Encinitas Planning Commission talks RHNA requirements, strategies

ENCINITAS — The city’s Planning Commission recently held a working session to review a detailed report from its ad hoc committee on the city’s progress toward meeting state-mandated affordable housing goals, focusing on recommendations for the City Council.

The Feb. 6 discussion centered on Encinitas’ efforts to meet its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation, which requires the city to plan for 1,554 housing units, including a significant share for low- and very-low-income households.

Commissioners expressed concern over the city’s current imbalance, noting a surplus of above-moderate-income units and a deficit of affordable units.

“We wonder, why are we approving projects that are above moderate in such high numbers, and then we have zero entitled or under construction for moderate and lower, in terms of the very low or low units,” Commissioner Susan Sherod said.

The ad hoc committee recommended exploring new strategies, including public-private partnerships and alternative housing models such as micro-units, cluster housing, and community land trusts. The goal is to increase affordable units without relying heavily on market-driven projects, often delivering only 20% of units as affordable.

Commissioner Robert Prendergast highlighted concerns about the city’s over-reliance on the 80/20 model—80% market-rate units and 20% affordable units—saying this approach may result in an unsustainable volume of new housing.

“If we keep going down this path, we’re going to have to approve 4,100 units. 4,200 units, call it, for this cycle,” Prendergast said. “What’s going to happen next cycle, with the domino effect of impact on traffic, on sewering, on schools and things like that?”

Several commissioners raised concerns about using R-30 zoning, which allows up to 30 units per acre, to meet housing targets. Some suggested exploring smaller-scale, context-sensitive zoning options to integrate new housing with existing neighborhoods better while meeting density requirements.

The commission supported targeted zoning policies that promote housing along major transit corridors, such as El Camino Real and Coast Highway 101, instead of rural or low-density areas with limited infrastructure.

Other recommendations included issuing requests for proposals to developers, waiving specific development fees, and reducing parking requirements for affordable housing near transit. The commission also discussed using on-demand ride services, like those implemented in West Sacramento, to reduce parking needs further.

During public comment, residents voiced concerns about affordability, displacement, and transparency. Several emphasized the importance of preserving naturally occurring affordable housing, such as mobile home parks.

“We don’t talk about this much, but in addition to building new supply, I do think, and I hope the city will focus on preserving our naturally occurring affordable housing,” resident Bob Kent said.

Commissioners agreed on the importance of better tracking affordable housing progress, suggesting the creation of a publicly accessible, regularly updated housing tracker. They also discussed refining zoning policies to prevent large, high-density projects from being built in areas without adequate infrastructure.

While no formal decisions were made, the commission reached a consensus to refine the ad hoc committee’s recommendations and present them to the City Council.

“Our objective, simply, is just to put a lot of things on the table to discuss, and our goal is to get approval from the commission so that we may work with staff to further refine the presentation, so that we can present it to the city council,” Prendergast said.