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6th Cycle Housing Element Update
After a multi-year public process, the City Council initially adopted the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update (HEU) on March 25, 2021. The 6th Cycle housing plan covers the planning period years 2021 to 2029. Following the initial adoption of the 6th Cycle HEU, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) reviewed the City’s adopted Housing Element and responded with a letter dated July 9, 2021, reporting the results of its review: HCD July 9, 2021 Letter Requesting Revisions (PDF)
The Housing Element was subsequently revised in response to the corrections requested by HCD. The City must satisfactorily address the requested corrections in order to obtain certification of the Housing Element and bring the City of Del Mar into compliance with State Housing Law.
On Monday, December 13, 2021, the City Council unanimously voted to re-adopt the Housing Element with the revisions requested by HCD incorporated, including a clarifying modification requested by the City Council on pages 3-56, 3-58, and 4-15 relating to incentives and Program 1I. Following is a link to the revised Housing Element as adopted by the City Council on December 13, 2021:
- Revised Housing Element(Clean Copy) 12.20.2021(PDF)
- Revised Housing Element(redline) – December 2021 (PDF)
- Revised HEU Chapter 3 – December 2021 (PDF)
- Revised HEU Chapter 4 – December 2021 (PDF)
- Revised HEU Appendices – December 2021 (PDF)
- 6th Cycle Sites Inventory – December 2021 (PDF)
On Tuesday, November 9, 2021, the Planning Commission reviewed the revised 6th Cycle Housing Element document and recommended approval to the City Council. Staff Report (PDF).
Following is a link to the Draft Housing Element dated November 3, 2021: November 2021 Draft Housing Element (PDF)
On March 25, 2021, the City Council adopted the 6th Cycle Housing Element as a part of the Del Mar Community Plan (General Plan) via Resolution 2021-14 (PDF). The Housing Element covers an eight-year planning period from 2021-2029. The adopted Housing Element is currently being reviewed by the State for certification.
The adopted Housing Element includes North Commercial Program 1A as a program to achieve capacity for 22 lower income affordable units. The City Council identified the Border Avenue Rezone option as the contingency plan only in the event the City is unable to rely upon North Commercial for Program 1A due to the Referendum in process.
Read the March 25, 2021 Item 2 Agenda Report (PDF). Following are links to the adopted 6th Cycle Housing Element documents:
- Adopted 6th Cycle Housing Element (PDF)
- Revised Clean Copy Draft 6th Cycle Housing Element Update (March 2021) (PDF)
- Redline of Revised Draft 6th Cycle (March 2021) (PDF)
On October 5, 2020 the City Council approved the draft 6th Cycle Housing Element Update (October 5, 2020 Item 7 Agenda Report PDF) (Resolution 2020-52 PDF) as recommended by the Planning Commission on September 15, 2020. The approved draft 6th Cycle HEU was submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for a required 60-day HCD review and comment period required per State law. See below for links to the approved draft and HCD’s comments on the draft
- Prior Draft 6th Cycle Housing Element Update (October 2020)(PDF)
- Prior Draft Redline of 6th Cycle Housing Element Update (October 2020) (PDF)
- HCD Comment Letter 12.17.2020 on Draft 6th Cycle Housing Element Update (PDF)
On September 30, 2020, the City of Del Mar received an enforcement letter from HCD stating written findings of the City’s existing status in violation of California’s Housing Element Law. On October 19, 2020, the City Council unanimously approved a response to HCD identifying the City’s plan to cure its non-compliance and avoid further enforcement actions. On December 4, 2020, HCD confirmed that it accepted the City’s response and would be closely monitoring the City’s progress in meeting the commitments as outlined in the City’s response letter. See below for links to correspondence with HCD relating to the City’s status and HCD’s close monitoring of City progress for prospective enforcement:
- HCD Response 12.4.2020 to City Response Letter (PDF)
- City's Response 10.20.2020 to HCD Enforcement Letter (PDF)
- HCD Letter 9.30.2020 (PDF)
- HCD Letter 7.31.2020 (PDF)
On October 5, 2020, the City Council certified the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) and adopted findings of fact and the Mitigation, Monitoring, and Reporting Program via Resolution 2020-51 (PDF). The Final PEIR and initial Draft EIR are available for review by clicking the links below:
- FINAL 6th Cycle Housing Element Update Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR)
- DRAFT 6th Cycle Housing Element Update Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR)
- DRAFT PEIR Appendices
Based on questions received by Staff, the City has prepared a Housing Element Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document. To review the FAQ, please click the link below:
What is the Housing Element?
The Housing Element is a State-mandated policy document within the Del Mar Community Plan that provides direction for the implementation of various programs to meet existing and projected future housing needs for all income levels within the Del Mar community. The Housing Element provides policies, programs, and actions that accommodate growth, produce opportunity for the development of new housing units, preserve existing housing stock, and assist the existing population.
The City’s stated housing goal is to, “Inspire a more diverse, sustainable, and balanced community through implementation of strategies and programs that will result in economically and socially diversified housing choices that preserve and enhance the special character of Del Mar.”
Background:
On January 13, 2020 the City Council Established a seven member 6th Cycle Housing Element Ad-Hoc Citizens’ Task Force (Task Force) to work with Staff and the City Council Housing Liaisons to:
- Discuss, evaluate, and provide feedback on potential goals, policies, programs, and objectives to be included within the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update during preparation of the associated CEQA document;
- To help educate and encourage Housing Element participation among fellow Del Mar citizens; and
- Generally aid the City in the preparation and development of the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update during preparation of the associated CEQA document.
The Task Force presented their findings and recommendations to the City Council on June 15, 2020, and their recommendations were included in the October 5, 2020 agenda report on the 6th Cycle Program Environmental Impact Report and Draft Housing Element Update. The Task Force was disbanded on June 30, 2020.
For more information on the Ad-Hoc Citizens’ Task Force you can visit their web page below:
6th Cycle Housing Element Ad-Hoc Citizens’ Task Force Web Page
Click on each of the tabs below to read more information.
Anticipated 6th Cycle Housing Element Update Timeline (Subject to Change)
The City Council on March 14 approved an emergency declaration to address Coronavirus, cancelling ALL public meetings through April 6, and cancelling all events in City buildings and parks through May 31, 2020.
The schedule below is subject to change:
Program Environmental Impact Report for 6th Cycle Housing Element Update
The City of Del Mar, the lead agency for the proposed 6th Cycle Housing Element and Program EIR, is subject to environmental review under CEQA. CEQA Guidelines §15063 provide that if a lead agency determines that an EIR will clearly be required for a project, an Initial Study is not required. In this case, the City has already determined that an EIR will need to be prepared based on the Project’s potential to create short-term, long-term, and cumulative impacts associated with other development. Therefore, a Program EIR will be prepared to fully evaluate the potential impacts of the proposed Project. The Program EIR will be comprehensive in nature evaluating all identified issues from the 2019 CEQA Initial Study Checklist.
Notice of Availability (NOA)
A Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) is available for Public Review through August 31, 2020. The purpose of the PEIR is to disclose the potential environmental impacts of adding capacity for housing at a range of affordability levels in the community. The Draft PEIR is available for public review for a period of 60 days. In accordance with CEQA Guidelines §15105, should you have any comments, please provide written comments on the Draft PEIR within the 60-day period between July 2, 2020 and August 31, 2020.
Two informational meetings will be available to the public—the first session is scheduled with the City Council on July 6, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. and the second session is scheduled with the Planning Commission on July 14, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Del Mar City Hall and Del Mar Branch Library, locations commonly used for placement of hard copy documents, are closed to the public until further notice. However, the Draft PEIR is available to the general public for review on the City’s website at: www.delmar.ca.us/Archive.aspx?AMID=57. Upon the re-opening of the Del Mar City Hall and/or Del Mar Branch Library to the public, a hard copy of the Draft PEIR will be made immediately available at both locations.
Public Comments on PEIR
The City requests your careful review and consideration of the Draft EIR, and invites written comments from interested agencies, persons, and organizations regarding environmental issues identified in the Draft PEIR. Comments in response to this notice shall be submitted via e-mail, U.S. Postal Service, or courier service by 5:00 PM on August 31, 2020. All comments shall be submitted in writing to the following contact:
| City of Del Mar |
| Attn: Joseph D. Smith, AICP, Director |
| 1050 Camino del Mar |
| Del Mar, CA 92014 |
| Email: Jsmith@delmar.ca.us |
Documents
Notice of Preparation - Program EIR for 6th Cycle Housing Element Update
Notice of Availability - Program EIR for 6th Cycle Housing Element Update
FINAL 6th Cycle Housing Element Update Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR)
- Draft Program EIR Appendices
Supplemental Information
On February 29, 2020, the City held its first Public Workshop on the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update. If you missed the workshop, you can review the materials and watch the recording below:
- Presentation from Public Workshop #1
- Welcome Packet and Materials from Public Workshop #1
- Watch the Recording of Public Workshop #1
The following documents have been presented to the City Council:
- 6th Cycle Housing Element Update Info Flyer
- Housing Element Informational Presentation - January 13, 2020 CC Meeting
- Housing Element Outline and Goal Setting - April 20, 2020 CC Meeting
- Housing Element Online Survey Data - May 4, 2020 CC Meeting
- Priority Program Data (Excel)
- In this section of the survey, participants were asked to click through three individual slides and provide various program areas with a 1 to 5-star rating (1 being least appealing, 5 being most appealing). Each slide consisted of five potential programs targeted at a specific goal. The slides covered the topic areas of preservation of existing housing stock, production of housing stock, and community assistance programs.
- Potential Housing Location Data (Excel)
- In this section of the survey, eight different areas of the City were listed where future housing could be located. Participants were asked to select at least three areas where they would like to see housing be developed. Of the three selected, participants were also asked to rank them in order: #1 being most desirable location, #2 being the second most desirable, and #3 being the third most desirable.
- Removing Constraints Data (Excel)
- In this section of the survey, eight different incentives were listed with the goal of addressing potential constraints to developing housing. Participants were given a total of 45 stars or “chips”, and asked to distribute the chips amongst the potential incentives that interested them the most.
- Wrap-up Slide Comments and Inputs (Excel)
- Priority Program Data (Excel)
The 6th Cycle Housing Element Ad-Hoc Citizens’ Task Force, as a part of their overall work effort, divided themselves into three separate subcommittees. Each subcommittee composed a final report with detailed information and recommendations. The final reports are posted below for public review:
- Communications Subcommittee Final Report
- Community Assistance Subcommittee Final Report
- Housing Production and Preservation Subcommittee Final Report
The following are City documents related to the 6th Cycle Housing Element:
The following are regional and State resources related to Housing Elements:
Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA)
The Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) is mandated by State law to quantify the need for housing throughout the State and each city in the San Diego Region. This informs the local planning process to address existing and future housing need resulting from projected state-wide growth in population, employment, and households.
As the Council of Governments (or regional planning agency), SANDAG is responsible for overseeing the RHNA process for the San Diego region. SANDAG is currently overseeing the 6th cycle RHNA, which covers the planning period from 2021-2029.
For the planning period of 2021-2029, the City of Del Mar is allocated 163 units to accommodate estimated growth need at various income levels. The Housing Element must provide sites to accommodate this estimated growth. The 6th Cycle RHNA for Del Mar is as follows:
More information about the 6th Cycle RHNA process can be found on SANDAG’s website here: https://www.sandag.org/index.asp?projectid=189&fuseaction=projects.detail