The Almost Daily Briefing
Published news articles from local, regional, and national media on topics of interest to the #LoveLafayette Community
LOCAL NEWS
Closing The Way For Farmers’ Market And Rezoning On City Council Agenda - The Orinda City Council will consider two actions Tuesday affecting downtown access and future development, including a long-running farmers’ market street closure and a zoning change near the Orinda BART station. (Patch)
Contra Costa County Man Dies After Eating Toxic “Death Cap” Mushrooms - A fourth person has died after eating poisonous mushrooms that officials believe were foraged from a Contra Costa County regional park. (Patch)
4.2 earthquake strikes near San Ramon amid swarm of over 30 quakes, USGS says (ABC7)
OTHER NEWS
Fires burn swiftly, but insurance battles linger: New bills propose consumer-friendly regulations - As fire survivors continue to navigate life after disaster, California lawmakers roll out new bills attempting to further regulate insurance companies like State Farm. (CalMatters)
California counties must jump through new hoops to get homelessness funds - Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is pressuring local leaders to pass ordinances regulating homeless encampments, among other requirements. (CalMatters)
LOCAL HAPPENINGS
Hello Lafayette – in-person event for new residents
Public Art Committee
Parks, Trails & Recreation Commission - Trails Subcommittee
City Council Meeting
Design Review Commission
The Weekly Roundup
Lafayette Planning Applications Received
Major Development Projects Map
Lafayette Community Information & Emergency Radio AM 1670
Shop, Dine & Gather in Lafayette
Contact the City
HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION AND CITY PLANNING
This new Northern California neighborhood is built to survive a wildfire - The Stone Canyon development, located just off Highway 50 in Cameron Park, is the first neighborhood in northern California to be specifically built with fire safety in mind. (S.F. Chronicle)
Cupertino not meeting its housing goals - Cupertino is falling short in its state-mandated housing goals as developers roll out projects with fewer homes than expected.The upshot is Cupertino will have to add more high-density projects — a move not likely to be popular in a community that frequently resists multifamily housing. (San Jose Spotlight)
Eureka takes issue with housing allocation formula - The Eureka City Council expressed concerns Tuesday evening about a proposed change in methodology that would determine the city’s role in meeting regional housing needs in the foreseeable future. (Eureka Times-Standard)
San Pablo aims to strengthen renter protections beyond state minimums (Richmond Standard)
Short-term rentals are now illegal in Saratoga (Mercury News)
Chevron’s HQ left California. A developer now plans to add thousands more homes in its place
(San Francisco Chronicle)
Mayor says San Diego nearly doubled housing permits, but builders say it's not enough (ABC San Diego)
Building affordable housing in California is pricey and slow. Newsom wants to fix it by consolidating power - …after six years of half-measures and stalled reforms, the governor has unveiled a proposal to streamline the system, while at the same time consolidating power in his office. In the state budget proposal he released this month, Newsom outlined a plan to move decisions over potentially billions of dollars annually in cash, tax credits and bond allocations to a new housing agency he controls… (Politico)
With zoning and regulatory changes, cities aim to spur housing growth - The goals include increased housing density and quicker and cheaper construction. Read how Dallas’ approach stacks up against what experts see coming this year. (Smart Cities Dive)
BART riders struggle to find parking at some stations – Parking is becoming a bit more limited. (KRON4)
Berkeley raises parking meter rates, could charge on evenings and Sundays (Berkeleyside)
Deal Reached On $590 Million Loan To Prop Up Transit Agencies, Including BART - The loan will stave off service cuts at AC Transit, BART, Caltrain and San Francisco Muni pending revenue from a proposed five-county tax hike, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission said Friday. Without the bridge loan, the systems that carry hundreds of thousands of daily transit riders faced a deficit of more than $800 million in the next fiscal year… (Claycord)
San Jose traffic deaths dropped in 2025 (San Jose Spotlight)
Remote work, extreme weather reshaping urban traffic patterns, report finds - Los Angeles, Honolulu, San Francisco and New York City ranked as the U.S. cities with the highest congestion levels in 2025, according to TomTom’s annual traffic index, released today. (Smart Cities Dive)
Caltrans awards $200 million to local transit agencies to promote public transit, electric options in California - The program will fund vehicle purchases, infrastructure upgrades and reduced-cost service programs throughout the region. (Mass Transit)
Nearly one in five is interested in car-free living - Authors of an academic survey recommend zoning and parking reform, as well as investing in alternative transportation, to enable car-free living. (CNU Public Square)
MIXTAPE
Downtown’s back — and so is the traffic. S.F. is now among the nation’s most congested
San Francisco commute ranks third worst in US for traffic congestion, study finds
BART riders can now book Uber rides on BART app
Wildcat Canyon bicycle flow trail: How to tell EBRPD what you think
California exceeds clean car goal despite declining federal support
How Altadena businesses are trying to recover from the Eaton Fire
MEANWHILE IN ANOTHER LAFAYETTE
As Mardi Gras approaches, Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) reminds businesses, residents, and travelers in the City of Lafayette that Public Works will begin placing barricades along the parade route on Thursday…
AND FINALLY…
7 Of The Best Places To Watch The Big Game In Lamorinda
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The Almost Daily Briefing (ADB) is an aggregation of links to news articles from local and regional newspapers, magazines, websites, and other news sources. Its purpose is to alert readers to current issues and affairs that may impact Lafayette. The ADB does not promote, favor, disfavor, support, reject, or endorse any position, candidate, campaign, or proposition, and nothing about the ADB, including the selection, presentation, arrangement, or content of the links presented should be construed as an advocacy position.
At times, the ADB features articles from sites that limit access for nonsubscribers. The Contra Costa Library offers access to multiple newspapers online for all cardholders, including the Los Angeles Times (via the ProQuest E-Library digital resource) and the New York Times Digital. Visit the library’s website to learn how to get a library card or access digital services.
If you have questions about the ADB, please contact the City of Lafayette's Communications Analyst, Suzanne Iarla, at siarla@ci.lafayette.ca.us. You can subscribe to the ADB and learn more about Lafayette’s publications and social media sites here.
