain/Flooding, Geology/Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Growth Inducement, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality, Land Use/Planning, Mandatory Findings of Significance, Mineral Resources, Noise, Population/Housing, Public Services, Recreation, Schools/Universities, Septic System, Sewer Capacity, Solid Waste, Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources, Utilities/Service Systems, Vegetation, Wetland/Riparian, Wildfire