LHC Archive of Letters, Events, and other items

Thanks to all the candidates for participating, and to the public that were able to join us at a terrific Candidates' Night.  

The event was held on Wed, Oct 9, 2024, in the Don Tatzin Community Hall, at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center.    

The City Council candidates presented their positions and answered questions from the LHC and the public.  Again, thanks to Mario DiPrisco, Jim Cervantes, John McCormick, Gina Dawson, Lauren McCabe Herpich, and Carl Anduri for participating.  

Watch on YouTube (@LHCLafayetteHomeownersCouncil) here https://youtu.be/CiJXzMsJxfc  

and see the Recent Pix page for a few pictures, and check out the Lamorinda Weekly recap https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1818/LHC-Candidates-Night-reveals-accords-and-divisions-in-City-Council-candidates.html

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The LHC Board voted to endorsement of the November 2024 Sales Tax Measure H (vote was 8-1-1).

There was discussion at Candidates Night (link above).   To learn more see  https://www.lovelafayette.org/city-hall/city-departments/administration/city-clerk/november-2024-general-election/measure-h-sales-tax 

Here is a link to a KTVU interview of Wei-Tai Kwok about Measure H

https://www.ktvu.com/video/1535649 .

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March 10, 2022,  7:00 – 8:30 pm,  Lafayette Library – Don Tatzin Hall

Lafayette Community Conversations on 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

As a City that is known for its warm community spirit, and as a place that will experience both growth and change during the next decade, we look forward to exploring ways to make newcomers feel welcome and included. 

We will be joined in conversation by realtors, students, representatives from neighborhood groups and City representatives. 

If you have ways your neighborhood welcomes newcomers, or ideas you think we should try, please come share them. We will also talk about how some of these ideas or others might help newcomers in apartments or other high density housing complexes also feel welcome in Lafayette. 

This event is co-sponsored by the Lafayette Homeowners Council and Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation. At this time, masks and proof of vaccination are required by the LLLC. 

For questions, please contact LafayetteDEIB@gmail.com  See also 

https://www.lovelafayette.org/why-lafayette/diversity-equity-and-inclusion

  The Lafayette Homeowners Council (LHC) recognizes and supports over 50 neighborhood homeowners’ groups as well as individual homeowners within the City of Lafayette. Whether condominium, town home, or single family home, the homeowners within the City form the backbone of residents who have chosen to live, participate, and invest in their neighborhoods and our community.

Our residents have chosen to live in Lafayette because of its natural beauty, its many amenities and quality of life available to all residents. We believe a variety of housing types and neighborhood choices are part of what makes Lafayette a very special place.

The LHC supports the creation of both owner-occupied and rental housing units available to people of all economic levels.

The LHC strongly supports inclusiveness and diversity in Lafayette, which makes Lafayette a better and more vibrant place to live.

The LHC highly values protecting our open space, green hills, protected ridge lines, parks & trails, great schools and vibrant downtown commercial district. We support increasing the quantity and quality of these community assets.

The LHC supports City efforts and those by individuals and groups to limit state control of land use decisions. We believe in local control.

The City faces the challenge of meeting State mandated addition of 2,114 housing units within Lafayette. This includes the addition of affordable housing units as well as market rate units. The LHC supports and encourages the City to explore ways to reduce this excessively high number of units.

Our downtown district with its pedestrian and bicycle access to our commercial corridor, a variety of amenities, and a BART station is where the LHC recommends the majority of the new housing units be built and is most logically suited. This can provide a greater diversity of housing types, both rental and owner occupied. We see the appeal of this area growing as housing units are built. It is important to note that 943 of the 2,114 units must be produced in Low Income and Very Low Income categories which can be built by developers using economies of scale. Therefore, apartment buildings, condominiums, and town homes are the only way to realistically create such a high number of affordable units and it makes sense to locate these units in or near the downtown core.

Outside the downtown and east/west corridor, we are a town of hills and valleys with limited access and vehicle traffic using curvy two lane, narrow roads. Several of these areas have also been identified as high-fire danger zones or are surrounded by them. Housing in these neighborhoods is mostly single family homes. This type of housing provides quieter, semi- rural neighborhoods that many residents desire and are part of their lifestyle choice. We support the development of Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) housing in these areas but believe that multi-unit housing would significantly change the character and feel of these neighborhoods, exacerbate the access problems, and increase exposure to fire and safety risks

– all without providing for the affordable housing that is required.

While not perfect, the current Terraces project is supported by the LHC because it not only provides 315 new housing units, but it also designates 63 of those units for affordable housing.

The LHC also supports reasonable development of the BART parking lots. While we have concerns for development close to a high-fire danger zone area, development of this area would provide housing types close to the amenities of our downtown core area. We believe significant parking for both residents and commuters would also have to be provided as part of any development plan.

People generally have a choice of where to live and the LHC supports the need for development of increased housing stock for all income levels. But we need to be careful about changing with a broad stroke the character of our city and neighborhoods. Not all areas should try to be converted to mini-cities. Suburbs like Lafayette exist for many good reasons and should be nurtured for all they are and provide.

May 25, 2021

If so, watch the recording here:

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      This is the issue:  the availability of affordable and inclusive housing in California is a real issue facing all of us.  Desirable and livable suburbs like Lafayette have become a “hot market”  with increased prices of real estate and rental rates reflecting this trend.  This housing shortage is state wide, especially for affordable housing, and has become a problem that state level politicians are attempting to address.

        But, what many residents may not know is the way in which the State of California is trying to solve this problem. The recent RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Assessments/Allocations) numbers requiring Lafayette to find space to allow for over 3000+ new housing units in our city (figure includes state allocation plus legally allowed bonus) is just the tip of the iceberg. The legislators are also currently considering several more bills that will have devastating impacts on cities across the state by destroying mature single family neighborhoods . Despite our topography, heavily wooded lands, limited infrastructure, and unstable soils, Lafayette would not be excluded from these proposed laws.  Local control of housing and land use decisions would be drastically reduced and single family residential zoning is likely to disappear from California landscapes.

        The Lafayette Homeowners Council webinar focused on these topics and alternative ideas to provide more affordable and available housing in our community.  

Two groups - Livable California and United Neighbors - made presentations on California’s housing “shortage” and the affordable housing dilemma, as well as a review of current and proposed state-wide laws aimed at densifying single family home neighborhoods, and what we can do about it.

Reminder, annual dues are not due until the Fall, but donations to help support the work of the LHC are always welcome.  Please use the Donations page's buttons or the Dues and Donation form.    

        Sincerely, 

        Bill Bucher, President

As part of the General Plan update, the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) is hosting a series of sessions to explain and answer questions about the Housing Element portion of the Plan 

https://www.planlafayette.org/housing-element

You are encouraged to sign up for one of the seminars here:   

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Want a quick overview?  Here's a link to a city brochure 

https://lafayette.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&clip_id=5327&meta_id=126777

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