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1. Will this project help Westlake Village meet its State mandated housing goals?

Yes. Cities must report annually to the State on their progress toward satisfying regional housing needs. If built, this project would help the City of Westlake Village meet its requirement to provide very low-income housing and market-rate housing.

2. What is the lowest number of units that can be built to meet General Plan requirements?

The minimum density allowed in the Mixed-Use Lindero District of the North Business Park Specific Plan is 20 dwelling units per acre, which results in a minimum of 400 units. This minimum density is required by State law.

3. Is the proposed project the best way to meet the State’s housing goals?

The City will review the proposed project for compliance with the North Business Park Specific Plan, the Municipal Code, and State housing laws. The City does not have the ability to evaluate the proposed project based on whether it is the “best” project, or to compare the proposed project to other real or hypothetical projects.

4. Why did Westlake Village “rush” into approving the 6th Cycle Housing Element when many other cities have still not approved theirs?

The City Council did not rush into approving the 6th Cycle Housing Element.  The City Council approved, and the Department of Housing and Community Development certified, the 5th Cycle Housing Element in 2020.  This was seven years after the October 2013 deadline. Because of this delay, the City began working on the 6th Cycle Housing Element immediately following certification of the 5th Cycle Housing Element. The housing sites inventory for the 5th Cycle Housing Element, which consisted of housing sites identified in the North Business Park Specific Plan, was able to be used again for the 6th Cycle Housing Element to demonstrate that the City is providing for its share of regional housing needs. The City was not required to identify any additional housing sites, or approve any General Plan or zoning changes, to provide for its share of regional housing needs for the 6th Cycle Housing Element. As such, the City completed and adopted the 6th Cycle Housing Element on schedule. The fact that many cities in California have not received certification of their 6th Cycle Housing Element does not mean that Westlake Village would be at any less risk for litigation or for Builder’s Remedy project applications if it did not have a certified Housing Element.

5. Wasn’t the deadline for the 6th Cycle Housing Element extended?

Deadlines were extended for rezoning programs required by a certified Housing Element. Many cities were unable to identify adequate sites to provide for their share of regional housing needs and received certification of their Housing Element on the condition that they commit to rezone properties to provide for the residential capacity. The deadline to complete such rezoning was extended from February 2022 to February 2025 for cities that received certification of their Housing Element after the original deadline of October 15, 2021, and before the extended deadline of October 21, 2022. These provisions are not applicable to Westlake Village because the City was not required to commit to a rezoning program for its 6th Cycle Housing Element. The housing sites from the 5th Cycle Housing Element were also used for the 6th Cycle Housing Element and, as a result, no rezoning was required.