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Residents and practitioners press Saint Helena to revisit density calculations, design standards and water neutrality
Summary
Public commenters used recent multifamily projects (notably Spring Grove) to argue the 2023 zoning code produces outcomes the community did not intend; speakers asked the commission to clarify density calculations, require discretionary review for large/sensitive projects, strengthen density‑bonus findings, modernize water neutrality rules and reassess architectural design standards.
Several speakers at the Planning Commission’s Dec. 16 special meeting urged the city to revisit how the zoning code handles residential density, design review and water neutrality.
A resident identified in the record as Mr. Leong said the Spring Grove project — now before the City Council — complied with the city’s adopted standards yet resulted in a scale the resident called inconsistent with neighborhood character. He argued the city calculated residential density using gross acreage (including creeks, required setbacks and other unbuildable land), which inflated the unit count, and urged the code be revised to use net developable acreage. He also suggested clarifying that density ranges are permissive rather than mandatory,…
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