Guiding the future of the Architecture in our Village

Next - Steering Committee Meeting - March 31 10AM

Visit the City Meetings page for online access.  This session will continued the review of the condensed version of the Commercial adapted documents first shared March 3.    

Steering Committee Meeting - March 22

YouTube Video of this session is here. This session opened with 1 hour open public comments on architectural styles, then continued the comments on the condensed versions of the Residential and then began comments on the condensed Commercial adapted documents from March 3. The upcoming large public input workshop date is targeting mid April, date/time expected soon.

Steering Committee Meeting - March 9

Youtube video of this session is here.  This session continued the review of the condensed version of the Residential adapted documents from March 3

Steering Committee Meeting - March 3

Youtube video of this session is here.  This session began the review of the condensed version of the Residential adapted documents.

Steering Committee Meeting - March 1 

YouTube Video of this session is here. Focus is to review new and presubmitted comments on the first draft guidelines.  This included resident David ONiel's prepared feedback along with others from the public. Then each Committee Members discussed their feedback as well. Steering Committee members Don Goodhue and Doug Schmitz have focused feedback on the Commercial Guidelines drafts, while Melanie Billig and Victoria Beech have focused their input on the Residential Guideline drafts.  

DESIGN GUIDELINES - Drafts Published Feb 9th, ready for public comments & review.

Readers Guide - START HERE
Downtown Design Guidelines - first draft
Residential Design Guidelines - first draft

Feedback and Review Next  Steps

Steering Committee Meeting - Feb 8

   Youtube Video from this session is available here, that continued the agenda items set for Jan 26th, yes, again! 

Steering Committee Meeting - Feb 6

   Youtube Video from this session is available here, that continued the agenda items set for Jan 26th. Covering upcoming Design Guidelines on Accessibility (making sure the drafts reflect optimal use & flow). 

Steering Committee Meeting - Jan 26

   Primary topic for this session is the Landscape Ordinance - refresh/inclusion.  The meeting notice and agenda is available here. The YouTube Video from this session is available here.

Steering Committee Meeting - Dec 20
   This session primarily was to educate the Committee and public on the consideration of using a "Block Plane" (or "buildable envelope") approach to the allowed size and shape of buildings in our Village.  Here is the YouTube Video from this session. Here is the meeting notice for this session.  

Steering Committee Meeting - Dec 7th
     The City Agenda Details are available here. Nore Winter will be reviewing the current outline here, for comment, reflecting the structure of the upcoming draft of the Design Guidelines.  This included a presentation from the Carmel Preservation Association, the slides are here and here is a supplemental document on roof lines. Here is the YouTube from this session. 
     Prior to this Dec 7th Meeting, the Steering Committee has requested the City Council provide input on the Committee expand timeline and scope (staff report HERE) (Items included: Landscape Ordinance, consideration of new RHNA Housing, added Nore Winter deliverables and possibly Downtown Master Plan) 

Steering Committee Nov 18th
     This session explored the possible alignment points of a new updated ADU Ordinance, the Housing Element Ad Hoc Committee effort and this Design Guidelines/Zoning work. The concluding direction was that these parallel projects can and should be mutually aware but separate. For example, targeting Commercial Design Guidelines, the focus is on the street level experience, that would not likely change where higher housing density is proposed.
     Note:  Nore Winter will be sharing the anticipated outline for the Design Guidelines next week.  He is also finalizing the quantitative inputs from the workbooks in the last Public Workshop, targeting sharing this publicly in the next 2 weeks.  He will following up with key findings from the qualitative comments as well.
     Added focus of this session was on the topic priorities, with agreement that a deeper dive into the Landscaping Ordinance item is therefore targeted for the next Committee meeting. The timeline for this Guidelines project is now anticipated to run through the first half of 2023.  This Committee has a webpage with background and relevant documents here , check frequently for new items over time. The Agenda for today's session is here andsteeringcommittee.univer.se Youtube video is here.

City Council Nov 1 & Steering Committee Nov 3rd
     At Tuesday's City Council, Brandon summarized for Council the Strategy Paper and community feedback, then open again for public comments.  At the Steering Committee meeting Nov 3, the team went through the comments received from City Council and Planning Commission comments and added public comments for the drafts of Guidelines.  The critical need for capturing all inputs for consideration was raised.  Also a listing of future topics identified and prioritized.  The Agenda for the Steering Committee meeting is here and YouTube is here. 

Planning Commission - Wednesday Oct. 12th 
    This meeting covered the big topics of: community feedback for revised 5th & Dolores Project (aka The Pit and Ulrika Plaza), an update on Design Traditions, Short Term Rentals draft ordinance recommendations, and Historic Context Statement.  Here is the link to this complete meeting packet.  Here is the link to the Ulrika project staff report.  Here is the link to the Historic Context Statement, that documents architecture over the decades in our Village.  And the best information on the Design Traditions Update is included in the next topic on this page.  All of these and other items received comments from the commission and the public, with directions provided and decisions approved for next steps as appropriate. 

Community Workshop - Monday Oct. 3rd 
     This session summarized the major project findings and new table exercises to gather a new round of feedback.  Here is the Strategy Paper DRAFT. Here are the Slides from the Workshop with timelines, exercises and more. Here is the workshop handbook/homework document for your markup and delivery to City Hall by October 10th.  This handbook includes lots of area pictures of homes for public comments. Here is the YouTube as well. 

Updates as of 9/1/2022
   The Design Traditions Steering Committee has been gathering since the project inception in the spring. The Committee meetings were open to the public. The September 1 Steering Committee packet and agenda information is available Here.    This Committee work is to prepare for the broader public session set for the October 3rd.  

Updates as of 8/5/2022
    City team created a survey in mid July open to the public for their feedback (closed Aug 2), that will add to the inputs received from the public June Workshops covering Commercial and Residential architecture.  Next steps, the City will present their consolidated findings under the planned name of "Project Directions" October 3rd.

Read on for this page original content and key links to relevant materials. 

Carmel-by-the-Sea attracts visitors, future residents and residents with its natural beauty, its forest, its beach, its culture, its arts, its businesses (food, wine, retail..), and its architecture.   All of these, and more, require our care as they need upkeep, investments, engagement and preservation by all of us for future generations to enjoy.   

As covered in CRA's Voice and News You Can Use newsletters and explicit in our CRA Mission, we hope you too will express your views in the future of new and updated architecture in our Village.  Our Carmel City Planning is leading the efforts to update our Commercial and Residential Design Guidelines, along with supporting code/ordinances in this year long effort.   

Here are the existing (dated) Design Guidelines on the Carmel-by-the-Sea City website.

Here is the YouTube of the March 2022 CRA Program hosting our Director of Planning, Brandon Swanson updating our community on this upcoming project and various related State and County regulations tied to Architecture.   Here is the PDF of Brandon's presentation from this program.  

Here is the recently updated Historic Context Statement, that includes building & architecture over the decades. 

First Round of the Design Traditions Workshops - co-hosted by City Planning Staff and WinterAndCompany 

And please visit the Carmel Preservation organization web page for more on their efforts and how to participate https://carmelpreservation.com/