photo credit: Google Earth
Petaluma has potentially many site for potential growth

Responding to the state's housing crisis, Petaluma's city council is set to adopt rules this week that more clearly lay out what is allowed and what isn't when it comes to new housing development. 

The new proposed local rules are in recognition of an initiative out of Sacramento to eliminate certain ways housing developments have been blocked in the past.

The recent law, part of the 2019 Housing Crisis Act, reins in subjective, 'vibes-based' means used to block construction. Requiring instead, objective, measurable requirements available before an application for development is submitted.

Much of the intention is to remove some of the guesswork around winning approvals for a project. Blake Hooper is the chair of Petaluma's Planning Commission.

"Objective design standards have to be measurable, repeatable standards. They can't be, 'oh, I prefer Victorians over here,' and 'I prefer a more modern feel over there," Hooper said.

According to a recent presentation by the California League of Cities, the key difference between existing design guidelines and objective standards is the vagueness of the former. Those are often peppered with weasel words, such as should, and thus wind up open to interpretation. Objective standards in contrast use words such as 'shall,' and are measurable, easily defined and quantifiable.

The objective design guidelines if adopted in Petaluma will only affect certain larger projects, according to Hooper, allowing them to skip often contentious hearings before the planning commission, design review board and city council.

"If you're using these state laws that allow you do these large projects that are just streamlined ministerial review, this is where objective design standards come into play, if you're anything else, than you're going through the normal process," Hooper said.

Amendments to the zoning code and adoption of objective design guidelines were tentatively approved earlier this month. A vote scheduled this week, if approved, would adopt the changes at the end of March.