Resolution to Establish
City Objective Design and
Development Standards
City Council
June 27, 2023
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
1 Background
• Recent state laws require cities to approve certain housing projects using a streamlined ministerial review.
• SB 35 –Streamlined review for housing projects located where housing is allowed
• AB 2011 –Streamlined review for housing projects located on sites where office, retail, or parking is allowed
• Projects are not discretionary. The City Council must approve SB 35 and AB 2011 projects if they meet objective standards.
2 Background
• What are Objective Standards?
• No personal or subjective judgement
• Uniformly verifiable
• Available and knowable before submittal
• Must be adopted by ordinance or resolution
• Objective Standards are needed for both private and
public property affected by a project.
3 Background
Private Property Objective Standards
• June 6, 2023 – City Council adopted an ordinance to
Zoning Code
• Design and development standards for mixed -use and
residential -only projects in nonresidential zones
4 Background
Public Property Objective Standards
• Development projects that build neighborhoods improve public property
• Streets, sidewalks, street trees, utilities, transit
improvements, protected bike lanes
• Traditional Development projects provided this through discretionary entitlements like Planned Developments
• Community Benefits in exchange for increased land use entitlements
• What about Streamlined Ministerial Review Projects?
5 Background
• Objective development standards are
needed for public right of way
• Allows City to require public
improvements from streamlined
ministerial review projects
• Create enforceable and predictable
standards
• City gets public improvements while
still efficiently processing future
projects submitted under state -
mandated streamlined ministerial
reviews and applicable entitlements.
6 Complete Streets Objective Development
Standards
• First chapter of the proposed Citywide
Objective Design and Development Standards
(CSODS)
• Implements the Burbank2035 General Plan
• Translates Complete Streets Plan Guidelines to
Objective Standards
• Apply to projects citywide, including streamlined
ministerial review projects like SB 35 and AB
2011, except single -family housing projects in
most cases
7 Complete Streets Objective Development
Standards
CSODS Focus Areas:
Pedestrian Safety
• Ensure wider sidewalks and improve accessibility
Source: Arlington County, VA
8 Complete Streets Objective Development
Standards
CSODS Focus Areas:
Bicycle Network
• Expand City’s bicycle network along bicycle priority streets Source: Streetsblog LA
Source: Dero
9 Complete Streets Objective Development
Standards
CSODS Focus Areas:
Equestrian Safety
• Expand equestrian network
10 Environmental Assessment
Staff believes Adopting CSODS Resolution is Exempt from CEQA:
1. Requires only minor alterations of existing streets and sidewalks that involve negligible expansion of use and do not create additional automobile lanes.
2. Has no possibility of having a significant effect on the environment . Subsequent projects subject to CSODS will all be reviewed under CEQA.
3. Consistent with the Burbank 2035 General Plan Mobility Element .
11 Ongoing Efforts
• Adoption of Citywide Objective Design and Development Standards through Resolution means Standards can be
updated and adapted to the needs of the City over time. • Staff can develop additional chapters of the Citywide Objective Design and Development Standards to
implement different right of way improvements
• Ongoing refinement of objective standards through
public engagement.
12 Conclusion
• Development projects build neighborhoods by making improvements to the public right of way.
• Streamlined ministerial review projects prohibit discretionary approval which has been the means for City to request improvements. • Approving Objective Standards allows City to require public improvements of streamlined projects.
• First Chapter of Objective Standards is Complete Streets: Translates Complete Streets Plan Guidelines to objective standards. • CSODS facilitate infill projects while building and protecting existing neighborhoods.
• Enables the City to request public improvements while efficiently processing projects submitted through state -mandated streamlined ministerial reviews.
13 Contact
Marcos Fuentes, Senior Transportation Planner
[email protected]
Amanda Landry, Senior Planner
[email protected]
Greg Mirza -Avakyan, Associate Planner
[email protected]
818-238-5250