TO: HONORABLE CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING
COMMISSION
FROM: Carl Stiehl, City Planner
PREPARED BY: Dennis Watts, Senior Planner
SUBJECT:
title
Residential Objective Design Standards Update (MCA-2026-00013)
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RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
That the Planning Commission receive the staff presentation and adopt a Resolution recommending that the City Council:
1. File a Notice of Exemption finding that the project is exempt from CEQA, and
2. Adopt an ordinance that includes the final revised Residential Objective Design Standards and Code Amendment related to Development Code Chapters 16.08, and 16.16 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 TO AMEND THE MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AND MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS
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ENVIRONMENTAL
The project has been evaluated pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The proposed action is exempt from CEQA as this meets the required actions of CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, Projects Consistent with a Community Plan or Zoning. The project involves direction to staff to adopt and implement Design Standards, which will not cause a significant environmental impact and implements 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 Planning Commission recommend that the City Council find that the project is exempt from CEQA, accept the NOE and direct staff to file the document.
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.
On September 5, 2023, the City Council adopted Ordinance 595-23, which adopted the ODS.
On April 22, 2026, the Planning Commission held a workshop to discuss the current draft of the grant-funded Residential Objective Standards Update and provided staff direction regarding the Commission’s concerns related to housing standards.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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.
BACKGROUND
Over the past five years, the state has been amending its housing laws to accelerate residential development and remove the City’s discretion by requiring ODS. On September 5, 2023, the City Council adopted Ordinance 595-23, which adopted the ODS. The City benefited from a grant by the State (LEAP Grant) to hire a consultant, Placeworks, to prepare the ODS and corresponding code amendments. As more legislation is passed amending state laws to help facilitate housing development, staff is initiating the first update of the City’s ODS to be paid for with grant funding. SCAG’s Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) Grants of 2021 or (REAP 2.0) is a $560 million program administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), in collaboration with the governor’s Office of Planning and Research, the Strategic Growth Council, and the California Air Resources Board. REAP 2.0 is designed to accelerate progress toward California housing and climate goals through strengthened partnerships with local governments (Source: SCAG REAP 2.0 Fact Sheet). Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) assists SCAG in distributing and implementing REAP funding and goals. WRCOG has several professional consultants on contract to provide services to member jurisdictions. To keep up with amendments to state housing law and to take advantage of state grant programs, the City entered into an agreement with WRCOG to receive professional consultant assistance, which will be paid for by the grant. As part of this assistance, SCAG/WRCOG have approved a scope of work to update the City’s ODS, by Placeworks with the same consultant team that assisted the City in creating the original ODS in 2023. The costs are paid by WRCOG through the REAP 2.0 Grant Program, and the City incurs no costs.
STATE LAW
On September 28, 2022 the Governor signed The Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act Assembly Bill 2011 (AB 2011) into law, which went into effect on July 1, 2023. The bill is one of many new laws intending to increase housing development in the State which were passed in recent legislative sessions. AB 2011 requires local governments to approve affordable housing development in zones that allow office, retail or parking uses as a principally permitted use, such as the City’s commercial, office, and innovation zones with a ministerial by-right permit process without discretionary review, a public hearing, or a requirement for a rezone if the project satisfies specified objective planning standards. Ministerial by-right review limits the City’s review of projects to being based on state law requirements and the City’s standards, without any subjective judgment. Additionally, AB 2011 requires a City to approve housing projects with a ministerial review within a streamlined timeframe.
On September 29, 2017, the Governor signed Senate Bill 35 (SB 35) into law, which went into effect on January 1, 2018. The bill was one of California’s 2017 Housing Package of 15 bills intended to provide an injection of new regulatory and financial resources for housing development in cities. SB 35 requires local governments to approve a qualifying affordable multi-family housing development on residentially zoned land with a ministerial by-right permit process without discretionary review or a public hearing. Additionally, SB 35 requires a City to ministerially approve the project within a streamlined timeframe.
Due in part to the above laws, on September 5, 2023, the City Council adopted Ordinance 595-23, to amend the Development Code to implement the City’s Multi-Family Residential and Mixed-Use Residential ODS. This is in conformance with AB 2011, SB 6 and SB 35 while imposing certain restrictions that allow for greater local control through objective standards on these types of projects. Without these local control measures, the approval of Multi-Family Residential and Mixed-Use Residential projects utilizing AB 2011, SB 6 or SB 35 based solely on the default standards in the Development Code, without appropriate regulations governing project design, site planning, building massing, height, setback, landscape, building type, architectural review and similar criteria would threaten the character of existing neighborhoods and negatively impact property values, personal privacy and fire safety. The state continues to pass laws similar to those noted above and therefore it is important for the City to have an ODS that covers all potential residential development, whether single-family, multi-family, ADU, mixed-use or any other type.
AMENDED OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS AND ORDINANCE
Currently, the ODS applies only to Multi-Family and Mixed-Use Residential Development throughout the City. The amendment proposes to apply the ODS to a residential projects in the City, including single-family and duplex housing types, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s), and update various standards contained within the multi-family/mixed-use portion of the ODS. Since the ODS will contain standards for single-family housing types, it will be renamed the Residential Objective Design Standards. There is currently a map of the city showing where the ODS apply. With the inclusion of the updated ODS that will now include single-family design standards, this map will be deleted as the ODS will apply city-wide. The updated ODS (Attachment 3) is in a strikeout (deleted text)/underline (added text) format so the changes can be seen. 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 include Development Code Chapters 16.08 and 16.16. The changed language is shown in Exhibit A of the Resolution.
Single-Family Objective Design Standards
The current ODS does not regulate single-family development proposed in any of the City’s less dense single-family zones. Standards similar in format to the multi-family standards are proposed for single-family and duplex housing types in any zone. Additionally, in recent years, staff have experienced an increase in projects proposing a mix of residential building types, which includes multiple buildings containing a single unit or two units in various different zones. The development community has commented to staff that the existing standards do not align when applied to buildings of these types in multi-family zones when less dense product types, such as duplexes, rather than apartment buildings with numerous units, are proposed in a project.
The new single-family standards address the single-family and duplex housing types in all zones. The standards contained in each chapter address General Site Standards (Chapter 2), Building Types (Chapter 3), and Architectural Styles (Chapter 4). Most of the existing standards are being preserved and will apply to all residential types, whether single-family or multi-family. One of the more prominent areas being addressed is the provision of design standards for the more recent site design layouts staff have been experiencing, which feature a cluster of units served by an internal private drive aisle that serves as vehicular access and, in some cases, also serves as the entry to the units (see image below).
The ODS provides different requirements based on whether the layout falls under one of the following types:
(1) Residential Drives
(2) Residential Alleys
(3) Residential Lanes
(4) Residential Lane Courts
Below is an example of the standards for “Lane Courts” which would be the standards to apply to the site exhibit shown above.
The single-family housing types will be subject to the following architectural design standards depending on the zone:
(1) Mission- Spanish colonial Revival
(2) Craftsman
(3) American Mercantile (Downtown Only)
(4) Tuscan
(5) Modern
(6) Farmhouse
Accessory Dwelling Unit Standards - New proposed ADU design standards provide guidance and development standards in which an ADU can be built on a property for the following various scenarios: (1) An ADU attached to the main residence, (2) A detached ADU, (3) an attached ADU on the second floor, and (4) multiple ADU’s, which may include a JADU. The ODS identifies how and where parking requirements can be met, access paths to the unit, and architectural design elements. These standards can be found in Section 3.5.
Conversion of Existing Residential Space Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit
Multi-Family and Mixed-Use Standards - Based on feedback from the development community and staff, amendments are proposed to address some of the concerns raised by allowing flexibility in less dense unit types, such as the duplex unit type in multi-family. As noted earlier in this report regarding access types (drives, alleys, lanes, lane courts), new design standards are proposed to address an area that warrants updating. The development community has commented to staff on recent projects that the current building separation requirement between buildings on the same lot or parcel creates difficulties in meeting the case density for a multi-family zone. The standard (Section 2.1.1.d., page 21) currently requires a building separation of 10 feet between two single-story structures, 15 feet between two-story structures, and 20 feet between three-story structures. The distance separation is being changed to five feet between structures, to provide flexibility in meeting the ODS on these types of projects. Building and Fire Code separation requirements and standards may still apply and may require additional separation from these distances depending on the project. Without this change it has been difficult for developers to meet the larger standard with less dense product types, such as duplexes and triplexes.
Another amendment involves reducing the minimum parking lot finger landscape planter width from nine (9) feet to five (5) feet (Section 2.2 Parking, pg. 32). This change is also necessary to provide more flexibility in parking lot site design for projects.
The update involves some reorganization of the ODS, and the standards remain primarily the same throughout the document; however, they are packaged more efficiently. The document will appear to show wholesale changes in strikeout and underline, but it is due to the reorganization of the standards rather than the standards themselves, little is changing within each chapter of the document. The substantive changes, mainly within Chapter 2, are noted above.
For reference the currently adopted ODS can be found at the link below: <https://www.murrietaca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10650/MultiFamily-and-MixedUse-Residential-Objective-Design-Standards>
WORKSHOP INPUT
On April 22, 2026 staff provided a presentation to the Commission on the draft ODS update. The Commission provided feedback on the current ODS, state housing law and the general approach to housing development, including related to more recent projects in the City.
The Commission provided direction to staff to consider preparing incentives or waivers to facilitate the development of more senior (55 and over) residential development in the City, whether affordable or market-rate. In recent years, the City has permitted dozens of housing projects, and only one, the Oak View Ranch Senior Project (Phase 2), as part of the City’s Oak View Ranch Project on Adams Avenue, has deed-restricted senior housing units. No other developers have proposed projects in recent years to provide this type of housing. As noted at the workshop, staff can consider the Commission’s request in a future code amendment. Staff has multiple Housing Element implementation measures to address, including future code amendments where senior housing incentives could be proposed. Staff plans to return with more housing-related code amendments in the coming years.
FINDINGS
Findings for approval of a development code amendment are required under Section 16.58.080.
1. The proposed amendments ensure and maintain internal consistency with all of the objectives, policies, general plan land uses, programs and actions of all elements of the general plan;
FACTS: The proposed project is the modification of the City’s Objective Design Standards and a Development Code Amendment (MCA 2026-00013), specifically Chapters 16.08 and 16.16, to incorporate the ODS in the Development Code by reference. The standards have been amended to provide specific, detailed standards for single-family, duplex residential projects, and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU). The amendment also included limited changes to the existing standards to clarify the standards and provide adjustments due to feedback from the development community. The standards are consistent with the land use program approved as part of the General Plan Update in July 2020 and the adopted Housing Element from June 2023, and therefore by extension does not conflict with the goals and polices of the elements that have bearing on or are impacted by, residential land uses, such as the Circulation Element, Infrastructure Element, Healthy Community Element, Conservation Element, Recreation and Open Space Element and the Safety Element. The proposed standards and the associated ordinance amendment for single-family residential development in the City have been drafted to ensure and maintain consistency with the General Plan.
2. The proposed Objective Design Standards and Code Amendments would not be detrimental to the public convenience, health, safety or general welfare of the city;
FACTS: The standards will promote the health, safety, and welfare of the City through the implementation of these standards with each project. There are no land use changes proposed as part of the project, and therefore, no potential environmental impacts associated with the project. New housing that is potentially developed in the future, consistent with the standards, the City’s General Plan and Development Code, is beneficial to the public convenience, health, safety, and general welfare of the City as additional housing in the City, county, and state is much needed at all affordability levels and in all housing types according to state housing policy. Future housing consistent with the standards will be appropriately designed pursuant to the City’s existing and proposed development standards.
3. The proposed amendment is internally consistent with other applicable provisions of the development code.
FACTS: The code amendment involves referencing the ODS in the Development Code in Chapter 16.08 (Single Family Residential Development) and 16.16 covering Planned Residential Development (PRD) and Transit Oriented Development (TOD). The Development Code Amendment has been drafted to integrate and implement these processes through the necessary sections of the Development Code and thereby is internally consistent.
4. The proposed amendments are in compliance with the provision of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA);
FACTS: The project has been evaluated pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Objective Design Standards provide a uniform set of standards for the development of residential types of projects in the City. The proposed action is exempt from CEQA as this meets the required actions of CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, Projects Consistent with a Community Plan or Zoning, because it involves direction to staff to adopt and implement Design Standards, which will not cause significant environmental impact and implements a uniformly applied development policy or standard that is consistent with the General Plan. Additionally, considering that no land use changes are proposed as part of the project and no increase or decrease of residential densities is proposed there are no potential environmental impacts that would result from the project. Therefore, the project is exempt under the CEQA Guidelines as the project would not cause a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, a Notice of Exemption with supporting analysis has been prepared for recording and filing.
CONCLUSION
There remain large areas of developable single-family properties within the City. Due to changes in state housing law, without sufficient detail, architectural design and site planning techniques typically used by cities in the past to encourage good design can be disregarded by applicants unless they are objective in certain instances. The updated ODS addresses a gap in design standards for general single-family development and for less dense development types within a multi-family development. These changes provide more flexibility in site design, which may facilitate the development of more for-sale housing rather than rental housing, particularly in areas of higher density where more compact unit types can be designed.
The adoption of the updated Residential ODS provides clear expectations for a potential developer, surrounding neighborhoods, and the City in the planning and approval of a housing development of any type proposed in the City. Projects that do not meet the Residential ODS as proposed would not be able to be approved or, in some situations, may be denied by the City. Staff’s recommendation is to recommend that the City Council adopt the updated Residential ODS.
PUBLIC PROCESS
The ODS have been made available for review as part of this staff report to the Planning Commission. Additionally, a public workshop with the Planning Commission was held on April 22, 2026 to discuss the draft ODS. The existing ODS and the proposed updates to the ODS are available on the City webpage for the public to review at any time: <https://www.murrietaca.gov/1239/Multi-Family-Objective-Design-Standards>. Staff is planning to update the website at adoption to Residential Objective Design Standards.
NEXT STEPS
The updated Residential ODS will be presented to the City Council for adoption, tentatively on June 2, 2026.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution
Exhibit A - Strikeout/Underline Development Code Amendment
2. Draft City Council Ordinance
3. Draft Strikeout/Underline Changes Objective Design Standards
4. Notice of Exemption