Title
Request to establish an Ad Hoc Planning Board subcommittee to direct revisions to the Objective Design Review Standards. CEQA Determination: Adoption of objective standards for design review is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15061(b)(3), the common sense exception that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment, and Section 15183, projects consistent with a community plan, general plan or zoning.
Body
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
BACKGROUND
In recent years, changes in California law pertaining to the review and approval of housing development projects have mandated local agencies apply only objective standards rather than subjective design guidelines. Objective standards are defined under state law as "standards that involve no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and are 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" (California Government Code, Section 65913.4(a)(5)).
In 2020 and 2021, the Planning Board adopted and then revised objective standards for implementation with development projects requiring Design Review. (https://www.alamedaca.gov/files/assets/public/departments/alameda/building-planning-transportation/planning-and-zoning-key-documents/objective-design-review-standards-adopted-2.22.21.pdf)
In December 2021, the Planning Board also adopted a separate set of design standards for one- and two-family residential projects under SB 9 (https://www.alamedaca.gov/files/assets/public/departments/alameda/building-planning-transportation/planning/adopted-objective-design-review-standards-for-1-2-unit-projects-4-12-2022.pdf)
On December 12, 2022, the Planning Board requested a review...
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