Council introduces objective design standards ordinance, tightens developer rules for multifamily projects

City staff and outside consultants presented Phase 2 of the city’s objective design standards (ODS), a development-code amendment intended to set objective, ministerial standards for multifamily and mixed-use housing consistent with state law.

Planning Director Larry Longnecker and senior planner Afshin Adipore outlined how the ODS implements state requirements—such as the Housing Accountability Act and Density Bonus Law—while aiming to preserve Mission Viejo’s character. Consultant Drew Watkins reviewed revisions to the draft ODS and said the team reduced a conservative open-space metric from 300 square feet per unit in Phase 1 to 150 square feet per unit in Phase 2 (the figure combines private balconies/yard and common open space). "So in the revision, we went from 300 to 150," the consultant told council during Q&A.

Council members probed how the open-space total is calculated (private + common), whether specific height or parking maximums were included (staff said those remain in the zoning code), and how the ODS will interact with density-bonus waivers. Staff emphasized the ODS are objective measures intended for ministerial review but noted that density‑bonus projects can request concessions and waivers under state law.

Why it matters: the Phase 2 ODS defines objective, measurable standards that will guide how future housing projects are evaluated by staff; the move is meant to speed up approvals while establishing clear design expectations. The council introduced the ordinance and voted unanimously to proceed with the process, finding the project exempt from CEQA per the staff report.

Next steps: staff will finalize ordinance language and bring the adoption reading back to council; the ODS will be incorporated into Title IX of the municipal code if approved.