A PowerPoint presentation was viewed at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. Planning and Community Development was discussed. The Planning Commission’s recommendation and adopting of the Resolution(s) including: Approves a General Plan Amendment by adopting the revised draft Housing Element; and, Approves the Environmental Addendum to General Plan EIR pursuant to CEQA Guidelines… was on the agenda.

The City has laid out a 7-year plan for slow home development growth. The vote was a unanimous Yes to the new Housing Element to the General Plan. Housing Element must be updated (at least) every eight years. These updates may require cities and counties to adjust their zoning codes for new housing plans.

Fillmore’s new Housing Element will cover 2014-2021 and calls for 1,373 new homes. This is 426 housing units less than the 2006-2013 Housing Element. It will include zoning for up to 203 very-low income homes, 17 for low-income homes, 799 for moderate-income homes, and 354 for just above the moderate level.

These numbers mean Fillmore ‘needs’ 52 low-income homes. The city will now wait for the State to sign off on the new Housing Element. Council has until mid-February to approve a Housing Element. If the deadline is missed, the City will have to update the plane every four years instead of every eight.