City Council
Public Hearing
Plex and Single Family Housing
Objective Design Standards
Community Development
Department
July 9, 2024
Background
May 28—Planning Commission/City Council workshop
on objective design standards (ODS) for plex & single
family housing and code updates to facilitate housing
Response to State housing legislation: ODS increasingly used for multifamily housing review
Housing Element Program 2-2: Expand
existing MODS to address all MF & SF;
promote Plex housing
Plex housing: 2-9 units—opportunity for
infill housing, affordable to middle incomes
Planning Commission Public Hearing June 17
Workshop Comments on ODS
Unit size maximums: Studios-600 sqft,
1 bdrm-900, 2 bdrm-1,200, 3 bdrm1,500, 4+ bdrm-1,800 sqft Apply to 80% of units in a
development—flexibility and
financial feasibility
Construction feasibility/cost
Updated window/door trim
standards, exterior siding, elevations
Additional architectural review
Code Updates to Facilitate Housing Development
Adjusting standards to increase
developable area of lots—more housing
Issues raised at workshop:
Zoning code dwelling unit size
maximums (NM & CD: 2,200 sqft;
NU: 2,000 sqft)—apply to 80% of
project units
Woonerf exemption for plex—staff
recommends to retain—80’/110’
minimum driveway standard
Workshop Comments
Set multifamily parking minimums
to match State Density Bonus
Require parking management plan
for projects providing 1.5
space/unit or less (average)
Specifics for each project in
conditions of approval
Planning Commission Recommendation
Public hearing on June 17
Resolution recommending Council
adoption of ordinance
Concern about flexibility on maximum
unit sizes for developers providing
affordable units
State Density Bonus
Parking management plan
Threshold to trigger requirement
Implementation
Recommendation
The Community Development
Department recommends that the
City Council hold a public hearing
and introduce an ordinance
amending Title 17 Land Use of the
Cotati Municipal Code to establish
objective design standards for
multifamily plex and single family
housing and to make code updates
to facilitate housing development.
Questions?
Allowed Uses Table
NL NM NU*
Current
Multifamily, 2 units UP P P
Multifamily, 3-9 units -- P P
Multifamily, 10+ units -- -- P
Single family P UP UP
Potential Updates
Multifamily Plex (2 units) P P UP**
Multifamily Plex (3-9 units) P P P
Multifamily 10+ units -- P P
Single family P UP** UP**
UP-Use Permit; P-Permited by right; -- Not Permitted
*NU standards apply to ground-floor residential including horizontal mixed use projects in the CE and CG zones **Development of single family home or 2-unit plex housing (duplex) shall not preclude further development of property in compliance with General Plan and CMC