Sierra Madre planning commission recommends adoption of new objective design standards after technical edits

The Sierra Madre Planning Commission voted unanimously on June 4 to recommend that the City Council adopt a new set of Objective Design Standards (MCTA26-02, Chapter 17.50) after a line-by-line review and a set of targeted changes requested by commissioners.

The commission's action centered on clarifications and edits requested during a lengthy public hearing and staff presentation. Staff told commissioners that the updated draft (distributed by email and shown on-screen) consolidates introductory material into a shorter text with additional material moved to appendices, and clarifies the ODS exception process. "Staff does not have a formal presentation; we have an updated version on screen and Mr. Burns to walk you through the changes," staff said at the start of the hearing.

Why the change matters: commissioners focused on technical, enforceable rules that will govern how new mixed-use and multifamily projects are designed in zoning districts that allow the ODS (commercial, manufacturing, R313, R320, R330, and religious-housing overlays). Key revisions the commission requested or confirmed include specific yardsticks for modulation and fenestration, revised open-space accounting tied to existing zoning code, and restrictions on select building materials and rooftop uses.

What was decided and what language was clarified

- Privacy and fenestration: In response to concerns about proximate residential facades, commissioners approved objective language that emphasizes offsetting or staggering windows rather than a fixed minimum distance, and the ODS adds alternate compliance options such as inset windows, projecting architectural features, or permanent roll-down blinds where appropriate. The commission accepted staff and consultant advice that a rigid numeric offset is often infeasible on infill lots.

- Wall-plane modulation and interior-exterior correspondence: The commission endorsed a requirement that wall-plane variation occur regularly along street-facing facades (the draft uses a metric of one variation per 50 feet of facade length) and agreed that at least 50% of wall-plane variations should align with interior dividing walls to avoid awkward interior spaces.

- Third-story placement in house-scale zones: Commissioners clarified that third-story elements where permitted in house-scale zones should be limited in distance from a public street and in horizontal extent (the draft sets a 40-foot maximum distance and a 45-foot horizontal limit for third-story elements in house-scale areas).

- Materials: The commission narrowed material restrictions to prohibit vinyl siding and EPS panels while allowing modern composite cladding. "The two materials identified ... are prone to cracking, fading, [and] deterioration over time," said Eric Martinez of Onyx Architects, supporting keeping vinyl and EPS off the permitted list.

- Open space and rooftop-deck rules: Commissioners pressed staff to harmonize the ODS with existing R320/R330 requirements. Staff confirmed that the underlying zoning currently requires 250 square feet per dwelling unit of on-site ground-level open space in R320/R330; the draft ODS references 500 square feet per unit in some places, so commissioners asked for edits so the ODS either defers to the more restrictive requirement or explicitly states the controlling calculation. Commissioners also limited larger rooftop-deck allocations to block-scale zones and recommended tighter limits or prohibition of extensive rooftop decks in house-scale zones to avoid privacy impacts.

- Lighting and screening: The commission directed staff to consolidate and clarify exterior-lighting language (including dusk-to-dawn controls and motion-sensor options), and to tighten screening standards for refuse and mechanical equipment that are visible from public rights-of-way; staff noted the municipal code gives the ODS precedence when conflicts exist.

Staff, consultants and follow-up

Mr. Burns walked commissioners through red-line edits and the draft's reorganization; staff and the city attorney confirmed that municipal code language establishes that the ODS controls where it conflicts with existing zoning rules. "It's part of the municipal code ... the objective design standards will control," a senior planner confirmed during the exchange.

On materials, Onyx noted performance concerns with vinyl and EPS panels and recommended keeping those materials off the permitted list for durability reasons. Commissioners also directed staff to remove the large working appendix (Appendix E) from the final ODS document and keep it as an internal departmental record or an amendment history, while retaining a concise amendment log in the adopted package.

Vote and next steps

After final clarifying edits and direction to staff on several drafting points, the commission approved Planning Commission Resolution 2608 recommending adoption and incorporation of the Objective Design Standards into the municipal code. The motion carried unanimously. Staff will forward the commission's recommendation and the amended ODS to the City Council for consideration; the commission noted additional minor cleanups and a request for staff to return with a harmonized draft that reconciles numeric open-space references and cross-references to zoning code where needed.

The commission adjourned and scheduled its next meeting for June 18, when it will review the General Plan conservation and open-space element and rotate chair/vice chair positions.