Capitola kicks off fast‑track mall zoning update; council wants code to allow up to 75‑foot redevelopment

City planning staff and consultants presented the kickoff for a rapid zoning code update Oct. 2 intended to implement the Capitola Housing Element’s mall redevelopment program, proposing zoning and objective standards that would allow mid‑rise redevelopment on the Mall block and aim to accommodate the housing sites inventory required by state law.

The consultants said the city must ensure the mall zoning can reasonably accommodate up to about 1,700–1,800 dwelling units across the block identified in the housing element and recommended objective standards tailored to the mall site for building massing, ground‑floor frontage, publicly accessible open space, parking typologies and internal street connections. Staff and consultants repeatedly emphasized the need for objective, design‑based rules that meet state requirements for predictability so projects that comply can proceed under streamlined or “by‑right” avenues where applicable.

Ben Noble, the city’s planning consultant, summarized the statutory background and local targets: the municipal housing element must account for the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for 2023–2031 — 1,336 units overall in the city — and…