Fountain Valley, CA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)

Fountain Valley Municipal Code § 21.08.050(a) is the City of Fountain Valley's local procedure for density bonuses. Its purpose is to provide incentives for affordable housing, senior housing, housing for transitional foster youth, disabled veterans or homeless persons, and child care facilities on the premises of or next to a qualifying project, in compliance with Government Code Section 65915 et seq. A qualified project is a proposed housing project of at least five units that provides affordable units for certain income households, donates land, provides units to the groups listed above, builds a child day care facility, or provides qualifying senior housing.

A developer can file a preliminary application before any formal request. Within thirty days of receipt, the planning department must hand the applicant the procedures, a copy of the section and related policies, the pertinent state code sections and an application. The formal application must include a legal description of the site with ownership and present and proposed zoning, and a letter from the owner explaining how the project meets Section 65915 and what is requested. It also needs a pro-forma that justifies the requested concession and sets the land value per bonus unit, a management plan for income and rent documentation, and site plans. The applicant must show that any requested waiver or reduction of a development standard is necessary to make the units economically feasible.

Under subsection (C), review follows Chapter 21.32 and the planning department reports to the planning commission. If the request includes direct financial incentives, the commission acts only in an advisory role and the city council makes the final decision. Separately, Table 2-3 allows the R5 district to go from 40 to 65 units per acre for projects that reserve 50% of units or more for lower income households.