RESOLUTION NO. XXXX-2025
RESOLUTION OF THE FORT BRAGG CITY COUNCIL
TO ADOPT OBJECTIVE STANDARDS FOR MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITYWIDE DESIGN GUIDELINES WHEREAS, the City of Fort Bragg adopted the City of Fort Bragg Design Guidelines in July of 2004; WHEREAS, Program CD-1.1.1 of the Inland General Plan requires the Citywide Design Guidelines to be periodically updated; and WHEREAS, the Design Guidelines were updated in 2022; and WHEREAS the City desires to ensure that residential development occurs in an orderly manner, in accordance with the goals and objectives of the General Plan and reasonable land use planning principles; and WHEREAS, City Council’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan includes the goal of adding 200+ housing units by 2026; and WHEREAS, Housing affordability has become a significant challenge, and many residents find it increasingly difficult to purchase and/or rent a home; and WHEREAS, The community faces a shortage of both rental and for-sale properties, driven in part by Fort Bragg’s growing appeal as a place to live, retire, and work; and WHEREAS, On October 15, 2024, City Council directed staff to obtain Pro-Housing Designation from the State and the City Council directed staff to implement the following Pro-Housing policy “Replace subjective development and design standards with objective development and design standards that simplify zoning clearance and improve approval certainty and timing”; and WHEREAS, State law (Government Code section 65589.5 the Housing Accountability Act) requires agencies to apply only objective design review standards for the review of multifamily housing projects; and WHEREAS, the Citywide Design Guidelines should be modified to include only objective standards for the review of a multifamily housing project in compliance with State law; and WHEREAS, the project is exempt from CEQA under the “Common Sense Exemption” (Section 15061b3); and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing on May 28, 2025, to consider this amendment to the Citywide Design Guidelines, accepted public testimony; and adopted a resolution recommending the City adopt the revisions to the Citywide Design Guidelines to include only objective standards for multifamily housing; and WHEREAS, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing on July 14 2025, to consider the new objective design review standards, accept public testimony; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Fort Bragg City Council, based on the entirety of the record before it, which includes without limitation, CEQA, Public Resources Code §21000, et seq. and the CEQA Guidelines, 14 California Code of Regulations §15000, et seq.; the Inland General Plan; the Inland Land Use and Development Code; The Citywide Design Guidelines, the Project application; all reports and public testimony submitted as part of the City Council meeting of June 9, 2025 and City Council deliberations; and any other evidence (within the meaning of Public Resources Code §21080(e) and §21082.2), the Fort Bragg City Council does hereby make the following findings and determinations:
Section 1. Findings
The foregoing recitals are true and correct and made a part of this Resolution.
On May 28, 2025, the Planning Commission held a properly noticed public hearing to consider recommending the proposed amendment to the Citywide Design Guidelines.
On July 14, 2025, the City Council held a properly noticed public hearing to consider adoption by resolution revised standards for multifamily development projects in the Citywide Design Guidelines.
The proposed revisions to the Citywide Design Guidelines would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or welfare of the City as it intends amendments to be consistent with recently adopted State laws; and The proposed revisions are consistent with the General Plan.
The proposed revision would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or welfare of the City.
The project is exempt from CEQA under the “Common Sense Exemption” (Section 15061b3); and The documents and other material constituting the record for these proceedings are located at the Community Development Department, and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Fort Bragg does hereby adopt the Findings stated hereinabove and approve of the 2025 Citywide Design Guidelines Multifamily Housing Section found in Attachment A in its entirety.
The above and foregoing Resolution was introduced by Councilmember , seconded by Councilmember , and passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Fort Bragg held on the 14th day of July, 2025, by the following vote:
AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: RECUSED:
Jason Godeke
Mayor
ATTEST:
Diana Paoli
City Clerk
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