The Lake County Planning Commission on Nov. 13 recommended that the Board of Supervisors adopt an ordinance amending Chapter 21, Articles 11 and 12 of the county zoning code to implement housing element policy HE‑58 and ease development requirements for certain multifamily projects.

Maria Turner, the county’s Community Development Director, told commissioners the measure would allow multifamily residential development “by right” in two‑family and multifamily zoning districts for sites that have been identified as potential affordable housing in at least two previous housing‑element cycles. Turner said the change is limited in scope — those parcels must have been identified repeatedly (the current cycle covers the 2019–2027 period) and remain subject to zoning setbacks, building code and infrastructure requirements.

“Governmental obstacles is kind of a broad category, but in this particular instance it does include requiring a conditional use permit and a design review permit,” Turner said, adding that removing those discretionary steps for qualified parcels reduces time and cost for developers while leaving basic standards in place.

Commissioners asked whether the proposed ordinance would be incorporated into the Housing Action and Implementation Plan (HAPE). Turner said the ordinance is consistent with and complementary to the HAPE but is not folded into that document; both documents will inform preparation of the next (seventh) cycle housing element.

Public commenters raised questions about which parcels qualify. Margo Kambara asked whether the change affects the county’s approach to “paper parcels” (older substandard subdivision overlays); Turner said those paper parcels — largely in the hills of Nice and Lucerne — were not identified as suitable for multifamily housing and will be reclassified under Lake County 2050 to resource conservation or public facilities to make their limitations clear to owners. A caller from Clear Lake Oaks, Holly Harrison, asked whether the policy’s reference to high‑density (R‑3) zones would cover hundreds of small parcels in the community; Turner and staff said projects must still meet setback and zoning rules and that many such parcels are candidates for land‑use changes under Lake County 2050.

After public input and discussion, Commissioner (Speaker 4) moved and Commissioner (Speaker 1) seconded a motion to recommend approval of the ordinance. The commission recorded three ayes and one no; the motion passed and the recommendation will go to the Board of Supervisors.

The commission’s action is a recommendation only; any final change will require Board approval and further public hearings as required. The housing element referenced in the staff presentation is the county’s sixth‑cycle housing element (adopted in 2019), and staff said the draft ordinance is one of several state‑required implementation measures the county must carry out during the current cycle.