Staff previews objective design standards and possible 99-unit affordable housing project for Kingsburg

Holly Owen, Kingsburg's community development director, told the Planning Commission on Feb. 12 that staff will begin a review this quarter to adopt objective design standards aimed at multifamily projects and accessory dwelling units.

"One of them is the, adoption of objective standards," Owen said, framing the work as a design-standards review that could sit alongside the municipal code to make future updates easier. She said the review will start with a concept discussion and staff will return with proposals the commission can consider and, when appropriate, forward to the City Council.

Owen also told commissioners that several conditional use permit applications remain in the pipeline and that a planned unit development for a 99-unit affordable housing project has been under consideration. "There may be a planned unit development also for, and the 99 unit affordable housing project," she said, noting that such projects sometimes go quiet while applicants pursue grants.

On training, Owen said staff will look up planners-academy dates and other materials, and that some multi-day trainings provide overviews of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), subdivision laws and related matters that shape commissioners' authority and decisions. "...give you a broad overview of CEQA and, you know, subdivision acts and a lot of things that you will get into," she said.

Next steps staff described include beginning the objective-standards review in coming months, consulting commissioners on draft standards, and returning to council when staff and the commission feel the package is ready for formal consideration.