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FOCUSING OUR VISION (FOCUS) PROGRAM Application Guidelines for Priority Development Area Designation I. Program Overview FOCUS, short for Focusing Our Vision, is amulti-agency, regional planning initiative spearheaded by the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in coordination with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Bay Conservation and Development Commission. It builds upon regionally adopted smart growth policies and related programs and is one of several projects funded by the State's Regional Blueprint Planning Program. Regional agencies, working with local governments and partners, will create a specific and shared concept of where growth can be accommodated and what areas need protection in the region. FOCUS goals support a future development pattern that is compact and connected. Identifying priority development areas with local governments and partners can help focus the region's growth. Priority development areas seek to accommodate growth as mixed use, infill development near transit and job centers, with an emphasis on housing. Visit www.bayareavision or focus for more FOCUS information. Call for Applications Applications are now being accepted for priority development area designation under the FOCUS program. Local governments in the nine county San Francisco Bay Area are invited to apply for regional designation of an area within their community as a priority development area. Designation informs regional agencies which areas want and need assistance and expresses the region's priorities for growth, which can help connect with state efforts and programs. The deadline for submitting an application is June 29, 2007. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated, and areas that meet the designation criteria will be recommended for regional adoption as designated priority development areas. Jurisdictions that choose not to submit applications at this time will have periodic opportunities to apply for designation. Although, specific incentives are not yet available, regional agencies are committed to securing incentives and providing technical assistance to designated priority areas so that positive change can be achieved in communities working to advance smart growth goals. In return, the expectation is that local jurisdictions will commit to expedite development and support local policies that advance smart growth goals and local community aspirations in these areas. Once regional incentives for designated priority development areas are established, a separate incentives application will be made available. II. Eligibility for Applicants and Areas Any town, city, or county government within the nine county San Francisco Bay Area can apply as the lead applicant for priority area designation. Multiple jurisdictions can submit a joint application for an area. As part of the application, the lead applicant will need to provide a copy of a resolution adopted by the town/city council or board of supervisors showing support for involvement in the FOCUS process. Private and other public entities cannot be lead applicants but can partner with or show support for the lead applicant. In the case of a multiple jurisdiction application for designation of an area, a Apri12007 Page 2 of 4