Non-Residential Design Review Standards and Guidelines, Minor Revisions to the Residential and Mixed-use Design Review Standards and Guidelines, Amendments to t
Summary
SCH Number
2024100330
Public Agency
City of Walnut Creek
Document Title
Non-Residential Design Review Standards and Guidelines, Minor Revisions to the Residential and Mixed-use Design Review Standards and Guidelines, Amendments to t
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/8/2024
Document Description
Changes to California's housing laws require most new housing projects to be reviewed against objective standards. In addition, City stakeholders have identified a desire for streamlined City development processes, which includes design review, to increase clarity and efficiency. This aligns with the City Council's Economic Development and Job Creation priority which seeks ways to streamline the City's development processes. On July 18, 2023, and October 24, 2023, the Council provided specific policy direction to streamline the City's design review entitlement process and to update the role of the Design Review Commission (DRC). The City Council subsequently adopted the Residential and Mixed-Use Design Review Standards+ Guidelines (Residential DRS Gs) in May 2024 and extensive amendments to the Municipal Code in June 2024 incorporating new and revised objective residential development standards and a new design review process. The Council most recently adopted the Non-Residential Design Review Standards + Guidelines (Non-Residential DRSGs) on September 17, 2024, along with minor changes to the previously adopted Residential DRSGs. In addition, the Council adopted municipal code amendments on October 1, 2024, incorporating new and revised development standards for nonresidential and residential developments, as well as additional refinements to the City's new design review entitlement process including the design review process for outdoor dining spaces.
Contact Information
Name
Ben Schuster
Agency Name
City of Walnut Creek
Job Title
Senior Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Walnut Creek
Counties
Contra Costa
Regions
Citywide
Zip
94596
Other Location Info
1666 N Main Street
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines section 1506l(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
The project is exempt, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 1506l(b)(3), because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the project may have a significant impact on the environment. The adoption of the DRSGs and recommended Municipal Code amendments would only change the deciding body for various entitlements, and add new, or modify existing, design and development standards for non-residential development projects, which would not impact the physical allowances for development projects. These amendments would not approve any project or entitlements, and are regulatory actions taken by the City with no physical changes to the environment.
County Clerk
Contra Costa
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
Disclaimer: The Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of these documents. To obtain an attachment in a different format, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. For more information, please visit LCI’s Accessibility Site.