Planning & Transportation Commission - August 26, 2026

Commission recommends ROLM(E) clarification in 3-1 vote

The Planning and Transportation Commission recommended that the City Council approve an ordinance clarifying that multifamily housing may be permitted with a conditional use permit in the ROLM(E) zoning district. At the same time, commissioners urged the council to consider a future Comprehensive Plan amendment that would remove housing as a potential use, at least in that district, because of concerns about projects allowed under state law.

The motion passed 3-1, with Allen Akin, Bart Hechtman and Todd James voting yes and Bryna Chang voting no. Staff characterized the ordinance as a correction of an internal code inconsistency rather than approval of a housing project or creation of a by-right residential use. Any proposal would still require a conditional use permit, compliance with RM-20 standards, project-level findings and applicable environmental review.

Supporters said the clarification would restore the city's prior intent while leaving individual proposals subject to site-specific review. Commissioners nevertheless raised concerns that state housing and density-bonus laws could limit local discretion over development in environmentally sensitive Baylands areas. Kevin Ji favored continuing the item for further analysis, while Chang said her opposition was intended to emphasize risks involving habitat, sea-level rise and climate change. A public commenter also sought additional environmental and legal review before the city proceeded.

The recommendation now goes to the City Council, which will also decide whether to pursue the proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment concerning housing in ROLM(E).

Commissioners press for retained protections in SOFA standards rewrite

Commissioners generally supported the city's approach to creating objective design standards for the roughly nine-block South of Forest Area, while repeatedly asking staff to preserve existing measurable protections wherever legally possible. The study session produced feedback rather than a formal recommendation or vote.

Staff plans to retain existing objective requirements such as setbacks and building heights while translating applicable subjective guidance into measurable standards for streamlined and ministerial housing review. The proposal would align SOFA with the city's three-track review system, leaving subjective guidelines available for projects undergoing discretionary review.

Historic-resource procedures remain an area for further work. Staff proposed aligning SOFA with citywide review practices, consolidating applicable historic properties into the citywide inventory and retaining SOFA demolition protections. Bryna Chang asked staff to verify and reconcile the SOFA 2 and citywide property lists before returning with a recommendation.

Commissioners also requested prominent language explaining when newer zoning rules or state law supersede older SOFA plan provisions. Allen Akin suggested considering a redlined summary of changes, while public commenters called for clear explanations and continued protection of daylight, privacy, landscaping, building transitions and neighborhood scale.

Staff will draft the standards and return to the Planning and Transportation Commission and Architectural Review Board for feedback. Adoption hearings are anticipated in the first quarter of 2027.

Separate-sale ADU rules will return to the commission

Staff reported that the City Council, after approving the broader accessory dwelling unit ordinance on Aug. 17, requested further commission recommendations on provisions addressing the separate sale of ADUs. Staff plans to bring that component back to the commission before returning it to the council before the end of the year.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting agenda