Hayward planners outline package to speed permitting, activate downtown storefronts

The Hayward City Council heard a work session presentation proposing changes to municipal rules and processes intended to make it easier and cheaper for businesses to open and operate, with a particular focus on activating vacant downtown storefronts.

Planners said the “Business Friendly Hayward” project will aim to “streamline permitting for businesses” and to “activate vacant and underutilized properties and storefronts downtown,” Elizabeth Lanton, senior planner, told the council. The staff presentation included research, community outreach and best-practice examples from other Bay Area cities and recommended targeted code changes and new programs.

The effort grew from a spring-and-summer review of the city’s strategic roadmap, downtown plans and new state laws, planners said. Staff reported a business-owner survey rating Hayward’s permitting experience 3.34 of 5 and a community satisfaction score of 2.61 for variety of businesses. “The length of approval times and information either being unclear or inaccessible were amongst the biggest challenges that business owners face,” Sachiko Riddle, assistant planner, told the council.

Consultants Wincom Consultants and…