FAQ’s
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH
OBJECTIVE RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS (ORS)
What is the goal of the objective standards?
The main goal is to provide straight-forward
criteria that reflect the community’s interest in
maintaining neighborhood character, so new or
renovated residential buildings are compatible
with established development. By establishing
clear and objective direction on what is required
of a project, the planning review process is
streamlined for residential projects.
How will these standards relate to the previous
design guidelines?
These Objective residential standards will be
clear and measurable and will replace the more
ambiguous and interpretive 2003 Residential
Design Guidelines. When adopting the ORS, the
Council will nullify the 2003 document.
Who will use them?
Property owners, designers, and developers will
use these standards to make sure their project
design complies with the requirements.
How will they be used?
The ORS will be referenced in the Zoning Code
and Coastal Zoning Code as requirements, so
they will be used in the same manner as Code
provisions. Through the Planning entitlement
process, projects will be reviewed to confirm
compliance with these objective standards and
will be approved if they do.
What is the timeline for adopting the standards?
Jan ‘23 – Draft document to the public
Mar ‘23 – Planning Commission (PC) community
engagement meeting
May ’23 – Revised draft considered by PC
July ’23 – City Council discussion
Aug ’23 – Public hearing to adopt
Does the new Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)
section match what is in our ordinances?
This section of the objective residential
standards is aligned with our municipal code
regulations regarding ADUs, yet makes the
information more user friendly and easier to
understand.
Will the final document utilize the same format
as the draft regarding the current and proposed
comparison?
The comparison with the 2003 guidelines is
provided in the draft document to assist the
public’s understanding of the proposed changes
in the transition from guidelines to standards. We
expect to remove the “current” column in the final
version, since they will no longer be relevant
once the ORS document is adopted.
How will we measure success?
One of the biggest challenges of the residential
design guidelines has been differing
interpretations based on their subjective nature.
Ultimately, the Community Development
Director or Planning Commission is called upon
to make a determination to resolve the
confusion. This has led to process delay and
disappointment and has been a major concern of
both staff and applicants.
We will measure the success of these ORS by
the reduced time for residential project review
from concept to completion due to a more
streamlined planning process.
Will the new standards be integrated into the
municipal code?
Similar to the current residential design
guidelines, once the ORS are adopted, they will
be referenced by the zoning code but will not be
found in a separate section. The Code reference
will require that an application comply with the
ORS.
Why didn’t we use the same categories as in the
current residential design guidelines?
In an effort to arrange standards in the most
useful way to support clear information for
project applicants, the organization of the ORS
differs somewhat from the existing residential
design guidelines. Additionally, many of the
subjective guidelines could not be translated into
standards. The document format, and the
illustrations and examples, incorporated City
Council’s initial direction and valuable public
input from the outreach phase of the project.