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Planning staff proposes objective citywide standards to protect key views
Summary
Staff presented Program 1.06 to create objective standards for view impacts — identifying vantage points, protected features, and requiring photo simulations for projects in designated scenic viewsheds — and acknowledged the process of choosing which views to protect will be challenging.
Staff told the commission the housing element calls for objective standards to evaluate potential view impacts rather than leaving those judgments to subjective design review.
"New developments shall not obstruct the view with any portion of a protected view for a designated vantage point," the presenter read from a sample standard, describing a process that would use the general plan map of vistas as a starting point and identify priority vantage points and the features that should remain visible from them.
Staff said photo simulations — the same tool used for the Janus and Ridge project — would be required when a proposed project falls within a designated scenic viewshed, and that the exercise will be a balance between protecting iconic public views and avoiding unnecessary constraints for development. During public comment a resident cautioned, "I don't envy the process of determining which views are going to be protected," underscoring community concern about how the city will draw those lines.
Staff said the commission will see proposed objective standards later this year as part of the broader code updates.
