About Planning

Effective February 28, 2022 the Piedmont Planning & Building and Public Works departments will be open for counter service, including unscheduled inquiries via walk-ins, telephone and e-mail during the following hours:

Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (including the lunch hour)
Friday closed

For more information click here for a message from Planning & Building Director Kevin Jackson

The Planning Division

Through its service to the City Council and Planning Commission, the Piedmont Planning Division is responsible for guiding the physical development of the City of Piedmont. The Division works closely with the Public Works Department and Building Division in its oversight of the built environment. Always accessible to property owners and their professionals, Piedmont’s planning staff strives to serve the public with consistency and professionalism.

Responsibilities & Services

The Planning Division is responsible for long-term planning, transportation planning, housing & community development, design review, zoning, and environmental assessment & sustainability.

Long-term planning involves the preparation, maintenance and implementation of the City’s General Plan, including the Plan’s Housing Element.

Transportation planning includes the preparation, maintenance and implementation of the City’s Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan ; the development and implementation of the County’s Congestion Management Program and Countywide Transportation Plan; the development and implementation of the City’s Complete Streets Policy; and the pursuit of grant funds to cover the cost of transportation planning and improvements. For these tasks, planning staff represents the City’s interests on the technical advisory committee of the Alameda County Transportation Commission and with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Housing and community development includes the development and implementation of programs to address and/or assist affordable housing, homelessness, first-time home buyers; and housing rehabilitation for low-income residents. For these tasks, planning staff represents the City’s interests on the technical advisory committee of the Alameda County Housing and Community Development Department.

Zoning includes the administration of City Code Chapter 17 (the Zoning Ordinance) and other development regulations of the Piedmont Municipal Code and providing zoning and regulatory information to property owners and their professionals. This responsibility includes the processing of applications for conditional use permit, nonresidential signs, second unit permit, wireless communication facilities, subdivision, lot line adjustment and parcel merge.

Design review involves providing staff services to the City’s Planning Commission, processing design review applications, conducting public hearings, and managing and implementing the City’s Design Guidelines.

Environmental assessment involves the preparation of environmental documents as required for both private and municipal projects consistent with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Environmental sustainability includes: the preparation, maintenance and implementation of the City’s Climate Action Program; compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit (NPDES); the administration of water efficiency regulations; and the pursuit of grant funds to cover the cost of these efforts. For these tasks, planning staff represents the City’s interests on StopWaste's Technical Advisory Group.