EXISTING CONDITIONS AND ANDTRENDS TRENDS WORKBOOK WORKBOOK JULY 2019 AUGUST 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ...............................1 What is a General Plan? . .2 What is the Difference between the General Plan and Zoning? . .3 Why Should We Update the General Plan? . .4 History . .6 Regional Setting . .8 2. Demographics ...........................11 Population . .12 Race/Ethnicity . .13 Educational Attainment . 14. Household Income . 14. Occupations . 15. 3. Economics & Economy ..............17 Population and Housing . .18 Existing Jobs . .19 Recent Job Growth . 19. Projected Job Growth . .19 Existing Wages and Salaries . .20 Employment Base and Projected Growth . 20. Labor Force and Commute Patterns . 21. Commercial Real Estate Conditions . .22 Fiscal Conditions . .24 4. Land Use ...................................27 Notable Boundaries . 28. Existing Land Use . .30 Community Context . 32. Neighborhoods . 36. Existing (2003) General Plan Land Uses . .38 Existing Zoning . .40 Land Available for Development . .42 5. Housing ....................................45 8. Open Space, Parks, Housing Units . .46 & Recreation .............................75 Vacancy Rate . .47 Parks . 76. Housing Mix . .48 Open Space . .78 Age of Housing Stock . 49. Recreation Programs . 79. Homeownership . 49. Community Facilities . 80. Housing Prices . .50 Homeless Population . .51 9. Environment .............................83 Water Quality . .84 6. Transportation & Circulation .....53 Water Supply . .84 Bus Routes . .54 Air Quality . .85 Bicycle Facilities . .54 Biological Resources . .85 Travel Characteristics . .57 Green Pleasant Hill . 85. What’s Changed Since 2003 . 63. Mobility Assets in Pleasant Hill . .63 10. Hazards & Safety .......................89 Mobility Challenges in Pleasant Hill . .65 Earthquakes . .90 Wildland Fires . .90 7. Public Facilities, Services, Droughts . .90 & Infrastructure ........................67 Extreme Heat Events . .90 Overview of Public Services . 68. Flooding . .95 City Government . 69. Resiliency Efforts in Pleasant Hill . 95. Law Enforcement . .69 Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Response . .69 Healthcare . .70 Library Facilities . .70 Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities . .71 Education . .71 FIGURES AND TABLES Figures Figure I-1: Relationship Between Plans . 3 Figure H-4: Year Housing Structures Built . 49 Figure I-2: Changes to Address in Update . 4 Figure TC-1: Public Transit . 55 Figure I-3: Regional Map . 9 Figure TC-2: Bicycle Routes . 56 Figure D-1: Population by Age . 12 Figure TC-3: Commute Modeshare Figure D-2: Population by Race/Ethnicity, Pleasant for Pleasant Hill Residents . 57 Hill . 13 Figure TC-4: Commute Times for Figure D-3: Population by Race/Ethnicity, Contra Costa Pleasant Hill Residents . 58 County . 13 Figure TC-5: Pleasant Hill Residents’ Figure D-4: Education Attainment, Pleasant Hill . 14 Work Locations by County . 59 Figure D-5: Education Attainment, Contra Costa Figure TC-6: Home-Based Other County . 14 (HBO) Trip Modeshares . 60 Figure D-6: Household Income . 14 Figure TC-7: Pleasant Hill Workers’ Commute Modeshares . 61 Figure D-7: Occupations . 15 Figure TC-8: Pleasant Hill Workers’ Figure E-1: Annual Population Growth Rate . 18 Home Locations by County . 62 Figure E-2: Major Job Sectors in Pleasant Hill . 20 Figure PF-1: Books Checked Out by Place of Figure E-3: Industry of Employment for Workers Residence . 70 Living in/Working Outside of Pleasant Hill . 21 Figure PF-2: Schools . 72 Figure E-4: Commuting . 21 Figure OS-1: Parks . 77 Figure E-5: Annual Cost/Revenue Effect of Land Uses Figure OS-2: Community Facilities and Places . 81 on Pleasant Hill General Fund Budget . 25 Figure EV-1: Critical Habitat . 86 Figure LU-1: Boundaries . 29 Figure HS-1: Seismic Hazard Assessment . 91 Figure LU-2: Existing Land Use Breakdown . 30 Figure HS-2: Liquefaction Susceptibility . 92 Figure LU-3: Existing Uses . 31 Figure HS-3: Wildfire Hazard Severity Zones . 93 Figure LU-4: Community Context . 33 Figure HS-4: Flood Hazard Zones . 94 Figure LU-5: Neighborhoods . 37 Figure LU-6: Existing General Plan Land Use Breakdown . 38 Tables Figure LU-7: Existing General Plan Land Uses . 39 Table E-1: Jobs and Wage Summary . 19 Figure LU-8: Zoning District Breakdown . 40 Table E-2: Projected Additional Building Space Figure LU-9: Zoning . 41 Demand . 23 Figure LU-10: Land Available for Development . 42 Table H-1: Projected Building Figure LU-11: Opportunity Sites . 43 Space Demand . 50 Figure H-1: Housing Units . 46 Table TC-1: Pleasant Hill Residents’ Figure H-2: Vacancy Rate . 47 Employment Locations . 59 Figure H-3: Housing Units by Type . 48 Table TC-2: Pleasant Hill Workers’ Home Locations . 62 6 // PLEASANT HILL 2040 GENERAL PLAN / EXISTING CONDITIONS AND TRENDS WORKBOOK 1. INTRODUCTION // 1 1. INTRODUCTION Pleasant Hill adopted its existing General Plan in 2003. After 16 years, the City is revisiting the General Plan to ensure its policy direction is representative of the community’s vision for the future. This workbook tells the story of Pleasant Hill – where it has been, where it is today, and the trends that will shape its future. This workbook focuses on providing the foundational information about the physical, natural, cultural, and economic conditions and trends that provide the necessary foundation as the community moves forward with updating the General Plan. This section describes the purpose of the Pleasant Hill General Plan 2040, including an overview of the General Plan, why it is prepared, and why it is important. 2 // PLEASANT HILL 2040 GENERAL PLAN / EXISTING CONDITIONS AND TRENDS WORKBOOK What is in a General Plan? A general plan is the local government’s long-term framework or “constitution” for future growth and development. The general plan represents the community’s aspiration for its future and expresses the community development goals. The general plan contains the goals and policies upon which the City Council and Planning Commission will base their land use and natural resources decisions. Typically, a general plan is designed to guide the City for the next 20 years. The general plan is made up of a collection of “elements” or topical categories. There are currently nine mandatory elements: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, safety, environmental justice, and air quality. Communities can include other elements that address issues of local concern, such as economic development, community character, or urban design. Communities can also organize their general plan any way they choose, as long as they address each of the required topical categories. A general plan has three defining features: General – Provides general policy guidance for future land use and natural resource decisions. Comprehensive – Covers a range of topics, including land use, housing, economic development, infrastructure, public safety, recreation, and natural resources. Long-Range – Provides guidance for achieving a future envisioned 20 or more years from now. 1. INTRODUCTION // 3 What is the Difference between the General Plan and Zoning? A general plan is distinct from zoning. Although both the general plan and the zoning ordinance designate how land may be developed, they do so in different ways. A general plan has a broad, long-term outlook that identifies the types of development that will be allowed, the spatial relationships among land uses, and the general pattern of future development. Whereas the zoning ordinance regulates development through specific standards such as lot size, building setbacks, height, and allowable uses. As illustrated on Figure I-1, zoning supports implementation of the general plan and, therefore, must be consistent with the general plan. Upon adoption of the updated general plan, a jurisdiction may need to amend the zoning ordinance and zoning map to ensure consistency with the adopted general plan. Development projects must not only meet the specific requirements of the zoning ordinance, but also the broader policies set forth in the General Plan. Figure I-1 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PLANS Longer Term More General General Plan Specific Plan Zoning Building Permits Shorter Term More Detailed 4 // PLEASANT HILL 2040 GENERAL PLAN / EXISTING CONDITIONS AND TRENDS WORKBOOK Why Should We Update the General Plan? Because the City’s current General Plan is almost two decades old, there are a number of concerns that must be addressed through this update (Figure I-2 and below): • To meaningfully engage the community. The General Plan is a pivotal opportunity to bring the community together to learn and collaborate to define a common vision and priorities for the future. • To address major changes from the past two decades and prepare for shifts on the horizon. • To address new State laws (see next page for details). Figure I-2 CHANGES TO ADDRESS IN UPDATE Social and demographic changes Economic shifts • Increasing diversity • Rise of Internet commerce and • Changing needs and behaviors reduction in “brick and mortar” stores • Growing population and the need for • Focus on specialty knowledge-based more housing industries, compared to manual trades Technological changes Global issues • Autonomous vehicles • Climate change • Ride-, car-, bike-, and scooter-sharing • Adaptation, resiliency, and mitigation • Smart phones 1. INTRODUCTION // 5 New State Laws ASSEMBLY BILL (AB) 32 (2006) AND SENATE BILL (SB) 32 (2017) • To reduce statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 • To reduce statewide GHG emissions