Project Description

Recently, the Governor signed multiple housing bills which added Section 65913.4 to the Government Code. This provides for a streamlined, ministerial approval process for certain types of multi-unit and mixed-use residential housing projects (two or more residential units), subject to certain conditions and consistent with objective zoning and design review standards. 

In response, the City has adopted new Citywide Objective Design Standards for qualifying multi-family and residential mixed-use development projects and associated code amendments to streamline reviews of small-scale housing projects to allow the Zoning Administrator to approve projects up to twenty-five units subject to the objective design standards. 

 Applicants may elect to pursue a discretionary design process and utilize the City’s current Design Guidelines in lieu of the Objective Design Standards.

Project Update

The Objective Design Standards and associated code amendments were approved by the City Council on November 20, 2023 and become effective January 3, 2024. 

On October 24, 2023 the Planning Commission recommended approval of the Objective Design Standards and zoning code amendments with modifications.

The Approved Objective Design Standards document and other associated past meeting materials can be reviewed in the Documents and Meeting sections below. 

Documents

Approved Objective Design Standards
Approved Code Amendments

Meetings

City Council Public Hearing (Hybrid) 
Date: Monday, November 20, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: City Hall Chambers, 330 W. 20^th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 
Meeting Materials: Meeting Materials & Video

Planning Commission Public Hearing (Hybrid)
Date: Tuesday October 24, 2023 
Meeting Materials: Meeting Materials & Video

Planning Commission Study Session #2 (Hybrid)
Date: Tuesday, August 8, 2023 
Meeting Materials: Meeting Materials

Community Workshop #2 (Virtual)
Date: Thursday, April 6, 2023
Meeting Materials: Slide Show, Mural Board, Meeting Video

Developer Roundtable (Virtual)
Date: Thursday, April 6, 2023
Meeting Materials: Slide Show, Mural Board, Meeting Video

Planning Commission Study Session #1
Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Meeting Materials: Meeting Video

City Contact Information

Planning Division
(650) 522-7212
planning@cityofsanmateo.org