DATE: October 11, 2022
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Assistant City Manager/Development Services Director SUBJECT: Hayward Residential Design Study Update (Previously Named Residential Objective Standards and Zoning Consistency Update)
SUMMARY
The Hayward Residential Design Study project kicked off in February 2022 with extensive community outreach to help inform the development of objective residential standards and zoning amendments. Building upon the input received from that outreach, a clear vision statement and objectives for the project were developed. Additionally, the project team evaluated current State legislation, the City’s regulations, and best practices to develop a comprehensive background report. More information about these project efforts to date are summarized within this report.
BACKGROUND
In 2019, the City of Hayward was awarded a SB 2 Planning Grant by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for various housing projects including the Hayward Residential Design Study (Previously named the Residential Objective Standards and Zoning Consistency Update). The grant funds allocated to this project cover the development of objective residential standards and zoning amendments to ensure General Plan and Zoning Ordinance consistency.
On February 1, 2022, the Council and Planning Commission held a joint work session to provide initial guidance and feedback on the Hayward Residential Design Study. The Council and Planning Commission provided significant feedback during this session, including the following general themes:
Outreach should focus on educating and creating clear choices for current homeowners and tenants, future residents, community groups and design professionals. Efforts should be diverse (virtual/in-person), multilingual and meet the community where they are.
Objective residential standards should focus on massing, landscaping, and architectural design. However, standards should not be overly prescriptive and allow for a variety of architectural styles and forms.
The project should address community parking concerns through evaluating current regulations and identifying strategies to reduce parking necessity (shuttles, bike infrastructure, car sharing programs, unbundled parking).
DISCUSSION
Vision Statement and Project Objectives. During the first phase of the project, a clear vision statement and project objectives were developed to provide clarity on the purpose of the project and serve as a guiding document moving forward. The goal for the Hayward Residential Design Study is to ensure new housing is developed in a clear and efficient manner, resulting in attractive, high-quality, accessible residential development that is befitting of the city’s diverse neighborhoods and instills community pride. The Vision Statement and Project Objectives document is included as Attachment II.
Community Outreach. To date, outreach efforts for the Hayward Residential Design Study have included an online community survey, an online interactive mapping tool, in-person “walkshops” (walking workshops) and various in-person community events. These efforts were promoted through the City’s e-newsletter, social media platforms, Permit Center, libraries, and community-based organizations. The community survey and promotional materials were provided in Spanish, Mandarin, and English.
The community survey, available to the public from June through August, garnered 238 unique responses. The survey focused on identifying design preferences for different residential uses and which design features were the most important to the community. The interactive mapping tool, also available throughout the summer, allowed community members to provide location-specific comments related to the massing of buildings, design, landscaping, and parking. A total of 35 comments were received.
In June, staff hosted five walkshops in five different Hayward neighborhoods with a total of 49 participants. Translational services for Spanish speakers were provided at all the walkshops. The walkshops were an opportunity for community members to comment on the residential development within their neighborhoods, identifying design features they liked and areas for improvement.
Additionally, staff conducted outreach at eight community events and meetings including the Hayward Community Family Fair, Juneteenth celebration, Downtown Summer Street Fair, four Curbie (the curbside library) events, and the Old Highland Homeowners Association (OHHA) board meeting. At the Hayward Community Family Fair, Juneteenth celebration and Curbie events, staff utilized a modified, interactive version of the community survey which allowed participants to identify their design preferences for different residential uses by placing sticky dots next to photos of preferred development. Approximately 350 community members participated in the modified survey across all the events. Staff also presented and led a discussion at the OHHA July board meeting at the request of the OHHA Board. Staff has offered and will continue to offer to provide similar presentations to any interested neighborhood group or community organization.
Through these efforts, staff has gathered both quantitative and qualitative data that will be used to inform the development of objective residential standards and zoning amendments. Some of the key findings from the outreach thus far are:
Incorporating accessible design standards;
Preserving the natural environment and undeveloped areas in Hayward Hills; Encouraging communal public green spaces;
Managing off-street parking concerns;
Requiring high-quality landscaping;
Allowing variety in architectural styles;
Incorporating patios and balconies;
Taking into consideration existing neighborhood characteristics; and Prioritizing high density housing developments near downtown or BART stations.
More information about the outreach efforts and feedback from the community can be found in Attachment III.
Background Report. The project team evaluated relevant State legislation, the City’s existing residential standards and best practices from other jurisdictions to help inform the development of new objective residential standards.
As defined by State law, “objective standards are those that involve no personal or subjective judgement by a public official and being uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant or proponent and the public official.” In other words, an objective standard must be written in such a way that anyone reading them would have the same understanding as to what the standard requires. Recent State housing legislation relies on a project’s compliance with objective standards to streamline the approval of housing projects and subsequently housing production. Therefore, the Hayward Residential Design Study will need to focus on updating the City’s residential standards to make them “objective” by including measurable and enforceable parameters.
The City currently has objective residential standards within its General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Off-Street Parking Regulations, Downtown Specific Plan and Mission Boulevard Form Based Code. The Hayward Residential Design Study will focus heavily on specific residential zoning district (RS, RM, RH, RNP) that have very limited objective standards and less on areas (Downtown, Mission Boulevard) that have more detailed objective standards. The existing Neighborhood Plans, Design Guidelines and Hillside Design and Urban/Wildlife Interface Guidelines are not currently objective but provide good design principles that will serve as the basis for the development of objective standards.
Best practices from other comparable jurisdictions will also serve as a starting point for the development of new residential objective standards. Adopted standards from nearby cities have focused primarily on site design, building form and frontages. More background on best practices, relevant state legislation and the City’s existing standards is available in Attachment IV.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this agenda item.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This item supports the Strategic Priority of Preserve, Protect and Produce Housing for All. Specifically, this item relates to the implementation of the following project:
Project 4, Part 4d: Implement housing incentives and production work plan in accordance to state housing limits; Develop an Overlay Zoning District to allow RS zoned properties (single family residential) to develop into a variety of housing types at densities permitted under the applicable General Plan designation
NEXT STEPS
Later this year, staff will present an update and seek input from the Council and Planning Commission related to the parking analysis and inconsistencies between the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance. Early next year, staff will present options for objective residential standards and seek input from the community, key stakeholders, the Council and the Planning Commission.
Prepared by: Elizabeth Blanton, AICP, Senior Planner
Taylor Richard, Assistant Planner
Recommended by: Jennifer Ott, Assistant City Manager/Development Services Director Approved by:
_________________________________
Kelly McAdoo, City Manager
https://hayward.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=924540&GUID=B3BD5440-E416-4E7B-ACDF-F7F38CCB15A1&Options=info|&Search= https://www.hayward-ca.gov/your-government/departments/planning-division/residential-design-study