Latest News
The Almost Daily Briefing, July 7, 2026
The Almost Daily Briefing
Published news articles from local, regional, and national media on topics of interest to the #LoveLafayette Community separately
LOCAL NEWS
Lawyers Threaten To Sue Walnut Creek Over Alleged Voting Rights Violation - Walnut Creek faces challenges to its at-large city council elections as cities are pressured to adopt district-based voting. (Patch) Related: El Cerrito Set to Talk District Elections (Contra Costa News)
Officials want to explore an ordinance to ban data centers in East Bay city - As data centers continue to be a regional and national hot-button issue over their use of resources compared to the benefits they can provide to residents, Brentwood leaders are looking for ways to ban such facilities from coming to their city. (East Bay Times)
Contra Costa County Assessor Delivers 2026–2027 Assessment Roll Reflecting Historic Growth - The 2026–2027 Assessment Roll reports a total net assessed value of nearly $300.80 billion, representing an increase of $10.14 billion—or 3.48%—over the previous year. This marks the highest total assessed value in the County’s history, underscoring the region’s continued economic vitality and growth. Cities leading in percentage increases include: Oakley: +4.44%; Danville: +4.41% (Contra Costa News)
The troubling new trend that’s making California’s forest fires more dangerous - From 1985 to 2024, the number of acres that burned in California’s forests has increased by roughly tenfold, according to a new study by scientists at UCLA. But the acres burned by high-severity fires — when flames explode out of control with extreme temperatures, incinerating trees rather than simply clearing out dead vegetation — have increased thirtyfold. These destructive fires have now become the most common type of forest fire. Simply put, severe fires are killing trees instead of giving them a chance to recover. As they become the norm, they are changing California’s landscape. (East Bay Times)
AT&T wins early approval to end landline service for 184,000 California households - Customers, critics worry about storms, fires, other disasters. (East Bay Times)
LOCAL HAPPENINGS
Emergency Preparedness Commission
Parks, Trails & Recreation Commission
Lafayette Planning Applications Received
Major Development Projects Map
Lafayette Community Information & Emergency Radio AM 1670
HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION AND CITY PLANNING
One of the Bay Area's longest housing sagas may finally be ending - Why Lafayette's long Bay Area housing fight may finally be over... The developer, O’Brien Land Co., told SFGATE during an in-person interview that it hopes to break ground on the 3233 Deer Hill Road project in 2027. (SF Gate)
Lafayette Breaks Ground on Huge New Housing Development Near BART - Construction is now underway on one of Lafayette’s largest new downtown housing projects in years.
Diamond Construction broke ground Thursday on Oak Hill, an 85-home mixed-use condominium development at 1001 Oak Hill Road, near Highway 24 and within walking distance of the Lafayette BART station. (Bay Area Telegraph)
California strips Bay Area city of local housing control over delays with massive development - In a dramatic move, California housing officials have ruled that Brisbane is no longer in compliance with state housing laws, a determination that strips the small city south of San Francisco of its local land-use control and makes it ineligible for certain state funds. (San Franciso Chronicle)
These Bay Area suburbs are the furthest behind on their housing goals - Walnut Creek has reached just 4% of its state-mandated housing target for 2031, the lowest share of any Bay Area city with a goal of more than 5,000 homes. Some smaller cities in the region are even further behind their own targets. Recently released data from the state’s Housing and Community Development Department shows that most Bay Area cities are not on pace to permit the number of homes the state says they should by January 2031. (San Franciso Chronicle)
California lawmakers address the ‘missing middle’ with a bill streamlining townhome projects - The bill, from Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, D-Fullerton, allows for the “ministerial approval” of townhomes. That essentially means local governments could approve such projects in areas already zoned for residential development without the typical discretionary review or hearing process — often a lengthy and arduous process — so long as the development meets certain requirements. (East Bay Times)
These BART parking lots are nearly empty. Could they be put to better use? Staff in BART’s real estate division view much of the system’s parking infrastructure as potential land for transit-oriented development, such as the housing complexes under construction at West Oakland and El Cerrito Plaza stations. (San Franciso Chronicle)
Why home values in this Bay Area city have plunged more than anywhere else - The main reason behind the decline in Emeryville’s home values, real estate agents said, is that its market largely consists of condominiums, which in much of the Bay Area have yet to rebound from their pandemic-era slump. (San Franciso Chronicle)
It’s not just S.F. anymore — rents are rising across the Bay Area (San Franciso Chronicle)
Their town burned to the ground. Should they get a pass from California’s new housing laws? A bill to shield Altadena from two density-boosting housing laws is meant to let the town rebuild on its own terms. Some worry it could keep many homeowners from rebuilding at all. (CalMatters)
Altadena Outpaces Palisades on Early Recovery Markers, New L.A. County Report Finds - Los Angeles County released its third quarterly economic update on the 2025 wildfire recovery on Monday, finding that the Eaton Fire area is showing earlier signs of return than Pacific Palisades on several measures, even as only a fraction of a percent of destroyed homes have been rebuilt and displacement assistance runs out for thousands of survivors. (Pasadena Now)
California property’s owner map shows 3 years of history (San Franciso Chronicle)
MIXTAPE
Contra Costa County Fire Responds to Over 47 July 4 Fire Calls
Contra Costa County Looks to Adopt Non-Cooperation Policy With ICE
Bay Area transit sales tax measure certified to go on November ballot
First West Nile Virus-Infected Bird of 2026 Found in Contra Costa County
Cricket is booming in this Bay Area suburb — sparking a turf war in youth sports
Police Say Armed Burglars Are Using Garage Door Openers Left in Cars
One of California’s favorite party rivers is overwhelmed. Now comes the $2 fix
These 8 new California laws are going into effect on July 1
California sees historic drop in crime as homicides hit record low
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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.
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