City planner leads extended training for Lemoore commissioners on general plan, CEQA and recent housing laws
Summary
City planner Steve Brant led a comprehensive training session for the Lemoore Planning Commission covering the general plan, zoning vs. land‑use mapping, CEQA exemptions and EIR process, RHNA and housing elements, ADU and SB9 state rules, and objective design standards including a 'six‑pack' rule on housing model variety.
City planner Steve Brant delivered a multihour training session for the Planning Commission that reviewed the role of the general plan, how zoning implements land‑use policy, and how state laws shape local housing requirements.
Brant reminded commissioners that every city must maintain a general plan and highlighted the housing element process and the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation that determines how many units Lemoore must plan for. "The housing element is the only portion of the general plan that the state has to certify," he said, explaining the state’s oversight role in housing targets and why the city must show sufficient available land and infrastructure.
The session covered environmental review basics. Brant explained CEQA exemptions, mitigated negative declarations and environmental impact reports, and walked commissioners through mitigation examples (traffic signal or nest monitoring) and the EIR comment/response process. He noted that an EIR allows for "overriding considerations" where a jurisdiction might approve a project despite significant impacts, a legal tool not available for mitigated negative declarations.
Brant addressed recent state housing reforms affecting accessory dwelling units (ADUs), SB9 lot splits and the growing requirement for objective design standards. He summarized recent ADU rule changes—including limits on local discretion for setbacks and the state emphasis on allowing garage conversions—while cautioning local commissioners that market demand will drive uptake. On design standards he described an objective approach and illustrated Lemoore’s "six‑pack" rule that limits identical facades within a short block, a standard meant to encourage variety and avoid monotonous developments.
Commissioners asked practical questions about enforcement, when projects come to commission versus staff approval, how to draft legally sufficient findings for denials, and whether infrastructure issues like water supply are addressed in general plan updates. Brant said the city is preparing a general plan update and is drafting an internal study of available sites and water supply to support the housing element.
The training concluded with an overview of procedural best practices for hearings, guidance on when to reopen public hearings, and a reminder that the commission should direct legislative policy concerns to council (for example, if commissioners want a new standard enacted instead of relying on ad‑hoc project review). Brant offered to return with follow‑up sessions on specific topics commissioners requested.
