Take Action: Missing Middle Housing ordinance

more of this! - image: CAST Architecture

Here’s how to Make your voice heard!

Updated September 12, 2024

Tuesday SEPT 17, 5:00pm - sACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL MEETS to VOTE ON THE CITY’S MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING ORDINANCE

9/17 agenda here - Livestream link will appear here on Tuesday - link to staff report

How to comment

  1. In Person

    • Enter the New City Hall lobby at 915 I St (north side of the courtyard - see image) and walk to the left side of the lobby to enter the chambers (you may need to go through a metal detector). When you enter the chambers, immediately to your left (in the back of the auditorium), you will see a station with comment cards

    • Fill out a card with your information and indicate that you want to comment on Agenda Item 14. There are a few other items on the agenda before Missing Middle (consent calendar and then a Delta Shores hearing), so it may take some time to get to Item 14.

    • Then, walk to the front left side of the auditorium and hand it to the clerk staff who will be sitting up front. Then wait for public comment on Item 14 - your name will be called to comment

    • At that point you will walk up to the podium and give your comment. Keep it under the allotted time of 2 minutes (there is a timer on the podium)

2. eComment

  • Use this link to submit an eComment on Item 14

    • BONUS: also email the mayor or your councilmember (contact info here) using our template comment below

  • We would recommend indicating a “neutral” position on the item

  • You will have to create an account on the eComment website in order to make a comment–I’d recommend that you do that first

  • Sample language:

    My name is _______ and I am a resident of [District X]. I am strongly in support of the revisions to the Missing Middle ordinance that staff has made since May. However, the draft ordinance retains one key policy that that will severely limit what can be built in formerly single-family-only neighborhoods: "bulk and building massing control." This requirement will reduce housing supply and options because:

    Bulk control is expensive: it causes 10-20% increases in building costs, and makes it nearly impossible for three-story missing middle housing to be built under the 35 ft height limits that will be maintained in formerly R-1 areas

    Bulk control is inequitable: it adds complexity, opaque red tape, which raises barriers to new developers who can't afford custom designs

    Bulk control is outdated: Berkeley, CA and Spokane, WA recently removed similar requirements

    Please amend the ordinance to remove bulk and building massing controls so we can truly end exclusionary zoning in Sacramento.

—

What's this all about again?

The City of Sacramento's Planning and Design Commission has met to discuss the revised Missing Middle zoning changes as a follow up to the city’s ambitious 2040 General Plan Update. Since the last time the commission met to discuss this Missing Middle Zoning ordinance back in May, staff have made some significant revisions to the draft interim zoning proposal.

Read House Sac's letter to Planning Commission on the bulk control issue: link for lots of juicy, wonky details!

Click on our co-president Ben's post above to read his thread about the missing middle draft ordinance, the bulk control issue, and why all of this matters.

Our concerns

The revised proposal has substantially reduced setbacks and lot coverage requirements. Yay!! This is great. However, the draft ordinance retains one key policy that that will severely limit what can be built in formerly single-family-only neighborhoods: "bulk and building massing control." This requirement will reduce housing supply and options because:

  1. Bulk control is expensive: it causes 10-20% increases in building costs, and makes it nearly impossible for three story missing middle housing to be built under the 35 ft height limits that will be maintained in formerly R-1 areas

  2. Bulk control is inequitable: it adds complexity, opaque red tape, which raises barriers to new developers who can't afford custom designs

  3. Bulk control is outdated: Berkeley, CA and Spokane, WA recently removed similar requirements

Future Opportunities to Advocate:

None! This is it—the big change to the zoning code across areas that were formerly single-family-only.