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Council delays adoption of objective design standards; asks Opticos to return with expanded engagement plan
Summary
Council received a staff proposal to hire Opticos Design for objective design and development standards (ODDS) for ADUs and multifamily, but asked staff and the consultant to return in 30 days with a revised workplan that increases community engagement and clarifies scope and schedule before approving a contract.
The council on Sept. 9 reviewed a recommended contract with Opticos Design Inc. to prepare objective design and development standards (ODDS) for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), multifamily and mixed-use residential projects, but did not approve the professional services agreement. Instead, council directed staff to work with the consultant to expand front-end engagement and return with a revised scope and budget within 30 days.
Nut graf: Planning staff presented a two-phase approach: Phase 1 would develop objective standards for ADUs (about four months) and Phase 2 would address multifamily/mixed-use standards (another four months), for a combined adoption timeline of roughly one year. The staff recommendation included a not-to-exceed contract fee of $180,000 with partial grant offset. Council members and members of the public raised concerns about the depth of front-end community engagement and whether the consultant’s prior work in larger jurisdictions fits Carmel’s village scale and character.
Planning Manager Marnie said Opticos was chosen for experience preparing ODDS and for their work on similar California projects; she said a LEAP grant would offset part of the cost. "Objective design standards are clear, measurable rules that do not involve personal opinions or subjective judgments," she explained and described the fieldwork, community workshops and graphic standards deliverables Opticos proposed.
Several council members and public commenters urged more robust community engagement early in the process and recommended forming a small working group or advisory committee made up of residents, local architects and stakeholders. Resident Kevin Roose urged caution about codifying a narrow set of styles and cited other cities’ experiences; resident Nancy Toomey recommended focusing on measurable attributes (rooflines, windows, setbacks) rather than rigid style lists. Opticos principal Tony Perez said his team had done similar work in Santa Barbara and other contexts and described ways to structure umbrella-style categories with subtypes to reflect local variety.
After extensive discussion the council agreed unanimously to delay contract approval and asked staff to return within approximately 30 days with a revised engagement plan and any proposed budget adjustments to add more workshops, a local stakeholder working group, and clearer checkpoints so the community can review designs before the final product is delivered. No formal vote on the Opticos contract was taken; the council’s direction was recorded as a postponement of action pending an amended proposal.
Ending: Staff said they will meet with the consultant to revise the scope and will return to the council with the updated work plan, community-engagement schedule and any budget implications within one month.
