25.28.030 Housing Overlay District

A.       Intent. The intent of overlay district is to incentivize the development of affordable housing units in the City of Palm Desert.

B.       Purpose and applicability. The purpose of the Housing Overlay District (HOD) is to provide optional standards and incentives for the development of a wide variety of housing developments, which provide a minimum of 20% of all units dedicated as income-restricted. The overlay zone is generally applied to properties identified in the City’s Housing Element and Housing Authority owned properties as shown in Table 25.28-6. Wherever the HOD has been added to a base zone, the applicant may choose whether to use the optional HOD standards and/or the standards of the base zone.

C.       Uses permitted by approved precise plan and conditional use permit. Uses permitted or conditionally permitted in the R-2 and PR zoning districts may be approved through an Architectural Review application process. Housing types applicable to the HOD include, but are not limited to, single-family detached/attached, duplex units, and multi-family development, either for rent or for sale.

D.       Development standards. Development standards shall be flexible to ensure efficient site planning and neighborhood compatibility and to reflect the unique requirements of integrating income-restricted units into market-rate housing developments. Flexibility to the base zone development standards may be utilized as part of the design review of an Architectural Review application. Design guidance contained in Chapter 25.20 “Downtown District Design Guidelines,” and within the University Neighborhood Specific Plan shall be followed.

E.       Affordable housing requirement. To be eligible for the provisions of this chapter, rental housing development within the HOD shall provide a minimum of 20% of all units within the project at income-restricted rents, or at least 1 unit for smaller residential projects. All fractional units shall be rounded up to the next whole number.

F.       Density and intensity. Project densities are established in the Zoning Ordinance and on the Zoning Map. Any mixed-use and residential project under this chapter is eligible for a density bonus as allowed under State law. Formulas for density bonuses are contained in Palm Desert Municipal Code Section 25.34.040.

1.       Unit sizes. Minimum allowable unit sizes in square feet (sf) shall vary according to presence or absence of common project amenities. Each unit shall contain, as a minimum, a kitchen including 2 burners, an oven, a refrigerator/freezer, a sink, counter space, and storage.

G.       Parking requirement.

1.       Parking ratios based on bedroom count shall be calculated as follows:

Table 25.28-6: Parking Required for Housing Overlay

H.      Development impact fees. Any mixed-use or residential project eligible under the overlay district may be subject to a fee waiver of City fees for all income-restricted units including plan check and inspection fees. The remainder of the project may be eligible for a reduction in fees if funding sources are available with the City’s Affordable Housing funds. (Ord. 1352 § 2, 2020; Ord. 1259 § 1, 2013)