Staff presents 2024 general plan and housing element annual progress reports to commission

Associate Planner Austin Ford presented the 2024 General Plan Annual Progress Report and the Housing Element annual report at the April 8 meeting, an informational item that requires no action by the commission.

"Now this is simply an informational item. There's no action requested at this time," Ford said as he outlined the city's recent planning milestones and recommended implementation actions. He told commissioners the 2040 General Plan update was adopted in 2021 and the 6th-cycle housing element was adopted in 2023, with a subsequent comprehensive zoning update in 2024.

Ford summarized recommended work items staff will pursue next year: development of a preapproved accessory dwelling unit (ADU) program; additional local incentives to support housing beyond state measures; a streamlined multifamily permitting process to respond to SB 35 aims; zoning code amendments to allow greater development intensity in some single-family zones; and documentation of home-buyer incentives for first-time buyers to include in the report sent to the state Department of Housing and Community Development.

Staff presented housing production numbers for 2024: 166 residential building permits representing 283 units were issued and 116 certificates of occupancy were recorded for the year. Ford told the commission the city has produced 659 housing units in the current RHNA cycle versus a target of 416, but noted shortfalls remain in the moderate- and very-low-income categories.

Commissioners asked about future zoning amendments and whether the APR would return to the commission. Ford said any changes to development standards such as the corridor mixed-use zone or implementation of recommended programs would come back to the commission for review.