Pursuant to the Municipal Code, all residential subdivisions involving tentative maps and all parcel maps involving lands larger than one-half acre require planning commission review. In undertaking such review, the planning commission shall have the flexibility to prescribe an appropriate, specific residential density for a subdivision based on the general plan land use designation density range applicable to the site. In making such determination, the planning commission shall be guided by the appropriateness of the subdivision proposal, including an assessment of the physical constraints or limitations of the site, extent of conformance with applicable general plan policies, and the overall quality of development proposed.
TABLE 5 RESIDENTIAL DENSITIES |
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GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATION | COROLLARY ZONING DISTRICTS | RESIDENTIAL DENSITY RANGE |
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Agriculture | A-1 | 1 unit/5 acres |
Rural Residential | R-R | .5 to 1.0 units/acre |
Low Density Residential | R-1 | 1.1 to 7.3 units/acre |
Medium Density Residential | R-2 | 5.4 to 8.8 units/acre |
Medium High Density Residential | R-3 | 6.1 to 10.0 units/acre |
High Density Residential | R-4 | 10.1 to 20.0 units/acre |
Neighborhood Commercial | C-1 | 6.1 to 10.0 units/acre |
Central Business District | CBD | 10.1 to 20.0 units/acre |
Office | O-F | 6.1 to 10.0 units/acre |
Planned Commercial | P-D Overlay | 6.1 to 10.0 units/acre |
In making the latter determination, the planning commission shall be guided by the following:
A. The extent to which the subdivision meets all applicable criteria of the city's subdivision regulations and the State Subdivision Map Act, and including an assessment of conformance to lot area, width and depth criteria of this title, and provision of adequate access, drainage and other infrastructure improvements;
B. Provision of substantial open spaces, either retained in a natural state or improved pursuant to an approved landscape plan, available for use by subdivision residents and/or the public;
C. Installation of on- or off-site improvements for benefit to the general public, including public buildings, benches, playgrounds, tot lots and art, as appropriate, beyond that which may be required under city or state regulations;
D. Use of innovative subdivision design features in response to physical site constraints and opportunities, including clustered unit designs, pedestrian and bicycle pathways/connections to adjoining land uses and provision of additional yard setbacks for structural development;
E. Inclusion of high quality of architecture for housing, as determined by the design review process. This shall include an assessment of the use of building materials and colors, building heights, building volumes, building placement relative to lot sizes, landscaping of lots and the visual character of proposed development relative to that of surrounding neighborhoods;
F. Other criteria as considered acceptable and pertinent by the planning commission.
All residential subdivision applications shall be presumed to fall within the lower one-third threshold of the general plan land use designation's density range applicable to the site. Only those projects which exemplify quality development through provision of development criteria as outlined in this section, as determined by the planning commission, have potential for approval at higher density ranges, except as noted below.
(prior code § 8-1.5303(B); Ord. 97-03 § 2 (part))