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Planning Commission forwards change to Main Street residential multifamily rules to city council
Summary
The San Quentin Planning Commission on April 8 voted unanimously to recommend a code amendment removing a 1-acre minimum and capping multifamily density at 8 units per acre in the Main Street residential (MSR) zone; staff and a public commenter said the change aligns better with the city's General Plan.
San Quentin's Planning Commission on April 8 unanimously recommended that the City Council consider a revision to MSR (Main Street residential) zoning rules that removes a one-acre minimum lot requirement for multifamily development and establishes a maximum density of 8 units per acre.
The amendment, which the commission forwarded with a positive recommendation, was presented by city planning staff as a response to prior commission feedback and to correct a provision that commissioners said had limited small-scale multifamily options along Main Street. Under the draft language explained to commissioners, a quarter-acre lot would be eligible for two units and a half-acre for four units under the 8-units-per-acre cap.
The matter drew one public comment. Resident Jay Jason Bond, who said he had been involved in earlier policy work, urged the commission to remember the General Plan's stated goal of providing a mix of housing types along Main Street. "The general plan does talk about having a mix of housing," Bond said, and he told commissioners he supported the draft change as more consistent with that plan.
Staff described other technical language in the draft. The code text discussed a minimum average livable-unit area and included a clause that "no unit shall have less than 90% of the required average." The draft referenced an "average minimum livable unit area" of 400 square feet; commissioners asked questions during the meeting about how that average and the 90% floor would be applied across multiple units. Commissioners and staff described the provision as an averaging standard (permitting a mix of smaller and larger units so long as the average meets the minimum), but the transcript records follow-up clarifications sought by commissioners about the specific numeric language.
Commissioner Romero moved to forward a recommendation of approval; Commissioner Waite seconded. The roll-call vote recorded "yes" from Commissioners Moke, Romero, Wood, Waite and Hoffman. The motion passed unanimously and will be considered by the mayor and City Council.
Commissioners noted the change would affect the MSR zone primarily in the half-block areas adjacent to Main Street and would not change areas already developed under existing agreements. Staff said the change responds in part to prior local development patterns and to state housing-related legislation that has influenced recent code updates.
The Planning Commission's recommendation is advisory; the City Council will consider the formal ordinance language and any further edits before adoption.
