Objective Design Standards Update Project

The Los Gatos Objective Design Standards Update Project will lead to recommendations for additions and modifications to the 2023 Objective Design Standards for Qualifying Multi-family and Mixed-use Residential Development. This work is part of the larger effort to implement the Town’s adopted 6^th Cycle Housing Element. Specifically, this effort will update the current Objective Design Standards to:

 Reflect the height and scale of development that the Town anticipates;

• Require smooth transitions between development of different height and scale;
• Ensure that new development is high-quality in terms of materials and detail; 
• Regulate architectural style in a way that is specific and consistent with existing patterns; 
• Acknowledge the input and priorities of the community; and
• Ensure that the Objective Design Standards are transparent and easy to interpret.

WHAT ARE OBJECTIVE STANDARDS?

Objective Standards are defined under State law as, “standards that involve no personal or subjective judgement by a public official and are uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant or proponent and the public official prior to submittal” (California Government Code, Section 65913.4).

PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY

The purpose of the Objective Design Standards is to ensure that new qualifying projects in Los Gatos provide high-quality architecture, integrate with surrounding development, and include well-designed amenities and outdoor areas to enhance community character. These standards are intended to guide property owners, applicants, developers, and design professionals by providing clear design direction that enhances the Town’s unique character and ensures a high-quality living environment.

California Government Code Section 65559.5 identifies Qualifying Housing Development Projects to include:

• Multi-family housing developments;
• Residential Mixed-Use Housing developments with a minimum of two-thirds of the square footage designated for residential use; or
• Supportive and transitional housing development.

A Qualifying Housing Development Project shall be approved through a streamlined, ministerial review process when the project complies with these Objective Design Standards as well as complying with all existing objective development regulations in the Town, including but not limited to the following:

• General Plan;
• Town Code;
• Guidelines and Standards for Land Use Near Streams;
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan;
• Parks and Public Works Standards; and
• Santa Clara County Fire Department Requirements.

These standards are only to be used for review of qualifying projects where Town review, approval, and/or denial is limited to only objective design standards. Many projects will proceed through the standard review process, in which case the objective design standards included herein would not apply.

Useful Link:

• Existing Objective Design Standards
• Technical Analysis Memo - 2025