Dublin To Vote On Wide-Ranging Zoning Reforms

DUBLIN, CA — The Dublin City Council will vote Tuesday on a wide-ranging package of zoning ordinance amendments aimed at aligning local law with recent changes in state legislation and fulfilling requirements set forth in the most recent Housing Element.

The proposed amendments affect more than a dozen chapters of the Dublin Municipal Code, and are designed to make it easier for certain housing and health care projects to proceed.

Key items for discussing include:

• New Zoning for Unhoused Shelters: A new chapter would be added to allow for Low-Barrier Navigation Centers, temporary shelters that connected the unhoused with permanent housing. LBNCs would be permitted in certain mixed-used and commercial districts with streamlined approval.
• Microenterprise Kitchens in Residential Zones: Changes would allow microenterprise kitchens - small, home-based food businesses - in residential zones. These businesses are regulated by Alameda County, and would no longer need additional city approval beyond a business license.
• SB 9 Housing: The ordinance would revise local rules to allow the creation of up to four housing units on lots currently zoned for single-family homes. The amendments also remove barriers to projects involving significant demolition.
• Reproductive Health Clinics Allowed In Industrial and Commercial Areas: Dublin would comply with state law to allow reproductive health clinics as permitted uses in commercial and industrial areas, with minimal discretionary review.
• Affordable Housing and Fairness: The changes include updates to the city's Inclusionary Zoning Regulations that adjust how preference points are awarded to applicants for affordable housing, including priority for veterans and city employees.

The Dublin Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the package at its May 27 meeting. The city council will also vote to exempt amendments from CEQA review.

See here for more information, and here for the full agenda for Tuesday's meeting.