CITY COUNCIL / PLANNING COMMISSION / ARCHITECTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING AGENDA
CITY OF HALF MOON BAY
MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2024
Robert Brownstone, Councilmember
Patric Jonsson, Councilmember
Paul Nagengast, Councilmember
Debbie Ruddock, Councilmember
Deborah Penrose, Councilmember
Margaret Gossett, Chair
Hazel Joanes, Vice Chair
David Gorn, Commissioner
Rick Hernandez, Commissioner
Steve Ruddock, Commissioner
Chad Hooker, Committee Member
Steve Kikuchi, Committee Member
Linda Poncini, Committee Member
7:45 PM
This agenda contains a brief description of each item to be considered. Those wishing to address the City Council on any matter not listed on the agenda, but within the jurisdiction of the City Council to resolve, may come forward to the podium during the Public Forum portion of the agenda and will have a maximum of three minutes to discuss their item.
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HYBRID MEETING PARTICIPATION PROTOCOLS
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ROLL CALL / PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
1. SPECIAL WORK SESSION: CITY COUNCIL / PLANNING COMMISSION / ARCHITECTURAL
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
1.A. JOINT MEETING TO DISCUSS STATE HOUSING LEGISLATION AND CONSIDER ADOPTION
OF INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS FOR MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT Staff Recommendation: 1) Jointly with the Planning Commission and Architectural Advisory Committee, receive a presentation on significant State housing legislation and implications on sample development sites in Half Moon Bay, and receive a presentation on and provide feedback and direction for draft interim objective design standards for multi-family housing in accordance with SB 35 and SB 423; and 2) consider a resolution of the City Council, adopting the City of Half Moon Bay Interim Objective Design Standards; OR 3) direct staff to notice a Special City Council meeting for Monday, December 23 to consider adoption of revised City of Half Moon Bay Interim Objective Design Standards.
STAFF REPORT AND ATTACHMENTS ARE ATTACHED TO THIS AGENDA
ADJOURNMENT
BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HALF MOON BAY
AGENDA REPORT
For meeting of: December 16, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
Honorable Chair and Planning Commissioners
Architectural Advisory Committee Members
VIA: Matthew Chidester, City Manager
FROM: Leslie Lacko, Community Development Director
Mike Noce, Housing Programs Manager
Ocoee Wilson, Associate Planner
TITLE: JOINT MEETING TO DISCUSS STATE HOUSING LEGISLATION AND CONSIDER
ADOPTION OF INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS FOR MULTI-FAMILY
DEVELOPMENT
______________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION:
1. Jointly with the Planning Commission and Architectural Advisory Committee, receive a presentation on significant State housing legislation and implications on sample development sites in Half Moon Bay, and receive a presentation on and provide feedback and direction for draft interim objective design standards for multi-family housing in accordance with SB 35 and SB 423; and
2. Consider a resolution of the City Council, adopting the City of Half Moon Bay Interim Objective Design Standards; OR
3. Direct staff to notice a Special City Council meeting for Monday, December 23 to consider adoption of revised City of Half Moon Bay Interim Objective Design Standards.
OVERVIEW:
In September 2024, the City Council authorized staff to execute a professional services agreement with MIG, Inc. for preparation of objective design standards (ODS) in accordance with California Senate Bill (SB) 35, as modified by SB 423. The bills, which have been signed by the Governor and are now law, require the City to provide for a ministerial (staff level) approval process of multi-family projects under certain circumstances. Under SB 35/423, the City must consider requests for ministerial review beginning January 1, 2025. At present, staff is not aware of any requests on the immediate horizon, but requests could be forthcoming.
Additional detail on these laws is provided below.
During prior sessions with the Planning Commission (PC), Architectural Advisory Committee (AAC) and the ODS Ad Hoc subcommittee, which consists of appointed members from the PC and AAC to advise on the design standards, there has been an interest in understanding how major State housing laws relate to Half Moon Bay and how these laws interrelate to SB 35/423.
As part of this meeting, Staff will provide a brief presentation on major housing laws that apply to the City as well as a practical application to selected properties in Half Moon Bay. The following properties listed in Table A will be included in staff’s presentation. Further analysis regarding these properties will be provided during the presentation; the below information provides background information.
Table A: Selected Properties for Analysis
Site
Owner/
Developer
Affordable
Housing Site
SB35/423
Applicable1
Proposed Unit
Count Land Area
Local Coastal
Land Use Plan
Designation
940 Main St.
MidPen
Housing
Yes - all
units Yes
52 (Measure D
application) 1.83 AC
R-H
(Residential -
High Density)
498 Kelly Ave. CUSD TBD
Yes (w/
Workforce
Housing
Overlay)
60 (Preliminary
Proposal)
2.4 AC
(Housing
Site)
Public Facilities
& Institutions
Hilltop MH Park Nerhan No No
33 (Pipeline
Project)
103,688
Sq. Ft.
Mobile Home
Park
740 Purisima St. Pimentel TBD Yes No Application
23,911 Sq.
ft.
R-H
(Residential -
High Density) 1
As will be discussed in the staff report, there are specific criteria for SB35/423 projects. This table is an indication of applicability if a developer or owner could elect to pursue SB35/423 provisions as part of their application.
Following the legislative overview, the joint meeting will shift focus to draft interim objective design standards for multi-family housing in accordance with SB 35/423. The draft interim objective design standards are intended to be provisional. In 2025, Staff will continue to further develop the objective design standards along with other objective standard amendments to the Local Coastal Land Use Plan and Municipal Code which would require additional Planning Commission review, City Council adoption, and Coastal Commission Certification. The consulting design firm working with Staff to develop the design standards (MIG Inc.) will also be presenting on the draft interim objective design standards provided as Attachment 1.
BACKGROUND:
State Legislation
SB 35 & SB 423
Senate Bill (SB) 35, approved in 2017, requires a streamlined and ministerial development entitlement process for qualifying multifamily development within jurisdictions that have not made sufficient progress toward meeting their regional housing need allocation (RHNA). SB 35 was not previously applicable within the California Coastal Zone and was therefore not applicable in Half Moon Bay. However, SB 423 expands the application of SB 35 into portions of the Coastal Zone, subject to site-specific criteria. SB 35 and SB 423 are codified at Government Code Section 65913.4. To qualify under SB 35/423, a housing development project must meet several specific criteria, including being within a site zoned for residential use or mixed-use, and dedicating at least 10% of the units as affordable if a project proposes more than 10 units of housing.
This means certain multi-family projects applying for planning entitlements are subject to ministerial streamlined approval as long as they meet established specific objective design standards. Note that in the Coastal Zone, the site must be zoned to allow multifamily residential use. SB 35/423 qualifying projects cannot be located in certain areas, including but not limited to, wetlands, prime agricultural lands, very high fire hazard severity zones, flood hazard areas, areas vulnerable to five feet of sea level rise, areas between the sea and first public parallel road (Coastal Commission Appeals Jurisdiction), etc. The full text of Government Code Section 65913.4, as well as Coastal Commission guidance regarding SB 423, can be found at the following links:
California Code, GOV 65913.4.
Coastal Commission guidance regarding SB 423.
Projects qualifying and submitting for streamlined ministerial approval under SB 35/423 can be generally referred to as “SMAP” projects (Streamlined Ministerial Approval Process). A general requirement for SMAP projects is that they be consistent with applicable, objective standards, including objective design standards; conversely, cities generally may not deny SMAP projects for being inconsistent with subjective design standards. A map outlining the general areas where these projects may meet required qualifying site-specific criteria within Half Moon Bay can be seen in Figure 1 below.
AB 2345 & AB 1763 Density Bonus and Super Density Bonus Law AB 2345, passed in 2020, amended State Density Bonus Law to include several changes and clarifications. This includes minimum automobile parking standards, clarification on the definition of “major transit stop”, and expanded incentives for 100% affordable housing developments. AB 1763, passed in 2019, created several bonuses for 100% affordable housing projects that meet specific criteria. For example, a minimum density bonus of 80% or unlimited density and height increase of 33 feet (or three additional stories) for 100% affordable project located within ½ mile of a “major transit stop”.
Bill Text - AB-2345 Planning and zoning: density bonuses Bill Text - AB-1893 Housing Accountability Act
AB 2553 Major Transit Stop Definition
This recent legislation, passed in September of 2024, changes the definition of “major transit stop” to decrease the minimum frequency of service intervalsfrom 15 minutes to 20 minutes during peak morning and afternoon commute periods. This is relevant to the previously mentioned laws related to the development benefits of projects in proximity to such a transit stop.
Bill Text - AB-2553 Housing development: major transit stops Figure 1. Map outlining areas of Half Moon Bay that may qualify for SB 35/423 in accordance with site specific criteria outlined in Government Code Section 65913.4 and based on existing mapping and policy within the City’s Local Coastal Program.
Objective Design Standards
Effective January 1, 2025, ministerial review will be required for qualifying affordable housing projects in the Coastal Zone in accordance with SB 35/423, as described above. Projects applying under the provisions of this State legislation would need to meet established objective design standards to qualify for streamlined ministerial review. The City already has objective standards applicable to multi-family and mixed-use buildings that specify building setbacks, maximum height, parking, etc., all of which would apply to SB 35/423 projects absent further action by Council. That said, the development of additional Objective Design Standards will allow the City of Half Moon Bay to apply local design/aesthetic preferences into the standards for these qualifying projects. The City Council directed staff to prepare Interim Objective Design Standards for their consideration and possible adoption prior to January 1. These interim design standards are further described within the discussion of this staff report.
Development Process
Staff began the process of developing objective design standards in August 2024. This process has involved contracting with a consulting firm, appointing a subcommittee, reviewing existing codes and regulations, coordinating with the Coastal Commission, and conducting public meetings. A summary of public meetings that involved discussions of the development of these design standards can be found below. The process will continue to be ongoing and is likely to occur in phases moving forward.
Past Meetings
Staff has presented on the development of Objective Design Standards and SB 35/423 at a few previous public meetings:
• City Council- August 20, 2024 - Briefing and Contract Approval • Planning Commission – September 24, 2024- Briefing and Subcommittee Appointment • Architectural Advisory Committee -September 26, 2024 – Walking Tour • Planning Commission- November 12, 2024 – Joint Study Session • City Council – December 3, 2024 – Briefing/Check-In
Planning Commission/AAC Joint Study Session, November 12, 2024 Staff conducted a Joint Study Session between the Planning Commission and Architectural Advisory Committee (AAC) on November 12, 2024. The agenda and materials from that meeting can be found here (Planning Commission Agenda). At the Study Session Staff received feedback from the Planning Commission and the AAC with general direction to revise the current preliminary draft standards, return with updated standards, and most importantly, additional graphics that correspond with the standards. Other feedback included a desire to differentiate standards for smaller multifamily development projects and larger multi-family development, establishing a palette of architectural styles that could be applied to projects, standards for designated City gateways, and revising standards to allow more architectural flexibility. Staff
and MIG aimed to incorporate feedback where feasible within the attached draft interim objective design standards.
City Council Objective Design Standards Briefing/Check-In, December 3, 2024 Most recently staff updated the City Council on the process of developing objective design standards and sought direction from the Council on the timeline and work scope. At that meeting, Council directed staff to explore the possibility of developing interim objective design standards that could be adopted prior to the end of the 2024 calendar year and to consider coordinating a Joint Study Session between the City Council, Planning Commission, and the AAC. The agenda and materials from that meeting can be found here (City Council Agenda).
DISCUSSION:
Objective design standards are required to be “objective” meaning they must be clearly defined and measurable standards that relate specifically to design criteria. The interim draft objective design standards will not supersede or alter any existing objective standards within the City’s local coastal program (LCP), which consists of the City’s zoning code and the certified local coastal land use plan (LCLUP). For example, a project is still required to meet the height standards based on the existing zoning designation development standards in order to be approved through ministerial review under SB 35/423. Other examples of existing objective standards that will still apply to projects within the parameters of SB 35/423 include, but are not limited to: setbacks, site density, floor area, lot coverage, and any other objective standards identified within the LCP. However, the City cannot reject an SB 35/423 application for being inconsistent with subjective standards, e.g., impeding ocean views, or being visually incompatible with the character of its setting (LUP policy 9-2). To address this the City intends to continue with the process of establishing more objective standards to ensure that coastal resources are protected in the event of a qualifying application. The Coastal Commission also suggests taking this approach. See California Coastal Commission, Memorandum on Streamlined Ministerial Approval Process in the Coastal Zone (Government Code § 65913.4) (Nov. 12, 2024), at p. 2, available at SB_423_Memo.pdf. The process of updating these subjective standards will require additional time in light of adoption/certification requirements.
Thus, the current interim draft objective design standards only address design criteria, where there are no existing design standards for multi-family development. The Existing Setting and Context Analysis further details existing code, provisions, and process within the City of Half Moon Bay, which can be found as Attachment 2.
The goal of the interim objective design standards within these categories is to provide a foundation of clear objectives that will provide functional multi-family residential and mixeduse design standards that apply local Half Moon Bay design values and preferences. As affirmed by the AAC, the draft standards are being developed to not prioritize any one individual architectural style, but strive to prevent designs that are bulky, generic, or out of place, ensuring future qualifying development projects align with Half Moon Bay’s eclectic style. The
draft interim objective design standards focus on implementing design standards for site planning and design, architecture and building standards, and landscape design standards, including but not limited to building orientation, massing, articulation, materials and color, planting plans, pedestrian access, etc. These standards are broken down into standards that apply to projects on smaller lots with less than four units and standards for projects with more than four units.
CONCLUSION:
The goal of this meeting is to provide updates and clarity to the City’s governing bodies regarding evolving affordable housing State legislation and to: 1) provide additional input on the interim objective design standards for consideration at a subsequent City Council meeting; or 2) adopt interim objective design standards as may be amended during the December 16 joint meeting.
NEXT STEPS:
Next steps will be determined by the actions of the City Council at the December 16 meeting.
Should the City Council decide to schedule a special meeting, Staff will need to work with the consultant (MIG) to revise the draft interim design standards to incorporate feedback from the December 16 Joint Meeting. If the City Council chooses to adopt the interim objective design standards, Staff will ensure they are posted on the City’s website as soon as possible, but prior to City Hall closure on December 24. Staff will continue to work with the Ad Hoc Committee, Planning Commission and AAC to finalize draft Objective Design Standards for consideration of the community and Council later in 2025.
Additionally, Staff will work to identify necessary LCP amendments to be included in a future work plan.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Draft Interim Objective Design Standards
2. Existing Setting and Context Analysis
3. Resolution
INTERIM
OBJECTIVE
DESIGN
STANDARDS
MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE
DRAFT | DECEMBER 2024
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 2 FOUNDATION AND ORGANIZATION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS
ORGANIZATION OF THE
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 4 I.
ORGANIZATION OF THE OBJECTIVE
DESIGN STANDARDS
ORGANIZATION
This document provides interim objective design
standards (ODS) for multifamily residential and mixeduse residential development in the City of Half Moon Bay.These ODS are organized into eight categories with
respect to building and site design for multifamily and mixed-use development:
• Site Layout and Building Orientation
• Massing and Articulation
• Building Materials and Colors
• Entrances, Windows, and Doors
• Roof Treatment
• Off-Street Parking, Garages, and Carports
• Landscape Design
• Other Site and Building Features
Within each category, objective design standards are
provided generally for all multifamily residential and
mixed-use residential development. Where specific
standards are identified for small-lot development
and large-lot development types, these additional,
development-specific standards are enumerated after the general standards in each section.
Small Lot Development Type
For purposes of these ODS, small-lot developments are
multifamily residential developments with no more
than four units, no more than 28 feet tall, and without a commercial component. Units in this development
type may be within a single structure or may be built as separate structures on the same lot. This development
type includes duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes, as well as new construction of a single-family or two-unit (duplex) residence with an accessory dwelling or junior accessory dwelling unit attached to the single-family residence
or either or both of the duplex residences (see HMBMC
section 18.33.020 and Government Code section 66310 et
seq.) Typical small-lot developments in these ODS are built on lots with fewer than 10,000 square feet and are located on infill or redeveloped sites in existing, developed,
residential neighborhoods.
Large Lot Development Type
Large-lot development for purposes of these ODS include multifamily residential development consisting of more
than four units, or any number of residential units in
one or more buildings with more than 28 feet in height.
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 5 Large-lot development includes mixed-use development
wherein two or more residential units are developed
horizontally or vertically with a commercial component.
Typical large-lot developments are presumed to occur
on commercially-zoned or properties or on infill lots with 10,000 or more square feet.
Small Lot Development prototype
Large Lot Development prototype
ORIENTATION
SITE LAYOUT AND BUILDING
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 7 a. General Standards
i. Site layout for multifamily residential
development shall comply with the development
regulations in the HMBMC, including but not
limited to minimum setbacks, maximum lot
coverage, and maximum floor area ratio for the
zoning district in which the property is located.
ii. A multifamily residential building constructed on
a lot with frontage on a public right-of-way shall
be oriented such that at least one unit’s entry
faces onto the right-of-way. If all units within the
building are accessed using one or more shared
entry doors into lobbies or other common area,
the shared entry door shall face onto the public
right-of-way. For corner lots, building and unit
entries may front on either or both of the site’s
adjoining street frontages.
iii. A multifamily residential building constructed
on a lot without frontage on a public right-ofway, such as a flag lot, shall be oriented sothat all of the units in the building face onto interior
common areas such as paseos, courtyards, and
useable open space.
II.
SITE LAYOUT AND BUILDING
ORIENTATION
Individual unit entries facing onto common open space
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 8 iv. Direct pedestrian access shall be provided to
connect the primary building entry to the nearest
point of the sidewalk on the nearest public rightof-way. In the case of multiple individual ground floor residential entries, direct pedestrian access
from the sidewalk shall be provided for each
building entry.
v. Access paths to building entries shall meet or
exceed minimum standards of California Code of
Regulations, Title 24 (Accessibility) for pathway
width and surface, to facilitate accessibility for
persons using wheeled means of mobility.
b. Small Lot Development Standards
There are no Site Layout and Building Orientation
standards that apply to small-lot developments.
c. Large Lot Development Standards
For multifamily residential or mixed-use
developments on properties located in a
nonresidential district, surface parking stalls shall
be located outside of any required front or street
side setback.
Pedestrian access provided to the primary building entry
MASSING AND ARTICULATION
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 10 III.
MASSING AND ARTICULATION
a. General Standards
i. All architectural features shall comply with these
standards and the development regulations in
the HMBMC for the zoning district in which the
property is located.
ii. All balconies shall be a minimum of 48 inches
deep. Balconies shall not project into the public
right-of-way.
iii. Exposed vents, flashing, electrical conduits, and
gutters, downspouts, pipes and similar features
used to collect precipitation runoff from the roof
shall be painted to match the surface to which
they are adjacent. Copper gutters or downspouts
may be treated as a design element and are not
required to be painted to match the adjacent
surface.
b. Small Lot Development Standards
i. To enhance building articulation, all building
elevations facing onto a public right-of-way
shall incorporate at least one of the features
enumerated in subsections 1 through 3 below.
All building elevations greater than 25 feet in
length and facing onto a public right-of-way shall
provide at least one wall plane change that is a
minimum of six inches in depth, a minimum 12
inches in length, and a minimum of one story
in height; plus at least two of the features listed
below. In either case, the features described
herein shall be incorporated into at least 75
percent of the length of each elevation that faces
onto a public right-of-way:
1. One or more balconies that are minimum
of 48 inches deep, which may project or be
recessed from the building wall
2. One or more bay windows, one or more
recessed windows, or one or more projecting
windows that project or recess no fewer than
six inches from the building wall on which
they are installed
3. Use of at least two distinct materials such as
stucco, wood, glass, brick, stone, or steel, and
at least two distinct colors, applied to both
upper and lower stories
ii. All side and rear building facades facing interior
property lines shall incorporate architectural
detailing consisting of at least one of the
approaches applied to the street-facing building
elevation pursuant to standard III.b.i.
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 11 3. Recessed windows, and/or projecting
windows that project or recess no less than
six inches from the building wall where they
are installed
4. Canopies, awnings or trellises above doors
and windows, with a projection of no less
than 24 inches from the building wall to
which they are affixed
5. Minimum one-inch deep reveals, or
minimum six-inch tall by one-inch deep
horizontal bands placed on the exterior walls
between any two stories
6. Use of at least two distinct materials and two
distinct colors along the wall surface
7. Window detail such as shutters that alone
or as a pair are equal to the width of the
window to which they are adjacent, window
boxes that are at least six inches deep, or
lintels or trims at least four inches wide and
at least two inches deep
8. At least one wall plane change per 25 feet or
less of length of the building facade, that is a
minimum of 12 inches in depth, a minimum
two feet in length and at least one story in
height for a two-story building or at least two
stories in height for a building taller than two
stories
9. Painted mural or stone, tile or glass mosaic in
compliance with HMBMC section 15.50.060
iii. The vertical emphasis of any structure greater
than one story shall be reduced by use of at least
two of the following approaches:
1. Minimum one-inch deep reveals, or
minimum six-inch tall by one-inch deep
horizontal bands placed on the exterior walls
between stories
2. A projecting roof element between the first
and second stories, such as a covered porch
or enclosed building projection
3. Differentiation of materials or colors between
the first story and upper story or stories of
the building
`
c. Large Lot Development Standards
i. To enhance building articulation, all building
elevations facing onto a public right-of-way
shall incorporate at least one of the features
enumerated below. All building masses greater
than 25 feet in length and facing onto a public
right-of-way shall provide at least three of the
features enumerated below. In either case, the
features described herein shall be incorporated
into at least 75 percent of the length of each
elevation that faces onto a public right-of-way:
1. Balconies that are minimum of 48 inches
deep, which may project or be recessed from
the building wall
2. Bay windows that project no less than 24
inched from the building wall
The use of elements like balconies and different building materials achieves articulation.
The use of balconies, projecting windows, plane breaks and building materials achieves building articulation.
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 12 vi. A tower element, if used, shall be placed only a building corner and shall not exceed the height
limitations applicable to the zoning district in
which the property is located.
vii. Any floor above the first floor shall be limited to 80 percent of the footprint of the first floor and
shall be stepped back at least an additional four
feet from the required setback.
viii. Ground-floor commercial spaces shall appear
taller than a typical residential floor and shall
appear to be at least 12 feet in height measured
from the grade of the adjacent sidewalk or
walkway.
ix. Ground-floor entrances for commercial uses
shall be designed to be not more than two feet
above or below the grade of the adjacent public
sidewalk and shall comply with California Code of
Regulations Title 24 accessibility requirements.
x. All retail tenants on the ground floor facing
the street shall have a direct pedestrian entry
connection to the sidewalk along the street so
that multiple entries at the ground floor face onto
the primary street.
xi. Where a commercial tenant occupies a space over
20,000 gross square feet, additional articulation
at the ground floor of the commercial space shall
occur at a minimum of every 40 feet using at least
two of the following approaches:
1. Changes in wall plane of a minimum of 24
inches (either inset or protruding)
2. Window openings that are recessed or
protruding a minimum of six inches
3. Wall trims, projections, and reveals along
different levels of wall surfaces a minimum of
four (4) inches
4. Use of at least two distinct materials and
colors along wall surfaces
xii. Ground-floor commercial uses shall be visually
distinct but complementary from the rest of the
exterior building wall using at least two of the
following approaches:
1. Differentiation in materials, such as stone,
brick, or stucco
ii. All side and rear building facades facing interior
property lines shall incorporate architectural
detailing consisting of at least two of the
approaches applied to street-facing building
elevations pursuant to standard III.c.i
iii. After 200 feet of continuous building length, a
minimum 20-foot wide mid-block open space,
paseo, or courtyard space shall be provided to
relieve the building mass and add variation. Such
space shall have a minimum area of 300 feet.
iv. The vertical emphasis of structures two stories
or taller shall be reduced by use of at least one of
the following approaches:
1. Minimum one-inch deep reveals, or
minimum six-inch tall by one-inch deep
horizontal bands placed on the exterior walls
between stories
2. Canopies or awnings over ground floor
entries or a projecting roof element between
the first and second stories, such as a covered
arcade
3. Differentiation of materials or colors between
the first story and upper story or stories of
the building
v. Pilasters, if used on a building elevation, shall
be a maximum of 12 feet or one story in height,
whichever is shorter.
Materials changes (stucco and stone/glass) and color
changes between the upper floor and ground floor storefront, and recessed glass entries at storefront (Standard III.c.x).
Transparent glass on the ground floor storefront covers over half of the ground floor façade (Standard III.c.xi).
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 13 2. Contrast in color with a minimum of 40
percent differentiation, based on RGB
percentage
3. Canopies and awnings
4. Arcade with a covered roof or trellis
5. Detailing at storefront (tile accents, wrought
iron, etc.)
6. Plane breaks at the ground floor, such as
inset doorways at the storefront
xiii. Windows and openings of nonresidential uses
on the ground floor facing Main Street in the CD
(Main Street) District shall constitute a minimum
of 60 percent of the ground floor street-facing
building façade facing Main Street. Windows and
openings of nonresidential uses on the ground
floor facing a street other than Main Street
shall constitute a minimum of 20 percent of the
ground floor street-facing building façade.
xiv. Windows and openings of nonresidential uses
on the ground floor facing Main Street in the CD
(Main Street) District shall constitute a minimum
of 60 percent of the ground floor street-facing
building façade facing Main Street. Windows shall
be transparent.
xv. Windows and openings of nonresidential uses on
the ground floor facing a street other than Main
Street shall constitute a minimum of 20 percent
of the ground floor street-facing building façade.
xvi. Windows and openings of nonresidential uses on
upper floors that face a public right-of-way shall
constitute a minimum of 30 percent of upper
floor street-facing building elevations. Upperfloor street-facing building elevations shall be measured from the finished floor of the second
story to the finished ceiling of the uppermost
story.
xvii. Windows and openings of residential uses shall
constitute a minimum of 25 percent of each
building elevation that faces a public right-of-way
or common area.
COLORS
BUILDING MATERIALS AND
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 15 IV.
BUILDING MATERIALS AND COLORS
a. General Standards
i. Table 1 identifies which materials are allowed or
not allowed for exterior building walls, roofs, and
fencing. The Director shall be authorized to make
changes to this list based on changes in materials
technologies and available types.
ii. New constructions shall include at least
one sustainable material. Materials that are
considered sustainable will have at least one of
the following properties:
1. Certified as Zero or low Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOC) by CalGreen or in the
Whole Building Design Guide (www.wbdg.
org/) or BuildingGreen Product Database
(www.buildinggreen.com/productguidance)
2. Qualify as rapidly renewable in that they can
be harvested within 10 years
3. Show to be salvaged from the existing site,
unless unsafe for human contact
4. Produced within the greater nine-county San
Francisco Bay Area
5. Include a recycled content of 80 percent or
more
iii. Along any exterior building walls, material
transitions shall only occur on the inside corner
of plane change or, when material changes need
to happen in the same plane, trims, cornices, or
other architectural elements shall be used to
create a corner for material transition.
Color and material changes at right-angle joints of building CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 16 Building Material Notes Type
Wood, layer Siding, engineered Permitted
Wood, finish Finished layer Permitted
Wood, laminated a Mass Timber Permitted
Fiber-reinforced cement Siding and panels Permitted
Brick Masonry Permitted
EIFS Exterior Insulation Finishing System Permitted
Clay tiles Finished layer Permitted
Stucco Finished layer Permitted b
Stone Masonry Permitted c
Cast Stone Masonry Permitted c
Metal Residential with a commercial first floor
only
Accent Only
Canvas Awnings only Accent Only
Glass Windows only Transparent, spandrel
ground-floor only
Permitted
Vinyl siding N/A Not Allowed
Plywood, T1-11 Limited use on exteriors Accent Only
Roofing Material Notes Type
Composition Asphalt or Metal Permitted
Tile Clay, Concrete, Slate Permitted
Standing Seam Metal Permitted
Fencing Material Notes Type
Concrete, finished a CO2e capture Accent Only
Wood fencing Cedar, Redwood, Teak Accent Only
Metal fencing Wrought iron, Tubular steel Accent Only
Masonry fencing Brick, Stone, Stucco Accent Only
Vinyl fencing Fence panels and vinyl picket fence Accent Only Barbed wire, razor,
concertina, electrified fences
Prohibited Not Allowed
Chain link N/A Not Allowed
Notes:
a. Green building material
b. For buildings taller than two stories, the use of stucco shall not exceed beyond 60 percent of any exterior building wall that faces a street or common open space. c. Stone or cast stone shall not exceed 25 percent of any exterior building wall that faces a street or common open space.
Table 1: Building, Roofing, and Fencing Materials
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 17 iv. A color palette shall be required for all
structures and shall be submitted to the
City. The palette shall include the paint
manufacturer/brand and name and number
for each paint color used within the project.
The hexadecimal color code or RGB color
number(s) shall be provided for each.
v. On all exterior building walls, buildings shall
utilize a minimum of two colors, inclusive of
trim.
vi. Changes in color due to a change in building
material are not considered an additional
color unless the material covers 25 percent
or more of the building, with the exception of
trim color.
vii. Neon or fluorescent colors are prohibited.
viii. Mirrored glass or similarly highly reflective
surfaces are prohibited.
ix. Photovoltaic panels, if used, shall be
integrated into the design using a minimum
of one of the following approaches, but in
no event shall any of the approaches conflict
with the intent of the implementation of
statewide standards (Government Code
Section 65850.5a) to achieve timely and costeffective installation of solar energy systems:
1. Same slope as the primary roof form
2. Same size and shape as solar tiles for roof
or walls
3. Screening so that angle for production can
be optimized
4. A low level of contrast in color between
the solar panel and roofing material, up to
10 percent difference between the two,
if the panels would be visible from the
public right-of-way
b. Small Lot Development Standards
There are no additional standards applicable to
small-lot developments.
c. Large Lot Development Standards
There are no additional standards applicable to
large-lot developments.
Color variation on 100-foot long span of multifamily
building.
Stucco and stone veneer exterior, with limited use of stone at building entry.
DOORS
ENTRANCES, WINDOWS, AND
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 19 V.
ENTRANCES, WINDOWS, AND DOORS
a. General Standards
i. Front door entry detail and weather protection
shall be provided at each individual unit or
shared entry door, using a minimum of two of the
following approaches:
1. A surrounding door frame and/or a lintel that
is at least four inches wide and minimum one
inch deep
2. Recessed area minimum three feet in depth
from the adjacent exterior wall
3. Projected area, minimum three feet in depth
from the adjacent exterior wall
4. Covered porch with minimum dimensions
of four feet deep by four feet wide, a ceiling
height of no less than eight feet above the
porch floor, and support posts or pillars that
are consistent with the architectural style of
the building
5. Trellis or structural, non-fabric awning
with minimum depth of 24 inches from
the adjacent exterior wall, and position to
provide a vertical clearance of no less than
eight feet above the entry threshold
ii. Window detail on street-facing elevations shall
be provided using a minimum of two of the
following approaches:
1. A surrounding window frame and/or
trim that is at least three inches wide and
minimum one inch deep, applied to all
windows on an elevation and painted in a
contrasting color to the adjacent building
surface
2. Window sills that are a minimum of six inches
deep and/or lintels that are a minimum four
inches wide and minimum one inch deep,
applied to all windows on an elevation and
painted in a contrasting color to the adjacent
building surface
3. Awnings or trellises placed in a uniform
pattern along the top of at least 25 percent
of the windows on an elevation, and that
project no fewer than 24 inches from the wall
to which they are affixed
4. Shutters that, alone or as a pair, are equal
in width to the window to which they are
adjacent, are applied to at least 25 percent
of the windows on an elevation, and that are
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 20 painted in a contrasting color to the adjacent
building surface
5. Windows recessed a minimum of three
inches from the adjoining wall
iii. The selected window styling (e.g., gridless, or
Colonial, Craftsman, or Prairie grid pattern) shall
be consistent with the architectural style of the
residential building and consistently applied to
all elevations of the building that face a public
right-of-way.
iv. Balconies on buildings visible from and within 30
feet of an adjacent residentially-zoned property
shall not be oriented toward the adjacent
residentially-zoned property line.
v. Obscure or textured glass shall be used on fullsized bathroom windows on building elevations that face an interior side yard.
b. Small Lot Development Standards
There are no additional entrance, window, or
door standards that are unique to small lot
developments.
c. Large Lot Development Standards
There are no additional entrance, window, or
door standards that are unique to large lot
developments.
ROOF TREATMENT
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 22 VI.
ROOF TREATMENT
a. General Standards
i. Buildings shall incorporate no more than three
roof forms (e.g., gable, hip, shed, flat) on any
single structure.
ii. Where the nonvertical side of a gable roof faces
the street or a common area, additional roof
gables or dormers equal to at least 20 percent
of the facade length are required along the
street-facing or common area facing side. If no
additional gables are provided, the vertical side
of a gable shall be oriented toward the street.
Variations in roof form include gables and shed roof forms.
Gabled roof ends face onto common area and public
street.
Secondary roof gable along nonvertical side of gabled
roof facing public street.
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 23 iii. Shed roof types, applied as either a primary or secondary roof type, shall have a pitch of at least
5:12
iv. Roofing materials shall be within the grey, brown,
or terra cotta family of colors. These areas not
visible from the public right-of-way, including flat
roofs, may be white or light color to reduce heat
island effect.
v. Decorative brackets may be applied along the
roofline, and if used, shall be consistent with the
architectural style of the building, placed in a
symmetrical pattern along the roofline, and shall
have a height and depth that is no less than 75
percent nor more than 100 percent of the depth
of the roof overhang below which it is placed.
vi. Mansard roofs are prohibited.
Utilization of two but not more than three distinct roof forms (flat and shed).
b. Small Lot Development Standards
vii. Flat roofs on primary residential buildings are
allowed, provided, that they incorporate at least
two of the following:
1. Roof eaves with a depth of no less than
18 inches
2. A horizontal break of at least five feet,
with a corresponding plane break on the
building wall below
3. Clerestory windows below the roofline
4. Inclusion of at least one other roof type
(e.g., shed) on the same building
5. At least two but not more than three
distinct roof heights with a differential of
at least four feet, provided, that neither
the lowest nor the highest section of roof
covers less than 20 percent of the building
footprint, and no part of the roof exceeds
the overall maximum building height for
the zoning district pursuant to HMBMC
Title 18
c. Large Lot Development Standards
i. Flat roofs on primary residential or mixed-use
buildings are allowed, provided, that they
incorporate at least two of the following:
1. Roof eaves with a depth of no less than
24 inches
2. Clerestory windows below the roofline
3. A horizontal break of at least five feet,
with a corresponding plane break on the
building wall below
4. A parapet wall that is appropriately-scaled
to the building but in no case less than
12 inches above the roof and that has a
cornice that is no less than six inches tall
5. Inclusion of at least one other roof type
(e.g., shed) on the same building
6. At least three but not more than five
distinct roof heights with a differential of
at least eight feet, provided, that neither
the lowest or the highest section of roof
covers less than 20 percent of the building
footprint, and no part of the roof exceeds
the overall maximum building height for
the zoning district pursuant to HMBMC
Title 18
AND CARPORTS
OFF-STREET PARKING, GARAGES,
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 25 VII.
OFF-STREET PARKING, GARAGES, AND
CARPORTS
a. General Standards
i. Off-street parking per unit shall be provided in
accordance with the requirements in HMBMC
chapter 18.36 or, for accessory dwelling units,
HMBMC section 18.33.050.H, except where fewer
stalls are required pursuant to Government Code
section 65913.4(e) and Government Code section
65852.21(c).
ii. Except for the number of required off-street
parking stalls as governed by State law, off-street
parking facilities serving multifamily residential or
mixed-use developments shall comply with the
applicable provisions of HMBMC chapter 18.36.
iii. Off-street parking stalls provided in excess of
the statutory or codified requirements may be
covered by a carport or enclosed within a garage.
iv. On-site guest parking, if provided, shall be
included within the parking area provided on-site
for residents of the property and shall be labeled
or striped as guest parking.
v. Garage doors that are less than 50 feet from a
public right-of-way shall include aesthetic details
inclusive of at least one of the following:
1. Windows including faux, patterned, or real
2. Panel design, with or without accents such as
decorative hinges or artistic treatments, that
are consistent with the architectural style of
the residential building
3. Color and material finishes that mimic the
color and material finishes of the building
surface to which the garage door is adjacent
4. A minimum 24-inch deep trellis above and
spanning the length of the garage door
vi. Garage doors shall occupy no more than 30
percent of the length of an exterior building wall
facing a public right-of-way.
vii. Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations may be
provided for one or more off-street parking stalls
on the property and shall be placed inside an
at-grade garage, within the parking structure, or
immediately adjacent to the surface parking stall
that the charging station serves.
viii. EV chargers shall not provide signage or
advertisement visible from the public right-ofway beyond what is necessary to provide the user with instructions for use of the charging station.
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 26 ix. Short-term and long-term bicycle parking shall
be provided in accordance with HMBMC section
18.36.070.
b. Small Lot Development Standards
i. For small lot developments in a residential
district, surface parking stalls may be located
in a required front or corner side yard setback,
provided, that the paved surface of the parking
area is not more than 400 square feet in area
or 40 percent of the area provided within the
required front or corner side yard, whichever is
less.
ii. Guest parking stalls, if provided on-site, may
be provided in the front yard of the property;
provided, that the maximum paved surface area
in standard b.i of this section is not exceeded.
iii. A garage door facing onto a public right-of-way
shall be no closer to that public right-of-way than
a wall enclosing ground floor interior living space
of the residential building to which the garage is
accessory.
iv. Enclosed garages may be located between a
residential building and a public right-of-way,
provided, that the garage is side-loaded such that
the garage door faces an interior property line,
and the garage wall facing onto the public rightof-way is articulated in accordance with Massing and Articulation standard III.b.i.
c. Large Lot Development Standards
i. Surface parking stalls, garages and carports shall
be placed outside of a required front or corner
side yard setback, or if there is no required front
or corner side yard setback, shall not be located
between a residential building and a public rightof-way. ii. For multifamily residential or mixed-use
developments on properties located in a
nonresidential district, surface parking stalls shall
be located outside of any required front or street
side setback.
iii. For multifamily residential or mixed-use
developments in a residential district, surface
parking stalls may be located in a required front
or corner side yard setback, provided, that the
paved surface of the parking area is not more
than 400 square feet in area or 40 percent of the
area provided within the required front or corner
side yard, whichever is less.
iv. Parking areas shall be designed to provide direct
and separate pedestrian and handicap access
from all building to the parking areas. This can
be accomplished by using design features such
as ramps, walkways with district paving, plazas,
arcades, courtyards, and/or special landscape
treatment areas and street sidewalks as an
extension of the pedestrian circulation system
within the project.
v. To provide clear distinction between pedestrian
and vehicular routes within a parking lot,
the color and texture of paving materials for
pedestrian paths shall be different from the color
and texture of paved vehicular travel aisles.
vi. When EV charging stations are within structured
parking facilities, charging stations shall be
installed on at least two floors and on all floors to
the extent practicable based on garage wiring
vii. EV charging spaces shall be consolidated to
one location within the parking lot or on each
floor where EV charging spaces are provided
in a parking structure. For surface parking lots
with more than 100 parking spaces, EV charging
Side loaded garage with building articulation on the
street-facing elevation.
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 27 spaces shall be consolidated in no more than two
locations within the parking lot.
viii. Parking facilities for more than 10 vehicles shall be screened in accordance with HMBMC section
18.36.055.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 29 VIII.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
a. General Standards
i. Shrubs, groundcover, and trees planted next to
pavement shall be irrigated using a drip or other
low-pressure irrigation system to avoid overspray
onto the paved surface.
ii. A minimum of 50 percent of the plants planted
on-site shall be native to the northern California
coastal region. No plant shall be included in the
landscape plan for the development or planted
on the property if the plant is identified as
invasive on any list maintained or referenced by
the Invasive Species Council of California (www.
iscc.ca.gov/) or U.S. Department of Agriculture.
iii. Where windows to interior conditioned spaces
are provided on a south-facing building
elevation, a minimum of 50 percent of the trees
planted within 10 feet of that elevation shall be
deciduous to allow passive lighting and space
conditioning.
Deciduous trees provide shade that passively cools interior spaces in summer months and solar access to warm interior spaces in winter months.
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 30 iv. To reduce headlight glare beyond parking stalls, evergreen shrub plantings used as screening for
parking areas shall be provided at a minimum
height of 30 inches at plant maturity and spaced
no less than three feet apart. A larger spacing
shall be allowed as appropriate for the plant
species, but in no case shall shrubs be spaced at a
distance that is greater than their species’ typical
width at maturity. Such plantings shall be planted
at the head of parking stalls that face residential
units.
v. Street trees are required for every development
and shall be planted at a maximum distance of
30 feet on-center along the street frontage. The
minimum tree size at planting shall be 15 gallons,
and selected tree species shall be capable of
achieving a minimum 20-foot height at maturity.
Street trees shall be planted along the property
frontage as follows:
1. Where a planting strip exists, adjacent to
the curb, street trees shall be planted at
a minimum distance of two feet from the
face of curb
2. Where a planting strip exists and is wider
than four feet, the street trees shall be
planted along the center line of that
landscape strip
3. Where the street frontage includes no
landscape strip, street trees shall be planted a
minimum of four feet from the curb face
unless the public right-of-way allows greater
distance, in which case street trees shall be
planted five feet from the curb face
4. In all situations, sufficient soil base, as
outlined below, organic mulch, root barriers,
and tree grates flush with the sidewalk
surface shall be incorporated for street trees
5. Where a planting strip of less than two feet
wide exists, trees shall not be planted.
vi. For each street tree planted at the property
frontage, a minimum 300 cubic feet of soil shall
be provided for each 15-gallon tree; a minimum
600 cubic feet shall be provided for each 24-
inch box tree; and a minimum 1,000 cubic feet
shall be provided for each 36-inch box tree.
The minimum soil volume can be achieved by
using visible planting soil or hidden elements
(structural soil, silva cells).
vii. All planting beds shall be mulched with an
organic material to help retard the growth of
weeds and maintain the moisture content of soil.
Layers of mulch shall be two to four inches thick
on the soil surface.
viii. Street trees that drop pods or the other fruit shall be prohibited along the public right-of-way.
ix. Landscaping shall be provided in all outdoor
areas that are not specifically used for parking,
driveways, walkways, patios, or required
amenities. Existing native planting can be used to
satisfy this standard.
x. Landscape and irrigation plans subject to the
California State Model Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance shall conform to the requirements
of the California State Model Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance to achieve water efficient
landscaping.
b. Small Lot Development Standards
There are no specific additional landscape
standards applicable to small-lot developments.
c. Large Lot Development Standards
Parking spaces adjacent to a landscaped planter
within a surface parking lot shall have a minimum
12-inch wide curb, a minimum six inch wide
decomposed granite surface behind the six inch
curb, or a series of minimum six inch wide paver
or stepping stones behind the six inch wide curb
to allow for stepping out of a vehicle without
damaging plantings.
FEATURES
OTHER SITE AND BUILDING
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 32 IX.
OTHER SITE AND BUILDING FEATURES
a. General Standards
Utilities and Mechanical Equipment
i. Mechanical equipment shall not be visible from
a perspective that is six feet above the surface of
the sidewalk on the opposite side of any public
right(s)-of-way that adjoins the site.
ii. Utility and mechanical equipment shall not be
located within any required active open space
area.
iii. Ground-mounted mechanical, electrical, and
utility equipment shall be concealed within
buildings, placed in subsurface vaults, or
screened by a framed welded wire (no chain link
fence), or louvered trellis system, depending on
location within setbacks.
iv. Ground-mounted residential solar energy
systems shall be encouraged and shall be located
to be out of view of the public right-of-way, but in
no event shall any of the approaches conflict with
the intent of the implementation of statewide
standards (Government Code Section 65850.5a)
to achieve timely and cost-effective installation
of solar energy systems. Such systems shall be
either:
1. Placed behind a primary structure, or
2. Placed in a side yard and screened by nonplant
materials
v. Electrical transformers shall be designed using
either of the following approaches:
1. Placed underground
2. Painted with an artistic mural
3. Located at least five feet from the public
right-of-way and screened with nonplant materials such as welded wire trellis system or similar view-obscuring screen
and plantings
vi. Utility and mechanical equipment, including
meters, shall be screened from view using a
material in the architectural design materials
palette of the project. The screening method
used shall include gated outdoor rooms or
screening behind wing walls treated as an
integral part of the elevations.
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 33 vii. Mechanical equipment shall be located a
minimum of 15 feet from occupiable rooftop
areas and screened from view.
viii. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units
located on exterior walls or patios of multi-family
projects shall be screened from view by screen
walls, decorative railings, or screens, consistent
with those colors and materials utilized within the
architectural design palette. Heating, ventilation,
and air conditioning units shall not be located on
balconies.
ix. Exterior roof ladders shall be prohibited. Access
to the roof shall only be provided from the
interior of a building.
x. Building elevation drawings and site
development improvement plans submitted for
engineering and/or building permit approval
shall specify the size and location of all utility
and mechanical equipment to be installed with
the development, on-site or immediately off-site.
Drawings and plans shall specify the means of
compliance (e.g., screening, mural, landscaping)
with these standards.
xi. Utility service lines shall be placed underground.
Exposed conduit on building exteriors shall be
prohibited.
Trash/Recycling/Composting Enclosures
xii. Vehicular access to loading and service areas
shall be incorporated into the circulation plan for
the site and shall be separated from pedestrian
circulation.
xiii. In all areas other than the Downtown, trash/
recycling/composting enclosures shall be located
a minimum of 20 feet away from an abutting
single-family residential district or any public
right-of-way or access easement.
xiv. Trash/recycling/composting enclosures are
prohibited in any front yard, street side yard,
parking space, required landscaped area, or open
space areas.
xv. Trash/recycling/composting enclosures that are
a separate structure from the residential building
shall have a roof to prohibit precipitation from
falling into the enclosure; shall have a finished
floor that is graded to prohibit stormwater runon into the enclosure; shall have lockable metal gates; and shall have a secondary pedestrianscale entrance. Such trash enclosures shall be designed to utilize the same materials and colors
as the buildings they serve.
xvi. Standalone trash enclosures separate from
the residential building shall be buffered from
adjacent surface parking areas by a minimum
five-foot wide landscape strip.
Walls, Fences and Hedges
xvii. Use of chain link fence and barbed wire is
prohibited. Vinyl and plastic fencing materials are
prohibited unless they are made to simulate the
appearance of wood.
Lighting
xviii. Roof-mounted lights are prohibited, unless
they are on a green roof or occupied roof where
downlighting shall be used.
xix. Sconce exterior fixtures shall be the same
architectural style as the building’s exterior
design and located at front and rear doorways.
Side loaded garage with building articulation on
the street-facing elevation.
CIT Y OF HALF MOON BAY | MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED-USE | INTERIM OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS 34 xx. The maximum height of pole-mounted fixtures
shall not exceed 16 feet.
xxi. Exposed direct light sources visible from any
public right-of-way shall be prohibited.
xxii. Exterior lighting shall be shielded and directed
downward.
xxiii. Lighting within parking garages shall avoid
external views of exposed direct light sources.
Mailboxes
xxiv. Mailboxes shall be placed either at an on-site
location adjacent to the front yard open space
for ground-floor units that have direct pedestrian
access from the street or incorporated into a
common area for all remaining upper floor unit
residents.
xxv. In mixed-use developments, separate secure
mailbox and package delivery/pick-up areas shall
be provided for the residential and commercial
components of a project.
Signage
xxvi. External raceways on wall mounted signs shall be
prohibited.
xxvii. Cabinet signs, including those that are wall
mounted on buildings or ground signs are
prohibited.
xxviii. Ground signs shall incorporate at least two
materials from the architectural design materials
palette of the project.
b. Small Lot Development
There are no specific additional standards
applicable to small-lot development.
c. Large Lot Development
Service and Loading Areas
Loading areas for the commercial components
of mixed-use developments shall be located out
of view of any public right-of-way and shall be
shielded or enclosed to ensure compliance with the
standards set forth in HMBMC chapter 9.23 (Noise).
City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 1 City of Half Moon Bay
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Housing and
Mixed-Use Projects
Existing Setting and Context Summary
November 7, 2024
This memorandum describes the existing setting and development regulations and procedures of the City of Half Moon Bay (City) with respect to land use entitlement for multifamily and mixed-use multifamily residential developments. This analysis will inform development of Objective Design Standards (ODS) for new multifamily and mixed-use housing developments with affordable residential units, collectively referred to as “qualifying housing developments.” The analysis provides the regulatory background for creation of the ODS and describes local design preferences, current objective development standards, existing design guidelines, and required approval procedures at the local government level and by the California Coastal Commission.
Regulatory Setting
California Statutes
California Senate Bill (SB) 351
, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2017, allows a streamlined and ministerial development entitlement process for qualifying multifamily development projects, meaning projects with certain minimum affordable housing requirements in localities that have not met their regional housing need allocation (RHNA). Streamlined ministerial review means that local governments may not impose a discretionary review process for projects proposed under SB 35, nor can they deny multifamily residential development applications that are compliant with SB 35 if the project meets objective planning and design standards.
SB 35 exempted areas within coastal zones from being subject to these provisions (Figure 1); Half Moon Bay is located entirely within the coastal zone. However, SB 4232
, signed in 2023, amended prior SB 35 to remove
that exemption and make coastal zones subject to the provisions of SB
35. Under SB 423, local agencies with land use authority must review qualifying multifamily residential developments under a streamlined ministerial process if the site of the proposed development lies within a coastal zone subject to a certified local coastal land use plan (LCLUP) and if the project meets site-specific locational and other criteria. In addition, for site criteria not specific to coastal zones, Government Code Section 65913.4(6)(a) states that projects proposed must not be on sites in especially sensitive areas, such as those: 1) between the sea and 1 Codified in Government Code Section 65913.4 2 Codified in Government Code Section 65913.4 Figure 1: Coastal Zone
boundary delineated (blue); Half
Moon Bay lies entirely within.
City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 2 Highway 1; or 2) within 300 feet of the shore of any beach, tidelands, submerged lands, or public trust lands; or 3) within 100 feet of any wetland, estuary, or stream; or 4) within 300 feet of the top of the seaward face of any coastal bluff. Other exclusionary site criteria include, but are not limited to, sites vulnerable to sea level rise, parcels not zoned for multifamily housing, parcels with existing affordable or occupied housing, prime agricultural land, environmentally hazardous sites, and sites that contain historical structures.
Like SB 423, other State laws such as Assembly Bill (AB) 2011 (Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act) and SB 6 (Middle Class Housing Act) are intended to incentivize housing development by allowing housing as a permitted use on sites currently zoned and designated for commercial or retail uses, provided site criteria are met. In September 2024, the Governor signed AB 2243, which amends both bills to add to the list of eligible sites and make other clarifying amendments. Eligible sites, among other criteria, must be in zones where office, retail, or parking are a principally permitted use; must be legal parcels in urban areas and adjoined by urban uses; and must not adjoined by industrial uses or located on sensitive areas. Sites also may not be greater than 20 acres in size (or 100 acres if a regional mall property), except where projects are 100 percent affordable. Both laws have a similar process as SB 35 in that they provide opportunities to qualifying multifamily housing proposals to utilize a streamlined ministerial approval process if they provide affordability components and meet objective planning standards. AB 2011 differs from SB 6 in that it requires projects to have an affordability component and explicitly allows for streamlined ministerial review, whereas SB 6 does not. However, SB 6 allows projects to invoke SB 35, provided affordable units are allocated.
The Government Code defines thresholds for what affordable unit allocations must be met. SB 6 does not have an affordability requirement; however, if a project developer invokes SB 35/SB 423, then the applicable affordability criteria are those of SB 35/SB 423. Affordability requirements for invoking SB 6 and SB 423 permit streamlining are defined in Government Code Section 65913.4. In summary, the legislation requires that 10 percent of rental units be affordable to very low-income households, or that 10 percent of for-sale units be affordable to lower income households, or that 20 percent of the units (rental or for-sale) be affordable to tenants or buyers with an average income level at or below 80 percent of the area median income.
Projects proposed under AB 2011 must be either 100 percent affordable or mixed-income. For mixedincome rental projects, eight percent of the resulting units must be allocated to very low-income households, and five percent of the units must be allocated to extremely low-income households, or 15 percent of the units must be allocated to lower-income households. Mixed-income owner-occupied projects, under AB 2011, must offer 30 percent of the units at a cost affordable to moderate-income households, or 15 percent of the units must be offered at a cost affordable to lower-income households3
.
Annual income thresholds are updated each year by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)4
. The annual income thresholds established by HCD for jurisdictions in San Mateo County as of June 2024 are listed below. The annual incomes listed here are based on a household size of four people; income levels are proportionately lower for smaller household sizes and proportionately higher for larger household sizes:
3 For AB 2011, affordability thresholds and calculations are defined in Section 50052.5 of the Health and Safety Code and “Affordable rent” is defined in Section 50053 of the Health and Safety Code. 4 HCD website: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/grants-and-funding/income-limits-2024.pdf City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 3 • Extremely low income: $58,750
• Very low income: $97,900
• Lower income: $156,650
• Median Income: $186,600
• Moderate Income: $223,900
The City’s affordable housing ordinance (Half Moon Bay Municipal Code Chapter 18.35) requires that projects proposing 10 or more for-sale units allocate, to the extent practical and feasible, 20 percent of the unit count as affordable units, inclusive of seven percent moderate-income units, seven percent lower-income units, and six percent very low-income units. Where the allocation requirements under State law are greater than or specify a deeper level of affordability than the local requirement, State law prevails when AB 2011 or SB 423 is invoked.
Adoption of ODS will allow the City of Half Moon Bay to build local design preferences into its objective planning standards that would apply specifically to qualifying multifamily and mixed-use housing developments meeting a prescribed affordability component, with these qualifying projects entitled to streamlined ministerial review. Such standards would be additive to existing, quantified objective standards for residential development, such as building setbacks, lot coverage, and height, and would provide more precise direction to developers and City staff for preferred site planning and building design.
The Role of the Coastal Act and the Coastal Commission in Half Moon Bay The California Coastal Act of 1976 (Public Resources Code Section 30000 et seq.) requires cities and counties within the coastal zone to adopt a local coastal program intended to provide regulations which, among other things, preserve natural and scenic coastal resources; provide guidance to existing and future development that would be consistent with the act; and limit development to that which would be essential to the economic and social well-being of residents and coastal zone activity, generally. As required by State law, the City of Half Moon Bay has an adopted and certified Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) which outlines policies of the Coastal Act and provides programs for implementation of Coastal Act objectives in Half Moon Bay. These programs are incorporated into the Half Moon Bay Municipal Code and the City’s Local Coastal Implementation Plan (LCLIP), and directly influence development in Half Moon Bay. The ODS must be consistent with LCLIP and LCLUP programs related to development, specifically those that relate to the design and development of multifamily housing wherever it would be allowed by the LCLUP or by State law.
Section 30251 of the Coastal Act calls for the preservation of scenic and visual qualities of coastal areas. The Coastal Act further requires permitted development to be sited and designed to protect views along the ocean and scenic coastal areas; to be visually compatible with the character of surrounding areas; and where feasible, to restore and enhance visual quality in visually degraded areas. This section specifically relates to the goals of objective design standards which will call on LCLUP policies that enforce this policy of the Coastal Act. A few key objectives that apply this policy in the LCLUP include:
Figure 2: Example of a designated
scenic corridor. Roosevelt Boulevard, a
local road and secondary coastal access
route with broad ocean viewshed.
City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 4
1. Chapter 2. Development. 2-71. Residential Siting and Design Standards. Require development of new and remodeled structures within established neighborhoods to be sited and designed to be compatible within each unique neighborhood area, including infrastructure and streetscape.
Development should be scaled and appropriate for the limitations of non-conforming sites.
2. Chapter 2. Development. 2-72. Residential Land Use Compatibility. Ensure that development, including a change in intensity of use, avoids impacts on the residential living environment and the adjacent land uses with respect to noise, lighting, parking, loading, and aesthetics. Consider other aspects of non-residential uses permitted in residential land use designations that may be impactful on a neighborhood setting or the adjacent land uses and require strategies to avoid such impacts.
3. Chapter 2. Development. 2-85. Mixed-Use Land Use Compatibility. Consider aspects of nonresidential uses permitted in mixed-use land use designations that may be impactful on residential uses or other adjacent land uses and require strategies to avoid such impacts.
4. Chapter 9. Scenic and Visual Resources. 9-2. Scenic Resource Protection. New development shall be sited and designed to protect views to and along the ocean, to minimize the alteration of natural landform, to be visually compatible with the character of its setting, and where feasible, to restore and enhance visual quality in visually degraded areas.
5. Chapter 9. Scenic and Visual Resources. 9-3. Visual Quality. Preserve and enhance the unique visual quality that contributes to Half Moon Bay’s coastal and small-town character, including its open, expansive views from the coastal terrace to the beaches, bluffs, ocean, and upland slopes.
6. Chapter 9. Scenic and Visual Resources. 9-6. Site Planning and Design for New Development.
Require new development to be subject to design review to ensure it is sited and designed to protect public views of scenic and visual resource areas and to be visually compatible with the character of the surrounding area. Measures may include siting development in the least visible portion of the site; breaking up the mass of new structures; designing structures to blend into the surrounding natural landscape; restricting building maximum size and height; clustering or distributing development; incorporating landscape elements and screening; and conformance with any adopted design guidelines.
7. Chapter 9. Scenic and Visual Resources. 9-10. Fences, Walls, and Landscaping. Ensure that fences, walls, and landscaping shall not block public views of or from scenic and visual resource areas, including along scenic corridors, at parks and beaches, and other scenic public viewing areas through height restrictions and required landscape maintenance.
8. Chapter 9. Scenic and Visual Resources. 9-11. Landscape Screening. Prioritize avoidance of development impacts to scenic and visual resource areas through site planning and design alternatives over landscape screening. Landscape screening as mitigation of visual impacts shall not substitute for project alternatives including re-siting or reducing the height or bulk of structures but may be used where appropriate to soften any unavoidable visual impacts of new development. Where permitted, landscape screening shall be comprised of native and droughttolerant species and shall be maintained such that scenic views are not blocked at maturity.
9. Chapter 9. Scenic and Visual Resources. 9-12. Town Boulevard Scenic Corridor. Require that new development in close proximity to or easily visible from the Town Boulevard scenic corridor, including Highways 1 and 92, protect views of visual resource areas, including views to the ocean, upland slopes, and historic structures; incorporate design standards such as landscaping provisions; and be visually compatible with the surrounding land and development.
10. Chapter 9. Scenic and Visual Resources. 9-15. Scenic Coastal Access Routes. Require that new development on designated scenic coastal access routes from Highway 1 to the beach, including roadway improvements and development proposed in close proximity to the road, protects the City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 5 scenic quality of the corridor and avoids obstruction or significant degradation of public ocean views such as through provision of sufficient setbacks from the public right-of-way, low building heights, and landscaping that establishes and/or maintains a scenic gateway.
11. Chapter 9. Scenic and Visual Resources. 9-16. Broad Ocean Views. Ensure that areas providing broad, public ocean views are preserved and enhanced in association with new development projects. In such areas, structures shall be sited and designed so as not to exceed 15 feet in height unless an increase in height would not obstruct public views to the ocean or would facilitate clustering of development, and shall ensure that any proposed landscaping, when mature, will not obstruct public views to the ocean.
The City of Half Moon Bay, through its certified LCLUP, retains decision-making authority for developments and applications for a coastal development permit in all but any development proposed on especially environmentally or ecologically sensitive or protected land, as specified by Section 30519 of the Coastal Act. Any action taken by the City of Half Moon Bay on a coastal development permit may be appealed to the California Coastal Commission, only if the development either approved or rejected meets the criteria of Section 30603 of the Coastal Act. The coastal development permit process is discussed further under “Current Entitlement Process,” below.
Current Entitlement Process
All development in Half Moon Bay must comply with various provisions of the LCLIP codified in the Half Moon Bay Municipal Code (HMBMC). The following paragraphs summarize the standards, processes, and regulations particularly applicable to multifamily development of two or more units and mixed-use development with a multifamily residential component.
Zoning for Multifamily Housing
In Half Moon Bay, multifamily residential and mixed-use development with a multifamily component are permitted in several of the City’s residential and commercial zoning districts, as well as its planned unit development and overlay districts.
Two of the City’s residential (R) districts and three of its commercial (C) districts allow multifamily residential development encompassing two or more units on a site. Development regulations applicable in these districts are enumerated in Table 1 and are described further in the paragraphs that follow.
Multifamily residential or mixed-use development could also be permitted in some of the City’s Planned Unit Development (PUD) districts (HMBMC Chapter 18.15). Regulations for development in each developed PUD are defined in the land use plan, general plan, or any approved development plan or specific plan for the site, and these regulations are unique for each PUD district. Thus, multifamily residential and mixed-use development could be built in a PUD district if the use is identified among the allowed uses in the applicable land use or development plan for the PUD. The development regulations (e.g., density, setbacks, building heights) to which the multifamily or mixed-use development would be subject would be those also specified in the applicable PUD district’s development or land use plan.
Additionally, the LCLUP establishes a workforce housing overlay (WHO) district, an unmapped district that applies “through policy to specific parcels or portions of parcels suitable for medium or high density residential development with Horticultural Business, Rural Coastal, Regional Public Recreation, or Public City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 6 Facilities and Institutions land use designations” (2-10). The WHO district is intended to facilitate housing for local farmworkers, State Parks employees and other service workers with incomes typically in the extremely low, very low, and low income brackets. Development within the WHO district must comply with the policies applicable to the underlying LCLUP land use designation. As referenced in LCLUP policy 2-70, applicable LCLUP policies may specify maximum residential unit count or densities, maximum building heights, and other siting, location, or occupancy criteria for workforce housing in the overlay district.
HMBMC Chapters 18.06 and 18.07: Multifamily Residential and Mixed-Use Development Standards
For properties located in R (residential) districts, the applicable development regulations are codified in HMBMC Chapter 18.06; for properties located in C (commercial) districts, applicable development regulations are embedded in HMBMC Chapter 18.07. Development regulations applicable to multifamily residential and mixed-use developments in the City’s base zoning districts are summarized in Table 1, below.
Table 1: R and C District Development Regulations for Multifamily Residential and Mixed Use Zoning District a R-2 R-3 C-R C-D C-D
(Main St)
C-G
Multifamily Alone Permitted? Yes b Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Mixed Use with Multifamily
Permitted?
No No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Min. Density (units/acre) 10 15 n/a 15 c 15 c 15 c
Max. Density (units/acre) 17.42 29.04 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Min. Site Area per Unit (square feet) 2,500 1,500 2,500e 1,500f
2,500e
1,500f
2,500e
1,500f
2,500e
1,500f
Min. Site Area (square feet) 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 10,000 Min. Lot Width (feet) n/a n/a 50’ 50’ 50’ 100
Min. Avg. Site Width 50’ 75’ n/a n/a n/a n/a
Min. Front Setback 20’ 20’ 20’ 20’ c
0’ d
20’ c
0’ d
20’ c
25’ d
Min. Side Setback 5’ 5’ 5’
0’ d
5’ g
0’ d
5’ g
0’ d
5’ c
10’ d
Min. Street Side Setback 10’ 10’ 10’ c
5’ d
10’ c
0’ d
10’ c
0’ d
10’ c
10’ d
Combined Min. Side Setback 20% 20% 20% c 20% c 20% c 20% c Min. Rear Setback 20’ 20’ 20’ c
5’ d
20’ c
0’ d
20’ c
0’ d
20’ c
0’ d
Max. Single-story Height 20’ 20’ 20’ c
28’ d
20’ c
n/a d
20’ c
n/a d
20’ c
n/a d
Max. Multi-story Height 28’ 40’ 28’ d, e
40’ f
28’ e
36’ and 3
stories d
40’ f
28’ e
36’ and 3
stories d
40’ f
28’ e
36’ and 3
stories d
40’ f
Max. Single-story Site Coverage 50% 50% 50% 50% c 50% c 50% e City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 7 Zoning District a R-2 R-3 C-R C-D C-D
(Main St)
C-G
n/a d,f n/a d,f 35% f
n/a d
Max. Multi-story Site Coverage 35% 45% 35% 35% c
n/a d,f
35% c
n/a d,f
35% c
n/a d
Max. Floor Area Ratio 0.5:1 n/a 0.5:1 c 0.5:1 c
n/a d,f
0.5:1 c
n/a d,f
0.5:1 c
X d,f
Usable Open Space per Unit 15% 15% 15% c 15% c 15% c 15% c Min. Site Landscaping n/a n/a 25% d See note h See note h 10% d Notes:
a. R-2 is the Two-family residential zoning district, R-3 is the Multifamily residential zoning district, C-D is the Commercial-downtown zoning district, C-R is the Commercial-residential zoning district; C-G is the Commercialgeneral zoning district. C-D (Main St) zoning district is a C-D subdistrict encompassing the Heritage Main Street blocks between Pilarcitos Creek and Correas Street), for the first 50 feet of frontage depth on the ground floor. b. Only two-family residential is allowed in R-2 district. c. Applies to exclusively residential development (two-family or multifamily). d. Applies to mixed use development with multifamily residential and commercial components. e. Applies to two-family residential.
f. Applies to multifamily residential with three or more units. g. Required where a property adjoins an R district; otherwise, no setback is required. In a C district, the setback must be landscaped.
h. No minimum percentage of site area is specified for landscaping; however, standards of the district require perimeter landscaping and interior landscaped areas distributed throughout the parking lot.
Additional development regulations are specified for perimeter landscaping in parking lots, sight distances at intersections, maximum fence heights, off-street parking, refuse storage areas, residential storage areas, and screening of mechanical equipment and utility meters (HMCMC Section 18.07.030).
All development in R districts is also subject to the maximum building envelope in HMBMC Section
18.06.040, Subsection G, defined as “a plane that begins at ten feet above the side property lines and extends into the property at a forty-five-degree angle and sixteen feet above the front and rear setback line and extends into the property at a sixty-degree angle.” Limited exceptions to this standard are permitted for dormers or gables (Figure 4).
Pursuant to HMBMC Section 18.06.050, some
exceptions to development standards can be allowed
for certain accessory structures and architectural
features of development in R districts, and alternative development standards are identified for development
on substandard lots. Development standards and
regulations can also be waived or relaxed for
affordable housing, senior housing and housing for
persons with disabilities, and for any multifamily rental housing development wherein at least 25 percent of
the units have three or more bedrooms.
Figure 4: Building envelope requirements for singlefamily developments in the R-1 districts.
City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 8 HMBMC Chapter 14.37: Architectural, Landscape and Site Plan Review Currently, all applications for multifamily residential and mixed-use development with a multifamily residential component are subject to discretionary processes outlined in HMBMC Chapter 14.37 (Architectural, Landscape and Site Plan Review), which requires architectural, landscape, and site plan review approval prior to construction of new development and site or building modifications. In each instance listed below, the Planning Commission or, on appeal, the City Council, is authorized to approve or deny architectural, landscape, and site plan approval for the proposed multifamily or mixed-use development:
• New construction of a multifamily residential development with more than two units on a site. • Additions to or significant exterior alterations to an existing multifamily structure or site. • Mixed-use developments with a residential component, including new construction, change in use of an existing residential building to mixed use, or change in the intensity of use of an existing nonresidential building that would increase required parking or affect other development standards applied to the site.
• Any new residential structure or modifications to an existing structure requiring a parking exception, variance, use permit, or other discretionary action that also requires a decision by the Planning Commission.
For scenarios other than those listed above, the Community Development Director is authorized to act on the development request.
Any decision-making body—whether Community Development Director, Planning Commission, or City Council—considering a request for architectural, landscape and site plan review must evaluate the proposal for conformance with the findings and standards for review set forth in the municipal code. Pursuant to HMBMC Section 14.37.030, the decision-making body’s review may include evaluation of the proposed development’s character and design quality; its compatibility with neighboring properties; its effects on views, access, and circulation; its building and site features (including colors, materials, architectural elements, and landscaping); and energy efficiency.
To approve a request for architectural, landscape, and site plan review, the decision-making body must determine that the proposal conforms to the development regulations of HMBMC Title 18 (Zoning) and other provisions of HMBMC Chapter 14.37, and then must affirmatively make the following findings enumerated in HMBMC Section 14.37.040:
A. That such buildings, structures, planting, paving and other improvements are so designed and constructed that they will advance and not hinder the orderly and harmonious development of the city; and
B. That such buildings, structures, planting, paving and other improvements will not impair the desirability or opportunity to attain the optimum use and the value of the land and the improvements, or otherwise impair the desirability of living or working conditions in the same or adjacent areas; and
C. The project has been designed in conformance and consistency with the single-family residential design guidelines (where applicable).
City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 9 HMBMC Chapter 18.20: Local Coastal Development Permits
All applications for multifamily residential and mixed-use development with a multifamily residential component are also subject to a discretionary process outlined in HMBMC Chapter 18.20 (Local Coastal Development Permits). HMBMC Section 18.20.025 requires a local coastal development permit (CDP) for any multifamily residential or mixed-use development with a multifamily residential component on any property in the City, with exemptions for: 1) in-kind replacement of structures following a disaster; or 2) maintenance, repair, or interior remodeling of a structure, where the existing use and intensity of development do not change. The CDP is required in addition to any other discretionary or ministerial permits required by the City for a development and may be processed concurrently with those other permits, as determined by the Community Development Director. The local decision-making body authorized to act on a CDP is the same body that is authorized to approve other permits required for the project (HMBMC Subsection 18.20.050.C)
While the City’s code gives the City authority to grant most CDPs, the California Coastal Commission is the authorized decision-making body on a CDP for any development proposed on a site below the mean high tide, submerged lands, or public trust lands. Likewise, the California Coastal Commission is the hearing body on appeals of local decisions on CDPs for sites between the sea and first public road paralleling the sea (or within 300 feet of the extent of a beach or mean high tide line, if further inland that the public road), or developments within 100 feet of any wetland, estuary, or stream, or within 300 feet of the top of the seaward face of any coastal bluff (HMBMC Section 18.20.020).
HMBMC Section 18.20.055 requires a public hearing be held on: 1) all appealable development; and 2) prior to approval of any CDP where the development requires a public hearing for any other permits or discretionary action necessary for the project. After reviewing the proposal and conducting a public hearing, if required, the decision-making body can approve the CDP if it can affirmatively make the findings listed in HMBMC Section 18.20.070. These findings include determinations that the proposed project is consistent with the Local Coastal Program (consisting of both the LCLUP and LCLIP), growth management system, infrastructure and public services plans, and the California Coastal Act.
Additionally, the decision-making body must make required findings for design review of the proposal, including statements that the structures are harmonious in appearance, compatible with adjacent development, create a desirable environment, preserve natural features where feasible, and provide safe and convenient access for a variety of transportation modes. Further findings must be made for any addition to or exterior alteration of a historic resource.
HMBMC Chapter 18.37: Visual Resource Protection Standards The visual resource protection standards in HMBMC Chapter 18.37 are applicable to development projects and all new development projects within or adjacent to visual resource areas. This HMBMC chapter identifies specific visual resource areas as designated in the Visual Resources Overlay Map contained in the LCLUP. The code includes:
• specific locations where special design considerations must be implemented, such as viewsheds and blufftops, where structures must not obstruct views nor degrade plant communities; City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 10 • requirements for planned landscaping to be integral to the design of the new development, with specific requirements for size and/or placement and arrangement of plants,
shrubs, and trees;
• standards for lighting, screening of utilities, and equipment that requires preservation of character through maximum feasible use of native plant materials to screen and avoiding excessive and upwards facing light;
• height restrictions in scenic corridors and designated visual resource areas, where building height may not exceed 15 feet or 28 feet as a maximum height exception, subject to findings;
• provisions for developments adjacent to public access roads to ensure natural vegetation is preserved; and
• upland slopes where significant grading is prohibited, pitched roofs are encouraged, and projects must not project above the ridgeline skyline as seen from Highway 1 and
Highway 92, and padding and terracing are prohibited above certain elevations.
Significant plant communities are also referenced and identified in the LCLUP. New development applicants must fund an environmental review process to consider notable vegetation through a professional contracted by the City unless an alternative professional is provided by the applicant.
Applicants must also comply with reporting requirements and siting standards to preserve vegetation and conditions that ensure preservation and replacement of plant species.
HMBMC Chapter 18.38: Coastal Resource Conservation Standards HMBMC Chapter 18.38 provides standards for development in sensitive habitats and ensures that siting and design maintain the environmental purpose of those habitats and improves on them where feasible.
This chapter of HMBMC specifically identifies Frenchman’s Creek, Pilarcitos Creek, Arroyo Canada Verde, and Arroyo Leon as locations where vegetation should be preserved and development-inflicted erosion should be minimized. The provisions of this chapter apply to all new developments except for continuance of pre-existing uses, provided the use does not expand, as well as developments not subject to coastal development permits. The chapter also reiterates the location of and defines coastal resource areas such as sand dunes, wetlands, coastal scrub communities, and riparian areas as sensitive habitat areas where especially valuable resources are located. The chapter provides reporting requirements which must identify mitigation measures and anticipated impacts to coastal resources, among other things. Biological, archaeological, and geological reports are also required where necessary and sometimes require analysis specific to certain coastal sites. For development within coastal resource areas, initial studies pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA, Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.) are required and must cover the evaluation criteria in HMBMC Section 18.38.050.
The codified chapter also sets standards for permitted uses of certain coastal areas where residential development is mostly, if not totally prohibited.
Figure 3: Map of designated scenic
corridors identified by Half Moon Bay’s
LCLUP, where Chapter 9 and HMBMC
18.37 is applicable.
City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 11 Design Preferences and Summary of Walking Tour
Single-Family Residential Design Review Guidelines
Design guidelines apply to development in Half Moon Bay. These include the Single-Family Residential Design Review Guidelines (2015) document and design-related design policies required by the LCLUP, particularly those applicable to development proposed within designated scenic and visual resource areas in Chapter 9 and residential siting and design standards in Chapter 2 of the LCLUP. The applicable LCLUP policies are listed above, while the Single-Family Design Review Guidelines are summarized below.
The City adopted design review guidelines (DRGs)
applicable to single-family residences in 2015. The intent of the DRGs is to encourage high standards for single-family residential design that: 1) are compatible with existing neighborhoods; 2) respect the environment and its visual and natural resources; and 3) reflect the City’s “eclectic character” while also fostering architectural creativity.
While these guidelines are not applicable to multifamily and mixed-use developments, they do provide some
context for overall design preferences for residential
structures in Half Moon Bay.
Common themes in the DRGs include the following:
• Building Design:
o Building fenestration that adds articulation, emphasizes symmetry, promotes natural lighting and ventilation, and protects privacy.
o Avoidance of uplighting, highly reflective surfaces, climate-inappropriate building materials (such as materials that may unattractively weather or warp), and large expanses of stone veneers.
o Incorporation of hipped roofs or varying roof heights to reduce massing of multi-story buildings, but avoiding excessive roof breaks, ridges, heights and hips. o Building articulation and architectural elements (e.g., porches, dormers, shutters, railings) that are appropriate for the style and scale of the building, add visual interest to blank walls, and that extend from front elevations to include side façades. o Incorporating second-story setbacks to reduce massing, and generally reducing the scale of second stories to two-thirds the area of the first floor, particularly in the context of neighborhoods with single-story residences.
o Reducing the appearance of building mass by incorporating vertical breaks on walls more than 25 feet long, and by avoiding building designs that construct flat roofs at the maximum allowed building height.
• Site Planning:
o Orienting a building’s pedestrian entries toward the street, with architecturally appropriate entry features and garage and vehicle parking areas recessed to rear yards or sides of houses.
Figure 4: Cover sheet of Half Moon Bay’s existing
Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines,
adopted in June of 2025.
City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 12 o Site planning that utilizes variations in building setbacks to avoid a “row” effect and staggered building placements to preserve views.
• Environmental Sustainability:
o Sustainable building and site design, including landscaping designs that promote passive heating and cooling and water quality and conservation; plant selections that prioritize native and noninvasive species; building orientations that maximize access for solar power generation; and construction that optimizes use of recycled and recyclable building materials.
o Preservation of natural contours, mature trees, and natural vegetation where such is present.
Walking Tour with the Architectural Advisory Committee
MIG and Half Moon Bay City Planning staff engaged with the City’s Architectural Advisory Committee (AAC) members for a walking tour of existing multifamily residential sites in Half Moon Bay. The tour occurred at an agendized special meeting of the AAC on September26, 2024 that was open to public attendance.
One member of the Planning Commission was also present. City staff led the tour through five sites, including a vacant lot on Metzgar Street and four multifamily housing sites, including Senior Coastsiders, Lesley Gardens, Half Moon Village, and Main Street Park. The goal of the tour was to understand local design preferences and opinions on the design of the existing multifamily housing stock.
AAC members and members of the public in attendance did not identify a singular architectural style that represented Half Moon Bay’s character, although members noted that ranch and
traditional style homes and similar architectural styles were “non-controversial” among the community. Some common
themes voiced during the meeting included:
• preference for individual entries for each unit
• use of materials like board and batten, rather than
stucco
• consistent application of a single architectural style over combinations of modern and traditional architectural
styles in a single development
• thoughtful architectural articulation of buildings through the use of eaves and balconies, variation in elements, a mix of lively colors, sloped roofs, and gables
• façade recessions and the use of dimension on a building to avoid massing and long continuous wall planes
Figure 5: Half Moon Village, a well-liked
multi-family housing site because of its
asymmetrical elements and successful
articulation of contemporary design.
Figure 6: Senior Coastsiders, an example
of a mix of modern and traditional
architecture, long expanse of flat roof and
lack of articulation to be avoided.
City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 13 Subsequent to the walking tour, City staff conducted a virtual tour of the same sites with a second Planning Commissioner to gain additional understanding of the opinions on existing multifamily design in Half Moon Bay. The commissioner
provided the following feedback:
• The coastal proximity of Half Moon Bay should be
considered in design with an emphasis on the “coastal
contemporary” style.
• The design of Half Moon Village is a good example of
good design for contemporary style, especially the
balanced asymmetrical elements and functional
balconies and roof elements.
• Architectural articulation such as dimension and façade recession are preferred over simplified buildings.
• 433 Main Street development is a good example of multifamily design.
In general, the height of the existing multifamily housing stock was not an issue, although attendees expressed a preference for articulation on taller buildings (three stories or more) to avoid bulky appearances, and use of landscaping to distract from building heights as viewed from the pedestrian level. No particular color palette was discussed, although attendees suggested use of “lively” colors and avoiding the use of cooler blue colors. Committee members noted that family housing versus senior housing could have different site planning and design needs (for example, recreational amenities that include children’s playgrounds and play structures versus more passive outdoor gathering spaces), which should also be considered in the design site design of multifamily developments.
Architectural Advisory Committee - Previous Multi-Family Housing Proposals MIG also reviewed agendas and minutes of previous AAC meetings at which multifamily residential developments were discussed. Comments expressed on multifamily housing proposals generally included a desire for incorporating “community identity” and architectural articulation into the design of buildings. One development that was reviewed and identified as an exemplary development is 433 Main Street, a mixed-use, multifamily building in the City. The project includes two separate multistory buildings with different designs based on the street which the building elevation faces. The portion of Figure 7: Lesley Gardens, a well-liked site
because of its “single-family” feel which
included board and bat materials, gabled
roofs with mock dormers, and single-story
units.
Figure 8: Main Street Park, a development built in two distinct phases. The images above show the contrasting design of the phases. The covered porches, recessed façade, and more articulation and roof and plane breaks of the older phase (left) are preferred over the simpler design approach of the newer phase (right).
City of Half Moon Bay November 7, 2024
Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Development – Existing Setting and Context Summary 14 the building facing Main Street downtown related to the Heritage Downtown aesthetic of Half Moon Bay, with a more visible Mediterranean influence and where traditional architectural style is desired as a form of community identity; whereas the portion fronting Kelly Avenue has a newer architectural approach resembling the more modern residential buildings of Half Moon Bay. In general, the design of the building, from its initial stages, was substantially changed to provide significant articulation through:
• Horizontal and vertical features on the exterior
• Incorporation of streetscape elements for commercial
portions, such as proximity to sidewalk appropriate for the use
• Incorporation of symmetrical elements in architectural articulation through balconies, railings, windows, and
roof elements, rather than “wedding caking”
• Preference for board and batten finished over stucco; however, buildings that do incorporate stucco finishes
should carefully detail the exterior, especially within historic areas to match the building environment
• Neo-Craftsman residential design and galvanized
material were not well-liked or highly discouraged
• Italianate or a combination of treatments for the
residential building, such as dormers, were suggested
to provide breaks and reduce massing
Overall, the preferences expressed by the AAC consistently included attention to massing and design details such as window fenestration and treatments (awnings or trims and decorative elements) as critical to the success of a project.
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
The intent of the ODS is to formalize a ministerial process for entitlement of qualifying affordable multifamily residential development in Half Moon Bay, in compliance with California law. To ensure that the resultant ODS and their related procedures comply with the intent of the statute, the development application review process cannot include any discretionary finding or standard that can be interpreted and applied differently by different individuals. Absent objective design standards, City decision-makers can only apply the objective and quantifiable standards enumerated in the HMBMC or other adopted planning document in their review of development proposals.
The guidance provided by the AAC and Planning Commission representatives, the City’s current design guidelines for single-family residences, and review of past applications for multifamily residential projects approved for construction in the City will inform a set of objective design standards that reflect local design preferences and will be additive to existing codified development standards for multifamily and mixed-use housing. The ODS must also encompass and formalize the objectives of the City’s LCP to minimize hazards, preserve the natural environment, and protect views and access to shoreline resources. The procedures for review of entitlement request must also be evaluated to identify and revise, as needed, discretionary, non-prescriptive determinations for decision-making for qualifying multifamily housing proposals that are eligible for ministerial review.
Figure 9: View from Main Street and Kelly
intersection of 433 Main Street development.
Figure 10: Zaballa House, historical building
located in downtown Half Moon Bay and an
example of traditional character and architecture.
Resolution No. C-2024-____
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HALF MOON BAY TO ADOPT INTERIM
OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS FOR MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING
WHEREAS, state legislation SB 423 will expand the provisions of existing state legislation SB 35 into the Coastal Zone effective January 1, 2025, requiring streamlined ministerial review for qualifying affordable multi-family and mixed-use housing projects that meet specific objective criteria, including design criteria; and
WHEREAS, while the City of Half Moon Bay has some existing objective standards for multi-family housing (e.g., height limits), other existing standards are subjective (e.g., policies to protect ocean views) and there are no existing objective standards directly applicable to design criteria; and
WHEREAS, the City of Half Moon Bay recognizes the importance of facilitating the development of affordable multi-family housing, while recognizing a need to maintain the City’s character; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined a need to adopt interim objective design standards before the end of 2024; and
WHEREAS, the City will continue the development of final objective design standards in 2025; and
WHEREAS, the Multi-Family Residential Objective Design Standards will guide multifamily developments to fit within Half Moon Bay’s eclectic style and ensure compatibility with the city’s aesthetic and functional priorities; and
WHEREAS, the Architectural Advisory Committee and the Planning Commission as advisory bodies to the City Council were involved in Study Sessions to inform the Interim Objective Design Standards on November 12 and December 16, 2024; and WHEREAS, the adoption of these standards supports compliance with state housing laws, including Senate Bills 35 and 423; and
WHEREAS, the California Coastal Commission has recommended that jurisdictions in the Coastal Zone adopt objective design standards in response to SB 35/423; and WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed and considered the Interim Multi-Family Residential Objective Design Standards and has determined that they are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3), in that it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the approval of interim objective design standards will have a significant effect on the environment.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Half Moon Bay does hereby adopt the Interim Multi-Family Residential Objective Design Standards as contained in the attached Exhibit A1.
***************************************************************** I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly passed and adopted on the 16th day of December 2024, by the City Council of Half Moon Bay by the following vote:
AYES, Councilmembers:
NOES, Councilmembers:
ABSENT, Councilmembers:
ABSTAIN, Councilmembers:
ATTEST: APPROVED:
___________________________ _____________________________ Jessica Blair, City Clerk Mayor