ORDINANCE NO. 2025-06
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HESPERIA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING Development Code Amendment (DCA25-00002) and Specific Plan Amendment (SPLA25-00002) incorporating Objective Design Standards (ODS) for multifamily and mixed-use residential projects by reference into the Hesperia Municipal Code and the Main Street and Freeway Corridor Specific Plan (MSFCSP) and making other modifications to the Development Standards to ensure consistency.
WHEREAS, on July 15, 2025, the City Council of the City of Hesperia adopted Resolution No. 2025-29 thereby adopting the 2025 General Plan Update to the City’s Land Use and Health and Safety Elements, currently applicable to development in the City.
WHEREAS, on January 5, 1998, the City Council of the City of Hesperia adopted Ordinance No. 250, thereby adopting the Hesperia Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, on September 2, 2008, the City Council of the City of Hesperia adopted Ordinance No. 2008-12, thereby adopting the Main Street and Freeway Corridor Specific Plan; and WHEREAS, on May 2, 2023, the City Council adopted the 2021-2029 Housing Element (6th Cycle Housing Element Update) which includes several program actions that require the City to amend the Development Code and update the General Plan to allow for up to 30 dwelling units per acre (du/ac) in the Multi-Family (R3) zone; to allow 100-percent residential development ranging from 20 to 30 du/ac in the General Commercial (C-2) zone; and to allow for up to 30 du/ac in the Regional Commercial (RC) zone within the Main Street and Freeway Corridor Specific Plan.
WHEREAS, the State of California has adopted numerous bills, including, but not limited to, Senate Bill 167 ("SB 167"), Senate Bill 35 ("SB 35"), Senate Bill 330 ("SB 330") and Assembly Bill 2162 ("AB 2162"), which limit or restrict discretionary review of certain qualifying residential projects; and WHEREAS, State Housing Law continues to evolve, and multi-family affordable housing projects meeting certain criteria are required to be ministerially approved; and WHEREAS, cities are permitted to apply only "objective design standards," which are intended to provide clear, quantifiable, objective standards for those qualifying projects; and WHEREAS, the City's adopted 2021-2029 Housing Element contains housing programs aimed at facilitating additional housing, including developing objective design standards to comply with SB 330 (Program 14); and WHEREAS in an effort to comply with housing streamlining laws and Program 14 of the Housing Element, an amendment to the City’s Zoning Ordinance and Chapters 7,8, and 9 of the Main Street and Freeway Corridor Specific Plan to incorporate the Objective Design Standards by reference is proposed and attached hereto as Exhibit “B” of this Ordinance and the Multifamily and Mixed-Use Objective Design Standards are attached hereto as Exhibit “A”; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, the adoption of the Objective Design Standards and associated Development Code Amendment DCA25-00002, and Specific Plan Amendment SPLA25-00002, which will supplement development standards as it relates to design, and do not affect permitted uses or density/intensity, is exempt per Section 15061(b)(3), because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. In addition, the proposed Objective Design Standards and associated Development Code Amendment and Specific Plan Amendment do not require additional review under CEQA pursuant to Section 15168(c)(2) as they are consistent with the Addendum to the 2010 General Plan EIR prepared for the 2025 General Plan Update certified on June 12, 2025, and would not result in new impacts. The adoption of the Objective Design Standards implements the adopted General Plan Housing Element (Program 14); as the creation of Objective Design Standards and no further environmental analysis is required; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held two workshops on May 23, 2024, and August 14, 2025, to review and discuss critical components of the Objective Design Standards; and WHEREAS, on September 1, 2025, the Planning Commission of the City of Hesperia conducted a duly noticed public hearing pertaining to the proposed Objective Design standards and related Development Code Amendment and Specific Plan Amendment and concluded said hearing on that date; and WHEREAS, on October 21, 2025, the City Council of the City of Hesperia conducted a duly noticed public hearing pertaining to the proposed Objective Design standards and related Development Code Amendment and Specific Plan Amendment and concluded said hearing on that date; and WHEREAS, all legal prerequisites to the adoption of this Ordinance have occurred.
NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HESPERIA DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City Council hereby specifically finds that all the facts set forth in this Ordinance are true and correct.
Section 2. Based upon substantial evidence presented to this City Council during the above-referenced October 21, 2025, hearing, including public testimony and written and oral staff reports, this City Council specifically finds as follows:
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, the adoption of the Objective Design Standards and associated Development Code Amendment DCA25-00002, and Specific Plan Amendment SPLA25-00002 which will supplement development standards as it relates to design, and do not affect permitted uses or density/intensity, are exempt per Section 15061(b)(3), because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment..
Based upon substantial evidence presented to the City Council, including written and oral staff reports, the City Council specifically finds that the proposed Ordinance is consistent with the goals and objectives of the adopted General Plan as it updates key development standards as required in Program 14 of the City’s Housing Element to provide Objective Design Standards for multifamily and mixed-use housing developments.
The proposed Development Code Amendment DCA25-00002, and Specific Plan Amendment SPLA25-00002 are necessary because the City’s existing Design Guidelines currently contained in the Development Code and Main Street and Freeway Corridor Specific Plan are not objective and quantifiable, as required by State law. The Development Code Amendment and Specific Plan Amendment will provide objective design standards for multifamily and mixed-use housing developments. These standards address adverse visual impacts and aim to provide for high-quality architecture and site planning principles to future residential developments in the City.
Section 3. Based on the findings and conclusions set forth in this Ordinance, this Council hereby adopts Development Code Amendment DCA25-00002 and Specific Plan Amendment SPLA25-00002 as shown in Exhibit “B” and the Objective Design Standards for Multifamily and Mixed-Use Developments as shown in Exhibit “A”.
Section 4. This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days from the date of adoption.
Section 5. The City Clerk shall certify the adoption of this Ordinance and shall cause the same to be posted in three (3) public places within the City of Hesperia pursuant to the provisions of Resolution No. 2007-101.
ADOPTED AND APPROVED on this 4th day of November 2025.
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Allison Lee, Mayor
ATTEST:
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Jessica Giber, Assistant City Clerk
Ordinance No. 2025-06