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Friday, September 26, 2025 | What’s Doing in Lafayette?

News From the City Manager’s Corner

This week’s updates from City Manager, Niroop Srivatsa highlight:

• Annual Senior Symposium on Saturday
• Community Meeting on Connecting Lafayette: Downtown Pathways and Schools Safety Project
• Share Your Expertise While Helping to Shape the Future of Our Community
• We’re Now Showcasing Lafayette Artists on Instagram!
• What’s Happening with the EBMUD Tower?
• Lafayette Senior Services Hosting Coffee with a Cop on Wednesday Morning
• Lunchtime Poetry Event Next Tuesday
• Ongoing Roadwork Advisories

Project to Build Permanent Supportive Housing in Downtown Lafayette Receives Competitive State Funds

The vision to build 48 permanent supportive housing units in downtown Lafayette for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities  (I/DD) is one step closer to becoming a reality after Governor Newson announced on September 22 that the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is awarding funding for 30 affordable housing projects across California, including the proposed development at 949 Moraga Road by non-profit co-developers, Sunflower Hill and Satellite Affordable Housing Associates (SAHA).

“Lafayette truly is a community of character,” said Rosemary Kirbach, Sunflower Hill board member and land committee chair.  “We are very grateful to the City, our partner SAHA, and the greater Lafayette community. There is a long history of support in Lafayette for individuals with I/DD, including Las Trampas and Futures Explored and we are proud to build on that legacy.  949 Moraga will be Sunflower Hill’s first expansion into Contra Costa County.”

The application for the State’s Multifamily Finance Super NOFA funding was incredibly competitive, with only two awards in Contra Costa County. 

The City of Lafayette had previously identified this city-owned site, currently a parking lot, as an opportunity site for housing under its Housing Element. Sunflower Hill’s designs for the new community include one- and two-bedroom apartments, a community room, fitness room, teaching kitchen and small garden.  

Lafayette Mayor Susan Candell said, “We are proud to partner with Sunflower Hill and SAHA on this opportunity to create stable, supportive housing for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We are excited to see this project coming to our community and have pledged to support the project through the donation of the property.” 

The City has already entered into an Exclusive Negotiating Rights Agreement and intends to  contribute the land for the development, conditioned on the project acquiring full funding.

“We’re thrilled to reach this funding milestone – while there is still plenty of work ahead, this is a monumental step forward and shows what we can accomplish working together,” commented Eve Stewart, SVP of Real Estate for SAHA.

“We are so grateful to the Governor and HCD for providing this much-needed funding to build affordable housing,” added Mayor Candell.

“I am thrilled that Sunflower Hill has chosen to build supportive housing in Lafayette and we look forward to working together with them and the other project partners to build much needed homes for people with developmental disabilities,” added City Manager Niroop Srivatsa.

See You at the Senior Symposium on Saturday

City Staff will be at the Community Foundation of Lafayette’s annual Senior Symposium on Saturday (September 27) at the Lafayette Veterans Memorial Center. The event is from 8:30am to noon and include presentations and a Resource Fair featuring various local organizations that provide important senior services. For more information or to register for this free event, visit the Community Foundation of Lafayette website.

Community Meeting Wednesday Night for Connecting Lafayette: Downtown Pathways and Schools Safety Project

On Wednesday, October 1 from 5:30 to 7pm, join us for the 3^rd Open House for our Connecting Lafayette project to create pathways along School Street and Topper Lane that will improve safety and comfort for all, including students walking or biking to Stanley Middle School and Lafayette Elementary School. 

Over the past several months the project team has been advancing the engineering and landscape components of our Connecting Lafayette project, working towards a final design this winter and construction of the project in summer 2026.  This public Open House will represent an opportunity for the public to speak to the project team, view the current plans, and provide comment as we work towards the conclusion of the design phase.

At this meeting attendees will have an opportunity to speak with our civil engineering and landscape architecture teams about the current 65% civil design plans as well as the landscape plans for each of the two streets. Below is a rendering of the conceptual design for the School Street pathway.

The meeting will be held in the Lafayette Elementary School Multi-Purpose Room (950 Moraga Road). For more information, please visit www.lovelafayette.org/connectinglafayette 

Share Your Expertise While Helping to Shape the Future of Our Community

Lend your expertise, share your perspective, and make a lasting impact on our community! We are accepting applications to serve on advisory bodies that advise the City Council on a number of important topics. Learn more and download the application form at www.lovelafayette.org/volunteers.

Click on the links below to learn more about the advisory bodies with current or upcoming vacancies:

• Capital Project Assessment Committee (CPAC)
• Creeks Committee
• Environmental Task Force (ETF) 
• Planning Commission
• Senior Services Commission
• Central Contra Costa County Transit Authority (CCCTA) Advisory Committee
• Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District Board of Trustees 
• Newly Established! Measure H Citizens Oversight Committee

We’re Now Showcasing Lafayette Artists on Instagram!

Are you an artist with a studio practice in Lafayette? We’d love for you to join the Public Art Committee’s effort to highlight local talent through the hashtag #LoveLafayetteArtists and our new Instagram account, @LoveLafayetteArtists.

It’s easy to get involved:

• Follow and like our new account, @LoveLafayetteArtists
• If you wish to be showcased, simply fill out this online form and upload photo of yourself creating in your studio or a recent artwork.
• Use the hashtag #LoveLafayetteArtists and tag us in your Instagram posts about local art and artists!

Let’s make Lafayette’s art scene more visible and connected—together!

What’s Happening with the Tower? Attend EBMUD Upcoming Community Meeting About Major Lafayette Reservoir Projects

If you have signed up for EBMUD alerts, you may have already received an email announcing that EBMUD is planning a number of projects in Lafayette, and will be holding an online community meeting on Thursday, October 9 at 6pm via Zoom. Register to attend the EBMUD community meeting.

This meeting will provide an overview of upcoming projects, expected construction timelines, and potential impacts for Reservoir visitors and nearby neighbors including

• Lafayette Reservoir Tower Retrofit Project- A major dam safety upgrade to comply with modern seismic standards feature a tower shortened by 40 feet. 

• Lafayette Water Treatment Plant Maintenance & Reliability Improvements - Upgrades to water treatment plant will improve water service reliability for the region. Note: This project will temporarily close a portion of the Walter Costa Trail that passes through the water treatment plant property. A detour will be set along Mt. Diablo Blvd and El Nido Ranch Road.

• Lafayette Reservoir Recreation Area Sewer Maintenance Improvement Project - Replacement of the recreation area's aging wastewater system and sewer piping.

To receive information and alerts directly from EBMUD, sign up/log in at www.ebmud.com/alerts/   

City Meetings & Events 

Lafayette Senior Services Hosting Coffee with a Cop on Wednesday Morning

The Lafayette Senior Services program invites you to stop by for coffee and treats and visit with staff from the Lafayette Police Department. Hear about the latest scams being reported in the area and learn about ways to keep yourself and your family safe. Discuss issues impacting our community and share conversation and questions in this informal coffee hour. Join us on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 10:30am in the Elderberry Room at the Lafayette Community Center (500 St. Mary's Road).

Hear about the latest scams being reported in the area and learn about ways to keep yourself and your family safe. Discuss issues impacting our community and share conversation and questions with staff from the Lafayette Police Department at this casual coffee hour.

Other Top Meetings This Week

• Connecting Lafayette: Public Open House – Oct. 1 at 5:30pm (noted above)
• Creeks Committee - Special Meeting – Oct. 1 at 7pm

More information is available at www.lovelafayette.org/calendar

Lunchtime Poetry Event Next Tuesday

The Lafayette Public Art Committee and the Lamorinda Arts Council invite you to Poetry for the Ages - a noontime, salon-style poetry reading featuring the voices of local poets on Tuesday, October 7, from 12 to 1:30 pm at Town Hall Theatre.  

Are you a poet eager to share your original work? Apply to be a featured reader - Selected poets will perform live in our welcoming salon setting.

Updates on Major Roadwork Projects

Please drive with caution and obey all traffic control signs and instructions from flaggers in construction zones.

• City Road Paving on St. Mary’s Road – For the Week of Sept. 29, our contractor will work on the road edge lines, and will install stop bars, crosswalks,
  pavement legends, and miscellaneous pavement markings, plus install and relocate new traffic signs and address miscellaneous punch list items. It is anticipated that this work will require temporary lane closure on St Mary’s Road. Road delays in travel time within 5 to 10 minutes should be expected. Visit our website for the Project Update for details.
• Central San’s Sewer Replacement Work on Upper Happy Valley Road continues with intermittent lane closures and some travel delays.
• EBMUD Roadwork in Reliez Valley neighborhood – EBMUD Crews will have lane closures weekdays between 9am and 2:30pm on Reliez Valley Road and Almaden.
• Caltrans Caldecott Tunnel Overnight Closure of Bore #4: On Monday, September 29 through Wednesday, October1, Bore 4 will be closed nightly from 10pm to 4:30am each night for tunnel washing and maintenance. For real-time traffic, visit Quickmap.dot.ca.gov. For more information about Caltrans District 4 Projects, visit the Caltrans D4 Current Projects webpage.

Other Community News & Events

Repair Café at the Library this Saturday

Don’t trash it, fix it! On September 27, the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation will host Repair Cafe- A free community event to repair gently used household items. Volunteers will be on hand to repair electronics, small appliances, clothing, jewelry, bicycles and more. Registration is preferred but not required. Learn more about this event on the Foundation's website. 

Lafayette Chamber Events:

Register Now to Help Your School! The Race-Before-the-Race Competition ENDS Sept. 30!

The Lafayette Res Run for Education’s Race-Before-the-Race is an additional fundraising opportunity for the Lafayette School District. It takes place three-fold:

• The Lafayette School District school with the most registrations by September 30 will receive an additional $500 donation.
• The school with the most registrations in total by Race Day will also receive an additional $500 donation.
• The school with the most registrations compared to last year will also receive an additional $500 beneficiary check.

Check out the registration site for a graphic of current registration numbers at https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/Lafayette/LafayetteReservoirRun and register now for the 5k, 10k, 2 mile fun run on Sunday, October 19, 2025 in downtown Lafayette.

Lafayette Chamber Nonprofit Network Event on Oct. 2: Plan Giving Tuesday and Year-End Campaign Strategies

Thursday, October 2, 8:15am - 11:00am at Creekside Commons, 1035 Carol Lane, Lafayette. The meeting will include both a Panel and a Workshop to Plan Giving Tuesday and Year-End Campaign Strategies: Rollout Timing, Pivoting Between Back-to-Back Events Effectively, and Preventing Donor Fatigue. Panel 8:30 to 9:30am, professionally hosted table workshops 9:30-10:30. FREE and open to Lafayette Chamber member nonprofit executives, staff, board, volunteers. Register online.

Trick or Treat Street – Downtown Lafayette on Friday, Oct. 24

For a fun, safe Halloween event, children (ages 9 and under) accompanied by an adult are invited to Trick-or-Treat at participating businesses and in Lafayette Plaza from 4 to 6pm on Friday, October 24.

Downtown businesses that are Chamber members should sign up with the Lafayette Chamber to participate and be included on the map: https://lafayettechamber.org/trick-or-treat/.

Learn About Contra Costa’s Community Warning System

National Emergency Management Awareness Month highlights the importance of preparedness, response, and resilience in the face of natural and man-made disasters. Watch a new series of brief videos from the County Office of Emergency Services about Community Warning System (CWS) alerts on the County’s YouTube Channel and visit cwsalerts.com/registration to sign up for alerts today! If you live, work, or visit Lafayette, it’s important that you sign up for CWS alerts so that we can reach you quickly in an emergency to provide time-sensitive information so you can be ready, take action and stay safe.

Lafayette Homeowners Council Annual Meeting on Oct. 7

The Lafayette Homeowners Council invites you to their annual meeting on October 7 at the Veterans Memorial Hall (3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette). Hear Mayor Candell discuss what the City is doing about housing, growth, downtown development and other issues, followed by Q&A with the Mayor and City Manager Niroop Srivatsa.

Self-Care Isn’t Selfish - Caregiver Wellness at the Lafayette Library on Oct. 9

Being a caregiver for someone can be both deeply meaningful and incredibly exhausting. You deserve to feel well too. In partnership with the Cancer Support Community, visit the Lafayette Library and Learning Center on October 9 to learn how to support yourself through better sleep, nutrition, movement, social connection, and mindfulness as a caregiver. This is a free program- registration is required. Learn more about this event on the Foundation's website. 

Be the first to know about all library programs by subscribing to the Foundation’s weekly program newsletter. Support your library and its enriching programs by making a donation to the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation.

Keep on Truck’in Family Fun Event Rolls into Lafayette on October 11

Kids like trucks. Kids love big trucks. And now they can climb aboard, honk the horn, and meet the heroes behind the wheel at the KEEP ON TRUCK’IN Family Fun Event, hosted by the Rotary Club of Lafayette. This hands-on, high-energy event brings together an incredible lineup of trucks and vehicles—from the everyday to the extraordinary—for kids of all ages to explore. Plus, enjoy food, games, and meet the people who drive them. Save the date of Saturday, October 11 from 9am to 2pm. Quiet hour will be offered from 1 to 2pm. Featured vehicles that will be on Golden Gate Way (next to the library) include: garbage trucks, dump trucks, tow trucks, cherry pickers, and more! Advance tickets (including a Family Pass) are available now at www.rotarylafayette.org.

Looking for more upcoming happenings around town?

Visit the Chamber’s Community Events Calendar online.

Miscellaneous

Earthquake Brace + Bolt Grant Program Deadline to Apply is Oct. 1: Apply for a grant of up to $3,000 to complete a seismic retrofit for wood-framed houses built before 1980 with raised foundations. Find detailed program information including the online registration and resources to select a trained, licensed contractor at EarthquakeBraceBolt.com  

Call for Artists – Deadline to Apply for Winter Exhibits Extended to October 15: Apply to have your art exhibited in our downtown spaces, including galleries in the Library and Town Hall Theatre (solo show of 8 to 10 pieces of two-dimensional work) as well as the display case at the Library for 3D works. Apply today. These exhibits are one way that we support local artists and help contribute to our cultural vitality.

Give Your Input on How To Spend Contra Costa County’s Community Impact Fund: Contra Costa County is conducting a community survey to help determine the priorities of residents in allocating one-time funds for urgent community needs throughout the County. The survey aims to gather general input from residents to better understand community needs and preferences. Your responses will help inform decision-making as the County considers how best to distribute limited, one-time resources. Take a short survey.

Unlock up to $15,000 in Rebates for Building a New ADU: Lafayette homeowners who obtain permits and finish construction of an ADU between July 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026 may be eligible for a rebate through the ADU Accelerator Program.

Know Your Rights Regarding ICE: Read resources compiled on Stand Together Contra Costa’s website and the County’s Employment & Human Services Department website.

Curious about Development Around Town? Information on major planning projects can be found on the Major Development Projects webpage.  You can navigate the map or scroll through the list of projects in the sidebar. Projects are populated to the page after submission of a complete application and the project is heading into the review process.  If you are interested in large and small project applications submitted to the Planning Department, visit the Planning Applications Received webpage.

Sign up to receive City notifications: Sign up for meeting agendas and Lafayette’s publications at bit.ly/LafayetteNotifications. Also, find out how to follow us on social media at https://www.lovelafayette.org/connect

Contact Us: To contact a City Department or Staff member, refer to our online Staff Directory. For information on contacting an individual City Council member, see the City Council webpage. You may also email the entire City Council at cityhall@lovelafayette.org. Comments regarding a City Council agenda item should be sent to cityhall@lovelafayette.org  by noon on the day of the public meeting.  Comments received by noon on the day of the meeting will be included as part of the agenda packet, while those received after the deadline will be distributed to the Council on the following business day.

Cultural Observations and Celebrations

Celebrate our diversity by learning more about these upcoming cultural observations and celebrations! The City Council has proclaimed September as "Be Kind 21 in Lafayette" and Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-0ctober 15).

Sept. 22 to Oct 1        Navratri (Hindu)

Oct. 1to 2                  Yom Kippur (Jewish)

Oct. 2                        Dussehra (Hindu)

Photo for the Week

Officers and Crime Scene Investigators from the Lafayette Police Department recently visited the City’s After School Awesome program. They discussed safety, talked about their responsibilities, and even brought some impressive police vehicles and motorcycles for a show-and-tell session. The students loved learning about the Department, asking questions, and checking out the vehicles.

Quote for the Week

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.

 — Michael Jordan

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 The Weekly Roundup is prepared for the Lafayette Community, City Council and Staff. If you have thoughts about this week’s Roundup, a contribution for a future edition or a photo to be considered for the “Photo of the Week”, please email the City of Lafayette's Communications Analyst/Public Information Officer, Suzanne Iarla.

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