El Sobrante Community Meeting #3
February 10th, 6:30-8:30 PM
We would like to thank all the residents who attended the third El Sobrante community meeting for Envision Contra Costa! Approximately 25 community members attended to share feedback on the draft profile for El Sobrante.
The profile provides context about the community, an overview of planned land uses, and guiding principles, policies, and actions to guide growth and development over the next twenty years. We will use participants’ feedback to refine the profile to ensure it reflects what community members want for the future of El Sobrante. From these conversations, the following ideas emerged:
- Establish the Mixed-Use Triangle Area as El Sobrante’s art district with live-work spaces to embrace the community’s artistic identity. Ensure the Triangle will not be filled with big commercial retail.
- Reword some of the guiding principles and policies to be positive, affirmative, and encouraging what we do want, rather than focusing on limiting or discouraging things we don’t want.
- Strengthen guiding principles language by replacing the world “should” with “shall” in order to make these ideas more realistic.
- Augment policy language to promote local, independent businesses throughout El Sobrante and avoid inviting big retail into community.
- Do not limit gathering places to “Downtown” or the “Center;” instead, aim to create community gathering places throughout El Sobrante.
- Augment policies and actions that will beautify El Sobrante through improved illegal dumping enforcement, trash collection, and maintenance of existing landscaping.
- Expand policies and actions to create more mobility opportunities through the development of new bike lanes, trails, and more first- and last-mile public transportation, such as the 74-bus direct line to BART.
- Amend policies and actions to promote a diverse range of housing opportunities, such as reserving land for a tiny-home village.
- Add policies and actions that will establish clear parking designations with better signage and better enforcement.
- Add a policy that would pursue the use of vacant land for community benefits.
- Add policy language that would expand the County’s approach to community outreach, especially to vulnerable communities, such as through churches, shelters, and mailing lists.
- Ensure there is equal balance between stakeholders, business owners, property owners, and renters throughout the planning process.
Be sure to check back into the website often for upcoming meetings and more feedback opportunities !
Link to Draft Community Profile for El Sobrante.
