4.4 Summary and Conclusions

The vacant, partially vacant, and underutilized sites identified in this report are sufficient to accommodate approximately 140 percent of the Belvedere’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation for the 6th-Cycle planning period. This “cushion” is highly recommended because of the state’s no-net-loss policy, which precludes jurisdictions from approving development that results in an overall housing site deficit. It essentially provides a degree of flexibility for policy makers as they make development decisions. Many of the sites identified in this report have existing uses that would need to be demolished before new housing could be constructed.

For communities like Belvedere that are largely built out and surrounded on all sides by other communities and the Bay, redevelopment and densification is the only practical solution to providing a fair share of housing for the San Francisco Bay Area. By its nature, such redevelopment is more costly and more time consuming than building new units on vacant land. To offset these constraints, City Officials have coordinated closely with Hirsh-Bedner Associates (HBA) and Brookdale Living Communities LP (BLC-LP), both of whom have expressed interest in remodeling existing multi-family housing to add additional units alongside existing units. These properties alone represent over 80 percent (130 units) of Belvedere’s RHNA (160 units). As these properties are almost entirely multi-family housing, they represent Belvedere’s best opportunity to provide affordable housing in an otherwise high-end housing market.