San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan - City of El Cerrito

Planning Division

San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan

The City of El Cerrito is committed to re-investing in the Avenue by making public improvements, ensuring high quality design for new developments and creating a vision for the future of the Avenue. For more information about the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan and upcoming meetings, contact the El Cerrito Community Development Department at 215-4380.

The Draft San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan is being revised to incorporate all comments to date, as well as to address the proposed Safeway project at the El Cerrito Target site. The next step is to hold public hearings before both the Richmond and El Cerrito Planning Commissions. It is expected that the Final Plan will be ready for consideration of adoption by both City Councils in mid 2010.

DRAFT SPECIFIC PLAN

The Draft of the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan was released on July 9, 2009. The Plan is available in its entirety below. Due to the size of the three volumes, the Draft Plan is available by both volume and broken up into individual chapters to assist in easy downloading of the document.
A hardcopy of the Draft San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan is available for review during business hours at the front counter of City Hall (10890 San Pablo Ave). A pdf version of the is also available for purchase on cd for $6. A cd can be purchased at the front counter in City Hall or ordered by calling 215-4380.

San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan - Volume I

San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan - Volume II

San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan - Volume III Technical Appendices

Background

San Pablo Avenue is El Cerrito�s "Main Street." It is our front door and the major commercial corridor for our residents and businesses. While most people probably think that the Avenue from north of the Del Norte area, to the Plaza is wholly an El Cerrito roadway, in fact many of the properties within that area that front on the Avenue, actually are in the City of Richmond.

The Avenue provides a major resource and opportunity for El Cerrito. However, due to the irregular city boundaries, different general plans, zoning and land uses between the two cities, planning and revitalization along the Avenue has been a long standing challenge.

What is a Specific Plan?

A Specific Plan is a proactive and progressive planning tool through which the cities of El Cerrito and Richmond will be able to create a long-range vision, development framework and implementation measures for economic development and improvements along San Pablo Avenue. The Specific Plan will provide the cities, developers and the community with a user friendly, single document, detailed guide for all future land use and design along the corridor.

El Cerrito�s General Plan recognized that challenge. It stated "these conditions will require a cooperative effort with the City of Richmond to create an attractive and unified visual character."

In March 2007, the consulting firm of Moore Iacofano Goltsman, or MIG, was chosen to lead the Specific Plan process and create a Plan that encapsulates the common visions, goals, and standards to implement the vision that both cities have for San Pablo Avenue.

Download a map of the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Study Area (PDF, 859Kb)

SPAAC

The San Pablo Ave Specific Plan Advisory Committee (SPAAC) is leading the efforts to create the Specific Plan. The Committee is comprised of two Council members from each city, a Planning commissioner from each city, a Design Review Board member from each city, a member of the El Cerrito Economic Development Board, four business owners, three residents and representatives from WCCTAC, BART and AC Transit.

Past Specific Plan Work Products

Existing Conditions Analysis

In October 2007, MIG completed the "Existing Conditions Analysis". The report provides an overview of the existing conditions, issues and opportunities present within the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Planning Area in El Cerrito and Richmond, California. This information is being used during the planning process as a foundation for shaping alternatives and strategies for strengthening and enhancing the corridor. Specifically, this report discusses land use; community design; economics and market conditions; and circulation, transportation and parking.

Download the Report by section:

For more information, contact Jennifer Carman, Planning Manager at (510) 215-4330 or Dwayne Dalman, Economic Development Project Manager at (510) 215-4362.