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P23-0607 and P23-0608, 6th Cycle Housing Element Text Amendments and Rezonings Planning Commission 5 of 6 As described above, Programs 1.1 and 1.4 include some of those actionable steps to implement the Housing Element’s goals. Specifically, these programs require the City to maintain the existing zoning of sites already zoned for residential use, and also to rezone (i.e., apply additional zoning districts) the adopted housing opportunity sites, which, in addition to allowing their existing permitted and conditionally permitted uses, would also allow residential uses. The allowable density ranges and other relevant development standards are provided in the 6th Cycle Housing Element and the ODS, and collectively would govern future residential development on the housing opportunity sites. More specific regulatory requirements for sites identified having the potential to meet the City’s lower-income RHNA are also included, consistent with the bullet points listed above. Accordingly, the proposed creation of an HOZ District in the PMC and applying that District to each of the twenty-one adopted housing opportunity sites would be consistent with and complete the actionable steps outlined in Housing Element Programs 1.1 and 1.4. Staff notes that with the adoption of the Housing Element by the City Council, each of the twenty-one housing opportunity sites had their General Plan land use designations amended to reflect that residential uses on those sites would be consistent with the Housing Element and the City’s General Plan as a whole. The General Plan land use map was also similarly amended at that time. These amendments are described and reflected as a “Housing Element Sites Overlay” (HESO) for the various housing opportunity sites. Upon approval of these applications, the City’s zoning map would similarly be amended to reflect the “HOZ District” for each of the twenty-one housing opportunity sites. The existing zoning district for each site would continue to be reflected and the provisions of those districts would remain in effect. Note that a key element of the new HOZ is codification of specific requirements with respect to inclusionary housing (i.e. the affordable units that must be provided as part of any market-rate housing project). Inclusionary requirements were adopted as part of the ODS, also based on objective standards. The HOZ codifies these provisions, including a specified mix for inclusionary units in terms of affordability levels and bedroom counts. The HOZ incorporates other parameters, such as addressing circumstances in which units may be clustered within a project; and for determining the acceptability of proposals for alternative compliance with the inclusionary requirements. The HOZ’s requirements with respect to affordable housing would generally supersede those of the existing Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance (IZO), except as specified in the HOZ; although, it is noted that the administrative provisions and several other key requirements (such as maintaining affordability in perpetuity), timing of construction; and comparability of units in terms of materials/appearance and amenities among others, have been carried over into the HOZ.3 Housing Site Compliance Review Another key actionable step toward implementing the goals of the 2023 Housing Element is the establishment of a Housing Site Compliance review process to streamline the submittal 3 The inclusionary rate (i.e. proportion of affordable units required) is consistent with that included in Chapter 17.44. The City will be undertaking a more comprehensive update of the IZO in 2024, which among other aspects will integrate greater objectivity into its requirements, and complete the necessary analysis to support any potential revision to the inclusionary rate.