HUNTINGTON BEACH CITY COUNCIL WRAP-UP

Here are a few items the council considered Monday.

BICYCLE PARKING

Council members unanimously voted to require that new developments have space to lock up bicycles. New nonresidential buildings of up to 50,000 square feet must include one bicycle space for every 25 car-parking spaces, with a minimum of three. Multi-family residential buildings must include one bicycle space for every four units.

Councilwoman Cathy Green questioned a requirement that bicycles be protected from cars, but voted in favor after staff members assured her that it mandated a curb or gate between bike racks and parking spots for cars.

WHAT IT MEANS

Future developments in Huntington Beach will have bike racks near the entrance for bicyclists.

RELAXED ZONING RULES

The council amended zoning laws to allow developments providing a certain amount of affordable housing in one of several categories to apply for relaxed zoning rules. Builders of senior housing, very low-income housing, low-income housing, or some kinds of moderate-income housing will be allowed to build more units than otherwise permitted, and/or to relax certain design criteria like offsets from the curb.

The affordable units would have to be similar in kind to other units on the property and have the same distribution in terms of the number of bedrooms as other units in the development.

None of those relaxed design rules would allow builders to break California housing code, however. The program is voluntary and does not impose a tax.

WHAT IT MEANS

If builders opt for the benefits, expect denser building and more available low-priced housing units. Senior living developments will also be allowed to be larger.

— Compiled by Michael Alexander