Smart Growth
We need to grow our tax base by encouraging smart, efficient development, including additional housing for a wide range of household types, and businesses that meet our local needs for employment, services, and revenue. In light of Valero's intent to cease operations in Benicia, we need to strategically increase utilization of our Industrial Park by attracting compatible businesses that create jobs, diversify revenue, and make productive use of existing infrastructure.
Phases
✅ Streamline Design Review Requirements
Encouraging Investment Within the City
Design review is when the City evaluates a project that affects a property's appearance. This process ensures that it meets City design standards before the project begins. The City's goal is to make the design review process easier for applicants, encouraging economic growth. In 2023, the City Council gave staff direction to simplify the design review process by:
- Reducing the types of projects that need design review
- Reducing public hearing requirements
- Making more types of projects exempt
The City completed a major update to design review laws, removing costly hearing requirements for minor work. The results speak for themselves: from January – July of 2023, the City received 11 design review applications. For the same period in 2024, that number is reduced to 5. In the meantime, we’ve observed a recent uptick in property maintenance and investment in the downtown area.
Study Session - Streamlining Design Review Procedures
July 25, 2023
Adoption of Amendments to Streamline Design Review Procedures
Introduction and First Reading
November 7, 2023
November 21, 2023