Anaheim council approves technical zoning and land‑use amendments to finalize housing element and release state funds

The Anaheim City Council on Sept. 9 approved technical amendments to the city’s General Plan and zoning code intended to satisfy questions from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and secure final certification of the city’s 6th‑cycle housing element.

Director Allen (planning staff) presented the measures to the council, describing four targeted clarifications requested by HCD. “Staff recommends city council approval [of] proposed clarifying technical zoning and general plan amendments in compliance with state law,” Director Allen said during the staff presentation.

The changes apply to housing element candidate sites when a proposed project sets aside at least 20% of units for lower‑income households. Key provisions adopted by the council include:

- Entitlement streamlining: qualifying affordable housing projects will be entitled to by‑right review (removing the need for discretionary planning‑commission review for the development entitlement stage, though subdivision maps remain subject to their separate process).

- Density floor: qualifying sites with a medium‑density or mixed‑use medium general plan designation will have a minimum of 20 dwelling units per acre with the existing 30 dwelling units per acre maximum unchanged.

- Mixed‑use composition: for mixed‑use projects on candidate sites, at least 50% of the total floor area must be residential when the project includes the qualifying share of affordable units.

Planner Kristine Nguyen, identified in the presentation as a senior planner and project manager for the housing element, joined Director Allen for the staff report. Planning Commission unanimously recommended the clarifying amendments on Aug. 11, staff said; HCD had earlier issued a letter (July 10) confirming the housing element was in “substantial compliance” but listing four technical clarifications that required city action to obtain final certification.

Councilmember Maaz moved the resolution and ordinance introduction; Councilmember Kurtz seconded. The council voted 6‑0 with one recorded absence (the transcript records the absence as “councillor Malone”). The motion approved a city resolution amending the General Plan Land Use Element (LU2) and introduced related zoning code amendments; staff said the changes satisfy the HCD items and facilitate housing‑element implementation. The staff presentation noted the city had already received approximately $6,000,000 in permanent local housing allocation funds tied to the housing element process, and that final certification clears the last administrative steps required by state housing law.

The council’s action included a CEQA determination: staff and the council referenced the State CEQA Guidelines exemption under section 15061(b)(3) in connection with the amendments staff described as technical and procedural. Councilmembers did not propose substantive changes to the city’s adopted housing objectives during the hearing; the recorded motion approved the clarifying technical amendments as presented.

Next steps: staff will update planning standards and public materials to reflect the clarifications and will proceed with implementation for qualifying affordable housing proposals on candidate sites.