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Friday, November 14, 2025 | What’s Doing in Lafayette?

News From the City Manager’s Corner

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

• Give Your Feedback on Downtown Design Standards at Community Open House this Thursday Evening
• Hamlin Parkland Survey Closes Monday – Give your Input Now!
• Register for Tiny Tots Preschool Program for the Upcoming School Year
• Vote to Help Fund a Local Waste Reduction Project
• News from Lafayette Senior Services about Medicare Resources
• Grateful for Green Actions
• Wildfire Safety Outage Preparedness Tips from PG&E
• Planning Commission Meeting Monday Night
• Coffee with the Cops Tomorrow Morning at Lafayette Public House
• Save the Date of Dec. 7 for the annual “It’s a Wonderful Life in Lafayette” Holiday Celebration

Give Your Feedback on Downtown Design Standards at Community Meeting on Thursday

Help guide how new buildings fit into our downtown! The City is currently updating its Objective Design Standards (ODS), which set clear, consistent rules for future development like building height, scale, parking & circulation, landscaping, and pedestrian access. No previous design experience needed to participate or learn! This special Design Review Commission (DRC) meeting on Thursday, November 20 in the Don Tatzin Community Hall at the library starts at 6pm with an informal open house, then at 7pm transitions to DRC meeting with a presentation on the proposed standards and discussion by Commissioners. Public comments welcome at both stages! For more information, visit www.lovelafayette.org/ods 

Hamlin Parkland Survey Closes Monday – Give your Input Now!

Share your thoughts on the future of Lafayette’s new parkland to help guide trail alignments, access points, and amenities for the Hamlin Parkland site. Review materials from the October workshop materials and complete a brief online survey before Monday, November 17, 2025.

Register for Tiny Tots Preschool Program for the Upcoming School Year

At Tiny Tots Preschool, our credentialed lead teachers are highly qualified in early childhood education and share a genuine love for teaching and children. Tiny Tots has proudly served the community for over 36 years, fostering lifelong learners and friendships. We offer programs for children ages 2.4 to 3.5 years and 3.6 to 5+ years (Pre-Kindergarten).

The lottery deadline for the upcoming 2026–2027 School Year is December 7.  

• New Students: Enrollment is through our lottery process.
• Returning Students: Priority enrollment is given to returning families and siblings of prior students; Forms must be received before the lottery deadline to receive priority consideration.

Visit www.lovelafayette.org/tinytots for more details. To schedule a tour, please contact: Tricia Young, Director at (925) 299-3266 or tyoung@ci.lafayette.ca.us.  

Vote to Help Fund a Local Waste Reduction Project

Republic Services and RecycleSmart are awarding one local waste-reduction project a $3,000 community grant — and your vote will decide the winner! Through November 30, you can vote for one of eight community projects aimed at reducing waste across the region. Two of the projects directly benefit Lafayette:

• Lafayette Environmental Task Force Proposal A project to help Lafayette restaurants transition to reusable dishes and cups for on-site dining, reducing single-use waste and lowering long-term costs for local businesses.
• Lafayette School Composting & Worm Bin Project A hands-on science initiative adding a compost tumbler, worm bin, buckets, and scales. Students will track lunch-scrap weights, reduce food waste, and use finished compost in the school garden.

Learn more about all eight projects and cast your vote at www.ContraCostaRecycles.com.
You can also take the annual pledge to dispose of Household Hazardous Waste properly.

News from Lafayette Senior Services about Medicare Resources

With healthcare funding in the news, adults on Medicare should be aware local seniors can get help selecting medical, supplemental and prescription drug plans as well as billing questions.  HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) will help with information on the availability and premiums for health plans in the County. HICAP counselors are available for appointments at the Lafayette Community Center as well as other sites around the county.  Please call HICAP at (925) 655-1393 to make an appointment.

Grateful for Green Actions

This Thanksgiving, Lafayette celebrates its composting champions!  The Environmental Task Force (ETF) is still developing a foodware ordinance and wants input from residents and local food businesses—please fill out the Foodware Survey.

As you gather, plan ahead: bring your own containers for leftovers, coordinate dishes with guests to avoid duplicates, choose reusable plates and cups, and volunteer to wash dishes for your host. Holiday cooking creates tons of compostable scraps—potato peels, herb stems, veggie trimmings—all of which reduce methane when put in the green bin instead of landfill.

Wildfire Safety Outage Preparedness Tips from PG&E

When the risk of wildfire is high, Lamorinda may experience safety outages to help prevent a wildfire. Watch this video or read this flyer to learn more about PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). Read more: Backup Power and Safety Fact Sheet  |  Preparing Your Home or Business Fact Sheet  |  Generator and Backup Power Fact Sheet

Reminder: New California Building Code Goes into Effect January 1

The updated California Building Code will go into effect on January 1, 2026. In order for your project to be reviewed by the County under the current code, a building permit must be reviewed and approved by the City in time to submit it the County before January 1, 2026. Please make every effort to submit your building permit to Lafayette Planning for review as early as possible, such as October or November 2025. For more information, visit https://www.lovelafayette.org/planning, call us at (925) 284-1976 or email planner@lovelafayette.org.

City Meetings & Events 

The Planning Commission meeting on Monday night starts at 7pm and includes public hearings on:

• New construction of a 4,364 sq. ft. single family home at a vacant parcel in the Hillside Overlay District, 1233 Cambridge Drive including grading and tree removal
• New construction of a two-story, 4,554 sq. ft. single family home at a vacant parcel in the Hillside Overlay District, 1231 Cambridge Drive including grading and tree removal
• New construction of a two-story, 4,340 sq. ft. single family home at a vacant parcel in the Hillside Overlay District, 1227 Cambridge Drive including grading and tree removal
• Hillside Development Permit and Grading permit to construct a 6’ retaining wall at 1166 Camino Vallecito
• Hillside Development Permit and Variance to construct a 412 sq. ft. addition to an existing one-story single-family home reducing the required 25’ front setback to 22’-5" at 1083 Upper Happy Valley Road

See the full agenda for the staff reports as well as information about how to participate in or watch the meeting. Information is also available at www.lovelafayette.org/calendar

Top Meetings This Week

• Transportation & Circulation Commission - cancelled
• Creeks Committee - cancelled
• Objective Design Standards Community Workshop & Design Review Commission Meeting – mentioned above

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

Coffee with the Cops Tomorrow Morning at Lafayette Public House

Connect with the Lafayette Police Department at Lafayette Public House on Saturday, November 15 from 9 to 10am. Officers/Staff will be available to answer questions, listen to concerns, and have a great conversation over a cup of coffee. We can't wait to see you there!

Save the Date! It’s a Wonderful Life in Lafayette Holiday Celebration on Dec. 7

Save the date of Sunday, December 7, 4 to 6pm for the annual, free, family-friendly holiday celebration filled with festive fun, community spirit, and holiday magic in the Lafayette Plaza! Celebrate with us and enjoy:

• Free Lafayette Express train rides
• Santa photo ops & kids’ crafts
• Live entertainment
• Free hot chocolate & holiday treats
• Tree lighting at 5:30PM

Presented by the Lafayette Chamber, sponsored by Dana Green Team, Branagh Development, and the City of Lafayette. Learn more at lafayettechamber.org/holiday

Other Community News & Events

LPIE Community Crawl Downtown on Saturday

From 10am to 2pm tomorrow, there will be several activities (face painting, rock painting, lawn games, a petting zoo, etc.) for families to enjoy throughout Downtown Lafayette. More details at www.lpie.org/crawl.

Lamorinda Arts Council Artist Reception at the Orinda Library

Join Lamorinda Arts Council at the Art Gallery at the Orinda Library for a free Artist Reception on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. celebrating the November show. The current exhibit features works by Anne Goldmann, Ania Lesela, Marnia Johnston and Nicole Reader. There will be several demonstrations of sculptor Marnia Johnston's robotic rovers during the reception. View the current show online at https://lamorindaarts.org/galleries-2 

Want to see more art? Check out LAC’s Virtual Gallery currently featuring evocative painting by artist Kiley Ames. Interested in exhibiting your own work in the Virtual Gallery? Apply online.

Sign Up for the Next Lamorinda CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) Class

Learn how to best prepare for a wildfire, earthquake or other disaster! If you are not already CERT-ified, you are encouraged to register for the winter class series starting January 8, 2026. This series will be on Thursday nights from 6:30 to 9:30 pm through March 5 in Moraga. Spaces are filling up fast. To register go to:  https://classes.lamorindacert.org

County Board of Supervisors to Discuss the Community Impact Fund Tuesday, November 18

At the November 18 Board of Supervisors meeting, the County will consider several major items, including adoption of the updated 2025 California Fire Code and Wildland-Urban Interface Code, annual reports on Head Start and Aging & Adult Services, and next steps for the Community Impact Fund following community survey results. The Board will also review large investments in behavioral health services, youth programs, public health technology, and major Public Works projects across the County. All Board meetings are open to the public and can be viewed live at contracosta.ca.gov.

Lafayette Chamber Upcoming Events

The holiday season is here and so is an opportunity for even more networking with the Chamber’s last affinity event of the year:

Save the Date! A Roadmap to Kindergarten & Transitional Kindergarten

Do you have a child entering Transitional Kindergarten or Kindergarten next year? If so, plan to attend this parent-only presentation, A Roadmap to Kindergarten & Transitional Kindergarten on Tuesday, December 9, from 6 to 7 pm at Lafayette Elementary School, Multi-Purpose Room (950 Moraga Road, Lafayette). New student Pre-enrollment for grades TK–5 in the upcoming 2026–2027 school year opens January 7, 2026, at 9 a.m. at www.lafsd.org.

Try Transit and Win!

Pledge to try transit instead of driving alone to work or college and you will receive a pre-loaded $25 Clipper card from 511 Contra Costa. When you take transit, you help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution while relaxing, reading, or even taking a quick nap. Bonus - you could also win $511 if you sign up for Big Win on Transit and ride the bus, rail, or ferry, then log your rides.

Looking for more upcoming happenings around town?

Visit the Chamber’s Community Events Calendar online.

Miscellaneous

Places to Receive Food:

Resources for people facing food insecurity include the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano’s Find Food in My City (also call 855-309-3663) |  California Food Banks  | Contra Costa Crisis Center (also call 988 or text “HOPE” to 20121)  |  211 Contra Costa Database 

Know Your Rights Regarding ICE: Read resources compiled by the County’s Employment & Human Services Department and Stand Together Contra Costa. Stand Together Contra Costa’s Rapid Response hotline is 925-900-5151.

Reduced ADU Development Impact Fees: The City has temporarily reduced the development impact fees charged for new Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) by 50% through 2026. And, if you finish construction by September 30, 2026, you may be eligible for a rebate through the ADU Accelerator Program. Learn more about all the current incentives.

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 November as Native American Heritage Month.

November is also National Adoption Awareness Month.

13-20    Transgender Awareness Week & Day of Remembrance

20         World Children’s Day

27        Thanksgiving - City Administrative Offices will be closed on Thursday Nov. 27 and Friday Nov. 28

Photo for the Week

It’s wonderful to see the donation bin outside the Main City Offices full of food for the Food Bank. Keep it coming!

Here are some ways you can support local food distribution organizations:

• Local Scouting America Scouting for Food Drive - collection day this Saturday, November 15 in participating neighborhoods.
• Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano – donation barrels are located at Main City Offices (3675 Mount Diablo Blvd., #210), Lafayette Community Center (500 St. Mary's Rd.), Lafayette Library and Learning Center (3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard)
• White Pony Express.org – Drop off donations at White Pony Express, 2470 Bates Avenue, Suite D, Concord, CA 94520 Monday through Friday 7am-3pm; Weekends 7am to 2pm
• Monument Crisis Center - host a drive at your office, school or neighborhood

Quote for the Week

What the future holds for us, depends on what we hold for the future.

 - William E. Holler.

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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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