Saranap Address Change
Project Overview
In 2019 County Supervisor Candace Andersen and the Department of Conservation and Development were asked by a group of residents living in your neighborhood to investigate the possibility of changing the place name of some addresses from Walnut Creek to Lafayette. This unincorporated portion of the County is currently considered Walnut Creek with a zip code of 94595. However this group of 465 parcels is within the Lafayette School District and the City of Lafayette Sphere of Influence. The proposal would change the mailing address to Lafayette with a zip code of 94549. While this would change the mailing address to Lafayette it will still be part of unincorporated Contra Costa County, not the city of Lafayette. The United States Postal Service denied this request for zip code change.
After the denial, a community group worked with Congressman DeSaulnier’s office to file an appeal. The USPS granted the appeal and implemented the change in January of 2021. The USPS made this change using a process called the “Preferred Last Line” and not via a change of Zip Code change. This essentially means that mail can now be delivered to your area when the mailing address shows the city as Lafayette, so long as the 94595 Zip Code is used. Based on the feedback received at the community meeting held on October 5, 2021, the Board of Supervisors will consider at its meeting on November 9th whether to direct that the County Assessor change the city name on the property tax rolls for your unincorporated property from “Walnut Creek” to “Lafayette.”
Any change on the property tax roll associating your property with Lafayette, rather than Walnut Creek, will be in name only. It will not move your property into the City of Lafayette and the Zip Code of your property will remain the same. Mail will continue to be sorted at the Walnut Creek Post Office and continue to be recognized by the United States Postal Service (USPS) when addressed as either “Walnut Creek” or “Lafayette.”
Community Meetings
November 9, 2021 - Board of Supervisors
Notification Letter for Board of Supervisors November 9, 2021 Meeting (PDF)
Saranap Address Change Board Order (PDF)
Attachment A - Map of Affected Area (PDF)
How to Provide Comments at the Board of Supervisor's Meeting
You can watch the meeting on Comcast Cable 27, ATT/U-Verse Channel 99, and WAVE Channel 32, and live online at www.contracosta.ca.gov.
Meetings of the Board start at 9 a.m. and are closed-captioned in real time.
If you would like to address the Board during public comment on this item, there are two ways to do so:
- You may call in during the meeting to 888-251-2949 followed by the access code 1672589#. To indicate you wish to speak on an agenda item, push "#2" on your phone;
- You can access the meeting via Zoom. To indicate you wish to speak on an agenda item in Zoom, please use the “raise your hand” icon.
Public comment generally will be limited to two minutes. A Spanish language interpreter is available to assist Spanish-speaking callers.
October 2021 Meeting
Virtual Zoom Meeting
October 5, 2021
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Read Community Meeting Invitation Letter (PDF)
Join Meeting via Zoom
September 2019 Meeting
Parkmead School Multi-Purpose Room
September 24, 2019
6:30 PM -8:00 PM
1920 Magnolia Way
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
Link to Meeting Location
Staff Contacts
Todd Fitzsimmons
Senior Planner
925-655-2903
Email Todd
Supervisor Andersen’s Office
925-957-8860,
Email Supervisor Andersen's Office
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to my address?
The USPS has made change to allow your property’s identified city for mailing purposes be either; Walnut Creek or Lafayette. The County is considering the possibility of changing to your parcel’s address on the property tax rolls to Lafayette. The County held a Zoom meeting on October 5th which received overwhelming support for the change from the residents who attended the meeting. The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors will consider making this change during the November 9th 2021 meeting.
How would this address place name change affect you?
For all intents and purposes nothing will change except for the place name in your address as recognized by the County. Your addresses will still have the same street name, street number, and zip code but your place will be changed to Lafayette. You will still be considered unincorporated Contra Costa County and subject to the same Zoning Codes and other regulations you are currently. All of your public safety and utilities will remain the same as well.
What do I need to do as a resident if this change is approved?
The Department of Conservation and Development will inform all necessary agencies of the change (Police, Fire, AT&T, PG&E, Water, Sewer, USPS, Assessors Office, etc). As a resident of the affected area you will be responsible for updating all of your financial institutions (banks mortgage companies, etc.), utility billing departments, or any other entity that might have your address.
Why is the County doing this?
This request originally came from neighbors within the community. These individuals have indicated that your community feels more aligned with Lafayette due to your location and inclusion in the Lafayette School district. The group lobbied the USPS to change the place name in your mailing address to Lafayette. The County is gauging community support to do the same change in the property tax rolls.
When and where will the meeting be held?
The meeting Board of Supervisors Meeting will be held on November 9th 2021 starting at 9:00am. You can watch the meeting on Comcast Cable 27, ATT/U-Verse Channel 99, and WAVE Channel 32, and live online at www.contracosta.ca.gov. Meetings are closed captioned in real time.
What if I do or don’t agree with this address change?
If you would like to address the Board during public comment on this item, there are two ways to do so:
- Public Comment at the November 9th Board of Supervisors Meeting
- You may call in during the meeting to 888-251-2949 followed by the access code 1672589#. To indicate you wish to speak on an agenda item, push "#2" on your phone;
- You access the meeting via Zoom. To indicate you wish to speak on an agenda item in Zoom, please use the “raise your hand” icon.
- Public comment generally will be limited to two minutes. A Spanish language interpreter is available to assist Spanish-speaking callers.
- You may also provide written comments to the Board of Supervisors ahead of the hearing by emailing comments to clerkoftheboard@cob.cccounty.us or mailing them to: Board of Supervisors, 1025 Escobar Street, 1st Floor, Martinez, CA 94553.
Resources
Map of Saranap Address Change Area (PDF)
Copy of Saranap 2019 Address Change Letter (PDF)
Copy of Sarana 2021 Community Meeting Letter (PDF)