DATE: February 1, 2022
TO: Mayor and City Council
Planning Commission
FROM: Assistant City Manager/Development Services Director
SUBJECT
Title
Joint Work Session: Density Bonus Ordinance Update and Residential Objective Standards Project
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That the Council and Planning Commission provide feedback and guidance on the Density Bonus Ordinance Update and the Residential Objective Standards Project.
End
SUMMARY
City staff is moving forward with two key housing projects in light of an evolving State legislative landscape. These key projects, which are included in the City’s Strategic Roadmap and Incentives for Housing Production Plan, include the update to the City’s Density Bonus Ordinance and the Residential Objective Standards Project. These planning efforts will align Hayward’s goals and expectations for future development with the State’s goal to address the housing crisis.
Following adoption of the City’s Density Bonus Ordinance in 2005, the State of California has made significant and numerous changes to density bonus law to incentivize affordable housing and help increase housing production. In order to comply with these changes, the City must repeal and replace its existing density bonus ordinance. Additionally, to improve housing stability for Hayward residents, the Council has adopted work plans and projects as part of the Strategic Roadmap that intend to preserve, protect, and produce housing. Updating the City’s Density Bonus Ordinance is one of those priority projects identified in the Strategic Roadmap.
Another key project is the development of Residential Objective Standards for residential and mixed-use development to give the community, developers, staff, and decision makers more certainty about what future development will look like as the City moves forward with these streamlined processes. Additionally, this project will further address concerns previously expressed by the Council, Planning Commission, and the community regarding a desire for more detailed standards related to architectural design and neighborhood context.
For the purposes of this work session, two staff reports have been prepared to help Council and the Planning Commission consolidate comments and feedback associated with each project (Attachment I: Staff Report on Density Bonus Ordinance Update; and Attachment II: Staff Report on Residential Objective Standards Project).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I Density Bonus Ordinance Staff Report
Attachment II Residential Objective Standards Staff Report
Attachment III Recent Housing and Land Use Legislation Summary
Attachment IV Minter Harnish Scope of Work, Residential Objective Standards