Fortuna Planning Commission backs zoning changes to align city code with state housing law

The Fortuna Planning Commission on a unanimous vote recommended that the Fortuna City Council adopt a package of zoning amendments intended to bring the city's Title 17 zoning regulations and zoning map into compliance with the city's Mill District specific plan and the 6th-cycle housing element.

Staff planner Michelle told the commission the changes "will allow supportive housing, transitional housing, and community care facilities for individuals, 6 or fewer individuals by right, which is consistent with state law," and said the text amendments also update definitions and remove an obsolete "second residential dwelling unit" provision repealed in 2021. She described supportive housing requirements, noting that units subject to these rules must include living facilities and on-site supportive services: "All units must include a bathroom and a kitchen or cooking facilities." The staff presentation emphasized that many of these standards are set by state law, leaving cities limited discretion.

The amendments would also replace several older qualified combining (Q) zones with a single updated Q zone applied to three geographic areas labeled A, B and C in staff materials. Under the proposal, single-family residential development would remain principally permitted so homeowners would not become legal nonconforming, while multifamily development in which at least 20% of units are affordable to lower-income households would be permitted by right to help implement the housing element.

Commissioners pressed staff on how the rezonings relate to the region's RHNA allocation and site eligibility tests. Michelle said the rezones are intended to meet state housing-law requirements by ensuring previously designated housing-element sites remain eligible for certain income-category allocations; she described the RHNA distribution and eligibility work the city had carried out.

Public comment was limited. Resident Myrna Ferrer said she came to "understand what the new zoning was gonna be about and whether, you know, multi family or single family, dwellings would be in that area." Staff confirmed that under the proposed Q zone, a single-family home that were to be destroyed could be rebuilt with a standard building permit and would not automatically become a legal nonconforming use.

The commission moved to adopt Resolution PD-2025-3137, which recommends that the City Council certify CEQA compliance for the amendments where applicable and amend Fortuna Municipal Code chapters 17.03, 17.06 and 17.08 and the zoning map consistent with the housing element and Mill District plan. The roll-call vote recorded Commissioners Eamon, Calkins, Christiansen, Doris, Hawley, Vice Chair Nichols and the Chair as voting to approve; the motion carried unanimously.

The Planning Commission's action is a recommendation; the City Council will consider the ordinance-level changes and the map amendments at a future meeting that requires its own noticing and formal adoption process.