Carmel Housing Element and RHNA ChallengesUPDATE The Housing Element Special Workshop was held Tuesday February 28th. Here are the video and slides (as pdf) from this great session. Community Meeting #2 Presentation Slides and Recording. This session provided a great education to the community who are concerned about the implications of #349 new housing units in our Village and how this may negatively impact the look and feel of our town, with all of the benefits this brings to residents, businesses and visitors alike. A few highlights from this Feb 28th meeting, this included: Preparation of the draft Housing Element includes work from TWO consulting firms.
Our City is required* by law to update our Housing Element every 8 years with a deadline of Dec 31, 2023, including RHNA alignment.
SPEAK LIVE or EMAIL As we go through this public comment and review cycle over this year, in addition to live public meeting participation our City welcomes your written comments, suggestions and questions. Please direct your email to the following Council Ad Hoc Committee and City Staff members: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected]. (especially to [email protected]) APPROVAL ORGANIZATIONS Once drafted, the Housing Element update will go through the following approval bodies, with continued opportunities for public participation along the way: a) Housing Ad Hoc Committee, b) Planning Commission, c) City Council, d) California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and e) California Coastal Commission.
GUIDELINES & ZONING Also note that the Housing Element update, and any future proposed development that comes out of it, should take into account other applicable City regulations including the Design Guidelines and Zoning to ensure compatibility with the character of Carmel-by-the-Sea. (see the Mission of this Ad Hoc Committee effort below)
* Should our City not meet this Dec 31, 2023 obligation, we risk significant fines, ineligible for INDEPENDENT RESOURCES In addition to information found on this page, there are some independent efforts, resources and groups who are pushing back on California State's HCD & RHNA requirements. Below is the original and still relevant content provided beginning in January 2023. Every 8 years, required by California State Law, our City must update the Housing Element of our General Plan. Our next update is due, all approved locally by December 2023. With the most recent RHNA #'s (Regional Housing Needs Allocation of 349 housing units for Carmel-by-the-Sea), we must include updates that reflect feasibility, processes and incentives to increase the density of our 1 square mile village, with scarce open space. Note: our City is not responsible for building of new housing, this is optionally up to developers and property owners. The Housing Element Document Outline is: The City has created an Ad Hoc Committee with Council Members Karen Ferlito & Bobby Richards on point in partnership with the City Planning Department staff. The November 2022 initial public meeting slides and recording are highlighted below and are highly recommended viewing. “The mission of the Housing Ad Hoc Committee is to provide guidance as the City updates the Housing Element of its General Plan. The Committee will participate in public outreach and education; consider opportunities and incentives for the development of affordable housing; and explore creative, tailored solutions to meet the City’s workforce and range of other housing needs while preserving the character of Carmel by-the-Sea” Work already underway is a consultant engagement scoping many possibilities about town. The Draft Housing Feasibility Study is being produced and finalized by ECONorthwest, that will include: Local Context, Market Overview, Zoning Code Review, High-Level Sites Analysis, Housing Capacity Opportunities and Recommended Actions and Potential Incentives Copied directly from the City Planning Website Page https://ci.carmel.ca.us/post/long-range-planning-initiatives, you will find the following in the Housing Element section of this page. The City has begun working on a Housing Feasibility Study which will inform the 2023 Housing Element Update. Public meetings will be held in the Fall/Winter of 2022 and throughout 2023.
Your comments and suggestions are welcome. And please reach out directly to Karen and Bobby on our City Council with your feedback as this project continues from now through December 2023. Note: This Housing Element update project is running in parallel with the Design Traditions 1.5/Carmel Architecture Design Guidelines update efforts over 2022 and 2023. Staff suggests that although there are possible interconnection points, both of these efforts can continue separately, while benefiting from being mutually aware. (example of possible intersections could include where incremental housing, especially targeted at our commercial zones, may benefit from added floors, or size) |