Title
Multi-Family Development Standards Project Update
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff and the consultant team will present a status update for the Multi-Family Development Standards Zoning Code Amendment Project. No formal actions related to this project are agendized at this time.
BACKGROUND
As California's housing supply and homelessness crisis continues, the State has taken a number of actions aimed at reducing barriers to the creation of housing. Through the “Building Homes and Jobs Act” Planning Grants Program (SB2), the State has provided grant funding for the City to evaluate the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance to develop objective design and development standards intended to stimulate high quality multi-family residential and mixed-use development. The City hired a consultant team led by Miller Planning Associates with support by Urban Field Studio and Lexington Planning to assist with this effort.
ANALYSIS
The Multi-Family Development Standards Project will establish new objective design and development standards for each Zoning District that accommodates multi-family and/or mixed-use development. Objective standards will provide property owners and developers with greater predictability and will help streamline the development review process in accordance with recent changes in state law.
The first phase of the project, analysis and assessment, is complete. The analysis and assessment phase consisted of the evaluation of development constraints, community preference exploration, and testing of current regulations. Project documents prepared, including a Development Constraints Memo, summaries of visual preference workshop and survey results, and site tests of current development standards, are available on the project website (sldevelopmentstandards.com).
The option exploration phase of the project is now beginning. This phase will consist of exploring options for updated standards to accomplish project objectives of stimulating high quality multi-family residential and mixed-use development while addressing key findings of the analysis and assessment. Planned outreach events for this phase include a live, on-line interactive workshop on July 29th at 6:00 pm via Zoom and a virtual asynchronous virtual workshop where people can participate on their own time, which will be available on the project website July 30th through August 19th.
The final phase, consisting of review and adoption of Zoning Code Amendments and preparation of user’s guides, is anticipated to begin in Fall 2020 and conclude prior to the grant deadline at the end of the year.
Tonight’s presentation will provide a status update on the Multi-Family Development Standards Project, summarizing what has been done to date and introduce upcoming outreach and participation efforts. The presentation will give an overview of the following:
• Project objectives, process, and schedule;
• Input received to date, including a summary of the design preference workshop and survey;
• Key findings from testing of current standards;
• Approach to updating the standards; and
• Next steps and opportunities to participate.
There will be an opportunity for the Planning Commission/Board of Zoning Adjustments to ask questions and provide comments at the end of the presentation.
APPLICABLE GENERAL PLAN POLICIES
• Policy CD-5.4 Architectural Consistency. In established neighborhoods, protect architectural integrity by requiring infill housing, replacement housing, and major additions or remodels to be sensitive to and compatible with the prevailing scale and appearance of adjacent development.
• Policy LU-6.1 Downtown Plans. In accordance with the adopted Downtown Plan and Urban Design Guidelines and the Downtown San Leandro Transit Oriented Development Strategy, ensure that new downtown development is attractive and creates an image conducive to revitalization.
• Housing Element Policy 59.01 Zoning Regulations. Ensure that the development standards, use restrictions, parking requirements, and other regulations contained in the San Leandro Zoning Code enable the production of housing for all income groups. Overly restrictive or redundant requirements should be strongly discouraged.
PREPARED BY:
Avalon Schultz, AICP
Principal Planner
Community Development Department