Belvedere OKs housing plan, zoning overhaul for state approval

The Belvedere City Council unanimously approved a package of housing reforms Nov. 10, effectively ending nearly four years of work to bring the city into compliance with state requirements to accommodate at least 160 new housing units.

Officials voted to formally adopt the state-mandated 2023-2031 housing element and, in a separate vote, approved a set of zoning amendments that will allow for new development under the eight-year roadmap.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development indicated in July that revisions in the fourth draft of the element — which was required to be in place by Jan. 31, 2023 — would comply with state law but, because the city missed several implementation deadlines, the element could not be certified until the zoning amendments are in place.

The City Council is expected to formally adopt those amendments in a required second vote Dec. 8, after which Belvedere will submit both documents to Sacramento for review and certification.

The changes address affordable-housing requirements and incentives, streamlined approvals for developments with at least 20% affordable units, updated design and development standards, mixed-use housing, emergency shelters, parking and reasonable-accommodation requests.

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