El Centro council approves zoning changes to allow smaller lots and reduced setbacks
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Summary
The City Council approved ordinance 25-12 to amend single-family development standards, reducing minimum lot size and width and simplifying setback rules to give developers flexibility; supporters said it could increase affordable ownership while some members raised parking and safety concerns.
The El Centro City Council voted to adopt ordinance 25-12 after a staff presentation and public testimony, changing single-family development standards to allow smaller lots and simplify setback rules.
Angel Hernandez, community development director, told the council the staff-led amendments were intended to align El Centro’s standards with neighboring Imperial Valley cities and make requirements simpler for applicants. He outlined proposed changes including reductions to minimum lot size and width and standardized setback rules. “We recommend to reduce the minimum lot the lot size from 3,500 square feet to 2,002 square feet, reduce the minimum lot width from 40 feet to 20 feet, and change the minimum open space requirement…from 10% to 5%,” Hernandez said during his presentation.
The revisions also propose adjusting certain setback measurements: staff proposed reducing a large existing exterior side-yard measurement and simplifying multiple rear-setback standards that currently vary by building height and alley access. For front yard setbacks, staff said the proposal would reduce the setback to 15 feet for certain detached garages while maintaining 20 feet for front-facing garages to preserve driveway capacity.
Council members pressed staff on public-safety and parking implications for smaller lots and accessory dwelling units. One council member asked whether the changes would allow developers to squeeze more homes onto cul-de-sacs and whether that would impede emergency access; Hernandez said site plans would still be reviewed and that planning-development applications would be discretionary and evaluated for access and parking.
Developer Marty Coyne addressed the council during public testimony in favor of the changes, arguing smaller detached lots can expand homeownership options. “What this really all amounts to is affordability for your average public,” Coyne said, describing past projects in Brawley and Imperial and saying a range of lot sizes could help entry-level buyers and seniors downsize into ownership rather than apartments.
Staff told the council the ordinance text amendment is consistent with the city’s general plan and found exempt from CEQA because it modifies zoning standards rather than approving a specific project. Councilmember (mover) introduced the ordinance and it passed with a recorded result of 4–1.
The council’s action changes the zoning code text; any specific development proposal that relies on the new standards will still go through the planning review process and may require planning commission or council approval depending on project type. The council also scheduled a separate hearing for the consent-item appeal that had been pulled from tonight’s consent agenda.
What happens next: ordinance 25-12 is now in effect as amended by the council; subsequent development applications using these standards will be reviewed under the updated code and may trigger separate public hearings.
