The City of West Hollywood is conducting a series of studies with feedback opportunities on multiple topics to collect public comment as part of its effort to create objective design and development standards within the City’s Zoning Ordinance that will apply to new multi-family and commercial mixed-use developments.
The first study and feedback opportunity will focus on issues surrounding the planning of parking garages and driveways. Future iterations of studies with feedback opportunities will focus on site planning, open space, and urban design; and building design, massing, architectural projections, and unit typologies.
A link to the parking garages and driveways feedback opportunity can be found on the City’s project page at www.weho.org/city-government/city-manager/objective-design-and-development-standards. This feedback phase will be open until Friday, March 3, 2023 with further feedback opportunities being released as the work progresses.
This study is part of a larger City initiative to develop objective design standards for multi-family and commercial mixed-use districts that will address community concerns about neighborhood livability, scale of residential development, impacts from new residential projects on adjacent properties and neighborhoods, and maintaining the integrity of the City’s existing residential zones.
This study includes but is not limited to the following:
- Establishing more performance-based, site-specific green space and open space requirements;
- Evaluating options for increasing permeability through site planning in new developments;
- Exploring additional, flexible options for neighborhood-scaled massing;
- Developing specific design criteria for projects that propose exceeding height limits; and
- Reviewing and updating driveway and parking design standards.
In addition, the State of California has adopted recent legislation aimed at addressing the statewide housing shortage and streamlining the review process for multi-family developments. These laws require the review of qualifying developments to be based on quantifiable, objective standards. In 2019, the City applied for and received grant funding under the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) SB 2 Planning Grant Program to support the work of updating standards and guidelines currently found in the City’s Zoning Ordinance to achieve the above goals.
The City of West Hollywood is in the process of developing proposed additions and revisions to current design standards. Due to the broad nature of this work, it is being phased according to the following categories:
- Parking and Driveway Design
- Site Planning and Development, Green Space and Open Space
- Building Design, Massing, Projections, and Unit Typologies
- Urban Design and Public Right-of-Way Frontage
In addition to these objectives, the current study is also intended to support the City’s goals for sustainability, energy efficiency, water and natural resource conservation, wildlife propagation, and climate responsive design.
The parking gate setback is a great idea. All of the buildings that have one will provide a parking place for deliveries and short visits with residents close by.
The driveway gate set backs is a practical and common sense idea. Weeks ago, that requirement could have been applied to new single family homes but the Planning Commission was inept at making that a reality due to their deer in headlights indecisiveness and cluelessness. Hopefully new commissioners will be in place when this multi-family proposal is presented.