With state certification in hand, Pacific Grove staff lay out next steps for housing sites and design standards

City staff told residents that Pacific Grove’s housing element has been certified by the state and that the city is preparing to move from planning to implementation.

Community Development Director John Biggs said the adopted housing element lists 21 programs the city will pursue, and staff are preparing objective design standards so proposed projects better reflect community character while complying with state law. Biggs said the city evaluated roughly 75 housing opportunity sites and will post a list of sites and come to council in June or July with information about properties and potential assistance through permitting and incentives.

Biggs said some projects—depending on state law requirements and the number of affordable units proposed—may be eligible to proceed without discretionary review. He also noted that Monterey One Water has allocated water for affordable housing projects, which could make some proposals feasible.

"We'll be posting that because we expect that there will be the interest on the part of some developers to come forward and be asking questions," Biggs said, noting the city will provide more detail on preferred sites and incentives in upcoming meetings.

Staff said they will evaluate incentives that shorten review timelines for projects that include more affordable units, and they encouraged residents to follow postings on the housing opportunity sites list for further information.