Sacramento Council Approves Upzoning Proposal

If given final approval, the plan would increase the allowable floor area ratio to permit denser housing development in single-family neighborhoods and near transit.

1 minute read

December 4, 2023, 10:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Bird's eye view of houses in midtown Sacramento, California.

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The Sacramento City Council approved a set of changes to the city’s general plan that make it easier to build multifamily housing in single-family neighborhoods as a way to ease the local housing crisis, with a final vote coming early next year.

As Emily Hamann explains in the Sacramento Business Journal, the new rules are designed to increase density and create more housing while maintaining the neighborhood scale. “The changes will get rid of zoning designations that restrict the number of residential units that can be built on a lot, and instead base restrictions on the overall size of the building.” Under the new rules, a project with more units would be allowed more floor area ratio (FAR). “However, the city’s existing other restrictions, like maximum building height and lot coverage, mandatory setbacks and open space requirements still apply.”

The council supported a similar change to a higher allowable FAR for buildings near transit.

Wednesday, November 29, 2023 in Sacramento Business Journal

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