A. Purpose. This chapter is intended to provide objective standards for the design of residential and mixed-use projects (herein referred to as “residential projects”) that are eligible for ministerial approval to ensure compatibility with existing and planned development on the site and adjacent and nearby properties while also supporting the development of housing consistent with the city’s general plan.

B. Applicability. The provisions of this chapter apply to all residential projects, in all zones, that qualify for streamlined, ministerial processing per Government Code Section 65913.4, or that are a “use by right” residential project. In addition, eligible residential projects must comply with all objective city policies, thresholds of significance, development standards, and design standards as established in, but not limited to, the general plan, zoning regulations, city standard specifications and engineering standards, active transportation plan, transportation impact study guidelines, climate action plan, and the municipal code.

A “use by right” residential project is a residential project that includes at least twenty percent of the units as affordable to lower income households (low, very low, and extremely low) and does not require discretionary review or approval (ministerial review only) and residential projects that are otherwise deemed subject to ministerial processing per state or local law.

Residential projects seeking exceptions, waivers, or modifications to any development standards set forth in the city’s zoning regulations or the design standards set forth in this chapter, excluding modifications granted as part of density bonus concession, incentive, parking reduction, or waiver of development standards pursuant to state density bonus law or the city’s density bonus regulations (Chapter 17.140), shall not be eligible for ministerial and/or streamlined processing contemplated by this chapter, and will be subject to the city’s discretionary development review process outlined in Chapter 17.106.

Where these standards conflict with other state law or local code requirements (including but not limited to California Building Code and the city’s standard specifications and engineering standards) the more restrictive provision shall prevail. (Ord. 1703 § 4, 2021)