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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Second Reading of Ordinance 635-26 approving the City’s Residential Objective Design Standards Update and Development Code Amendment to Chapters 16.08 and 16.16 (MCA-2026-00013)
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ABSTRACT
The City Council held a public hearing on June 2, 2026, to consider an update to the City’s Residential Objective Design Standards and Development Code Amendment to Chapters 16.08 and 16.16. to also include Single Family, Accessory Dwelling Unit, and Duplex design standards, and to amend various existing Multi-Family design standards. The amendment would update and make all residential development subject to the City’s Residential Objective Design Standards.
RECOMMENDATION
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Conduct the second reading and adopt Ordinance 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 Development Code Chapters 16.08 and 16.16 to revise the City’s Residential ODS (Vote: 3-0-2).
On June 2, 2026, the City Council authorized staff to file a Notice of Exemption and introduced and amended Ordinance No. 635-26, amending Development Code Chapters 16.08 and 16.16 to update the City’s Residential Objective Design Standards.
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
On June 2, 2026, the City Council introduced Ordinance 635-26, approving an update to the City of Murrieta’s (City) Residential ODS by amending Chapters 16.08 and 16.16 of the Murrieta Municipal Code. The City received a public comment letter from the California Housing Defense Fund (CalHDF) raising issues regarding the proposed Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Section 3.5 of the proposed ODS. Following staff presentation and discussion with the City Council, the introduction of the ordinance included modifications to the original recommendation as follows:
§ Remove Section 3.5 (Accessory Dwelling Units) from the ODS, return that section to staff to work on related to the issues raised in the letter from CalHDF, and bring back to a future meeting for consideration.
§ Require six (6) architectural features for projects over 50 units. This change affects Sections 4.7 (Mission - Spanish Colonial Revival), 4.8 (Craftsman), 4.9 (American Mercantile), 4.10 (Tuscan), and 4.12 (Farmhouse).
§ Amend Section 2.2.1.d to Single Unit and Two Unit (Duplex) residential structures on the same lot (not attached) shall maintain a minimum building separation of at least five (5) feet, subject to Building and Fire Code requirements. Residential structures three (3) units or more on the same lot (not attached) shall maintain a minimum building separation of at least ten (10) feet, subject to Building and Fire Code requirements.
These modifications are reflected in the Residential Objective Design Standards in Exhibit A of Ordinance No. 635-26.
PUBLIC NOTICING
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
CEQA AND REGULATORY OVERVIEW
At its meeting of June 2, 2026, the City Council determined that the amendment was in compliance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines, Section 15183, and that no further analysis was required under CEQA in connection with the approval of the amendment and authorized staff to file a Notice of Exemption.
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 - Ordinance No. 635-26