Manteca planners outline zoning-code rewrite, favor flexible objective design standards

The City of Manteca Planning Commission on Aug. 21 heard a detailed staff workshop on a comprehensive zoning‑code update and the city’s proposed framework for objective design standards for multifamily and mixed‑use housing.

Deputy Director Jesus Orozco and Senior Planner Dave Ruby led the presentation outlining drivers for the update — including the city’s 2043 general plan, the recently adopted sixth‑cycle housing element and state housing law — and proposed changes to Title 17 (the zoning code) and related development standards. Ruby said the objective design standards are intended to create clear, measurable rules to streamline review of qualifying housing projects and provide predictable, repeatable expectations for developers.

Ruby told the commission he recommended adopting the objective design standards as a standalone planning policy and “codifying [them] by reference” in the municipal code so they are easy to update while remaining enforceable. “I personally would recommend the latter of the two approaches,” Ruby said during the workshop.

Why it matters: the zoning code implements the general plan and the housing element, so the update will change how land uses, densities, parking, landscaping, architectural standards and other development requirements are applied citywide.…