Housing developers in Santa Clara will soon have more clarity as to how to design projects.
At its most recent meeting on Nov. 12, the planning commission took the first step in having the city incorporate state laws into its housing element. Those laws require cities to have objective design standards, removing public officials’ ability to make value judgments on developments.
“The intent with the state with these laws is to create predictable, user-friendly, enforceable standards,” said Alex Tellez, assistant planner.
The study session sought insight from the planning commission on the first phase of a two-phase process. The first phase will identify gaps, while the second phase will aim to fill those gaps.
The housing element update will apply to townhomes, podium-style and wrap-style multi-family residential and/or mixed-use developments.
The goal is to streamline project review, ensure buildings are appropriate to their surroundings, and have them be context-sensitive, Tellez said.
“Santa Clara is unique, so the architecture should be unique too,” he said.
Chair Eric Crutchlow said he would like city employees to ensure building heights are in line with a neighborhood’s character.
Alexander Abbe, assistant city attorney, told the commission that the city can limit developments with quantifiable, measurable standards, provided those standards are in place ahead of time.
Similar to the city’s form-based code for the downtown precise plan, it sets the criteria for a particular area moving forward.
Abbe said being as specific as possible with the standards positions the city well. However, he also noted that there is no guarantee developers will always produce projects the city likes.
“The more standards you have, the tighter it will be, but every developer has a lawyer,” Abbe said. “I’ve seen in many a jurisdiction the ugly project that complies with all the standards come through, and our hands are tied. It is very frustrating.”
The item returns to the planning commission at its next meeting. The commission’s recommendation comes to the Santa Clara City Council in January.
The commission also recommended a general plan amendment that brings the city’s open space element in line with state law.
John Davidson, with the planning division, said the update includes policies to address climate resilience, address issues of access to open space and preserve, enhance and expand the city’s network of open space.
The change identifies the undeveloped land inventory of open space land and aims to explain the prospects for its development. It will create a network and contemplate what is in the parks’ inventory.
The item comes at an opportune time, Davidson said, because other departments are working on several things that relate to the update. Among those are the creek trail network expansion plan and the parks and recreation master plan.
The planning division is working to import elements of the climate action plan to make them more prominent in the general plan, Davidson said.
Commissioners Yashraj Bhatnagar and Priya Cherukuru were absent.
Join the planning commission meeting online at https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/91729202898 – Webinar ID: 917 2920 2898 or call in at: 1(669) 900-6833. Submit written comments by noon the day of the meeting at planningpubliccomment@santaclaraca.gov.
The planning commission meets again at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1500 Warburton Ave. in Santa Clara.
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
Previous Planning Commission Meetings:
Santa Clara Housing Developments To Get Minor Changes
Planning Commission Recommends Council Approve For-Sale Townhome Developments
