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Commission recommends city adopt objective residential design standards (SP2023‑003)
Summary
The Santa Maria Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that City Council adopt a new objective residential design standards document (SP2023‑003) intended to provide clear, non‑subjective design rules for ministerial residential reviews, including SB 35 projects.
The Santa Maria Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that City Council adopt the city’s objective residential design standards (SP2023‑003), a package of non‑discretionary rules intended to guide ministerial residential reviews and provide predictable design criteria for infill housing.
Frank (planning staff) opened the staff presentation by describing the standards as a response to recent California legislation that limits discretionary review of certain housing projects: “This presentation is on the objective design standards. We are producing these objective design standards for residential projects in response to recent California legislation,” he told the commission.
What the standards do
Staff said the document provides objective, published criteria that apply to residential projects citywide, including projects that are reviewed ministerially (for example, some projects subject to SB 35) and traditional discretionary housing reviews. The standards are organized into three housing‑type tracks: single‑family and…
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