Consultants outline objective ADU design standards for Carmel-by-the-Sea; residents press for clarity on “match the main house” and tree preservation

Carmel-by-the-Sea — Consultants from Optic Coast Design told residents on Wednesday that they will draft objective design and development standards (ODS) for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and mixed‑use or multifamily projects to comply with California law, and they asked the community to help define which architectural elements should be regulated.

"Objective design and development standards is something required by the California state law," said Tony Perez, the project lead for Optic Coast Design, explaining that the Housing Accountability Act limits subjective review and requires measurable, objective criteria for qualifying housing projects.

Perez said the team conducted a field visit and microscale documentation across the downtown study area, reviewing 16 key projects and a broader sample of buildings. "We walked around and we saw 354 buildings that we counted," Joseph Abamonte, senior designer on the team, told the audience, and the consultants identified 17 distinct architectural styles in their sample.

Why it matters: California’s HAA restricts discretionary, interpretive review for ADUs and certain multifamily/mixed‑use projects, so Carmel must adopt…