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City hearing on housing-element zoning proposals paused after council questions 20% affordability threshold
Summary
City staff presented zoning and General Plan amendments to implement three housing-element programs (ministerial approvals, tenant protections, reuse-site streamlining). A council amendment to raise the required affordable share from 20% to 40% was proposed; after staff cautioned about HCD recertification risks, the council continued the hearing for more analysis.
La Puente City staff and consultant Harrison Associates presented proposed General Plan and municipal-code amendments intended to implement three programs of the city’s sixth-cycle housing element and restore compliance with state housing law.
Dima Galkin, director of community development and housing for Harrison Associates, told the council the proposed actions would add a religious-congregational-sites overlay (chapter 10.21), replacement-housing and tenant-protection rules (chapter 10.51), and a streamlined by-right pathway for designated reuse sites (chapter 10.52). The amendments would allow qualifying projects to receive ministerial approval if at least 20% of units are affordable; the overlay sets a density range of about 20–30 units per acre and a 40-foot maximum height. Galkin said the changes respond to the city’s October 2022 housing-element certification and to HCD’s later revocation of compliance in August 2025 for uncompleted commitments.
A councilmember moved to adopt the planning-commission recommendation, introduce ordinance 26-996 and adopt the CEQA addendum and related zoning updates. A separate amendment was then proposed to raise the ministerial-streamlining affordability threshold from 20% to 40%.
"So I just want to clarify—the 20% is a minimum requirement for the developer to qualify for streamlined or ministerial approval," Galkin said, adding that raising the threshold could convert projects to discretionary review and risk HCD viewing the change negatively. Alexis Bueno, project manager with Harrison Associates, said HCD had recommended sticking with 20% but staff could follow up on whether a higher threshold might be feasible.
Councilmembers debated trade-offs: some said a higher target could increase affordable units, while others warned it could make projects financially infeasible and discourage development. Several members requested more data on funding, incentives and impacts on project feasibility and on state recertification risks. The council voted to continue the public hearing to the next meeting to allow staff and consultants to return with additional analysis and maps.
The planning commission had earlier recommended approval (planning-commission resolution 26-1596); staff recommended adoption and filing of a Notice of Determination if the council approves the final actions.
The hearing remains open and the item will return for further consideration with staff follow-up on the proposed affordability threshold and HCD implications.
