Planning Commission Meeting Agenda Packet 05272026

Overall Community Development Program 4.1: Ensure consistency between the General Plan Land Use Map and the zoning designation for all properties within the City’s sphere of influence. Program 4.2: While mid-points and maximum densities/floor area ratios are used to calculate holding capacity for planning purposes, these numbers are not entitlements. The appropriate density and intensity will be determined based on General Plan policies, Specific Pla ns where appropriate, site conditions, project design, and other considerations. Notwithstanding this program, the minimum and maximum allowable density for identified housing sites has been established for each site in the Housing Element. Special Interest Areas Policy 7: Continue to implement adopted specific plans along with relevant rezoning Residential Policy 8: Preserve and enhance the character of existing residential neighborhoods. Program 8.1: Enforce the provisions of the City’s Zoning Ordinance and related planning ordinances to maintain the character of existing residential neighborhoods. Housing Element Policy 1.3: Encourage residential and mixed-use projects to be designed at the maximum building height permitted consistent with standards to be adopted in the Objective Design Standards as referenced in Program 6.1. However, in the downtown, multi -family residential building height should be consistent with the requirements of the Downtown Specific Plan and the Downtown Design Guidelines. Policy 1.7: Increase housing in the commercial portion of the downtown area by permitting up to three‑story construction in the downtown area pursuant to the Downtown Specific Plan, with one or two stories of residential over commercial in mixed ‑use buildings, or residential behind commercial on the same lot, pursuant to Land Use and Design policies (e.g., LD-P.16) of the Downtown Specific Plan. Downtown Specific Plan The DSP includes Land Use and Design Goals (LD-G), Land Use and Design Policies (LD-P), and Economic Vitality Policies (EV-P) that strive for a harmonious visual transition of new development, and to preserve the character and development traditions of the downtown . Overall, these policies include guiding development to be pedestrian in scale, avoiding inappropriately scaled new construction, and achieving cohesive visual transitions between buildings. As described further below, staff finds the project is inconsistent with five goals and 13 policies of the DSP. Land Use The subject lot is within the Downtown Specific Plan (DSP) area and has a land use designation of Mixed Use – Transitional (MU-T). In the Downtown, the Mixed-Use land use designation permits residential uses located behind or above commercial uses. DSP Policy LD-P.20 notes that ground-floor residential is permitted at this location if the following are met: