Objective Design and Development Standards

Objective Design and Development Standards are an effort to streamline housing development approvals by creating fixed standards that apply to the design and build out of parcels. This includes structures, landscaping, lighting, access and more. This effort applies to multifamily housing developments, mixed-use developments (projects with both a commercial and residential component), affordable housing projects, and single-family residences in Scenic Resource areas as designated in the Sonoma County General Plan Open Space and Resource Conservation Element.  

These standards are meant to achieve County Goals and Objectives laid out in the Housing Element and State Law.   

These objectives include: 

• To comply with State housing law such as SB330 which limits local discretion on housing development projects and implement streamlined ministerial review processes for qualifying projects. 

• Implement the County’s Housing Action Plan (Housing Element programs) and provide more certainty to developers and members of the public regarding review and approval of housing development projects. 

• Reduce the cost of developing multifamily and affordable housing by reducing permitting timeframes and setting clear design expectations, promoting cost certainty. 

• Apply minimum standards to ensure housing projects are well integrated into communities without limiting creativity or innovation in design. 

• Improve the efficiency of design review permitting for single-family residential projects while preserving the county’s scenic resources. 

Updates to State housing law, including the State Housing Accountability Act and the Housing Crisis Act, limit local government ability to apply discretionary standards or deny, reduce the density of, or render infeasible housing development projects that comply with local objective standards.  

This effort is the first of multiple phases that seeks to better align current practice with local and state level regulations. The first phase will codify existing practice and set basic objective standards for these housing developments that can be deployed across Sonoma County without negatively affecting the local character of the many communities across the County.  

Additionally, the first phase sets a permitting pathway that allows for a developer to undergo a discretionary design review process if they are unable to abide by these standards, allowing flexibility for homeowners, designers, and developers while respecting the landscapes and communities that make Sonoma County unique.  

Future phases will address specific standards that apply to the many unique communities and geographies that make up Sonoma County. These will include more specific guidance that reflects local architectural design and geographic concerns and incorporate lessons learned from the first phase.  

Draft policies will be available for review and comment soon.

Draft Objective Design and Development Standards Link (Coming Soon)

A workshop introducing Objective Design and Development Standards at the Planning Commission is scheduled for September 19, 2024. The public is welcome to attend and provide comments in person. The public is welcome to submit comments in writing before the hearing as well.  A hearing discussing draft policies and recommendation for approval to the Board of Supervisors will be held at a future date.

Please leave a comment on the draft policies by emailing the project planner at Wil.Lyons@sonoma-county.org or calling (707) 565-7388 with specific feedback as we continue to draft these important policies! 

Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Objective Design and Development Standards in Sonoma County.