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Livermore council adopts multifamily objective design standards, asks staff to add edible‑plant guidance and refine massing rules
Summary
Council approved updated development‑code sections and a mixed‑use/multifamily objective design standards document to comply with state housing law, streamline review for smaller projects, and directed staff to add encouraged language on edible plants/pollinators and refine facade/massing requirements before final ordinances are introduced.
City planning staff presented a comprehensive update to Livermore's development code on July 14 designed to comply with state housing law, introduce objective design standards for mixed‑use and multifamily projects, and streamline review authority for smaller housing projects.
"The proposed project consists of amending the development code to be in compliance with state housing law, objective design standards to supplement existing city standards that are no longer enforceable under state law," Associate Planner Turcan Somes said during the staff presentation. Staff said the new objective design standards would apply to multifamily proposals with more than 10 units and described four primary sections covering architectural styles, building types, frontage types and universal design.
Staff also proposed changes to project review authority that would allow parcel maps to be approved at the staff level and increase ministerial review for many residential projects (for example, projects of 39 units or fewer could be reviewed at staff level under the draft). Planning staff recommended the council find the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act and introduce three ordinances to implement the changes.
During discussion Vice Mayor Branning raised concern that state fire‑mitigation rules for 'zone 0' properties may eventually require retrofit work on existing homes and urged public awareness. Branning also asked staff to add language encouraging edible plants — including community gardens or using some usable open space for edible plantings — as an option tied to existing pollinator requirements; staff said that encouragement (not a mandate) could be added and maintenance expectations should be clear. Councilmember Dunbar pressed for clarifications and edits on objective standards including HVAC separation from occupiable ground‑floor areas, facade variation requirements, plane breaks for long wall planes, pedestrian connections between adjacent developments, and accessibility details; staff agreed to refine the draft language and add examples or thresholds where necessary.
Councilmember Dunbar moved to approve the update with his recommended edits and to incorporate Vice Mayor Branning's direction on pollinators and edible plants; Vice Mayor Branning seconded. The motion passed unanimously, and staff will bring finalized ordinance language back for formal introduction in the next steps of the process.
What happens next: staff will incorporate the direction to add encouraged edible‑plant language, refine massing/façade provisions and other clarifications, and proceed with ordinance introduction as directed by council.
