TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: David Chantarangsu, AICP, Development Services Director
PREPARED BY: Dennis Watts, Senior Planner
SUBJECT:
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Residential Objective Design Standards Update (MCA-2026-00013)
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ABSTRACT
The Planning Division is initiating its first update to the City’s Residential Objective Design Standards (ODS) previously adopted in September 2023, to also include Single Family, Accessory Dwelling Unit, and Duplex design standards, and to amend various existing Multi-Family design standards. The update is in response to annual changes in State legislation to facilitate residential housing, identification of current gaps in the ODS, and input from the development community. The City is utilizing a State-funded grant program (REAP 2.0) to have a professional design consultant, Placeworks, assist with the update at no cost to the City. The major changes involve designating architectural styles for single-family homes that could be built in a tract housing format and exempting custom homes from the ODS requirements in the RR and ER-1 zones.
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Conduct the public hearing;
Find that the proposed amendment is in compliance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, Section 15183, and file a Notice Exemption finding that the project is exempt from CEQA; and
Introduce and conduct the first reading of Ordinance No. 635-26 entitled: An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Murrieta, California, Amending Title 16 of the Murrieta Municipal Code to Revise the City’s Development Code (Planning Case No. MCA-2026-00013) Chapters 16.08 and 16.16 and to Amend the Multi-Family Residential and Mixed-Use Residential Objective Design Standards.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
On May 2, 2023, the City Council adopted Urgency Ordinance U-590-23 to begin implementation of the Objective Design Standards (ODS) immediately (Vote: 5-0).
On September 5, 2023, the City Council adopted Ordinance 595-23, which adopted the ODS (Vote 5-0).
On May 13, 2026, the Planning Commission recommended that City Council adopt an Ordinance amending the Development Code Chapters 16.08 and 16.16 and amending the City’s Residential ODS (Vote: 3-0-2).
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
This item aligns with the City Council goal of: maintaining a high performing organization that values fiscal sustainability, transparency, accountability and organizational efficiency relating to an administrative priority. Updating the Residential ODS continues to ensure the City requires the highest standard of residential development and reduces vulnerabilities created by state housing laws, particularly to local control of the design of residential projects.
DISCUSSION
The State legislature continues to amend its housing laws to accelerate residential development and remove local discretion by requiring objective design standards for housing and eliminating city discretion over projects. To assist cities with the creation of objective standards, the State has provided funding for local agencies to amend their subjective standards and create objective design standards. In 2023, the City of Murrieta (City) benefited from a grant (LEAP Grant) to hire a consultant, Placeworks, to assist the City in amending the Development Code and adopting the Multi-Family Residential and Mixed-Use Residential Objective Design Standards (ODS). The City is receiving assistance through the Western Riverside Council of Government (WRCOG), which has prearranged agreements with consultants to help cities amend their regulations to facilitate housing development.
Development Code Amendment and ODS Update
Currently, the ODS applies only to multi-family and mixed-use residential development throughout the City. The amendment proposes applying the ODS to all residential projects in the City by creating standards for single-family and duplex housing types, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), and updating various standards. Since the ODS will contain standards for single-family housing types, it will be renamed the Residential ODS and will apply citywide wherever housing is allowed.
The addition of objective standards for single-family, duplex, and ADUs helps remove a gap in the City’s current ODS by applying standards for these types of developments/projects. Additionally, the City has been experiencing more projects proposing single-family and duplex structures in high-density areas, and the development community and staff have experienced design challenges in applying the current ODS. Based on community and staff feedback, minor modifications to the current ODS are also proposed. Examples of the proposed amendments include changes to the distance separation requirement between buildings on the same lot and reducing the parking lot landscape planter width requirement to allow greater design flexibility.
The proposed amendments to the Development Code (Murrieta Municipal Code Title 16) are intended to incorporate the ODS into the newly relevant sections of the code, which consist of Development Code Chapters 16.08 and 16.16. The changed language is contained in Ordinance No. 635-26, and a strikeout/underline version is provided in Attachment 2. See Attachment 3, for a strikeout (deleted text)/underline (added text) version of the updated ODS. For more details and information on the state laws, state funding assistance, and ODS amendments, see the Planning Commission staff report included as Attachment 4. The ODS and Development Code amendments meet the necessary findings required by the Development Code and are contained in the Ordinance.
May 13, 2026, Planning Commission Hearing
Staff provided a presentation to the Planning Commission on May 13, 2026, with an amended recommendation to remove Chapter 5 (Standards Compliance Checklist) as the checklists will still be utilized by staff but are not necessary to be included in the ordinance. Two speakers raised concerns at the public hearing. One mentioned concern over a reduced setback between buildings to assist developers in meeting site plan constraints. Another speaker raised concerns about the limited architectural styles available for single-family custom homes. After consideration, the Planning Commission recommended approval with the following modifications:
1. Amend Section 2.1.1.d to maintain the current ten (10) foot setback between buildings rather than the staff's proposed five (5) feet.
2. Exempt the Rural Residential (RR) and Estate Residential-1 (ER-1) zones from the architectural styles requirements (Table 1.1 Architectural Styles by Zone) for projects with one house on one lot.
3. Remove Chapter 5 - Standards Compliance Checklist from the ODS, as it may be utilized by staff and updated as necessary, but is not required to be included in the ordinance.
In recommending item one (1) above, staff explained that a reduced setback assists developers design for sale duplex projects that meet the minimum density requirements in high-fire hazard severity zones, instead of building rental housing. Developers working in those areas indicate insurance for multi-unit, for-rent buildings is too expensive, or hard to obtain in high fire hazard severity zones.
The ODS in the staff report contains the changes recommended by the Planning Commission.
PUBLIC NOTICING
A public hearing notice was published in the Press Enterprise on May 22, 2026. The agenda item has been noticed in accordance with the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
CEQA AND REGULATORY OVERVIEW
The project has been evaluated pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The proposed action is exempt from CEQA because it meets the requirements of CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, Projects Consistent with a Community Plan or Zoning. The project involves directing staff to adopt and implement Design Standards that will not cause a significant environmental impact, and to implement a uniformly applied development policy or standard that is consistent with the General Plan Housing Element policy to further regulate residential development. This determination is predicated on CEQA Guidelines Section 15004, which provides direction to lead agencies on the appropriate timing for environmental review. The project(s) for which the Design Guidelines are utilized or are intended for may require preparation of an environmental document as part of their project(s) review in accordance with the CEQA Guidelines. A Notice of Exemption (NOE) has been prepared (Attachment 5). Staff recommends that the City Council find that the project is exempt from CEQA, accept the NOE (Attachment 5), and direct staff to file the document.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approving the Development Code Amendment and the amendment to the ODS has no fiscal impact. The City received assistance from a State grant administered by WRCOG to utilize a consultant, Placeworks, to prepare the ODS update. Therefore, the preparation of the ODS has been at no cost to the City.
ATTACHMENTS
ATT 1 - Proposed Ordinance No. 635-26
ATT 2 - Municipal Code Amendments-Title 16 (strikeout/underline version)
ATT 3 - Updated Residential Objective Design Standards (strikeout/underline version)
ATT 4 - PC Staff Report with Attachment 1 Only
ATT 5 - CEQA Notice of Exemption