03 ATTACHMENT 3 - Laserfiche WebLink

The focus of this report and meeting is to review draft changes to the existing 2012 Housing DG, paired with a discussion about various densities for housing to inform future discussions with the Planning Commission about the current (6th Cycle) Housing Element. An outline of the next phase of the project, establishing objective standards for other types of development, is also included in this report. BACKGROUND Housing Site Development Standards and Design Guidelines The 2007-2014 (4 th Cycle) Housing Element was adopted in February 2012. It included a program requiring the preparation of development standards and design guidelines to facilitate the development of multifamily housing on nine sites rezoned as part of the (4th Cycle) update. Accordingly, staff worked with architecture and design firm Van Meter Williams Pollack (VMWP) to develop these guidelines and standards and after recommendation from Planning Commission, City Council adopted the Housing DG in August 2012. The 2012 Housing DG are based on site specific considerations discussed during the 4th Cycle update and also drew upon concepts from the Hacienda Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Standards and Design Guidelines, which were adopted in 2011 to apply specifically to three multifamily housing sites in Hacienda. The currently adopted 2012 Housing DG include both standards and guidelines for new development, with the following distinction between the two: •Standards where projects must adhere to specific parameters, typically numeric or quantified in nature •Guidelines where specific site circumstances would make application of a standard impractical, produce an outcome that is undesirable, or that may be difficult or impossible to define a quantified standard. Guidelines are also specified where the application of the standard would preclude a creative proposal that is clearly in keeping with the vision and interest expressed in the Housing DG. Of the nine sites rezoned as part of the 2012 Housing Element, four are currently developed 1, one is entitled but not yet developed, and four are not developed. Several of the developed sites were part of the self-guided site tour that members of the Planning Commission participated in earlier this year, as discussed in further detail below. Objective Design Standards Recent legislation passed by the State (and additional, currently pending legislation including Senate Bill 92 (SB 9)) has placed particular emphasis on the objectivity of the development review process, citing the housing crisis and the need to produce additional housing units across the State in a streamlined manner. Through these recent state laws, much of the discretion previously granted to local jurisdictions, including the ability to rely on subjective findings as a basis for project approval or denial has been curtailed. These recent changes have dictated a broader range of housing projects that must be processed ministerially (i.e., 1 The CM Capital Properties site obtained approval for a reduced density of 12.5 units/acre during the 2015 (5th Cycle) Housing Element and is partially developed. 2 SB 9 was adopted by the State Legislature on August 30, 2021 and is awaiting signature or veto by the Governor. The bill allows ministerial approval of up to two units on any parcel zoned for single-family residential uses, and for a single-family lot to be split into two lots. P20-0989, Objective Design Standards Planning Commission 2 of 14