1 ORDINANCE NO. 26-__
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING SANTA CLARITA MUNICIPAL CODE SECTIONS 17.06.130,
17.11.020, 17.23.100, AND 17.37.030 TO IMPLEMENT REGULATIONS GOVERNING
OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT. This ordinance is a part of the project contemplated by Resolution No. P26-04. Accordingly, Section 2 of Resolution No. P26- 04 is incorporated by reference regarding the California Environmental Quality Act. The Community Development Director, or designee, is authorized to include this ordinance as part of the Notice of Exemption for the project.
SECTION 2. GENERAL FINDINGS FOR MASTER CASE 26-038. The Findings and Conclusions set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of Resolution No. P26-04 are incorporated by reference. Accordingly, this ordinance is found to be consistent with the Santa Clarita General Plan.
SECTION 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE SANTA CLARITA MUNICIPAL CODE. The Santa Clarita Municipal Code (SCMC) is amended as set forth in Exhibit “A,” which is incorporated by reference. New language is underlined; deleted language is identified by strikethrough; unchanged language is plain text; ellipses changes within a SCMC section are identified by “* * *.”
SECTION 6: RELIANCE ON RECORD. Each and every one of the findings and determinations in this ordinance is based on the competent and substantial evidence, both oral and written, contained in the entire record relating to the project. The findings and determinations constitute the independent findings and determinations of the City Council in all respects and are fully and completely supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole.
SECTION 7: SUMMARIES OF INFORMATION. All summaries of information in the findings, which precede this section, are based on the substantial evidence in the record. The absence of any particular fact from any such summary is not an indication that a particular finding is not based in part on that fact.
SECTION 8. This ordinance becomes effective 30 days after its passage and adoption.
SECTION 9. The City Clerk will certify to the passage of this ordinance and cause it to be published as required by law.
2 PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this ___
th day of ______, 2026.
______________________________
MAYOR
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
DATE:________________________
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss.
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA )
I, Melody Bartlette, City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 26- ___was regularly introduced and placed upon its first reading at a regular meeting of the City Council on the __
th day of _______ 2026. That thereafter, said
ordinance was duly passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council on the __th day of _____2026, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS:
AND I FURTHER CERTIFY that the foregoing is the original of Ordinance No. 26-__ and was published in The Signal newspaper in accordance with State Law (G.C. 40806).
______________________________
CITY CLERK
Exhibit A
17.06.130 Findings and Decision.
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B. Required Findings. The review authority may approve the application only after the applicant substantiates the following required findings:
1. The proposal is consistent with the General Plan;
2. The proposal is allowed within the applicable underlying zone and complies with all other applicable provisions of this code;
3. The proposal will not endanger, jeopardize, or otherwise constitute a hazard to the public convenience, health, interest, safety, or general welfare, or be materially detrimental or injurious to the improvements, persons, property, or uses in the vicinity and zone in which the property is located; and
4. The proposal is physically suitable for the site. The factors related to the proposal’s physical suitability for the site include, without limitation, the following:
a. For projects that are not multi-family or mixed-use housing, the design, location, shape, size, and operating characteristics are suitable for the proposed use.
i. Multi‑family and mixed‑use housing projects must comply with Objective Design Standards;
b. The highways or streets that provide access to the site are of sufficient width and are improved as necessary to carry the kind and quantity of traffic such proposal would generate;
c. Public protection services (e.g., Fire protection, Sheriff protection) are readily available; and
d. Providing utilities (e.g., potable water, schools, solid waste collection and disposal, storm drainage, wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal) is adequate to serve the site.
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§ 17.11.020 Definitions.
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“Objective Design Standards” are zoning, subdivision, and design review standards that regulate the location, form, site layout, and appearance of multifamily and mixed-use residential development that are verifiable by reference to a uniform benchmark.
Objective design standards may be contained in this code, specific plans, overlay zones, subdivision and landscaping requirements, or other applicable land development regulations adopted by the City Council, and apply only to the extent they are stated with sufficient clarity that compliance can be determined in a purely ministerial manner.
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17.23.100 Administrative Permit.
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B. Applicability.
1. To safeguard and enhance the appearance and quality of development in the City, administrative permit approval is required before the building official issues any building permit for new single-family homes, additions, and activities or construction of improvements which are permitted at the discretion of the Director. An administrative permit shall be filed as a Class II application, subject to this chapter.
2. An administrative permit is required for any multi-family or mixed-use housing project that does not fully comply with the Objective Design Standards.
3. Requests for an administrative permit are filed as a Class II application, subject to this chapter.
* * *
17.37.030 Specific Plan (SP) Zone.
The specific plan zoning designation identifies lands in the planning area that are governed by an adopted specific plan. Specific allowable uses, maximum intensity standards, and development standards are determined by the adopted specific plan.
Development within a specific plan that includes multi-family or mixed-use housing must comply with the Objective Design Standards. Where a specific plan established design requirements more restrictive than the Objective Design Standards, the more restrictive standards apply.