Port Hueneme council introduces ordinance to rezone areas, revise R4 standards and repeal local ADU covenant

Port Hueneme's City Council voted unanimously on Nov. 19 to introduce an ordinance that would amend the city's mixed-use R4 zoning standards, rezone several areas to match the general plan, add state-mandated replacement-housing provisions and adopt an addendum to the general plan environmental impact report.

The staff presentation explained the changes as largely driven by state law and the city's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), which requires Port Hueneme to plan for 125 new housing units in the current eight-year cycle. Director Stewart told the council the ordinance implements replacement-housing requirements in Assembly Bill 1397 and adds a 20-units-per-acre minimum for certain sites identified in the housing element.

The ordinance would leave the base maximum density at 25 units per acre but allow developers to seek incentives—such as raising density to as much as 30 units per acre or adding an extra story (potentially increasing allowed height up to 75 feet)—if they provide three to five project enhancements, such as setting aside units at reduced income levels, consolidating lots or using higher-quality materials. Staff also proposed objective design standards, new open-space minima (typically 200 square feet per unit), adjusted setbacks for buildings abutting residential zones and unchanged parking and landscaping standards.

Staff reported that the rezoning focuses on three areas already identified in the city's 2021 land-use map: (1) the East Pleasant Valley corridor (near Patterson Channel Islands), (2) the Ventura/Channel Islands commercial corridor, and (3) a downtown-redevelopment area north of Port Hueneme Road. A separate small area along East Port Hueneme Road was proposed to be rezoned from limited multifamily (R2) to true multifamily (R3) to increase allowed density from 15 to 25 units per acre and permit an additional story.

Director Stewart said staff had mailed notices to affected property owners and received primarily supportive feedback, including a letter from the Hueneme Bay Center's attorneys asking for minor text clarifications. Staff also explained that the plan includes an addendum to the general plan EIR, prepared under CEQA guidelines, and concluded the addendum found the incremental impacts to be not significant.

A point of contention in the staff briefing concerned the city's accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinance. Staff described repeated interactions with the state Housing and Community Development Department (HCD), which staff said now views local affordable-housing covenant requirements for ADUs as impermissible. Because the state has repeatedly requested that the city quote state law in its local ADU ordinance and interprets the covenant requirement as legally problematic, staff recommended repealing the local ADU ordinance and relying on state ADU law so the city will not have to return for revisions each time statutes change. Under the staff recommendation, ADUs would still be permitted and counted but would be categorized under the above-moderate category rather than the low-income category where the city had previously placed them.

During public comment, resident David Scribe urged the council to void the ADU policy, arguing the covenant requirement was creating legal uncertainties and would discourage landlord participation. Council members and staff responded that repealing the local covenant requirement would remove that specific obligation and that the state has indicated the covenant is not permissible.

After discussion, the council voted to introduce the ordinance by title only (first reading), adopt the EIR addendum, and proceed with the proposed rezonings and code amendments. The clerk conducted a roll-call vote; all members voted in favor.

The council did not finalize ordinance language at this meeting; the vote introduced the first reading and allows staff to proceed with required submittals (including Coastal Commission review where coastal-zone changes apply) and subsequent readings as required by law.