REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Study Session on Draft Citywide Objective Design Standards
Report
BACKGROUND
California has been facing a housing affordability crisis since the 1980's due to various reasons. One reason has been the unpredictable development environment that developers have faced as they juggle between multiple cities' varied zoning development standards and processes.
Beginning with the passage of Senate Bill 35 (SB 35, now SB 423) in 2017, State law allows for the streamlined, ministerial approval of eligible housing development projects with two or more dwelling units. A series of housing laws passed since 2017 resulted in additional streamlining provisions for various multifamily housing types.
Currently, California Government Code Sections 65913.4 and 65589.5 mandate that cities utilize only "objective planning standards" related to the project site, land use regulations and project form when reviewing residential development applications. Subjective criteria, frequently contained in local design guidelines and land use priorities, may not be used as a basis for approving or disapproving a housing project that is eligible for streamlined approval.
According to California Government Code Section 65913.4(a)(5), residential projects eligible for streamlining shall be "consistent with objective zoning standards, objective subdivision standards, and objective design review standards in effect at the time that the development is submitted." State law defines "objective standards" as:
"Criteria that involve no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and are uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant or proponent and the public official before submittal."
Based on this definition, objective design standards must be composed of quantitative requirements, numeric thresholds, discrete options, point-based standards, and/or oth...
Click here for full text