Multi-Family Residential and Mixed Use Objective Design Standards

The State of California has adopted recent legislation to address the State‐wide housing shortage and now requires a streamlined process for specific residential developments. In early 2020, the City applied for and received grant funding under HCD’s SB 2 Planning Grant Program to respond to this need. With assistance from RRM Design Group, the City of Arcadia has developed draft objective design standards that will comply with State law while continuing the City’s legacy of high‐quality and cohesive architectural design.

Currently, Arcadia relies on both subjective and objective design direction located within the City’s Development Code and Design Guidelines, City Center Design Plan for the downtown area, and its discretionary review processes when considering residential or mixed‐use development projects. Subjective design guidelines demonstrate preferences while allowing discretion and flexibility, and objective standards are those that involve no personal judgment by a public official or decision maker. The proposed work effort has translated the existing subjective design guidelines into a set of objective design standards intended to provide clear and quantifiable direction to ensure that future development is compatible with the surrounding properties, quality materials are used, and building form and scale are appropriate to the site.

The new objective design standards will supersede the existing subjective standards found in the City’s Development Code, Specific Plans and Design Guidelines for SB 35 and SB 330 projects. Existing zoning will continue to regulate building  height, setbacks, density, etc., while the new objective design standards will regulate such criteria as site layout, building orientation, architectural elements, pedestrian connections, etc. to ensure that new housing maintains a design quality reflective of the community of Arcadia.

A brochure will be created to assist  applicants in navigating the entitlement process for new housing development projects consistent with SB 330, as well as an application for this new process.

Without these changes and tools, the City will have little control over the design of future housing developments. The Planning Commission and City Council would continue to review projects under the  current design guidelines but would not be able to deny a project based on noncompliance with subjective guidelines. This project will enable the City to shape the design of new housing proposals based on the standards developed through this process.

The project also includes an update of the City’s Density Bonus Ordinance to ensure consistency with recent changes in State law (Government Code Section 65915‐65918).

For more information, view our Frequently Asked Questions. 

Draft Text Amendments

Additional Resources

Related Legislation:

Stay Informed

The draft Objective Design Standards, Density Bonus Ordinance update are available for public comment.

A public hearing will be held before the Planning Commission on July 26, 2022 at 7:00pm at the City Council Chambers at 240 West Huntington Drive.

Please see the public hearing notice here: Public Hearing Notice