CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: March 21, 2022
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS
SUBJECT: PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. __-22 AND INTRODUCE ORDINANCE NO. ____ FOR ADOPTION OF CITYWIDE
RESIDENTIAL OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS AND RELATED
ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS
SYNOPSIS
This proposal is to adopt Citywide Residential Objective Design Standards and various amendments to the City’s Zoning Ordinance (Pleasant Hill Municipal Code (PHMC) Title 18) to enact these standards. The proposal is necessary in order to comply with changes to State law that limit design review of certain qualifying residential projects to the application of objective design standards. The Architectural Review and Planning Commissions reviewed the proposed standards and recommended approval to the City Council.
DISCUSSION
Part of the residential streamlining enacted by the State relates to design and development review for certain qualifying project proposals. Revision of the City’s existing guidelines to incorporate new objective design standards ensures that the aesthetics of qualifying housing development projects eligible for streamlined review pursuant to State law will complement the existing character of Pleasant Hill. Revising existing standards provides the City a unique opportunity to incorporate new standards that may further enhance the City’s design character.
The Architectural Review Commission (ARC) held a study session on July 1, 2021, to discuss potential revisions (and additions) of objective design standards. The Commission provided input and feedback on draft standards that were prepared in collaboration with City staff and the City’s consultant (Mintier Harnish). The draft was prepared after careful review of the existing Citywide Design Guidelines and conversion of applicable residential guidelines into objectively worded design standards. The Commission provided extensive input and feedback on potential revisions to staff and the City consultant.
At the November 18, 2021 ARC meeting, City staff and the consultant revised the proposed objective design standards based on input at the study session. The Commission recommended approval of the standards to the Planning Commission and City Council but could not come to consensus on three standards discussed later in the staff report.
At the January 11, 2022 Planning Commission (PC) meeting, the revised objective design standards and the accompanying proposed ordinance amendment were presented and reviewed.
The PC recommended approval of the design standards and ordinance amendment with specific recommendations on the design guidelines that did not achieve consensus at the ARC meeting.
Analysis
A. Citywide Residential Objective Design Standards
The existing 2017 Citywide Residential Design Guidelines provide applicants and City staff design guidance for proposed residential development projects. Used in conjunction with the Zoning Ordinance, this document provides a common basis for the evaluation of design during the project approval process. The current Design Guidelines incorporate subjective language and provide design recommendations using words such as “should” and “encourage” that leave room for interpretation. Standards that are written objectively use words like “shall” and “must”; they involve no personal or subjective judgement.
The process of converting select guidelines applicable to single-family and multifamily development to objective design standards included an analysis of the existing Design Guidelines to identify existing subjective language (words such as “should,” and “encourage”). Staff, in coordination with the City consultant, then drafted new objective design standards using less permissive language to create measurable, “yes-or-no” standards. Both the design guidelines and new objective design standards will apply to all residential projects; however, for those projects that qualify for expedited, ministerial review pursuant to State law, the objective design standards will be the only design criteria applicable. There is an exception to this rule: applicants seeking exceptions to any applicable objective design standards must forgo streamlined review and abide by the City’s discretionary design review process. The project would then be subject to the review and approval of the Architectural Review Commission.
The primary changes as part of the creation of the objective design standards focused on several existing topical areas where the City previously adopted design guidelines in 2017. Where applicable, objective design standards were converted to objective, quantifiable, standards. Below is an example of an existing Scale and Massing Design Guideline and the new equivalent Design Standard:
As part of this conversion process, not all design guidelines translated cleanly to objective design standards, which left some sections within the Citywide Design Guidelines and Objective Design Standards (2021) document without equivalent design standards. The topical areas that do include design standards are:
Accessory Dwelling Units
Infill Projects
Subdivision
Hillside Residential
Environmental Sustainability
Public Improvements
Signs
A strike-out version of the Design Guidelines and Standards are provided that includes proposed new text in blue and pink and proposed strike-out text in red (Attachment B) and a clean version is provided as Attachment C.
B. Zoning Ordinance Amendment
To ensure compliance with objective design standards, all applicable residential projects that qualify for streamlined review pursuant to state law will be reviewed by the City Planning staff. Qualifying residential projects that comply with the Objective Design Standards will advance without the requirement for discretionary approval to the Building Permit application process, while qualifying residential projects that fail to meet Existing Design Guideline
Architectural elements of new
residential buildings should be designed
to reduce the mass of large structures
and provide a pedestrian scale to the
buildings.
The scale of the building should relate
to the pedestrian with complementary
ground floor elements including, but not
limited to, canopies, porches, awnings,
and through the use of varied pavement
surfaces.
Rooflines and pitch of new residential
buildings and additions should be
harmonious and consistent with the
building as well as to surrounding
development.
New Equivalent Design Standard
Structures shall be vertically (height) and
horizontally (depth) articulated along the
front elevations. Vertical articulations
shall include a change in total height of a
minimum of two feet, or a change in roof
pitch or form, or the inclusion of a gable
or dormer, and such articulation shall
occur at intervals of a maximum of 15 feet.
Horizontal articulations shall include a
change of wall plane by a minimum depth
of two feet at intervals of a maximum of 20
feet.
the Objective Design Standards must complete the ARC review process, as specified in the Pleasant Hill Zoning Ordinance. The proposed zoning ordinance amendments are summarized below:
Schedule 18.20.030 – Development Regulations for Residential Districts The proposed amendment would add a new development regulation reference in the development schedule for compliance with Objective Design Standards to ensure compliance occurs for residential development.
Section 18.20.040.K – Citywide Objective Design Standards The proposed amendment would add a new subsection clarifying that objective design standards apply to all residential projects, including eligible streamlined residential projects. This new section also clarifies that qualifying residential projects are eligible for streamlined, ministerial review pursuant to State law. Due to the ongoing evolution of State law regarding the types of residential projects that qualify for streamlined review and approval, the eligible types of residential projects are likely to change from time to time.
Section 18.115.010.B – Architectural Review Permits
This amendment would add language to ensure that review for compliance with objective design standards would occur as part of the Architectural Review Permit process.
Architectural Review Commission
The ARC reviewed the proposed standards and provided recommendations on the proposed design standards at both a study session and a public hearing. The Commission recommended approval of the proposed guidelines; however, the ARC could not reach consensus on the following design standards, and the four Commissioners present split on including, removing, or modifying the standards, as summarized below:
Single Family Residential Objective Design Standard - 2aii. Front-loaded garages shall be recessed a minimum of 18 inches from the front wall plane of the residence habitable space.
Some of the Commissioners felt strongly that garages should not be required to be offset from the front wall plane, while others believed they should either be offset or recessed. Single Family Residential Objective Design Standard - 4a. Structures shall be vertically (height) and horizontally (depth) articulated along the front elevations. Vertical articulations shall include a change in total height of a minimum of two feet, or a change in roof pitch or form, or the inclusion of a gable or dormer, and such articulation shall occur at intervals of a maximum of 15 feet. Horizontal articulations shall include a change of wall plane by a minimum depth of two feet at intervals of a maximum of 20 feet.
The Commission was split on whether to keep this standard or to remove it. Those favoring its inclusion believed that the standard would provide building articulation and increase architectural interest. Those advocating removal thought the standard was too restrictive on the architect’s creativity.
Multi-Family Residential Objective Design Standard - 19a. Parking shall be prohibited between the structure front and the street
Commissioners in favor of removing this standard believed that parking in front of a building is necessary in certain residential settings, such as senior housing projects, and that parking in front of a building can be a good location for guest parking (as opposed to parking for residents). Those in favor of retaining the standard noted its alignment with both the existing citywide parking design guidelines and fundamental principles of planning that discourage parking in front. They also noted the conflict in direction that would arise between the parking guidelines and standards if the proposed parking standard were removed.
Other comments from the Commission included advocating for inclusion of greater sustainability provisions and requirements of landscaping that required no water. Other ARC members also expressed their disfavor with the requirements of design standards as an impediment to professional creativity.
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission reviewed the proposed residential objective design standards and recommended approval to the City Council. At the meeting, additional discussion was held on the standards that did not achieve consensus at ARC. Based on this discussion, the Commission recommended the following:
Remove Single Family Residential Objective Design Standard - 2aii., Front-loaded garages shall be recessed a minimum of 18 inches from the front wall plane of the residence habitable space.
Retain Single Family Residential Objective Design Standard - 4a., Structures shall be vertically (height) and horizontally (depth) articulated along the front elevations. Vertical articulations shall include a change in total height of a minimum of two feet, or a change in roof pitch or form, or the inclusion of a gable or dormer, and such articulation shall occur at intervals of a maximum of 15 feet. Horizontal articulations shall include a change of wall plane by a minimum depth of two feet at intervals of a maximum of 20 feet.
Retain Multi-Family Residential Objective Design Standard - 19a., Parking shall be prohibited between the structure front and the street
Various Commissioners also noted that graphics would be helpful for users of the objective designs standards. The latest version includes various graphics, photos and exhibits (Attachment B).
CEQA
Pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970, as amended, the lead agency has determined that the proposed activity is exempt from CEQA. The City as the lead agency has determined with certainty that the proposed activity will not have a significant effect on the environment as the proposed design and development standards when applied to relevant projects will undergo separate CEQA review.
FISCAL IMPACT
None
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made through posting of the City Council agenda on the City’s official notice bulletin board, at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center and at the Pleasant Hill Police Department.
Notice of the meeting was also provided in the East Bay Times Newspaper published on February 21 and March 7, 2022, displayed on an A-Frame at the Police Station, displayed on the City Hall changeable message board sign, and on the City’s web page. The agenda and staff report are posted on the City’s web page.
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION
Adopt Resolution and Introduce Ordinance
ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Do not adopt the Resolution and do not introduce the Ordinance.
2. Continue the item to a later date with direction provided to Staff.
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment A Proposed City Council Resolution
Attachment B Residential Objective Design Standards (Contained within Citywide Design Guidelines), as proposed to be amended by the Architectural Review & Planning Commission, (strike-out and underline version) Attachment C Residential Objective Design Standards (clean version) Attachment D Proposed Ordinance (strike-out and underline version) Attachment E Proposed Ordinance (clean version)
Attachment F Planning Commission Resolution No. 03-22
Attachment G Architectural Review Commission Resolution No. 04-21 Attachment H Public Hearing Notice
Attachment I Public Comments
Prepared by: Troy Fujimoto, City Planner
Reviewed by: Ethan Bindernagel, Community Development Director Approved by: June Catalano, City Manager