Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council discusses development agreements for Town Center Specific Plan, directs staff to use agreements as voluntary tool for hotels
Summary
Council received a multi-part presentation on the Town Center Specific Plan's tiers, design guidelines and use of voluntary development agreements (DAs). Members directed staff to treat DAs as an optional negotiation tool—particularly for potential hotel projects—rather than a mandatory requirement, and to provide internal guidance and early engagement for developers.
Staff presented the Town Center Specific Plan (TCSP), summarizing its four land‑use districts, tiered development standards, and 50 pages of design guidelines intended to guide infill development with specified amenities and thresholds to reach higher density tiers.
The presentation explained that a development agreement (DA) is a voluntary contract between a project proponent and the city under California Government Code that can provide certainty on uses, timelines, and conditions, and may be used when a developer seeks exceptions to code or seeks to lock in terms. Staff cautioned that DAs may bring tradeoffs: they can secure community benefits but may also be perceived as trading planning standards and could deter some developers if imposed as a mandatory requirement.
Council members debated the merits of DAs focused largely on prospective hotels in the TCSP area. Several members said DAs could give the city leverage to secure amenities—parking, public open space, grocery commitments or other community benefits—if hotels needed exceptions to height or density limits. Others warned that requiring DAs could discourage investment and that many TCSP requirements already embed incentives and conditions under the tier system.
After extended discussion, the council gave staff direction to memorialize an internal policy/memo noting council interest in pursuing development agreements as a voluntary option for hotel projects and to present early engagement and guidance for developers, rather than reopening the TCSP or making DAs mandatory.
