Table of Contents

Affordable Housing Programs

The city’s land use regulations establish a process for issuing a transferable Certificate of Affordable Housing Credit to affordable housing developers (§26.540). The goal of the program is to incentivize the private market to develop affordable housing by making it more economically viable. The credit can only be issued to affordable housing projects that are constructing units voluntarily, rather than as a requirement of the development code, and that are not otherwise in a formal development partnership with the city.

Historic Preservation

The city’s land use regulations address the identification and designation of historic properties as well as development or demolition of historic properties or properties in historic districts (Chapter 26.415). It requires a certificate of no negative effect or a certificate of appropriateness for all minor and major development on historic properties or in historic districts and sets a process for reviewing demolition and relocation applications. It also incentivizes historic preservation through lot split, increased density, dimensional variations, parking reductions, conditional uses, floor area bonuses, and access to a rehabilitation loan fund, among other strategies.

Outdoor Lighting

The city's land use regulations establish exterior lighting zones to minimize and mitigate light pollution (§26.512). These regulations include an extensive intent and purpose policy statement; lighting zone planning and designations; applicability; submittal process; light trespass standards; requirements for all outdoor lighting; residential lighting standards; nonresidential lighting standards; parks, trails, and open space lighting standards; special use standards; miscellaneous lighting type standards; enforcement; and definitions.