Hawthorne planning commission backs zoning-code reorganization, seeks guardrails for multifamily design review

The Hawthorne Planning Commission voted May 6 to recommend adoption of zone text amendment ZA 2026-00001, a reorganization of the city's zoning code that defers accessory dwelling unit (ADU) provisions to state law and moves several obsolete chapters. Commissioners approved the recommendation with added language to preserve discretionary design review for multifamily projects that are not exempted by state law.

Planning Director Greg Mlan opened the public hearing by describing the ordinance as largely editorial. "This is merely a reorganization of the zoning title," he said, adding that the proposal "has no SQA implications because we're not changing any policy; we're literally just rearranging the chapters." He said staff will bring a new ADU chapter before the commission within about a month that will direct readers to state ADU law.

The staff presentation noted several practical changes: deleted obsolete chapters (including a bomb-shelter chapter), consolidated and renumbered cross-references, and updated phrasing and punctuation for clarity. The director said the city's former local limit for detached ADUs was 1,000 square feet and that state law allows up to about 1,200 square feet, which is one reason staff proposes removing the local ADU chapter and relying on state rules going forward.

Commissioners pressed staff on the ordinance's effect on design review. Multiple commissioners said they were concerned that removing discretionary design review for multifamily and mixed-use development would reduce the planning commission's role and limit residents' ability to influence project design. "I would like the record to reflect my concerns regarding the elimination of the discretionary design review for all multifamily and mixed-use development," one commissioner said.

Staff responded that recent state laws have made many multifamily approvals ministerial and that objective design standards (for landscaping, facades and transitions to single-family neighborhoods) would apply instead. "The state requires that there be no design review or any other discretionary review for the majority of housing that is multifamily," Greg Mlan said, adding that most qualifying projects are already exempt from commission review under current state rules.

Commissioners asked whether the proposed reorganization would trigger environmental review. Staff said the zone text amendment was determined not to be a project under the staff'cited statute in the record (Public Resources Code section 2165 as stated in the staff report) because it makes no significant discretionary policy changes, but offered to revise the text and return the item if the commission found that removal of discretionary review was significant.

Facing divided opinions on scope and timing, commissioners and staff agreed on two paths: the commission could recommend approval with an explicit caveat preserving design review for projects not exempted by state law, or staff could return the ordinance to the commission with that change incorporated. The commission chose the first option.

The commission approved the resolution as modified and will forward the ordinance with that recommendation to the City Council. The record notes Vice Chairperson Hston and Commissioner Swammy were absent at the meeting; the transcript does not record the motion-maker or seconder by name.

What happens next: staff will update the ordinance text to reflect the commission's direction and bring the item to a City Council hearing; the commission also expects to return later for substantive objective-design standards and the new ADU chapter during the city's general-plan update process.