Commission reviews draft code and design-guideline changes tied to objective design standards

Senior planner Gopika Nair presented draft amendments to Piedmont's zoning code and Design Guidelines intended to align the code with the draft Objective Design Standards (ODS) and clarify several staff-recommended updates. Key proposals include allowing retaining walls up to 8 feet within the 20-foot street-yard setback for SB 9 projects when needed for access, permitting up to 5-foot retaining walls outside the setback for SB 9 projects, and allowing one required SB 9 covered space to be non-tandem while any additional required spaces may be tandem.

Other notable proposals: permit up to 20% of required residential parking in mixed-use developments to be shared with commercial spaces; allow parking in some street-yard setbacks for multifamily and mixed-use developments; prohibit informal vehicle parking between a single-family structure and its front property line (except on driveways or permitted pads); allow 8-foot fencing on shared multifamily property lines in specific circumstances; and expand certain design-review exemptions (for example, up to two heat-pump/condenser units that meet criteria). Staff outlined the public comment period for the draft ODS (30 days) and said the next steps include compiling comments, returning to the planning commission in January for recommendation, and then advancing to city council for final action.