Concord To Hold Community Meetings On Rezoning For Housing

CONCORD, CA — The city of Concord is holding additional community meetings Monday, Oct. 28, and Wednesday, Oct. 30, to discuss the properties being considered for rezoning under the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing program.

Community members are invited to attend one of the meetings to learn more about the program and offer feedback. Monday's meeting starts at 6 p.m. at Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road. Or, register to attend Wednesday's meeting, which is at 6 p.m. via Zoom.

Over 400 people completed a survey about five alternative housing maps. Based on their input, the city refined the number of locations and sites under consideration. The purpose of the upcoming meetings is to receive public input on the smaller list of sites. See the latest map, along with a new survey.

The recommended sites are:

• The Kmart property
• The Clayton Faire property
• Warehouses behind Trader Joe's on Treat Boulevard
• Palm Lake Apartment Homes Infill

The alternates are:

• The Staples/CVS Auto Repair, Burger King property
• Vacant site at Kirker Pass Road and Myrtle
• Property at 1539 Kirker Pass Road

Once the City Council selects the housing properties, the allowable land uses will be changed to enable residential housing development at greater densities. The city said it was important to note that the rezoning program will not affect the land uses currently permitted on the properties under review.

The AFFH program is part of Concord’s Housing Element, mandated by California law. It commits the city to rezoning at least 20 acres in higher-resource neighborhoods to allow higher-density multifamily development of up to 60 units per acre. These 20 acres will be distributed across various parcels within the study area, the city said.

AFFH is a provision of the Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which prohibits discrimination in housing and ensures equal housing opportunities for all. California Assembly Bill 686 mandates that cities actively further fair housing in their planning processes and take meaningful actions to overcome segregation and foster inclusive communities.

See the city's AFFH web page for further information.