Belvedere council kicks off process toward city’s long-term vision plan

The Belvedere City Council has begun work on a comprehensive update to its long-term vision plan, launching a multiyear effort to shape the city’s policies on housing, land use, transportation, open space, noise, safety, community character and other elements.

The council got its first look at the general plan process at the Feb. 23 council retreat, where consultants Christine O’Rourke and Bob Brown of O’Rourke & Associates briefed councilmembers on how other Bay Area cities have approached their own updates.

State law requires all California cities to maintain an up-to-date general plan and mandates that the housing element be updated every eight years. While a full comprehensive overhaul carries no fixed deadline, Belvedere’s current plan — the General Plan 2030, adopted in June 2010 — is approaching the end of its horizon. The city also faces a seventh-cycle housing-element update covering 2031-2039, even as its sixth-cycle element, covering 2023-2031, has not yet been certified by the state.

Planning Director Rebecca Markwick estimated the cost of updating the general plan and preparing the next housing element at about $680,000, plus up to $500,000 for an environmental-impact report — with O’Rourke adding that cities typically budget about $1.5 million for the entire process.

Funding would come in part from the city’s general fund and general plan maintenance fee, subject to annual budget approvals by the council.

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