The City of Pleasanton initiated a process to develop an updated and expanded set of objective design standards for residential development. The intent of this effort is to address recent changes in State law that seek to streamline and increase housing production, focused on making approval processes more routine and predictable for developers. 

A key component of several of these new laws is increased limitations on discretionary review processes, placing an increased emphasis on objective design and development standards as the primary criteria that may be used as the basis for project approval or denial. 

With these new criteria and procedures in place, and expecting the emphasis on objective standards to continue in future legislation, it is in the City’s interest to have a robust body of residential design and development standards (i.e. objective design standards) in place, to ensure that projects deliver high-quality design, appropriate site planning and amenities, and are compatible with surrounding neighborhoods and the community, even in the absence of discretionary review. 

The City adopted two sets of Objective Design Standards:

• Objective Design Standards for Housing Sites - standards for sites that are identified as part of the Housing Element;
• Objective Design Standards for Other Types of Residential Development - standards for smaller infill development sites in multifamily zoning districts located principally downtown and limited areas outside of downtown.

The Planning Commission has been the primary reviewing body guiding this process; City Council adopted the Objective Design Standards on January 26 and May 2, 2023.

Below are meeting materials and drafts of the objective design standards, along with the adopted versions. 

Kickoff meeting with Planning Commission
December 9, 2020

Planning Commission Meeting
January 13, 2021

Self-guided Tour Materials
Memorandum to Planning Commission

PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
SEPTEMBER 8, 2021  

PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
DECEMBER 14, 2022

CITY COUNCIL MEETING
DECEMBER 20, 2022  

PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
JANUARY 11, 2023

CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 26, 2023
RESOLUTION 23-1360

PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
APRIL 12, 2023

CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MAY 2, 2023

ODS, Housing Element Sites (Exhibit A), and Adopted ODS, R-M, C-C, and M-U Zoning Districts (Exhibit B), dated January 26, 2023 (PDF)

Adopted ODS, Housing Element Sites, dated May 2, 2023 (PDF)