6-11-2024 PC Presentations
Planning Commission
Meeting
June 11, 2024
Presentations
Item 2
Municipal Code, Specific Plan,
Below Market Rate Mitigation
Manual and Zoning Map
Amendments related to
implementing the 6th Cycle
Housing Element
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Planning Commission
June 11, 2024
6th Cycle Housing Element
Update Rezoning
Agenda
Housing Element
Overview
Timeline
RHNA/Priority Sites
Rezoning Scope: New
Zoning Districts/Text
Changes for consistency
Related Amendments:
HOC, BMR Manual
Staff Recommendation
Next steps
Housing Element adopted
May 14, 2024
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Housing Element OverviewHousing Element Overview
Housing Element Overview
What is a Housing Element?
State-mandated Element
of City’s General Plan
Why update it now?
Required to be updated
every 8 years by law
Update by when?
By Jan. 31, 2023 (deadline
passed)
Update it?How?
Study and plan for housing
needs in community
between 2023-2031, across
all income levels
Who certifies compliance?
CA Dept of Housing and
Community Development
(HCD)
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HE Contents
Housing Needs
Assessment
Housing Needs
Assessment
Demographic
Trends
Housing
Market Trends
Special Needs
Groups
Constraints to
Housing
Development
Constraints to
Housing
Development
Resources and
Sites Inventory
Resources and
Sites Inventory
Policies and
Programs
Policies and
Programs
Governmental
and Non-
Governmental
Market Trends
Environmental
Infrastructure
Zoning and
Capacity
ADUs and
Mobile
Homes
Inventory of
Sites
Review of
Previous
Housing Element
Implementation
Identify
2023- 2031
Programs
Assessment of
Fair Housing
Assessment of
Fair Housing
Outreach
Fair Housing
Issues
Site Inventory
Analysis
Contributing
Factors
Related HE updates
Conforming General Plan changes:
Land Use and appendices
Mobility and appendices – address
environmental assessment mitigations
Conforming Rezoning - map and text
State law requirements – Health and Safety Element
Other – necessary to implement HE programs (e.g.
Objective design standards for housing
developments)
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6th Cycle vs. 5th Cycle
RHNA 4x higher in Cupertino--4,588 vs. 1,064
Few remaining undeveloped sites, reliance on
redevelopment to meet RHNA
58 properties, 35 development sites
Nearly 70% of properties 50 units/acre or more
New legislation adds requirements in:
Developing policies/programs
Greater accountability to produce housing
Site selection
Less discretion approving housing developments
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH)
More outreach and inclusion
Noncompliance
WhatcanhappenifCitydoesnothaveacertified
Housing Element?
Loss of local land use and zoning control – Builder’s
Remedy projects
Lawsuits and attorney fees
Ineligibility for grant funding
Financial penalties, court issued fines
Streamlined ministerial approval of projects
Court receivership appointing an agent to bring
City’s Housing Element into compliance
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TimelineTimeline
TimelineTimeline
2021 –
Mar 2024
Comm. Mtgs
Public Hearings/Mtgs
CEP-SAC mtgs
Draft HE to HCD
Workshops re: zoning
May 2024
CC adopts HE (5/14)
Apr 2024 Fall 2024
PC review regarding
conforming zoning
etc.
CC 1st reading –
July 2
Submit HE to HCD
for certification
CC 2nd reading –
July 16
Objective design
standards
Jul 2024
Conditional
Certification letter
from HCD (4/10)
CC meeting (4/16)
HC review (4/25)
PC review (4/29)
June 2024
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RHNA/Sites InventoryRHNA/Sites Inventory
Adopted
Housing
Element
Priority
Housing
Sites
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Adopted Priority Housing Sites
April 29: PC reviewed/recommended 62 sites
May 9: City received letter from Valley Church
requesting to be removed from Housing
Element and not be rezoned
CC responded by removing sites and adopting
amended Housing Element with 58 Priority
Housing Sites
Not an issue with HCD since City still meets
RHNA by income level and has 28% buffer
Capacity compared to RHNA
Valley Church removed (4 parcels)
SurplusTotal
Capacity
Projected
ADUs
Mixed Use
Site
Capacity
with Rezone
Residential
Site
Capacity
with Rezone
Pipeline
Capacity
2023-2031
RHNA
RHNA
Category
1572,037116596692633
1,193Very Low
687Low
928475743630549755Moderate
1,0442,997196955131,7701,953Above
Moderate
1,2945,8811921,7271,5102,4524,588Total
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RezoningRezoning
Scope of Rezoning
ONLY related to Housing Element conformance
Text amendments to:
Establish new zoning districts
Modify existing regulations
Edits for consistency with State law
Edits for internal consistency
Map amendments limited to Priority Housing Sites
R-1 properties subject to Missing Middle Strategy
HE-1.3.6 not being rezoned
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New Standards – R-4 zones
Accommodates
densities higher than 50
du/acre
Aligns High/Very High
(50-65 du/acre) and
Very High (65-80
du/acre) General Plan
designations
40 of 58 Priority Housing
sites are R-4
New Standards – R-4 zones
Height: 5 floors (70 ft max)
Scale similar to Apple Infinite loop
campus buildings and new
Westport buildings
Front setbacks:
Same as Heart of the City (9 feet)
for Floors 1 – 3
Additional 9-foot “stepback”
required for Floors 4 and 5
Side setbacks:
Existing HOC standard: Greater of
10 feet or ½ height of building
Proposed: 10 feet, plus10 feet for
floors more than one story higher
than adjacent primary residential
building
Rear setbacks:
Existing HOC standard: 20 feet min.
and 1:1.5 height to setback ratio
Proposed (see redlines): 30 feet for
Floors 1, 2 & 3, Additional 15 foot for
Floors 4 & 5.
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New Standards –TH combining zone
Only for use with existing residential base zoning
16 of 58 Priority Housing Sites, all with R-3 base zoning
Goal: to allow opportunities for lower scale interface
with neighborhoods and different housing types
Height: 30 feet max (General Plan standard)
Front setback must meet underlying base residential
zoning: 20 feet minimum unless on a major roadway
Side and rear setbacks established
New Standards (contd.)
Emergency Shelters
Required to be by-right in at least one zoning district
Allowed in BQ and R-4 zoning districts
Move existing standards from BQ zoning district and establish
basic standards for shelters
By-right approval for Priority Housing Sites that include 20
du/acre and 20% of total units for LI and VLI households:
Exempt from CEQA
Objective design review only with ASA process
Up to 50 units – Administrative Hearing
50+ units – Planning Commission Review
Other approvals (e.g. subdivision)follow other processes of
State law
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Modification of existing standards
Multiple Family (R-3) zoning districts
Structure of ordinance modified to distinguish
between fourplexes and five or more units
The regulations for developments with five or more
units modified to accommodate higher densities
Language re: maintenance of common areas etc.
Various Chapters in Title 19:
Conformance with State law re: types of housing
that must be allowed by-right
Definitions updated for consistency with State law
Modification of existing standards (contd.)
Various Chapters in Title 19:
Process for allowing duplexes using R2 standards in
compliance with Missing Middle Housing Element
Strategy HE-1.3.6 on applicable R-1 lots
Parking standards:
Under new State law (AB2097), most of SCB corridor east
of Hwy-85 exempt from parking requirements
Modified to reduce required minimums for R-3 zoned
properties from 2/unit to 1/unit
Established 1/unit parking standards for R-4 and TH zones
Modified findings for housing developments to
ensure commitment in Housing Element per HCD
direction
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Chapter 14.15 (Landscape):
Minor edit for internal consistency
Chapter 17.08 (Environmental Standards):
Minor correction
Heart of the City Specific Plan:
Minor text edits for consistency with General Plan and
Municipal Code
Update Figure 2 to reflect new zoning
BMR Mitigation Manual
Updated to conform with Housing Element to change
BMR program to apply to projects with 5 or more
rather than the current 7 units
Modification of existing standards (contd.)
Updated to reflect the Zoning District
changes to Priority Housing Sites
New colors and labels to indicate new
zoning designations, R-4 and TH
Clearly Identifies Priority Housing Sites
Zoning Map
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Environmental AssessmentEnvironmental Assessment
Settlement/Environmental Assessment
February 2023: California Housing Defense
Fund/YIMBY Law sue City for noncompliant HE by
adoption deadline
January 2024: Stipulated Judgment entered into
Established schedule to complete HE update in
compliance with State law
Gov’t Code Sec. 65759(a)
All actions related to adoption of HE and rezoning
are exempt from CEQA
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RecommendationRecommendation
Recommendation
That the Planning Commission adopt resolutions to
recommend that the City Council adopt (with the
redlines proposed):
Municipal Code Amendments (Attachment A)
Specific Plan Amendments and BMR Mitigation
Manual updates (Attachment B)
Zoning Map Amendments (Attachment C)
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