Agenda Item Wording:
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Ordinance Adoption - Public hearing and first reading of Ordinance No. 2024-16 to adopt Zoning Text Amendment No. 2025-01: A request by the City of Visalia to amend text within the Visalia Municipal Code Title 17 (Zoning Ordinance) to clarify and facilitate City Council adoption of Single-Family Residential Objective Design Standards and Planned Residential Development standards applicable to new single-family residential developments by Resolution rather than by Ordinance.
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Prepared by: Brandon Smith, Principal Planner, brandon.smith@visalia.city, (559) 713-4636; Paul Bernal, Planning and Community Preservation Director, paul.bernal@visalia.city, (559) 713- 4025.
Department Recommendation: Staff recommends that the City Council hold a public hearing and introduce the first reading of Ordinance No. 2024-16, to amend portions of Municipal Code Title 17 (Zoning Ordinance).
Summary:
On April 21, 2025, staff presented to the City Council a revised draft Objective Design Standards (ODS) Ordinance (Attachment 2 contains the original staff report presented to City Council). The Ordinance was intended to establish new sections in the Zoning Ordinance and finalize the Council-directed effort to prepare regulations pertaining to ODS and Planned Residential Development (PRD) Standards applicable to new single-family residential development. The effort is in response to current growth trends where developers have been utilizing smaller lot sizes and new design techniques. The standards address a range of topics that include appearance, landscaping, fences, off-street parking, and common open space areas within planned residential developments.
Following the public hearing, the City Council voted to adopt the Objective Design Standards and PRD Standards by resolution rather than by ordinance, since adoption by resolution allows for the standards to be modified or revised in the future without holding multiple public hearings. Resolution...
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