Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Yes.

That's from the city there.

Commission is called to order at 06:30PM. Will the clerk please take roll call?

Commissioner Gaudi?

Present.

Commissioner Ireland?

Present.

Commissioner Oliveros? Commissioner Oliveros is absent. Vice chair Harvey?

Here.

Chair Price? Chair Price is absent.

At this time I'd like to join us for the pledge of allegiance to the flag. Please stand. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Evan Gorman, our Associate Planner, please give us a presentation for the design guidelines training.

Thank you so much, Vice Chair. I'm going to load up the presentation and head up to the podium. Thank you.

Thank you.

Alright. Nice to be up at the podium tonight. Thanks for thank you for that introduction. Tonight, we have design guidelines overview, a training on on our city's guidelines. What are design guidelines?

Design guidelines are the city's adopted direction for what quality development should look like in Oakley. They help decision makers, applicants, and the public evaluate whether a project fits the community's character and expectations for site planning, building design, landscaping, streetscape, and compatibility. Where did they come from? Design guidelines in American cities developed because local governments learned that traditional zoning rules were often not enough to shape the actual character and quality of the built environment. As postwar suburb suburban growth produced repetitive tract housing, projects technically met the code but still felt unattractive or incompatible.

Cities began paying greater attention to urban design, neighborhood character, and the public realm. There's two different terms here we we use a lot, development standards and design guidelines. Development standards are zoning standards. You find them typically in municipal code. They're like height, setbacks.

They regulate the overall building envelope, and those are the oldest standards that we use in planning in America. For the design guidelines, those focus on design quality, compatibility, character. They often include a mix of required and encouraged provisions. They're more interpretive, especially in older guideline documents. And they answer questions like whether the building mass is too monotonous, whether the garage dominates the frontage, and whether the project creates a good streetscape.

Finally, whether the architecture fits the intended neighborhood character. What do they look like? They look different than the municipal code. So in The US, design guidelines typically look like illustrated policy manuals. They usually include a mix of written expectations, diagrams, photos, or sketches, preferred and discouraged examples, and sometimes a combination of mandatory and encouraged language.

In Oakley, we have three documents that have design guidelines. For residential projects, we have the residential design guidelines that were passed in 2003. For commercial and industrial projects, we have the commercial and industrial design guidelines from 2005. And finally, if you're doing a project in the downtown, we have guidelines in the downtown specific plan from 2010. A commissioner, this one is was tough for me to learn in two positions. I'm a planner here for Oakley. I lived in Oakley for many years. I moved, and I'm a planning commissioner in my town. So I've had had to learn it twice. This was a a tough one for me.

A commissioner or planner's knowledge why do we use policy documents? A commissioner or planner's knowledge and instinct can be a critical part of the process, but policy documents provide a shared framework for all of us. Without one, each person may be reacting to personal taste. One likes farmhouse. One hates stucco.

One wants more brick. One just likes traditional character, that's hard for applicants to predict, hard for staff to administer, and hard to defend if a decision is challenged in court. The policy documents, they create consistency. They help ensure similar projects are judged by similar criteria. They make the process fairer.

Applicants and the public can see the standards ahead of time. They translate community preferences into adopted direction. They help staff and commissioners explain decisions. Instead of saying this doesn't just feel right, staff and commissioners can say, this project does not provide the facade articulation called for in the city's adopted guidelines. They limit arbitrary decision making.

Even when guidelines are flexible, they still narrow the field of judgment. They keep design review tied to adopted policy rather than personal taste. One thing you'll see a lot of in Oakley is we'll have you know, we we do have I feel that we have a good process for reviewing applications. So we'll see repeat applicants. You know, a developer will come to us again, and we try and ensure they have a similar process.

But it's true if we see something that didn't work the first time, we'll try and hit harder upon that during the second review. But we like to keep some consistency where where possible and appropriate. Alright. For an overview of these documents, the Oakley residential design guidelines, we work with these a lot here. They establish neighborhood layout and and design, residential siding and lot design, building massing and architectural character, streetscape and neighborhood compatibility, and they include a mix of required and encouraged provisions.

In terms of the images, we're typically looking at plotting plans like the bottom large image, or we're looking at the facades of the homes or the multifamily buildings. Some provisions are mandatory and function like minimum requirements. Other provisions are encouraged and express the city's preferred design outcome. Project applicants are required to provide sufficient visuals and information to demonstrate that the proposed project meets the provisions of the design guidelines or if not, that it achieves the intent of the design guidelines by other means. Here's an example.

Something that's mandatory in Oakley is that the minimum aggregate side yard setback between adjacent two story elements shall be 15 feet. Something that's encouraged, we work really hard with the applicant to try and achieve, is on corner lots, single story or step two story homes are encouraged because they create a more attractive yard and streetscape as the height of buildings steps up from the corner. There's areas of focus in the residential design guidelines. Neighborhood layout and design is what you first see when you open them up. They try to address this through distinct neighborhood entries, clear neighborhood edges, open space, and pedestrian bicycle connection to schools, parks, trails, and the surrounding community.

When I open up a plotting plan, I open up our residential design guidelines to go over them. Guideline these guidelines try and address this try and address this topic through variation in lot size and configuration, varied front and side setbacks, spacing between homes, privacy protections, landscaping opportunities, and garage and driveway placement intended to avoid monotonous or garage dominated landscapes. Often, we're telling people to vary that front setback so we're not just seeing a wall of homes at the same distance from the street. Building massing and architectural character. The design guidelines in this area try to address this through variation in one and two story story forms, limits on repetitive plans, special treatment of corner lots, facade articulation, prominent entries, deemphasized garages, varied roof forms, and compatible materials and colors.

We also have guidelines for commercial and industrial projects as we mentioned. Those try to address commercial and industrial site planning, building massing, and architectural character. And so just on those two topics, I was looking at a project today, and we had to look at where trucks would go through on the property, making sure trucks go through in a different area than passenger cars come in, making sure pedestrians can get around there without getting hit by trucks, making sure there's a safe pathway, that there's still landscaping even if it's industrial. You know, we try and make it look nice with some landscaping. And then on building massing and architectural character, yeah, I mean, industrial buildings have a unique look, and so it's a little less articulation, but we still have to take a look and make sure they fit in with the community.

Parking, circulation, and service area screening are involved as well as well as today, I was also looking at landscaping, lighting, and site elements, streetscape, and then the entry to the site as well. The downtown the commission and staff, we've been working in the downtown a lot lately. The Oakley downtown specific plan is broader than those other documents we just talked about. In addition to land use, circulation, and capital improvements, and also implementation measures, it also includes downtown specific plan sorry, downtown specific development standards and design guidelines just for the downtown intended to support a more pedestrian friendly mixed use downtown environment. So whereas if you're making homes in a neighborhood, a typical neighborhood you see in Oakley, we're asking you to get further away from the street.

In the downtown, we're saying, you have a max you can go from the street. We want you closer up so that it's more pedestrian focused. Here we have some examples. We have the the one on the corner of Norcross, that great building with the brick there that's hidden behind those trees, but you'll see on the next slide. And then Delta Point Plaza came to this commission in 2024 and is currently under construction back near the railroad tracks.

Alright. Here's some more examples. You may remember some of these. We took a look at the bakery last year. Within the last five years, the brick building on the corner of Norcross And Main, and then the the duplex, the 3rd Street duplex.

So we've been in the downtown quite a bit lately, and that has required us to look at the design guidelines there every time. Alright. Now how is this review presented to you? Staff's evaluation of the project's consistency with the city's design guidelines is presented in the analysis section of of the staff report and the findings within the draft resolution. So every time we have a design review, you'll see that we we have to address that.

We have to provide that backing to you, and we recommend those findings for you to review and see if you agree. Alright. I won't read this whole example, but you'll see this. The architectural character of the proposed single family homes is consistent with the applicable City Of Oakley residential design guidelines in that the proposed elevations demonstrate consistency with the design guidelines, and each proposed elevation maintains a coherent architectural style and compatible materials and detailing. So we we have to put in all this evidence and backing.

So, again, if it's challenge or or something of that nature, we have pointed to our legally established documents and that it isn't arbitrary and off the top of our heads. Alright. I I could not get away with not adding these slides. I've seen too many planners who think it's all black and white. And when a commissioner asks them a question, they always have the answer, And and that's just not how it works.

So when there are gaps, you know, the private construction and development industry typically changes at a pace faster than local governments can move. Our team does have to make interpretations when the industry shifts in a way that affects how we review them, such as when lots be became smaller on average over the last decade. You know, a lot of interpretation had to be made there, and then we try and present that in the staff report, try and make it work and make it as consistent with the original documents as we can. We sometimes must base review on precedent when the adopted rules do not cleanly answer a new industry trend or were presented with an edge case. If something isn't addressed, we'll see what the planning commission approved in the past when we had an edge case and we'll try and match that, especially if we have a repeat applicant, you know, and they experienced that same interpretation in the past.

We really wanna carry that over so it's not a surprise to them if we interpret it differently. But if we get different direction from the planning commission, something like that, then we can change that precedent. We may set areas of emphasis to make sure we catch something if it's caused issues in the past, such as screening equipment. You know, each planner, they may hold specific ones, but we'll talk amongst ourselves as staff on what we really wanna make sure we get down, like equipment is screened. We want consistent pain on our developments, for example.

So we've been adding a condition there that it's not splotchy or or there's overspray. And then pedestrian walkway connectivity. I noticed I'm walking around a lot and you can't find the pathway in the middle of a shopping center and we don't want that. So if we run into something like that, then it's like, let's emphasize that we want that. So you may run into situations like that.

Or the commission may specifically keep bringing up that you see this issue in development and you want it addressed. And so we will keep that in mind as well. Alright. Now objective design standards. I'm a little nervous because I didn't plan to animate that slide, but it did, so we'll see how it goes.

Over the last several years, the California State Legislature has passed laws intended to smooth out the process of building housing in all cities. State law increasingly limits our review to objective standards. Objective design standards are quantifiable and measurable design standards that can help streamline the review of different types of residential development. And so those start to look a little bit more like zoning standards. They'll say your 1st Floor can be this tall and at this many feet across, your wall needs to be broken up so that it's not one plain, flat, blank wall.

You know? And so the state's looking for more measurement because they don't want it to be where a developer comes in and it's all vibes. They don't want that. They want a developer to be able to come in and want to bring housing to a community, and they can make sure they meet the city's measurements and then be a little bit more certain that they have a higher chance of approval if they meet the city's standards. We have some examples.

At least two materials shall be used on any facade in addition to glazing and railings. So that way you get some variety in materials. Dwelling units that abut a street shall orient the primary entryway towards the street. All building elevations shall employ a building base at least three feet in height faced with stone or brick. And so it's a tough balance because we don't want those cookie cutter developments like we talked about, but we also want to make it a little bit more predictable when they come in.

And so certain projects under certain state laws can come in and they can only be reviewed under objective standards. And so it's just something to keep in mind. With that in mind, our team is seeking to implement objective design standards so that we can ensure new development fits well in our community. Right now, if they're not robust enough or built up enough, a development could come in, be protected by those state laws, and maybe they wouldn't fit in with our community if we don't have the right standards set in place. So we wanna make sure we get those in place.

We had a workshop on this that the vice chair was nice enough to attend about a year and a half ago. And then you will hear more about this later this year as we work to develop these objective design standards that are a little bit less descriptive, more measurable. Alright. So that's our overview on the design guidelines and we're happy to answer any questions you have. We really appreciate the opportunity to go over it tonight.

So for the objective design standards, we're looking at the '26, probably?

Yeah. On the schedule right now, it's to bring it to you guys for a work session on late spring or in the middle of spring, early summer, late spring. We wanna make sure right now that we're on the right track. We we worked with the community and made sure we we thought about that before moving forward. Now that we have a little bit more direction, we wanna make sure we're on the same page with the decision makers. So we'll come back for a work session on those, get your feedback, and then finalize them and send them to you hoping by the end of the year. Yes.

Any other questions?

Yes. So sorry.

I'm a

little close there. So, obviously, the design standards are going through a review right now because of these objective design standards that we all know we need. I'm so glad to hear that. I'm just trying to better understand the process for how often are outside of this event or these things going on that are being updated, how often would they be looked at typically?

Yeah. I think I think I'm gonna see if Ken wants to answer this just because he has such a long tenure here. My understanding, I'll let mister Cerillo correct this is, the city hasn't looked at our residential design standards since they were approved in 2003. Does that sound correct?

Yeah. So the dates that have been provided early on in the presentation, those are the original design standards design guidelines, I mean, that were adopted by the city, and they have not been revised or comprehensively updated since then. So as Evan had mentioned, one of the one of our key goals right now is to try to try to get those objective design standards in place because we feel like while our design guidelines are somewhat older than than some cities, they they still are working quite well for us for the most part for residential and commercial projects. So we don't feel a big rush or push to get those done now. The objective design standards is is the main goal.

So as a follow-up question to that, just because I'm trying to understand the process, What is the process for approval? Obviously, I assume staff will come up with a suggestion, but where does it go from there and review approval? You mentioned a work session, but what does that look like to update the design standards?

Yeah. Absolutely. You got it. So this year, we'll be bringing a work session. Typically, you know, some cities, they'd bring it straight to you for approval, but then you don't that's the the common situation you'll see as a commissioner where you're like, well, I haven't had any input, and now you just want me to approve it. And so we don't want that. So we're bringing first the work sessions to you guys to make sure we're on the right track. We'll still have draft guidelines for you to review that are substantial. And then from there, we'll have a work session with the council. We'll then finalize a draft of the guidelines, bring that to you for review the public's review, your review, and and potential approval.

And then finally, it'll go to council for their reviewed adoption, and then we'll use it every day.

Thank you. I appreciate the the alignment with the clarity.

Yeah. You got it. Thank you, Commissioner.

I don't really have a question, but I do take notice in the neighborhoods on the designs and stuff like that. I have noticed, like, know, why was that house right there? And it makes sense the way you put it in there and explained it to us. And I appreciate the explanations and stuff like that. Even at the new Safeway, like having the little lines down so people can have a walkway without walking behind the cars and stuff like that makes a big difference just for the families.

Thank you. And, yeah, thank you, commissioner. And, yeah, just walking through. But even our new developments, I walked through there and I'm like, oh, I want more connectivity here or there. So I think we'll all work together to refine it.

Thank you. Thank you for your report.

Thank you so much.

Okay. We're now at the public comments section. At this time, public comments will be heard. If for any items that are not on the agenda, I don't have any public speaker cards at this time nor do I believe we have received any by email. So we will move on. We will now move on to the consent calendar. And our item number 3.1 to approve minutes from the regular planning commission meeting held on 03/03/2026. Those minutes were taken by Kim Snodgrass, city clerk. Is there any discussion on this? Would anyone like to make a motion to approve the consent calendar which is our minutes?

I'll make a motion to approve the consent calendar.

Item 3.1.

I'll second.

Can we take a vote? Will the clerk please take a roll call vote?

Commissioner Gaudi? Aye. Commissioner Ireland?

Aye.

Vice chair Harvey?

Yes.

Item 3.1 passes three to zero.

Alright. Moving on. We have no public hearings at this time. We do not have any regular calendar items today. We'll move on to reports. Are there any reports from staff that we have not received yet?

No real reports to provide. Just a reminder, the next planning commission meeting will be held on May 5. Thank you.

Would any of our commissioners like to make any reports or experiences in the community that you'd like to bring before the commission?

Yeah. Yes. I do. I have a written report here because it was a little bit to remember, so I apologize for reading off my notes here. But I did attend the twenty twenty six planning commissioner academy hosted by the League of California cities.

The academy covered a range of topics relevant to planning commissions, including changes in housing state housing law, environmental review under CEQA, development review process, infrastructure coordination, and disaster resilience. One of the the core themes throughout the conference was the increased role of state housing legislation in shaping decision making. Several sessions discussed how objective design standards are becoming more important in state law and now requires approval of certain housing projects when those standards are met. So as a general comment, I'm thoroughly thrilled to see that we're taking an active or being proactive about updating our our standards. It was very clear in this planning commit or in this planning commissioner's academy that that's kinda something that most planners in the state are really taking a hard look at.

There were also sessions focused on the development review process, early coordination between applicants and staff, environmental analysis, public hearings, and a variety of other topics. Of particular note was there was some extensive discussion about resilience planning, particularly how land use affects emergency response and evacuation. There was a very informative presentation by a planning commissioner from Santa Rosa speaking about the fire they had in 2018 and what the rebuilding process looked like, as well as a few other topics like AI, how it can help with, essentially, with staff document review and research. Overall, it was really useful, I found, about legal framework, planning concepts, development proposals. I found it quite informative.

I think one comment I would like to make is while I think it's considered as an initial training opportunity for new planning commissioners, which I am, I found that there's quite a bit of information about how frequent laws, practices continue to evolve. I think ongoing or periodic attendance by planning commissioners, not just when they're joining the commission, would be beneficial, and I hope that's something we'd consider. I did prepare a longer written report going into these topics and details that I've shared with staff. I'm sure if any other commissioners would like to read it, staff could share it with them. Thank you.

Thank you. I

just will add that I attended the same function, and I'm not going to reiterate everything that Mr. Eiland said, but it was very informational. It gave a lot of insight on what's going on in the communities and listening to what other cities are going through and how they are going through the planning process. So, you know, we have our it put a little more design on how we're supposed to respond to things in the way that the planning process is supposed to be made. There's a lot of classes that were combined with other ones, which I would like Mr.

Allen has stated that I would have liked to have taken, but you had to choose one or the other. And as he has stated, it's something that I find very informational and very great to attend even when we're even if we have been a seasoned planning commissioner or not. So, like, as he said, if it's possible to go when they're there, then it would be great to be able to go again.

Okay. Thank you. Do any commissioners have any requests for future agenda items?

So I'm not sure if this is appropriate for an agenda item or an offline discussion, but, again, one of the things that I mentioned that was discussed to kinda I hadn't quite considered as probably fully as I should was this concept of resiliency planning, and it's something that I think I'd like to understand better. I don't know if the rest of the commission would with how we look at things like evacuation routes, fire response, even medical response when needed in cases of disasters for new projects, new development that comes up. So I don't know if that's a work session, a staff report. I'm not sure what the appropriate measure for that is, but I'd like to better understand how that is incorporated into development in Oakley.

And that's a good point. There has been ongoing discussion for quite a while, especially about the East Cypress Corridor regarding resiliency planning because we did have some issues in the past with fire evacuation, and there are still some ongoing issues with access. It is a good point.

Yeah. If there's a second to that request, staff will be providing more educational and presentation types of items for the planning commission here, in in the spring and summer. And this is that's another topic we can look into providing you more information on. So if somebody does want a second commissioner Ireland's

request we

can add notes to bring that to bring that forward to you sometime this year.

Alright. Well at this time there being no further business this meeting is adjourned.