Agenda

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C. 63

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	John Kopchik, Director, Conservation & Development Department
Date:	December 17, 2019

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Authorization and Nomination of ABAG/MTC Priority Production Areas

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 12/17/2019

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Daniel Davis, (925) 674-7886

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: December 17, 2019
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT Resolution No. 2019/636, nominating two County districts in Bay Point and Pacheco as Association of Bay Area Governments/Metropolitan Transportation Commission's recognized Priority Production Areas, and supporting the City of Antioch's nomination of the Wilbur Avenue corridor, in order to establish eligibility for grant funding and other resources.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Receiving Priority Production Areas designations may expand future grant funding and financial investment eligibility.

BACKGROUND:

On June 17, 2019, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) released an open call for letters of interest for a new pilot program that will introduce Priority Production Areas (PPAs) as a new Priority Area designation. Priority Areas are specific locations well suited for a specific use and previously only included Priority Development Areas (PDAs) and Priority Conservation Areas (PCAs). PPAs are based on new criteria developed by ABAG/MTC that

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

calls for the enhancement and protection of industrial areas. These areas will inform ABAG/MTC’s future investments, and may be used as grant eligibility criteria by other agencies and organizations.
The intention of the pilot program is to protect and support the Bay Area’s industrial and manufacturing sectors through the provision of resources and implementation of streamlining actions. Thus, these PPAs should be districts that are consistent with current land use designations, have the capacity to add jobs, and spur economic growth. However, at this point in the pilot program, there is no associated grant funding.

There are a number of ways in which the County might benefit from identifying potential PPAs. The designated areas will be officially recognized in the region’s long-range plan, Plan Bay Area 2050, which will promote and position them for future investment. Similar to grant programs associated with PDAs, the assumption is that the PPA program will eventually include a grant program through ABAG and MTC. Other investment may come from businesses that are looking to take advantage of the PPA designation. Given the multi-jurisdictional nature of the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative, staff will investigate opportunities with neighboring agencies for a collaborative approach in order to increase our chances of success.

Staff reviewed areas throughout unincorporated Contra Costa County, with a special focus on the Northern Waterfront Initiative area, for compatibility with the PPA criteria and goals. On September 10, 2019, the Board of Supervisors authorized the submittal of Letters of Interest for three potential PPAs: Pacheco/North Concord, Bay Point, and Byron Airport. Ultimately, Byron Airport was withdrawn from consideration by ABAG/MTC due to its lack of urban density. The remaining two areas (Pacheco and Bay Point) each contain large, contiguous portions of land that are already zoned for industrial-type uses. They are both within the Northern Waterfront and do not overlap with PDA-eligible land, allowing for the option of future expansion of the PDAs. Additionally, the Pacheco PPA is well situated near housing and transit, while also having the unique asset of a regional airport which could entice aviation innovation companies to locate there.

Pacheco PPA
The proposed Pacheco PPA (Attachment 1) has parcels zoned for manufacturing, light industrial, and heavy industrial and commercial use in the Pacheco-unincorporated North Concord-Buchanan Field area. It is bordered by the Urban Limit Line to the north, City of Martinez to the west, City of Concord to the south, and by natural barriers to the east. The zone also includes Buchanan Airport and is only a couple of miles from shipping channel docks. Highway 680 and Highway 4, both major arterials, also border this zone, while rail tracks run along its northern section. There is a cluster of small and large manufacturing operations currently in this location, considered to be within the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative area. Advanced manufacturing is a key industry for its middle-wage jobs.

Bay Point PPA
The proposed Bay Point PPA (Attachment 2) is centrally located in Bay Point and primarily designated for industry within the existing P-1 overlay. It is bordered by marshland to the north, residential neighborhoods east and west, and both Willow Pass Road and an existing PDA to the south. Suisun Bay access is just to the north, while the Willow Pass Road and Highway 4, both major arterials, are just south of the proposed PPA. The Henkel Corporation and Criterion Catalyst are existing large employers within the proposed PPA, and are also some of the largest employers in the unincorporated County. As this area is also within the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative area and has large developable parcels, advanced manufacturing is a target industry to retain and attract.

In addition to these two PPAs within the unincorporated County, the staff recommendation includes support for the PPA proposal for the Wilbur Avenue corridor (within the Northern Waterfront) that will be submitted to by the City of Antioch. A small section of Wilbur is unincorporated, but the preponderance is incorporated, so Antioch will be the administrative lead for the submittal. The County and City are already cooperating in this area on the short-line rail feasibility study underway by the County.

As of November 1, 2019, the County was informed that its proposed Pacheco and Bay Point PPAs met ABAG/MTC eligibility criteria, based on a preliminary internal review. In order to make these Priority Areas official, the County must adopt a Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 2019/636, nominating new PPAs to ABAG/MTC by January 16, 2020.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Failing to nominate and adopt these Priority Area designations may prevent the County from receiving funding and/or technical assistance from ABAG/MTC to support planning and infrastructure in these areas. Furthermore, these areas would be left out of the region's long-range plan, which highlights sectors primed for future investment.