"Saratoga retained Lisa Wise Consulting, an urban planning and economics firm that specializes in walkable, transit-oriented communities. The goal of the meeting was to take the Village Design Guidelines from 2019 and turn them into objective design standards that would support the addition of housing in accordance with state law. SB330, also known as the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, was intended to address the state's housing shortage by expediting permit processes, increasing housing production and protecting existing housing stock."
"Saratoga development manager Cindy McCormick said while the city's guidelines require that the ground floor of buildings in commercial zones are used for commercial purposes, that could change if a property owner or developer proposes residential use under state law. The maximum building height in the Village is 35 feet, or three stories, but McCormick also said a property owner or developer could use state law to propose taller buildings with more stories."
A Nov. 17 study session addressed converting the 2019 Village Design Guidelines into objective design standards to enable additional housing under state law. The city engaged Lisa Wise Consulting to guide creation of objective standards aligned with SB330 and SB35, which aim to expedite permits, increase housing production, protect existing housing stock, and prioritize affordable projects where regional housing targets are unmet. Current Saratoga guidelines call for commercial ground-floor use and cap building height at 35 feet (three stories), but city staff said state law could permit residential ground floors and proposals for taller buildings. Residents urged preserving active commercial ground floors and scenic sight lines.
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