Planning commission advances housing‑code amendments and asks council to revisit proposed .5 parking minimum for deed‑restricted affordable units

City planning staff and consultants presented a broad set of municipal code amendments on June 15 designed to implement Ceres’ adopted 2023–2031 housing element and REAP 2.0‑funded implementation programs.

Kylie Pope of EMC Planning told the commission the amendments are intended to remove development barriers, align the zoning code with state law, and prioritize multi‑family and affordable housing in higher‑density zones. Key specifics included creating objective approval findings for residential projects; establishing minimum density ranges in R3–R5 (R3 minimum 7 dwelling units/acre; R4 minimum 12 du/acre; R5 minimum 20 du/acre); prohibiting single‑family detached dwellings in R3–R5 to prioritize multi‑family development; reducing front‑yard setbacks (proposed max 15 ft) and increasing allowable lot coverage; and streamlining the city’s local density bonus rules to rely on state statute.

Pope also summarized parking changes: a consistent 1.5 spaces per unit requirement generally, with a reduced 0.5 spaces per unit for deed‑restricted affordable housing in order to reduce development cost and increase feasible unit counts. She said the 0.5‑space figure is based on data from existing affordable developments and is intended only for deed‑restricted projects; an affordable project would still be rounded up to whole spaces for practical implementation.

During public comment John Warren urged caution on parking reductions. The commission also received and the staff read into the record a substantive letter from the California Housing Defense Fund (CalHDF) which cautioned that state law (Government Code §66323 and related provisions) limits the local government’s ability to impose certain ADU standards and warned the city to ensure its ADU rules comply with HCD guidance.

After discussion, a commissioner moved that the Planning Commission recommend City Council reconsider the proposed 0.5‑space affordable‑housing parking minimum and instead seek a 1.0‑space per unit requirement for deed‑restricted affordable projects, with the understanding that any change would be reported to the State HCD. The motion passed on a 5‑0 roll‑call vote (Global—Aye; Gemmill—Aye; Morales—Aye; Perez—Aye; Chairperson Condit—Aye).

Pope noted next steps: staff anticipates forwarding the ordinance package to City Council for first reading on July 27 and a second reading/adoption in August (date to be determined), with ordinances effective 30 days after adoption.