Summary
The city has been reworking its hillside ordinance since 2021 to balance property rights with protecting ridgelines and scenic hillsides. Workshop 6 focused on retaining walls, landscaping, fire safety, and whether already-developed properties should be exempt. Residents urged simplification, and the council is close to finishing.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 4
- Last 30 days
- 0
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Sep 15, 2026.
Impact analysis
Stricter or looser hillside rules directly affect what landowners and developers can build — and how much it costs them.
Hillside property owners gain clarity, and residents keep scenic ridgelines protected.
Property owners could face added review costs if standards are too restrictive.
Mentions & discussions (4)
City Council — September 15, 2026
After six years, the city is replacing its confusing hillside ordinance with a map-based system that exempts about 99% of the city's 40,000 parcels. Council added a 2028 deadline to extend the same exemptions to small in-map parcels if retaining-wall and design rules aren't fixed citywide first.
Planning Commission — July 8, 2026
After roughly eight years of work, the city's hillside rules are being modernized to make life easier for homeowners building on already-disturbed parts of their lots. The fight is over how far exemptions go — whether small parcels under five acres should escape hillside review entirely, and whether a line-of-sight test tied to the general plan should exempt hidden parcels. The commission sent its recommendation to the council 3-1.
Planning Commission — May 13, 2026
The city is revisiting rules that govern building on hillsides and slopes. The commission put off action to a future meeting, so current hillside standards remain in place for now.
City Council — February 3, 2026
The city has been reworking its hillside ordinance since 2021 to balance property rights with protecting ridgelines and scenic hillsides. Workshop 6 focused on retaining walls, landscaping, fire safety, and whether already-developed properties should be exempt. Residents urged simplification, and the council is close to finishing.
Related development
Reintroduction of Hillside Ordinance Updates
The current hillside rules stay in effect while the update is reworked; future building on slopes will be shaped by whatever version is eventually adopted.
Hillside Development Standards Update (DCA-2021-2396)
The final ordinance will shape what can be built on roughly 81 undeveloped hillside parcels and how walls, colors, and landscaping look across the city's slopes.
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
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