City of Concord offers online information on developments

CONCORD, CA — I frequently get questions about development projects around town, as people drive past a construction site or see temporary chain-link fencing around a property and wonder what is going on.

Now the city of Concord has launched a comprehensive, web-based interactive map showing significant development projects. It’s updated in real-time, showing the status of significant development projects being processed, approved, under construction and completed throughout Concord.

This will provide all stakeholders much easier access to project information and documents. The site will act as a central repository of information on each project by providing project plans, staff reports, environmental documents, conditions of approval and links to public hearings in one location.

The interactive map is in the process of being fully built out with the supporting documents for each project, but it has been publicly launched at concordgis.ci.concord.ca.us/DevViewer/.

Once the interactive map is fully built out (currently targeted by April 2, 2021), anyone with an internet connection will have the ability to check out a project and review the Conditions of Approval along with other useful information.

The Conditions of Approval are a comprehensive list of requirements that the applicant or developer must comply with on the project.

These requirements span the entire life cycle of a project, from permitting at the beginning of the project to property maintenance in perpetuity.

For example, Conditions of Approval may require that all exterior building and parking lot lighting provide illumination for safety and be installed in a manner that is glare shielded and directed away from adjacent properties and rights-of-way. Conditions of Approval also specify the allowable hours during which construction can occur or may specify certain hours that a business can operate. These are just a few examples of requirements that the city may place on a project or property during the approval process.

I hope you find this new tool useful. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or suggestions about it.

Jason Laub is Chief Operating Officer at RAD Urban and is a City of Concord Planning Commissioner. Email questions or comments to jlaub.concordplanning@gmail.com