Plan Orinda Partially Revised Environmental Impact Analysis

Plan Orinda is a comprehensive long-range planning initiative managed by the City of Orinda, California, designed to update the city's General Plan and zoning framework. The project scope includes significant updates to the Housing Element, the Land Use Element, and the Safety Element within the Environmental Resources Chapter of the General Plan. Key components of the plan involve the establishment of new development standards and the adoption of objective design standards specifically for Downtown Orinda. To support the 6th Cycle Housing Element, the City Council adopted ordinances creating five new zoning districts—RH-25, RH-40, DCOR-30, DCOR-55, and DG—and amended the City's Zoning Map to apply these districts to 31 identified opportunity sites. Additionally, Resolution 52-25 (A & B) was adopted to amend the General Plan Land Use Chapter and General Plan Map to accommodate these new land use classifications. The project is subject to rigorous environmental review in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the Public Resources Code. A Revised Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was certified on March 18, 2025, following a multi-stage process that included a 2022 Draft EIR, a 2023 Response to Comments, a March 2023 Addendum, a 2024 Partially Revised EIR, and a 2025 Response to Comments on the partially revised version. The project, identified by State Clearinghouse Number 2022010392, involves citywide performance within Contra Costa County. While specific contract values and administrative details such as payment methods are not provided, the project represents a formal regulatory effort to align Orinda's land use, housing, and safety planning with updated environmental and development standards.