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Contra Costa board votes to put renewed Urban Limit Line measure on June 2, 2026 ballot
Summary
Supervisors voted unanimously to place a renewed urban limit line (ULL) measure on the June 2, 2026 primary ballot after staff certified CEQA reliance on the 2045 General Plan EIR, identified a minor map change and recommended final ballot language and findings.
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted Dec. 9 to place a voter‑approved renewal of the county’s urban limit line on the June 2, 2026 primary ballot.
Department of Conservation and Development staff told the board the urban limit line is a regulatory boundary that concentrates development where infrastructure exists and protects open space, agriculture and other nonurban lands. Will Nelson, DCD presenter, summarized the measure’s effects and history: the ULL was created by Measure C in 1990 and reaffirmed by Measure L in 2006; Measure L expires on Dec. 31, 2026. Nelson told the board CEQA review relied on the 2045 general plan EIR and that staff recommended certifying the final EIR, adopting the findings and the mitigation monitoring and reporting program, approving the final ULL map and ballot language, and adopting a resolution to call the election.
Staff described a minor map adjustment near unincorporated Moraga to remove lands now designated Resource Conservation and lands in very high fire hazard severity zones that are not appropriate for development. The staff presentation emphasized that the significant and unavoidable impacts identified for the ULL are the same as those in the general plan EIR.
Several public commenters and stakeholders spoke in favor of placing the measure on the ballot. Juan Pablo Galam Martinez of SEVA and DAPL said the proposed map tightening around steep slopes and high‑fire areas “totally makes sense,” and Kayla Notch of Greenbelt Alliance urged the board to place the measure on the ballot, calling the ULL one of the county’s strongest smart‑growth frameworks and praising updates that explicitly consider sea level rise and wildfire zones.
After questions from supervisors about timing and the process for drafting a county‑approved ballot argument (staff noted March deadlines for filing and recommended returning to the board in February for argument approval), the board voted to place the final ULL measure language on the June 2, 2026 ballot. The motion carried unanimously with Supervisor Diane Burgess absent.
Next steps identified by staff include returning with potential arguments for the voter pamphlet and direction from the board on whether the supervisors will sign the ballot argument or authorize other bona fide organizations to join.
