CITY OF SANTA MARIA
OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS
SP2023-0003
June 3, 2025
https://smartcity.cityofsantamaria.org/home-safecity
What is an Objective Design Standard?
Objective Standards: Standards that involve no personal or subjective judgment by a public official.
Senate Bill 330 (SB 330) defines objective design standards as any standard that:
“[Involves] no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and that is uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant or proponent and the public official before submittal of an application. ” (SB 330, Section 66300.(a)7) Objective Design Standards and the City Process?
The Objective Design Standards:
• Apply to all residential project applications
• Do not establish a new project review process
• Do not remove the discretionary process for ‘typical’ Residential projects
• Adopted Objective Design Standards are the City's opportunity to influence the design of ‘Streamlined’ ‘Ministerial’ (no public hearing) Residential projects
Introduction
Single-Family Residential (2 or more)
and Multi-plexes
Garden Style Walk-ups and
Rowhouses
Multifamily/Mixed-use: 4 or more
stories
Definitions
• Site Design
• Building Exterior Design
• Materials Colors
• Site Design
• Building Exterior Design
• Design Details
• Site Design
• Building Exterior Design
• Design Details
Objective Design Standards Document Structure
Site Design
Building Exterior Design
Design Details
Community + Stakeholder Engagement
▪ Project Website
▪ Public Fact Sheet
▪ Staff Working Sessions
▪ Focus Group Interview
with Designers
▪ Focus Group Interview
with Developers
▪ Community Visual
Preference Survey
▪ PC Study Sessions
Recommendation
That the City Council, by resolution, adopt the Objective Residential Design Standards (SP2023-0003).