Objective Design Standards

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Updated September 15, 2023

At the September 12, 2023, the Town Council adopted Ordinance 2023-10 adopting Development Code Amendments for the Objective Design Standards. The staff report with the adopted ordinance can be found here.

The adopted amendments will go into effect October 12, 2023.

The standards primarily impact multi-family residential projects to address requirements related to State legislation. However, single-family residential projects will be impacted by the new height standards (Page 164 of the linked staff report) as well as changes to site disturbance allowances (Page 164), gross square footage maximum (Page 29), and additions in the side yard setback for legal, nonconforming structures (Page 179). All building permits will be reviewed under these standards starting October 12, 2023.

Measuring Height of HouseFor reference, the new height standard is provided:

  • Height Measurement.The difference between the point of lowest natural grade along an exterior wall of the building or building segment pursuant to Section 18.30.090.C, and the elevation of the highest point of the building. Where cantilevered or otherwise supported floor area (e.g., living area, garage, storage) exists, an imaginary vertical line shall extend down to natural grade and shall be considered an exterior wall for purposes of determining the lowest natural grade along an exterior wall.
    • For purposes of measuring height, the building may be divided into up to three distinct, attached segments (e.g., steps or terraces), equidistant in width, perpendicular to the elevation facing the front property line.
    • Each segment of the building shall comply with the base maximum height permitted by Section 18.30.090.B, except that the building segment closest to the street providing primary access to the building shall not exceed 28 feet in height.
    • The total maximum height of the building as measured from the lowest point of the structure to the highest point on the structure shall not exceed 150% of the average maximum height of each of the building segments.
  • Chimneys may be 10% greater than the maximum height or 5 feet, whichever is less.
  • With these changes, no Director exceptions to the height limit are permitted.
  1. What are objective design standards?
  2. Can design review be conducted on a case-by-case basis?
  3. What happens if the designs do not achieve Truckee’s vision?
  4. Who will be reviewing projects that choose the objective design standards path?
  5. Won’t these objective design standards result in cookie cutter design?
  6. What if the Town does not adopt new objective design standards?
  7. Will the design guidelines be deleted?
  8. How does the State Density Bonus relate to the objective design standards?
  9. What state legislation is driving the objective design standards?
  10. This is a lot of information. What kind of public comment would be helpful?
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