5-15
Time Frame: Complete and implement studies by September 2024. Complete additional study by 2025. Amend fee schedule by September 2026.
Primary Associated
Goals and Policies
Goals: 3, 4
Policies: 3.1, 4.1
PROGRAM 3.2: MONITOR CONSTRAINTS TO HOUSING
The Constraints chapter of the Hous ing Element identifies several conditions and practices that act to constrain housing development. By addressing these conditions and practices, the City can streamline development processes, and promote future residentia l development. The City will continue to monitor its policies, standards, and regulations to ensure th e City’s regulatory framework facilitates residential and balanced mixed-use development in the community.
Responsible Agency: Planning and Development Services
Funding Sources(s): General Fund
Implementing
Objectives:
A. Monitor new local policy initiative s for effectiveness in combatting identified constraints to housing development.
B. When new land use regulations, impact fees or procedural changes are being considered by the Planning and Transportation Commission and City Council, the City shall prepare an anal ysis in the accompanying staff report detailing how the regulation may impact housing production, if at all, and recommended solutions to address those impacts.
C. Monitor application of the Municipal Code standards for constraints to housing projects and recommend chan ges annually, as appropriate, to enhance the feasibility of affordable housing.
Time Frame : Complete review and implementation of required edits once during the planning period, by January 2027.
Primary Associated
Goals and Policies:
Goals: 2, 4
Policies: 2.1, 2.3, 4.2
PROGRAM 3.3: AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES The Planning and Development Services Department, in its review of development applications, market conditions and through conversations with non-profit housing providers, has identified certain changes in development standards that will encourage the development of low- and moderate-income housing. The City has already adopted an affordable housing incentive program (AHIP) that includes flexible development standards, streamlined application review processes, direct financ ial assistance and other incentives to encourage affordable housing. These in itiatives will be extended through this Program to reduce constraints and expand the opportunity for below-market rate housing.
Responsible Agency: Planning and Development Services
Funding Sources(s): General Fund
Implementing Objectives: A. Amend the municipal code to extend the affordable housing incentive program to apply to all housing opportunity sites identified in the Housing Element and zoned for commercial, industrial or multi-family 5-16
residential use. Update AHIP regula tions for religious institution sites located in the R1 district with a reduced density provision.
B. Amend the affordable housing overlay (incentive program) regulations to allow housing projects to achieve a residential floor area ratio of
2.4:1.0 without requiring commercial floor area (except where required on University and California Avenues). The City will modify AHIP development and parking standards commensurate with FAR increases, and, for housing projects income restricted to 60 percent of the area median income level or below, allow up to sixty (60) feet in height on all opportunity sites.
C. Amend Zoning Code to incorporate all recent changes to State density bonus law and develop summary ma terials to promote the use of density bonuses.
Time Frame: Complete zoning changes by December 31, 2024 Quantified Objective: Amend the zoning code and comprehensive plan as necessary to extend the provision of affordable housing incentive program to sites in the housing inventory and co dify additional incentives described herein.
D. Amend the PAMC to streamline all 100 percent affordable housing development projects. Implement a procedure that prioritizes affordable housing projects for staff resources and, if applicable, hearing dates, above other projects, regardless of submission date.
Time Frame: Complete by December 2024.
Quantified Objective: The timeframes associated with permit processing can be viewed as a constraint to affo rdable development. The City aims to complete the processing of planning entitlements for affordable housing projects exempt from environmental review within 90 days from application submittal.
Primary Associated Goals
and Policies:
Goal: 2, 3, 4
Policies: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 4.2
PROGRAM 3.4: HOUSING INCENTIVE PROGRAM (HIP)
The HIP was enacted in 2019 as an alternative to the State Density Bonus law and provides development incentives including no housing density restrictions, increased floor area ratios and increased lot coverage.
This program seeks to expand the suite of development incentives and extends the program to additional zoning districts that are not identified in the Site Inventory.
Responsible Agency: Planning and Development Services
Funding Sources(s): General Fund
Implementing Objectives: A. HIP qualifying projects that also co mply with City approved objective standards shall be administratively reviewed with one courtesy meeting before the Architectural Review Board.
Time Frame: Revise review process instructions by December 2024. 5-17
Quantified Objective: Monitor projects for compliance with desired review schedule, track application processing timelines and number of applications appealed to Council; use data to inform future modifications to the HIP program.
B. Amend the local Housing Incentiv e Program to include specific expanded development standards, as an alternative to state density bonus provisions. Reduce barriers by removing Planning Director discretion to define applicable standards in each instance.
C. Allow for sites subject to the City’s retail preservation ordinance – except in the ground floor (GF) and retail (R) combining districts and strategic locations generally depicted in the draft South El Camino Real Design Guidelines – to have a re duction in the amount of retail replacement floor area needed for redevelopment and waive the retail preservation requirement for identified housing opportunity sites.
D. Extend the local Housing Incentive Program to the multi-family residential districts (RM-20, RM-30, and R-40).as well as the ROLM and GM district focus area The Housing Incentive Program development standards shall be amended to increase height and floor area allowances for housing projects; reduce parking requirements to match or improve upon state density bonus , and adjustment to other development standards to enable greater housing production.
Time Frame: Complete Municipal Code amendments by December 31, 2024.
Quantified Objective: Amend the municipal code and comprehensive plan to codify implementing objective with the goal of encouraging the development of approximately 550 units over the planning period.
E. Expand the geographic boundaries of the El Camino Real Focus Area (adopted in 2023) to incentivize housing production at appropriate locations. Increase building height and floor area ratios and apply other objective standards, such as transiti onal height restrictions, to address single family zoning district adjacencies. The proposed standards will be an alternative to the state density bonus.
Time Frame: Complete municipal code amendments by June 30, 2025.
Quantified Objective: Amend municipal code with the goal of encouraging development of approximately 500 units over the planning period.
Primary Associated Goals
and Policies:
Goal: 2, 3, 4
Policies: 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.2, 4.4
PROGRAM 3.5: ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT (ADU) FACILITATION This program aims to annually monitor provisions made to ADU legislation and amend the City’s Zoning Ordinance as necessary to ensure compliance with St ate law. Furthermore, the City is committed to encouraging a greater range of housing types, reducing barriers to alternative types of housing such as ADUs, and promoting income integration across the City.
In recent years, multiple bills have added requirements for local governments related to ADU ordinances.
The 2016 and 2017 updates to State law included chan ges pertaining to the allowed size of ADUs,