Objective standards are clear, measurable rules that do not rely on personal opinion.
Example:
Subjective: “Equipment should be screened from view”
- Objective: “Equipment shall be screened from view by a parapet wall or similar feature”
These standards will apply to multifamily residential zones (areas that allow two or more homes on a property), including RM-10, RM-20, RM-30, and RM-40 zones.
The city is creating clear, measurable design standards for multifamily housing (such as apartments and townhomes). These standards will make development requirements easier to understand, streamline the review process for eligible housing projects, and support high-quality design throughout Upland.
State law now requires cities to use objective (clear and measurable) standards when reviewing certain housing projects.
Upland committed to creating these standards as part of its state-certified Housing Element to support new housing opportunities, reduce delays in project review, and ensure fair and consistent decision-making.
Topics may include:
- Building design and appearance
- Site layout and parking
- Landscaping and open space
- Materials, lighting, and screening
As part of its State-certified Housing Element, the City of Upland committed to adopting Objective Design Standards for multifamily housing. These standards will support compliance with State law, help streamline housing approvals, and maintain quality design while reducing subjectivity.
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Subjective |
Objective |
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Provide design preferences and flexibility for when and how to apply the development standards/guidelines. |
Provide measurable and specific direction for when and how to apply development requirements. |
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Provide poorly defined, ambiguous, and unmeasurable direction for when and how to apply development requirements. |
Utilizes photographs and graphics, where needed, to clarify standards. |
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Involves personal judgement by a public official or decision maker due to the lack specificity in direction provided. |
Involves no personal judgment by a public official or decision maker. |
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Example |
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Rooftop mechanical equipment should be screened from public view by a parapet wall, decorative equipment screen, or other architectural treatment. |
Rooftop mechanical equipment shall be screened from public view by a parapet wall, decorative equipment screen, or other architectural treatment. |
Objective design standards will apply in residential zones that currently allow two or more dwelling units. The applicable zones are RM-10, RM-20, RM-30 and RM-40 and are shown on the map below. Eligible projects must be either:
- Multifamily projects (2 or more dwelling units, not including mixed use); or
- Meet affordability requirements (minimum percentage of affordable housing eligible for Senate Bill 35)
Objective Design Standards must address a range of key design topics and will be designed to meet the unique needs of Upland. Objective Design Standards are tailored to local conditions and the context of the different areas where they apply within the City. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The most important topics for regulations will be determined during the outreach phase. This includes which topics will be precisely regulated through standards and which topics the ODS will not regulate to allow creativity and flexibility. The project will not change existing zoning standards such as building heights, density or setbacks. The following topics may be included:
- Site Design & Massing: Transitions from Adjacent Properties, Maximum Building Length, Orientation, Parking Type and Location
- Building Design & Articulation: Frontage Types, Ground Floor, Entries, Façades, Roof Forms, Open Space, Building Type
- Building & Landscape Details: Materials, Color, Awnings, Screening and Fencing, Exterior Lighting, Signage, Landscaping
The City values your input in helping shape the Objective Design Standards. We encourage you to share your feedback by completing our visual preference survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/UplandODS_VisualPreferenceSurvey.
Please continue to visit this page for the latest updates, including upcoming meeting dates and draft work products. For additional questions, contact the Planning Division at planning@uplandca.gov.
To help address California’s housing shortage, State law requires cities to adopt clear and objective standards when reviewing certain housing developments. These laws are intended to make the approval process more predictable, consistent, and efficient.
The City of Upland is preparing Objective Design Standards in compliance with these requirements. This project is funded through the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Subregional Partnership Program (SRP) 2.0, which supports local efforts to implement Housing Element programs and accelerate housing production.
To address the housing shortage, recent State legislation, including Senate Bill (SB) 35 and SB 330, requires projects to be reviewed against objective standards. Objective standards include a broad set of standards used by an agency to regulate development, including “objective zoning standards,” “objective subdivision standards,” and “objective design review standards.” Objective standards are the only basis a local agency may use to deny or reduce the density of certain eligible projects.
Housing Accountability Act (SB 167, 2017)
The Housing Accountability Act (HAA), first passed in 1982, prohibits a jurisdiction from denying or reducing the size of housing developments that are compliant with its zoning code and other objective standards. SB 167 prevents jurisdictions from disapproving housing development projects for very low-, low-, or moderate-income households or emergency shelters without specific factual findings.
Affordable Housing Streamlined Approval Process (SB 35, 2017)
SB 35 requires jurisdictions to streamline review and approval of eligible affordable housing projects by providing a ministerial approval process, exempting such projects from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Development projects are eligible for the streamlined, ministerial approval process under SB 35 if they meet certain criteria, including affordability and locational criteria.:
The streamlined, ministerial entitlement process created by SB35 relies on Objective Design Standards.
Housing Crisis Act (SB 330, 2019)
SB 330 is intended to reduce the time it takes to approve housing developments by:
- Allowing a housing developer to “freeze” the applicable fees and development standards that apply to a project while the rest of the material necessary for a full application submittal is assembled,
- Prohibiting local agencies to “disapprove” an eligible housing development project or condition its approval at a “lower density,” if a project is consistent with objective standards after an application is deemed complete,
- Prohibiting downzoning or actions resulting in lesser intensification,
- Prohibiting imposing a moratorium on development, and
- Prohibiting imposing design standards that are not objective.