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Staff presents 2025 general plan and housing progress report; Site D SB330 pre‑application seeks 88 units with 15% very‑low income
Summary
Planning staff presented the 2025 General Plan and Housing Element progress report, reporting 32 housing units permitted in 2025 and an entitlement pipeline that recently rose to 194 units. Staff announced an SB330 pre‑application for Site D proposing 88 units with 15% set aside for very low‑income households and launched a public project page and interest list.
Planning staff presented the Solvang 2025 General Plan and Housing Element progress report on April 6, summarizing accomplishments, pipeline activity and outstanding implementation tasks. Staff reported adoption of the 2025 California Building Code and state‑required amendments to address fire severity and local hazard mitigation.
Staff said 32 housing units were issued building permits during the reporting year and reported 106 units in entitlement at the time of the written report; staff noted the entitlement pipeline has since risen to 194 units but cautioned that some projects may be revised and counts can change as applicants retool. Staff highlighted the city's recent zoning amendments to support infill development and a change in methodology to account for ADUs using an ABAG‑based size method.
A major update in the pipeline is the Alisol Glenn (Site D) project: staff said the applicant submitted an SB330 pre‑application review seeking a state density bonus for 88 units, with 15% proposed for very low‑income households. Staff said the submission is a preliminary pre‑application review (not a builder's remedy filing), described the SB330 pre‑app process (staff will review checklists and code to provide a rubric) and launched a project webpage and an interest list to keep neighbors informed.
Commissioners asked procedural and historical questions about rezoning of sites B, C and D to meet the regional housing needs assessment and how entitlements and permits are reflected in annual reporting. Staff explained SB330 pre‑application versus builder's remedy and confirmed the Site D proposal currently includes three stories in the pre‑application materials.
During public comment, Randy Murphy asked staff to emphasize that 'affordable housing' does not automatically mean government‑subsidized or Section 8 housing and encouraged clearer community messaging: "It's an important distinction," Murphy said. Staff agreed on the need for transparent outreach and posted project materials and an email signup for updates.
What happens next: staff will continue pipeline reviews, take revisions through department review, and present near‑term projects (for example Frederick Square adaptive reuse) to the commission as they reach completion. The Site D pre‑application will proceed through the SB330 preliminary review process; staff will post updates to the city project webpage and notify subscribers.
