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Objective Design Standards for Housing Sites City of Pleasanton - 2 - DRAFT: December 14, 2022 Vision Statement: The livability of these development sites is paramount. We desire to build quality neighborhoods with amenities for future residents and the existing community to enjoy. These future developments address housing needs for households of all types, incomes, ages and abilities, and also provide a supply of workforce housing in the City to accommodate mandated Regional Housing Need Allocations by the State of California. Simply put, it must be a very nice place to live. The developments shall be situated in an attractively designed landscaped environment with ample open space, trail connections, pedestrian amenities, and shared amenities for residents such as play areas, pool areas, fitness facilities or community rooms. The developments shall be transit-oriented, where possible, with direct and inviting access to all available modes of transportation, including fixed transit (e.g., BART), bus lines, trails, and bike connections. Public plazas and other community spaces, greens, trees, and other landscaping shall be incorporated into the developments for the benefit of the public, and to assist in creating a sense of place that will identify these new neighborhoods. Streets, pedestrian paths, and bike paths shall be designed such that they contribute to a system of fully connected and interesting routes between neighborhood focal points and are appropriately scaled and defined by buildings, trees, and lighting. They shall promote open and convenient access for pedestrians and bicyclists to encourage residents to use non-vehicular modes to accomplish daily errands and travel to work, and school and to recreate. The incorporation of retail and service uses in addition to the required minimum density residential development is encouraged on sites zoned to allow such activities. These non-residential uses are to encourage non-vehicular access to goods and services for future and current residents of these neighborhoods in an effort to minimize traffic impacts, greenhouse gases, and other environmental impacts. Design features shall complement the adjacent neighborhoods and properties and draw on its surroundings to ensure compatibility. Special emphasis should be placed on setbacks, building height, massing, and scale, landscape treatments, architectural design, and color palates to ensure compatibility. The developments shall minimize the impacts of noise and traffic. Creative placement of buildings, landscaping and open space shall be used to limit the noise impact from the adjacent thoroughfares. Traffic circulation shall be developed to minimize the number of driveways and conflict points between vehicles and pedestrians and bicycles. All developments shall adhere to the standard conditions of approval, sustainable design practices and the city’s green-building ordinance and other project specific conditions and environmental mitigations that may result from the review process. The intent of this document is to create quality developments that fit into the character of the city while being economically viable and environmentally sustainable. Each of the sites to which these standards and guidelines apply are very different in their configuration, size, surrounding geography, neighborhood context, available community amenities and present unique opportunities and constraints for residential development. Specific site circumstances may merit the consideration of exceptions from standards and alternative proposals to meet guidelines. Such circumstances shall need to be reviewed by the Planning Commission l to ensure that the intent of the standards and guidelines is met. Page: 6 Author: TZB Subject: Note Date: 12/19/2022 4:50:05 PM MSR General Note: This vision statement does not articulate objective standards that are enforceable to deny or require a housing development project be developed at a lower density under state housing laws. As noted below, several of the ODS are similarly not objective. A standard is objective under the HAA only if it (1) involves no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and (2) is uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicantor proponent and the public official. (Gov. Code, § 65589.5(h)(8)). Any standard that does not meet both of those requirements is not objective under the HAA. Attachment 4 - ODS Public Comments - 01-26-23 CC - Page 8