Alameda County staff seek $2.4 million in planning grants to comply with MTC's Transit-Oriented Communities rules

County planning staff on Jan. 22 briefed the Alameda County Unincorporated Services Committee on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) policy and described a $2.4 million planning grant application to study compliance around Bay Fair and Castro Valley BART stations.

"We preemptively applied for the maximum in every category coming to $2,400,000," Olivia Ortiz, a planner with the county planning department, said during the presentation. Angelica Gonzalez, senior planner with the county's Community Development Agency, added that "future funding could be at risk if we don't comply with the TOC policy." The staff presentation made clear that MTC will prioritize jurisdictions that align with the Bay Area 2050 regional plan.

Why it matters: staff said TOC compliance is voluntary but incentivized; jurisdictions that meet MTC's menu of requirements will score higher for discretionary funds such as the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) and Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grants. Staff said OBAG-like funds have supported projects such as the Upper San Lorenzo Creekway Trail and Mission Boulevard corridor improvements and that REAP grants have typically provided roughly $400,000'$600,000 annually for planning work.

What staff proposed: Ortiz detailed the TOC's four core elements. For density and zoning, Bay Fair's half-mile area would need an average minimum residential density near 75 dwelling units per acre (with an average maximum cited around 100 du/acre) while Castro Valley's half-mile would need an average minimum near 50 du/acre and an average maximum near 75 du/acre. Commercial floor-area-ratio targets were also given (Bay Fair roughly 3'6 FAR; Castro Valley roughly 2'4 FAR). Ortiz said these are average-area goals that would be implemented through plan and zoning decisions that designate which parcels would be above or below the averages.

Station access and parking: staff said full compliance would require a complete-streets policy (already adopted in 2012), prioritized active-transport projects, an access gap analysis with an implementation plan, and community and BART coordination to create mobility hubs. On parking, staff outlined no minimum parking for new developments (consistent with state law), and proposed maximums: Bay Fair 0.5 parking spaces per new unit and Castro Valley 1 space per new unit, plus requirements for secure bike parking and options for shared and unbundled parking.

Housing protections and implementation: staff said jurisdictions must adopt a menu of production, preservation and protection strategies and noted Alameda County already meets some preservation measures (Eden Community Land Trust funding, a pending mobile-home park overlay, and a just-cause eviction ordinance currently on first reading). The grant application would also fund feasibility work on inclusionary zoning, ministerial permitting to speed qualifying projects, and a potential tenant anti-harassment ordinance.

Supervisors' concerns and next steps: supervisors asked about overlap with the county's certified housing element, coordination with the City of San Leandro and BART, infrastructure impacts (schools, water) and the timing of any rezoning. Liz McElligott of the county planning department explained that TOC compliance is an incentive-driven program rather than a state enforcement item and that Bay Fair is currently prioritized by BART for near-term action while Castro Valley is a later priority; staff said they would try to position Castro Valley higher on BART's work plan but that BART dictates station prioritization.

Staff said grant award notifications are tentatively expected in March 2025 and that the county will bring a resolution to the Board recommending whether to pursue TOC commitments on Feb. 20. If the planning grant is awarded and the Board supports compliance, staff said the work would include public engagement, general-plan and zoning amendments, and coordination with City of San Leandro and BART.

Public comment: resident Roy Taylor of Castro Valley praised the planning approach but urged the supervisors to "put some teeth behind this" and to hold implementing departments, particularly Public Works, accountable so that plans such as complete streets and bike improvements are built and not only adopted.

What happens next: staff will present a resolution to the Board Feb. 20 seeking direction on pursuing compliance if the county receives the MTC planning grant; tentative MTC announcements are expected in March 2025.