City of
Merced
Housing Element
Proposed Rezoning
January 2024
Agenda
2 • Why Rezones are Required
• Opportunity Sites
• Pipeline Projects
• Rezones
• Q&A
Why Rezoning is Required
3 •
Align with the Housing Element Updates
Support the City’s ability to meet its Regional
Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA)
Allow for housing development where housing
is currently not permitted
Reduce constraints to housing development and
to accommodate special housing needs
What is Regional Housing Needs
Allocation (RHNA)?
• A state‐mandated process that requires jurisdictions to plan for enough housing to meet the needs of current and future residents • Planned housing must be distributed across 5 affordability levels:
3 •
Extremely Low Income
Very Low Income
Low Income
Moderate Income
Above Moderate Income
Opportunity Sites
4 Developed through the analysis of:
• Development trends
• Identification of available land that is
suitable for housing
• Community input
Opportunities Sites may be:
• Vacant lots
• Underutilized parcels
• Nonvacant sites
Broken up into 6 geographic areas:
District 1 – District 2 – District 3 – District 4 – District 5 – District 6 Pipeline Projects
Residential developments that are approved and permitted, but not yet built
Can count toward RHNA goal
Scattered throughout the city, but mostly concentrated in District 6
Single‐family and multi‐family projects
27 pipeline projects
Pipeline Projects
Rezones
33 rezone sites across the city (3 sites rezoned in 2024 already) Assessed by TCAC Opportunity area which range from areas of High Segregation and Poverty to Highest Resource Areas
No sites have fire hazards
All districts are within minimal to moderate flood hazard zones All sites include vacant lots
District 3 also includes office uses
District 1
Total: 143 units
6 sites will be rezoned
Rezone from low to medium density, low
density, and general commercial to high
density and regional commercial
113 additional lower‐income units
30 additional moderate‐income units
All sites are in TCAC designation of Low Resource and High Segregation and Poverty
District 2
Total: 382 units
3 sites will be rezoned
Rezoned from low density residential and
general commercial to high‐density
residential and regional commercial
303 additional lower‐income units
79 additional moderate‐income units
All sites are in TCAC designation of High Segregation and Poverty
District 3
Total: 499 units
10 sites will be rezoned
Rezoned from low density, low to medium
density, and general commercial to high‐
density and regional commercial
395 additional lower‐income units
104 additional moderate‐income units
All sites are in TCAC designation of Low Resource and High Segregation and Poverty
District 4
Total: 216 units
1 site will be rezoned
Rezoned from low density to high‐density
residential
172 additional lower‐income units
44 additional moderate‐income units
All sites are in TCAC designation of Highest Resource
District 5
Total: 182 units
3 sites will be rezoned
Rezoned from low to medium density,
low density, and office commercial to
high‐density residential
145 additional lower‐income units
37 additional moderate‐income units
All sites are in TCAC designation of Low or High Resource
District 6
Total: 1,929 units
7 sites will be rezoned
Rezoned from low to medium density, high to
medium density, open space‐park recreation,
and general commercial to high density
1,088 additional lower‐income units
841 additional moderate‐income units
All sites are in TCAC designation of Highest Resource
Next Steps: Rezone Process
City
Council
Workshop
•J a n u a r y
21 Planning
Commission
Workshop
• January
22 Public
Input
Workshop
• January 23
‐ Noon
Planning
Commission
• Public
Hearing
•F e b r u a r y
5 City
Council
• Public
Hearing
•M a r c h 17
Questions?