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Report on General Plan Update Study Session - Housing Element and Design Standards. (Tony Rozzi, Chief Planner and Billy Gross, Principal Planner)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that City Council and Planning Commission receive a presentation on the Draft Housing Element and on Design Standards related to Multi-Family Residential Projects, and provide comments.
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Introduction
The Draft Housing Element and Zoning Ordinance are now available for public review and comment. This joint study session is intended to provide an overview of the proposed Housing Element and the proposed design standards related to multi-family residential buildings made possible by the General Plan Update.
Background
A General Plan is the local government’s long-term blueprint for the community’s vision of future growth. Each city is required by California law to have a General Plan to guide its future land use decisions. South San Francisco’s last comprehensive General Plan update occurred in 1999.
The Draft General Plan and Draft Climate Action Plan were made available for public review in March 2022, with a series of study sessions and community engagement on both documents through the end of May 2022.
The Draft Zoning Ordinance and Draft Environmental Impact Report were released for public review in June 2022. The Planning Commission and City Council held separate study sessions on the overall draft Zoning Ordinance on June 16, 2022 and June 22, 2022, respectively. At those meetings, each body had general questions related to the State’s current approval process for qualifying housing projects, and to the proposed new design standards related to multi-family residential buildings.
Housing Element Overview and Discussion
The draft Housing Element is a chapter of the General Plan that specifically shows how South San Francisco will develop and rehabilitate housing to meet the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). For the period of 2023 to 2031, South San Francisco has a RHNA of 3,956 units spread among all income levels. Details regarding the RHNA are located on pages 45-46 of the draft Housing Element (link listed in Attachment 2). For this cycle’s Housing Element, the City is simply implementing the General Plan Update vision - zoning will be adopted to make new housing opportunities possible along the El Camino Real corridor, introduce housing back into Lindenville, and add mixed use zoning on South Airport Boulevard in the East of 101 area. These areas represent the primary locations for anticipated housing units to meet the City’s RHNA. The General Plan Update envisions 20 years of housing growth and this Housing Element illustrates the potential for up to 17,000 new units over the next several decades while focusing on meeting today’s RHNA.
In addition to a thorough evaluation of opportunity sites throughout the City (beginning on page 67), the draft Housing Element also includes Goals and Programs to facilitate housing equity, access, and adaptation to climate change (page 136 to 170). While none of these programs will create substantial new housing units, it does set the City on a path to promote Accessory Dwelling Units, preserve at risk affordable housing, and ensure accessibility for our community members with special needs. The Housing Element programs are divided among several goals that evolved out of the General Plan Update and community engagement process.
Analysis for the draft Housing Element is referenced within the main document and included in the Appendices for anyone seeking further information on the foundational assumptions.
The draft Housing Element was released for public comments on July 5, 2022 and will be circulated for a minimum of 30 days. After comments are received, including those from this Study Session, staff will revise the draft document and submit it to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for review. This process takes up to 90 days and typically results in a comment letter to the local jurisdiction. Staff anticipates modifying the draft Housing Element per any HCD comments and then returning to the Planning Commission and City Council for consideration and adoption of the Housing Element for 2023-2031. This process should be complete by January, 2023 and must be completed by April 1, 2023 at the latest.
Form Based Code and Objective Design Standards Discussion
City staff and the consultant team will provide an overview of the proposed design standards for multi-family residential projects, including the following general items:
• Chapter 20.135: Form-Based Zoning Districts;
• Chapter 20.310: Site and Building Design Standards;
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact at this time.
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN
The Zoning Ordinance implements the development vision and policies of the overall General Plan and the more specific Housing Element. Combined, these documents include goals, policies and actions that are related to each of the Strategic goals of Workforce Development, Quality of Life, Public Safety, Financial Stability, Economic Vitality and Community Connections.
CONCLUSION
It is recommended that the City Council and Planning Commission receive a presentation on the Draft Housing Element and on Design Standards related to Multi-Family Residential Projects and provide comments.
Attachment
1. Staff Presentation
2. Draft Housing Element with Appendices - Available online at <https://shapessf.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SSF-Housing-Element-RHNA-6-Public-Draft-July-2022-WITH-appendices-reduced.pdf>