The Planning Commission on Oct. 8 unanimously recommended that the City Council adopt zoning changes to San Clemente’s Emergency Shelter Overlay (ESO) that update development and operational standards and increase the recommended per-shelter capacity from 35 to 45 people.

City staff and a consultant told commissioners the changes respond to state law (SB 2, 2006), align the ESO with the Housing Element and Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, and incorporate best-practice operational standards gathered from service providers and peer cities. The proposed standards add elements such as staff training, site operations plans, signage on facility rules, lighting and storage requirements and separation rules for families.

Zach Rehm, principal planner, summarized the recommendation to retain the overlay boundaries (the Rancho San Clemente Business Park area) and to permit shelters ministerially in that overlay while imposing strengthened conditions for design and operation. A consultant-conducted point-in-time count showed homeless counts that varied across the years; staff explained the increase in per-site capacity reflects updated local need assessments.

Why it matters: The ESO is a tool under state law that gives the city greater ability to permit emergency and transitional shelters by-right in specified areas if local standards are in place. Updating the standards is intended to allow nonprofit providers to site and operate shelters with clear, enforceable conditions and is part of the city’s Housing Element implementation.

Next steps: Planning Commission forwarded the zoning amendment (ZA 25-396) and related resolution (PC 25-016) to City Council with a unanimous recommendation.

Speakers in this item are those who presented the ESO update and planning commissioners who discussed operational standards and capacity changes.