Multifamily Zone and Objective Design Standards Project
Summary
SCH Number
2025120533
Public Agency
City of Los Altos Hills
Document Title
Multifamily Zone and Objective Design Standards Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
12/11/2025
Document Description
The Project consists of (1) amendments to the Land Use Element of the Los Altos Hills General plan implementing multi-family designation and use; (2) amendments to Title 10 of the Los Altos Hills Municipal Code to rezone parcels from Residential-Agricultural (single family) to Multi-Family zoning districts and adopt development standards; and (3) adoption of Objective Design Standards for Multi-Family Zoning Districts (collectively, "Project"). The Project would implement Programs A-1, A-4, A-5 and B-4 of the 2023-2031 Housing Element, including the rezoning of approximately 19 acres of land and creation of multi-family zones/overlay zones, and would ensure the Town has the appropriate zoning in place to achieve its RHNA requirement and a 15 percent buffer as outlined in the Housing Element. The multifamily zones would be adopted with Objective Design Standards that would provide for the future development of residential housing at a density of 20-24 du/ac. In addition, minor amendments to the General Plan Land Use Element would be made for consistency purposes. The zones would introduce a new housing typology (multifamily) that does not currently exist in the Town of Los Altos Hills. The City Council adopted separate resolutions on October 16, 2025 approving the objective design standards, and introduced an ordinance amending the Municipal Code to effectuate the rezoning. The City Council adopted the Land Use Element and the ordinance on December 9, 2025.
Contact Information
Name
Jay Bradford
Agency Name
Los Altos Hills
Job Title
Community Development Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Los Altos Hills
Counties
Santa Clara
Regions
Citywide
Cross Streets
N/A
Zip
94022
Total Acres
34
Parcel #
Multiple
State Highways
SR-82
Railways
N/A
Airports
N/A
Schools
Various
Waterways
Various
Base
MDM
Other Location Info
The Town of Los Altos Hills is located in the northwestern portion of Santa Clara County, within the larger San Francisco Bay region. The Cities of Stanford and Palo Alto are located to the north/northwest; unincorporated Santa Clara County lands are to the south and northwest; the Cities of Los Altos and Mountain View are to the northeast/east; and the City of Sunnyvale is to the east. The Town is approximately 9 square miles in size. Regional access to Los Altos Hills is provided by Interstate 280 (I-280), which runs north-south, bisecting the Town. This “Planning Area” contains some 14,000 acres, approximately 5,400 of which make up the Town of Los Altos Hills. Specifically, the proposed Project would affect three groupings of parcels totaling approximately 34 acres within the Town boundary. The parcels are herein respectively referred to as the Twin Oaks site (in the northwestern portion of Los Altos Hills), Foothill College site (in the south-central portion), and St. Nicholas School site (in the southeastern portion).
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
PRC Section 21080.085; CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed ordinance rezoning parcels to multi-family is statutorily exempt pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.085 as it meets all statutory criteria. The proposed rezoning implements the schedule of actions contained in the approved 2023-2031 Housing Element and, as documented in the SB 131 Exemption Report dated October 2025 and facts in the record, does not involve zoning actions allowing the construction of oil and gas infrastructure or a distribution center, as defined by Public Resources Code Sections 21064.8 and 21060.4. Likewise, the proposed rezoning is not located within natural and protected lands, as defined by Public Resources Code Section 21067.5. As a part of the Project, this multi-family rezoning would be adopted with Objective Design Standards and conforming amendments to the Land Use Element of the General Plan, all of which meet the same foregoing statutory criteria and are necessary and essential to implementing the schedule of action to rezone as contained in the Housing Element and required by Gov. Code section 65583; therefore, all of these actions are exempt from CEQA per Section 21080.085 on the same basis. Additionally, adoption of the Land Use Element amendment is also exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) on the basis that it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the proposed amendment may have a significant effect on the environment. The proposed LUE Amendment only involve revisions for conformance with the Town’s certified 2023-2031 Housing Element and multi-family rezoning, as required by state law. The amendment does not approve any development projects, or issue any entitlements, but are regulatory actions taken by the Town for internal horizontal general plan and zoning consistency. It also would not impact the physical allowances for development projects. On those basis, it can be seen with certainty that these amendments do not have a significant impact on the environment and therefore exempt.
County Clerk
Santa Cruz
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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