Planning Commission approves Development Code Update No. 4; asks for deeper review of residential zoning and Affordable Housing Task Force input

The Santa Paula Planning Commission on May 27 adopted a resolution forwarding Development Code Update No. 4 with amendments directing staff to return with a deeper review of residential zoning, to solicit feedback from the Affordable Housing Task Force on the inclusionary housing provisions, and to remove a commercial-only requirement from the Mills Act definition.

The action came after a staff presentation that said the update consolidates and renumbers sections, brings density bonus and inclusionary housing rules into compliance with state law, and revises a new chapter addressing the mobile home park zone. The presenter said the commission would see monthly code updates and that Update No. 5 will address the city’s wireless chapter and related federal requirements.

The update makes state law the default for the density bonus and revises inclusionary housing requirements, including an enforcement provision that, in staff’s description, “gave the city attorney's office the ability to go after any of the…