Agenda Item #B.1
Consideration of General Plan and Zoning Amendments
Ordinance No. 2026-996
City of La Puente | City Council| May 26, 2026
Implementing 6th Cycle Housing Element Programs 3a, 3b, and 3c
P R O J E C T T E A M & F U N D I N G
Project Team
City of La Puente
Planning Division
San Gabriel Council of Governments
Harris & Associates
Community Development and Planning (CDH)
Funding
REAP 2.0
Regional Early Action Planning Grant
This project is funded and managed by the
Southern California Association of Governments
(SCAG) with Regional Early Action Program 2021
grant funding from the State of California
Department of Housing and Community
Development.
Environmental Planning and Consulting (EPC)
Affordable Housing Incubator
B A C K G R O U N D & C O N T E X T
01 Housing Element Certified
HCD certified La Puente's 6th Cycle Housing Element in
October 2022, committing the City to specific programs
to meet its RHNA obligations.
02 Program 3 Commitments
Certification required zoning amendments to increase
housing capacity, protect affordable units, and streamline approvals for housing with affordable units.
03 Implementation Required
HCD revoked the City's compliance finding in August
2025 after the City failed to complete required 3a and 3c rezoning actions by February 2025.
Adoption of amendments is required to restore
compliance.
• 3 Components
• Program 3a: Adequate Sites and No Net
Loss
• Program 3b: Replacement Housing
Requirement
• Program 3c: By-Right Approval of Projects
on “Reuse” Sites
PLANNING COMMISSION CONSIDERATION / ACTION
At the Planning Commission meeting held on May 5, 2026, a duly noticed public hearing was conducted regarding the proposed:
1 General Plan Amendment No. 26-01
Land Use & Housing Element updates
2 Zoning Code Amendments No. 26-01
Municipal Code Title 10 revisions
3 Zoning Map Updates
Application of overlays to specific parcels
O U T C O M E
Following the public hearing, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 26-1596 recommending that the City Council approve the proposed amendments and adopt the CEQA Addendum. 4 CEQA Addendum
Direct staff to file Notice of Determination
G E N E R A L P L A N A M E N D M E N T N O . 2 0 2 6 - 01 Updates the Land Use and Housing Elements to ensure internal consistency and implement programs required under the certified Housing Element.
01 Overlay Land Use Designations
Establishes new overlay designations for Religious Congregational Sites (RCS) and Housing Element Re-Use Sites (HRS) to facilitate housing production.
02 By-Right (Ministerial) Housing Approvals
Supports ministerial approval for qualifying projects with at least 20% affordable units in RCS and HRS overlays, removing discretionary review requirements.
03 No Net Loss & Tenant Protections
Formalizes policies preventing net loss of housing units and establishes tenant protections. Consistent with General Plan goals and State Housing Element Law.
M U N I C I PA L C O D E A M E N D M E N T N O . 2 6 - 01 Chapter 10.21 - Religious Congregational Sites (RCS) Overlay Establishes a new overlay zone allowing housing to be developed on properties owned or controlled by religious institutions or affiliated nonprofits.
20 du/ac
Min. Density
Max 30 du/ac
40 ft
Max Height
Reduced setbacks
By-Right
Approval
If at least 20% of units
affordable
5 Sites Identified
• Existing zoning varies from R1 to R4.
RCS Overlay Sites
PROGRAM 3a | Adequate Sites to Accommodate RHNA and Monitoring No Net Loss PROGRAM 3b | Replacement Housing & Tenant Protections
Chapter 10.51 — Replacement Housing Units
Prevents the net loss of affordable housing during redevelopment. Any development on a non-vacant site must replace demolished units at the same or lower income level.
One-for-One
Replacement
All demolished residential units replaced
with equal or greater bedroom counts.
'Protected Units' (occupied by lowerincome households in the past 5 years) replaced at same or lower income level.
Long-Term
Affordability
Replacement units restricted to same
income levels for 55 years (rental) or 45
years (ownership) via regulatory
agreement.
Tenant
Protections
6-month notice of displacement,
relocation assistance (up to 42 months of
rent differential), and right of first refusal
to return to new project.
M U N I C I PA L C O D E A M E N D M E N T N O . 2 6 - 01 PROGRAM 3c | By-Right Approval on Housing Element Reuse Sites Chapter 10.52 — Housing Element Sites
Projects on designated reuse sites that include at least 20% affordable units for lower-income households must be approved by-right (ministerially) — no CUP, no discretionary review, not subject to CEQA
Application
Submitted
Objective
Standards Check
Ministerial
Approval
Projects are reviewed for compliance with objective development standards only, resulting in a streamlined approval process.
97 Sites Identified:
• Prior Housing Element sites (non-vacant & vacant) – 79 sites • Specific Downtown Business District (DBD) sites — 18 sites CUPs / Discretionary
Reviews Required
Reuse Sites
M U N I C I PA L C O D E A M E N D M E N T N O . 2 6 - 01
SUMMARY TABLE
Program Code Action Primary Change Sites
3a – RCS Overlay Add Chapter 10.21 20–30 du/ac on religious sites Ministerial (by-right) approval for
projects with ≥20% affordable
units
5 parcels
3b – Replacement Requirement Add Chapter 10.51 1-for-1 replacement & affordability requirements for
Protected Units
All non-vacant sites
3c – By-Right on Reuse Housing
Element Sites
Add Chapter 10.52 Ministerial (by-right) approval for
projects with ≥20% affordable
units on designated reuse Housing
Element Sites
97 parcels
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
✓
Project is consistent with analysis in the Initial Study/Negative Declaration (IS/ND) adopted for the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update.
✓
An Addendum (per CEQA Guidelines §15164) is appropriate — these are implementing regulations, no new significant impacts.
✓
No substantial changes in circumstances or new information that would require a subsequent Negative Declaration or EIR.
S T A F F R E C O M M E N D A T I O N
It is recommended that the City Council:
1 Open the public hearing and take public testimony;
2 Adopt Resolution No. 26-5988 adopting the Planning Commission’s recommendation, setting forth findings and approving General Plan Amendment No. 2026-01 and adopting the CEQA Addendum; 3 Waive reading of Ordinance No. 26-996 and read by title only; 4 Introduce and adopt an Ordinance amending Title 10 (Zoning) of the La Puente Municipal Code to add Chapter 10.21 (Religious Congregational Sites Overlay Zone), Chapter 10.51 (Replacement Housing Units), and Chapter 10.52 (Housing Element Sites), and updating the Official Zoning Map; and City of La Puente | City Council | May 26, 2026
5 Adopt the CEQA Addendum to the 6th Cycle Housing Element Negative Declaration and direct staff to file a Notice of Determination regarding the same.