Petaluma approves new design standards for affordable housing

Some of Petaluma’s future affordable housing projects will not be allowed to have vinyl exteriors, will require 30% tree coverage over certain areas, and must follow other guidelines as part of new design standards passed recently by the City Council.

The new standards, approved 6-0 at the Feb. 5 meeting with council member John Shribbs absent, add to the city’s zoning ordinance for new design standards for qualifying residential projects – which are “typically affordable housing projects,” according to a city staff report.

The new standards are outlined in the city’s overall land use standards and will apply toward all housing projects that qualify for streamlined review, becoming part of the city’s municipal code and conforming to California building code and other governmental and safety standards.

“Reliance on objective standards is intended to increase certainty for developers and/or expedite project entitlement review timelines for qualifying residential projects in order to incentivize housing production,” the staff report states.

The standards are in response to state laws that “limit or restrict a local jurisdiction’s discretionary review of a project’s design elements.” The intended result is streamlined housing production to facilitate the city’s state-mandated development requirements.

The Planning Commission previously reviewed and approved the standards in a 5-0 vote (with two absences) at its Dec. 12 meeting, adding a few changes from what staff presented, including: prohibiting all forms of vinyl exterior building materials, including vinyl windows; only allowing for a maximum building facade length of 150 feet; and requiring that parking lot shade minimums be regulated as a percentage instead of square feet.

At the Feb. 5 City Council meeting, members discussed the item for over an hour and added some changes of their own, including: updating a tree planting section that requires 30% tree canopy coverage over open spaces after 15 years; allowing for additional architectural or design features; removing a requirement for planted areas on setback areas that could potentially obstruct walkways; making it optional for a children’s play area to be included in a development if it is within one-quarter mile of an existing public park; and requiring that at least 50% of parking spaces are ready for electric vehicles.

This was the item’s first reading; the second reading will be held at the next City Council meeting on Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennifer Sawhney at 707-521-5346 or jennifer.sawhney@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @sawhney_media.