Oakley planning commission outlines public survey, possible pause on conditional-use approvals as it rewrites land-use code

OAKLEY, July 15, 2025 — The Oakley Planning Commission on Tuesday opened a multiweek public outreach effort and signaled it will notice multiple public hearings next week as part of a planned rewrite of the city's land-use code.

Commissioners and staff said the outreach will include an online and paper survey that asks residents whether certain uses should be allowed in town and, if so, where. Topics the commission identified for the survey include height limits and visual design in the city center; accessory dwelling units; short-term rentals; solar installations; industrial and contractor-storage uses; overnight accommodations (hotels and bed-and-breakfasts); kennels; microbreweries and bars; parking trade-offs in higher-density development; and green-space preferences.

The effort follows months of discussion about the city's existing use matrix, which commissioners said largely came from county code and now creates uncertainties for Oakley. Commissioners asked that survey questions be specific and educational, giving residents concrete trade-offs (for example: if city-center parcels host higher-density housing, what would residents accept in return for less green or more parking?). Commission staff said they plan to finalize a draft survey in about two to three weeks and to seek follow-up questions focused on architectural finishes and design standards.

Why it matters

Commission members said the rewrite could change how the city permits or restricts uses that residents have repeatedly raised: taller buildings in the planned city center, conditional-use permitting, home-based short-term rentals, and commercial-scale greenhouses or nurseries. Those changes could affect property values, neighborhood character and how much development the city allows in particular zones.

What the commission discussed and directed

- Survey scope and format: Commissioners favored a two-phase outreach approach. First, a structured survey asking yes/no and multiple-choice questions tied to the city's land-use matrix; second, a shorter follow-up survey or targeted outreach on architectural design and finishes for the city center. Commissioners asked staff to include visuals or built examples in the survey so respondents can compare, for example, a two-story building versus a three- or four-story building.

- Heights and the city center: Several speakers urged preservations of a low- to mid-rise town center and recommended defining a measurable local standard (for instance, the height of City Hall) so the public sees concrete references. One participant said, "If we don't put enough greenery in this and keep buildings lower... we're going to lose the small-town feel." The commission discussed converting some flexible conditional-use allowances into explicit zone rules or moving specific uses into an industrial zone.

- Conditional-use permits and a possible temporary pause: Commissioners discussed whether to open a public-hearing item next meeting to start a formal process that could temporarily stop (a pause/moratorium) new conditional-use applications for specified uses while the code is rewritten. Staff explained state rules require public notice and explicit listing of the uses covered; commissioners instructed staff to prepare public-notice language if members decide to proceed.

- Short-term rentals: Commissioners debated whether to cap rentals by size or require an on-site manager or owner. One planning commissioner observed that larger, absentee short-term rentals generate the most complaints and suggested renewal or temporary licenses tied to complaint history as an enforcement path. Another participant noted short-term rentals can be a financing strategy for local homeowners and cautioned against blanket bans.

- Solar and building permits: Commissioners generally agreed rooftop solar should be an allowable use managed through the building-permit process. Ground-mounted, large arrays likely will require a site plan and low-impact permit so the city can review visibility and glare effects on neighbors.

- Industrial, contractor storage, and service uses: The commission discussed establishing an industrial zone to confine repair shops, contractor storage yards and other potentially noisy uses outside the city center. Commissioners said that approach would give the city a clear place to allow those uses while protecting residential streets.

- Other uses: Commissioners discussed kennels (some favor restricting them), event centers (with or without overnight stays), indoor shooting ranges (generally support for indoor only, in appropriate zones), and nursery/greenhouse operations (the group said definitions and thresholds should be clarified so commercial-scale greenhouse operations are distinguished from small, low-impact nurseries).

Public process and timing

Staff said they will post the draft survey and related materials online and provide printed copies at city offices; they aim to publish the survey within two to three weeks. Commission members requested the first public-engagement round be issued quickly and be followed by a short window to collect and analyze responses before the commission meets again in the first week of August to review results and consider next steps.

Staff also said application materials for an amended city-center application will be released to the public next week and that the commission will hold public hearings on that amended application and certain conditional-use applications. Staff noted that any temporary pause on new conditional-use applications would itself require a public hearing and precise, written notice of the uses to be paused.

Noise complaints and how citizens can act

At the start of the meeting a resident, Stacy Canada, asked how the city's noise ordinance interacts with land-use approvals and everyday noise issues. A planning staff member explained that the noise ordinance is a citywide enforcement mechanism and that, "For us to take action is a complaint online. There's a form on our website where you can upload documentation, and that gets disseminated to staff to research and follow up." The staff member said calibrated instrumentation is required for enforceable decibel readings and suggested residents document noise peaks with phone-based apps and upload screenshots to the complaint form as supporting evidence.

What was not decided

No final code changes were adopted at the meeting. Commissioners did not vote to adopt any substantive amendments to zones or to enact a pause; instead the group directed staff to prepare survey language, to post application materials and public-notice drafts next week, and to place the issues on the next meeting agenda. Commissioners repeatedly emphasized that if zoning is to change, the public should be given clear, educational questions and examples illustrating trade-offs.

Quotes from meeting participants

"My comment ... is having attended a few of these meetings, I want to know the interplay between applications get approved, but we also have the noise ordinance," resident Stacy Canada said during public comment.

"For us to take action is a complaint online," a planning staff member said, describing the city's noise-complaint intake and how residents can submit documentation.

"I would like to have this and dark-sky and short-term rentals hammered out by the end of the year," a planning commissioner said, urging a timeline for finishing key policy items.

Ending

Commissioners asked staff to draft survey questions and public-notice language and to return materials for commission review in the first week of August. Staff said they will post application documents and the survey online and make paper copies available at city offices. The commission did not adopt zoning amendments at the meeting and will hold public hearings and additional discussions as the rewrite proceeds.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to adjourn the special session: a commissioner made a motion to adjourn; members responded in the affirmative on the record and the meeting ended. No formal roll-call vote or named tally was recorded in the transcript.

For more information

The commission said materials will be made available online when public notice posts; residents were encouraged to use the city's online complaint form for noise issues and to check the planning department's web page for the survey and upcoming public hearings.