Closing The Way For Farmers’ Market And Rezoning On City Council Agenda

LAMORINDA, CA — 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.

Councilmembers will review a proposal to close a portion of Orinda Way every Saturday from Feb. 7 through March 31, 2028, excluding July 4, to accommodate the Contra Costa farmers’ market. City staff said the closure would continue an arrangement in place since 1997 and would not block access to nearby businesses, the post office, or public parking lots.

The council will also consider the first step in changing zoning at 23 Altarinda Road, a 0.6-acre parcel near downtown and within a half mile of the Orinda BART station. The proposal would rezone the site from Downtown Office to Downtown General, allowing a broader mix of uses such as housing, retail, offices, and mixed-use development.

The zoning and General Plan amendments were previously evaluated as part of Plan Orinda, the city’s long-term development blueprint, and analyzed in its certified environmental impact report. Because the environmental review is already complete, the city is only required to confirm that the zoning change is consistent with that analysis.

While the action would not approve a specific development project, it would set the rules for future construction on the site and support transit-oriented development goals.

The Feb. 3 meeting begins 7 p.m. at the Orinda Library Auditorium, 26 Orinda Way.