Objective Design Standards for 1-4 unit residential buildings

This initiative is to develop Objective Design Standards (ODS) for one-to-four-unit residential development, and to update objective design standards for accessory dwelling units (ADU) and multi-family and mixed-use development. The Design Standards will streamline the design review process and enhance production by providing clear and consistent expectations of high-quality design to architects, developers, and the City’s decision makers.

Phases and Timeline

Phase 1: Research and Data Collection

The first phase of this project will be to gather data. This includes:

Review of Piedmont’s existing design guidelines and standards, as well as the design review processes and its outcomes
Review of the General Plan Housing Element and Design and Preservation Element
Background research on objective design standards developed by other similar jurisdictions
Study of existing architectural styles, building types, streetscape patterns, building materials and articulation, landscaping, and other characteristics in Piedmont to provide the basis for the new Design Standards
Case study evaluations of existing policies and development standards on up to six typical sites and/or Housing Element opportunity sites.

Phase 2: Develop Draft Standards

Based on the research completed in Phase 1, the project team will prepare draft Design Standards that reflect the variety of building types and architectural styles appropriate in Piedmont and address topics such as site planning, building massing, building frontages, entrances, exterior materials, landscaping, outdoor lighting, mechanical equipment, screening, parking structures, and surface parking design.

The team will work diligently to establish rigorous standards to ensure good design without being overly-prescriptive. This could include establishing multiple options to satisfy a requirement.

Phase 3: Public Review and Adoption

The Draft Objective Design Standards will be shared for public review and comment before coming to the Planning Commission for recommendations and the City Council for adoption.

About

What are Objective Design Standards?

State law defines objective standards as those that “involve no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and are uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant and public official before submittal.”

In contrast, subjective standards require interpretation by City staff or discretionary boards. For example, a requirement for a 40-square-foot front entryway is an objective standard, while a “welcoming front entry” requirement is subject to interpretation. An objective standard like “building exteriors shall utilize at least two different colors” could replace a current subjective requirement such as “every building shall have complementary colors which demonstrate a harmonious relationship.”

Why should we create Objective Design Standards?

State Legislation: The State of California has adopted legislation requiring cities to approve certain housing proposals through ministerial (staff level) processes based on objective standards. The result of these laws is to encourage cities to create quicker, more accessible pathways for housing to be built.
Clear Expectations: For residents, property owners, and developers, objective standards provide clear expectations of the types of design, articulation, and massing to be expected in Piedmont neighborhoods. The Objective Design Standards will build off of existing guidelines and community input, and will also provide clear language and graphic illustrations for developments to follow.
Quicker Processing Times: The standards would communicate expectations to applicants, and if an eligible project applicant complies with the standards (as well as all other related requirements), approval could be through a staff-level administrative process with no public review or hearing. This eliminates barriers to residential permitting by reducing application timelines and clarifies what will be required from the beginning of the design phase.

Planning Commission Objective Design Standards Subcommittee

The Planning Commission has formed a subcommittee that will work as a team with staff and the project consultants. The team will report its progress to the Planning Commission at its regular meetings, presenting its drafts for review and comment by the Planning Commission and members of the public. Commissioners Jajodia and Ortiz will serve as members of the subcommittee.

City of Piedmont