Multifamily Zone and Objective Design Standards Project

Multifamily Zone and Objective Design Standards Project

The State of California Housing Element Law requires jurisdictions to update their Housing Element every eight years. Jurisdictions are required to submit their Housing Element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for review and for determination of whether the Housing Element achieves substantial compliance with State law. HCD and the California Department of Finance are responsible for assessing the new housing needs of different regions across the State. The Town of Los Altos Hills is located within the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) region, which has a cumulative Regional Housing Needs Determination of 441,176 new units. State law requires that a community provide a fair share of sites to allow for and to facilitate production of the regional share of housing, assessed through the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). On January 30, 2023, the Town adopted its 2023-2031 6th Cycle Housing Element to include, among other things, programs, goals, and housing strategies designed to increase housing production and promote housing choices and mobility. Among the number of programs included in the Housing Element, Program A-1 proposes to make available adequate sites for new housing to meet the Town’s RHNA obligations through rezoning at least 34 acres via a high-density multifamily infill overlay zone meeting statutory densities of 20 – 30 dwelling units per acre on institutional properties and the creation of a new multifamily zone with a minimum statutory density of 20 dwelling units per acre. The proposed Project would implement Program A-1 from the Town’s adopted and State-certified 6th Cycle Housing Element, resulting in the rezoning of approximately 34 acres via the creation of two new multifamily zones. The rezoning will consist of amendments to the Town’s General Plan, Zoning Map, and Zoning Code/Municipal Code, and will be accompanied by the preparation of objective development and design standards for the permitted development. The rezone would ensure the Town has the appropriate land use designation and zoning in place to achieve its RHNA requirement and a 15% buffer in capacity as outlined in the Housing Element. As noted above, the sites identified would be rezoned to one of two proposed individual zones: a multifamily zone or a multifamily infill overlay zone. The combined rezone and overlay zone would accommodate a minimum capacity of 377 future residential units as identified in the Housing Element site inventory.

Los Altos Hills

Santa Clara

Citywide

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Natural Resources Agency, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region 2 (RWQCB), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, District 17, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights, California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Department of Transportation, District 4 (DOT)

California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Department of Transportation, District 4 (DOT)

Other (General Plan Amendment and Rezone)

General Plan Amendment, Rezone

Aesthetics, Agriculture and Forestry Resources, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Cumulative Effects, Drainage/Absorption, Economics/Jobs, Energy, Fiscal Impacts, Flood Plain/Flooding, Geology/Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Growth Inducement, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality, Land Use/Planning, Mandatory Findings of Significance, Mineral Resources, Noise, Population/Housing, Public Services, Recreation, Schools/Universities, Septic System, Sewer Capacity, Solid Waste, Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources, Utilities/Service Systems, Vegetation, Wetland/Riparian, Wildfire