Latest News
The Almost Daily Briefing, July 13, 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
Crews begin demolishing top of historic Lafayette Reservoir tower for seismic upgrade - Crews began tearing down the top of the historic tower at the Lafayette Reservoir on Friday, kicking off a seismic upgrade project that will permanently change one of the East Bay's most recognizable landmarks. (CBS) Related:
- Seismic retrofit on Lafayette Reservoir tower gets underway (KRON4)
- Lafayette Reservoir Tower Lopped as Quake-Safety Overhaul Kicks Off (Hoodline)
Bay Area town cracks down on e-bikes with new ban - Danville is done with e-bikes tearing through its parks. The Danville Town Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to adopt an ordinance banning the use of e-bikes, e-motorcycles and motorized scooters anywhere within town parks — riders will have to dismount and walk their vehicles instead. The ordinance also caps speeds at 15 mph for bicycles, e-bikes and scooters on town-owned trails outside park boundaries. (SF Gate) Related: Danville bans e-bikes, motorized scooters from parks (KRON)
Contra Costa County Non-Cooperation Policy With ICE on Hold, For Now - On Tuesday, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors provided directions on a non-cooperation policy with ICE that will return at a future meeting. The item had been worked on the past year in the equity committee, however, the Attorney General’s Office issued new guidance for SB 580 which conflicts with portions of the policy brought forward. (Contra Costa News)
In the capital of AI, government adoption is all over the place - Since last July, when San Francisco granted 30,000 employees access to Microsoft Copilot, an OpenAI-powered chatbot, more than 40 city departments have had access to AI to help with city services, according to data the city shared with the Chronicle. (San Francisco Chronicle)
What to do with millions of old batteries from e-bikes, lawn tools and power stations? Companies may be required to take them back - They are found in everything from the growing number of e-bikes on California’s roads to electric lawn mowers and leaf blowers in backyards, and even in portable power stations used on camping trips that can provide electricity when home outages occur during storms. But medium-sized lithium-ion batteries — the kind that are bigger than small batteries in toys and phones, but not as big as traditional car batteries — can also cause dangerous fires and leach toxic metals into soils and groundwater when disposed of improperly. (Mercury News)
LOCAL HAPPENINGS
Lamorinda Tri Cities - Special Meeting
Mayor's State of the City Address & Volunteer Recognition – on Monday, July 20
Lafayette Planning Applications Received
Major Development Projects Map
Lafayette Community Information & Emergency Radio AM 1670
HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION AND CITY PLANNING
California’s first ADU condo sale offers cheaper path to homeownership in San Jose - ADUs, also known as in-law units or granny flats, typically have up to 1,200 square feet of living space and must include a kitchen sink, cooking appliance and separate bathroom. The sale was made possible by a state law passed in 2023, AB 1033, which allows homeowners to convert ADUs into condos and sell them separately from the main property, rather than just renting them out. Under the law, ADU condos come with their own property tax bills, but require an HOA agreement with the primary homeowner for common elements, such as roofs or driveways. (Mercury News)
Ashby BART Shakeup: 600 New Homes Poised to Remake South Berkeley Hub - South Berkeley’s Ashby BART west parking lot, currently a sea of asphalt and weekend flea market stalls, is on track for a major makeover. Adeline Alliance Partners has been selected to negotiate a sweeping redevelopment that could swap surface parking for hundreds of mixed-income homes, new public plazas and active storefronts. The plan has neighbors in the Lorin District both fired up and wary, especially with long-standing routines like the Berkeley Flea Market and everyday parking in the balance. (Hoodline)
Massive 250+ Home Development Is Coming to the East Bay Suburbs - Sunset Development has selected national homebuilder Lennar to construct 255 detached single-family homes at Canopy, a planned 27-acre neighborhood at Bishop Ranch in San Ramon. (East Bay Telegraph)
7 California Cities Planning New AI Data Centers - Supporters say these projects can bring construction jobs, tax revenue, upgraded power infrastructure and a foothold in the next generation of cloud computing. Critics argue that there can be local impacts like diesel backup generators, noise, transmission lines, water demand, grid stress and huge buildings. (East Bay Telegraph)
California proposal would build 8 data centers in Bay Area. Here’s where (San Francisco Chronicle)
Airbnb Showdown: Alameda Planners Weigh Crackdown On Short Stays - On Monday, the city’s Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the first full set of rules for short-term rentals, the kind of bookings that typically show up on Airbnb and VRBO. City staff say the proposal is designed to protect long-term housing while finally laying out clear rules for both hosts and booking platforms. (Hoodline)
New York City construction scare highlights the challenges of converting offices into housing (Mercury News)
Delays, detours, and sleeping riders: Waymos keep getting in the way of SF firefighters (San Francisco Standard)
Washington state has quietly built over 600 roundabouts - Nationwide data shows that roundabouts reduce injuries in crashes by 72%. (Planetizen)
MIXTAPE
Contra Costa Sheriff Will Spend $200,000 on Drones, New Report Shows
Walnut Creek street festival implements new entertainment zone
Who is Up for Election, Early Look at Who Has Announced
Bay Area public transit tax heads to November ballot
BART's Schedule Will Change on August 10
State grant helps Fremont fund maintenance on 9 city-owned bridges
Forecast for historic El Niño is getting much stronger — and also longer
322,000 Californians sign up to have data brokers delete their personal information
Still Have A Landline? It Could Be Gone In A Year Under AT&T's CA Plan
Low birth rate risks creating US housing glut over coming decade
Older adults fear becoming a burden more than death, survey finds
MEANWHILE IN ANOTHER LAFAYETTE
Lafayette City Council to present options for cemetery later this month - In addition to the underground survey, Lafayette officials are undertaking a complete records review, including digitization of burial information and meeting individually with plot holders.
AND FINALLY…
Lindsay Wildlife Experience celebrated the 52nd birthday of the oldest known living turkey vulture in the world, Lord Richard
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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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