San Pablo General Plan, EIR, and Housing Element

With a compact area of approximately three-square miles and excellent access to the regional transportation network, San Pablo is a thriving community of 32,000 residents located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dyett & Bhatia prepared a comprehensive General Plan Update and EIR for the City in 2012, establishing a new vision focused on promoting mixed-use development along the city’s transportation corridors and enhancing public health. In addition to State-mandated elements, the General Plan incorporates two optional element addressing topics of importance to the community. The Economic Development Element establishes policies to build a diversified job base, expand education and training, and develop regional attractions for the city. The Health Element— one of the first in California and winner of a National Award from the American Planning Association— promotes health and emotional well-being of San Pablo residents. In parallel, Dyett & Bhatia also prepared a Specific Plan for San Pablo Avenue, the City’s primary commercial corridor, and a programmatic EIR.

In 2022, the City engaged Dyett & Bhatia to prepare a targeted update to General Plan, focused on updating the Land Use, Housing, and Safety Elements to respond to new State requirements and address emerging needs and refreshing the Health Element to further incorporate environmental justice priorities. The project also involves preparation of a Corridor Plan for Rumrill Boulevard in the southwest of the city to establish a strategy that will incorporate housing to serve community needs and lead to improved environmental conditions and economic opportunities. As a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood in a majority-minority community, bilingual English-Spanish outreach is essential, and the outreach plan incorporated innovative strategies to engage families and young, working residents - including a block party on the corridor and Instagram survey incorporating video “reels” to gauge preferences for the future of key sites.