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

Chapter 27 implements the state Density Bonus Law and lets a Housing Development of five or more units earn extra density by reserving units for Lower, Very Low, or Moderate Income households, or by building Senior Citizen Housing. 030 sets the entry thresholds: 10% of units affordable to Lower Income households, 5% to Very Low Income households, a qualifying senior project, or 10% of units in a common interest development for Moderate Income buyers. 040's tables scale the bonus with the affordable share: 10% Low Income units earns a 20% density increase and one concession, rising to a 35% bonus and three concessions at 20% Low Income units or 30% Very Low Income units.

040(F) adds up to 15% more density, capped at a combined 35% increase, when the donated parcel is at least one acre or large enough for 40 units and is transferred to the City before final map approval. 060 adds a further bonus for developments that include a qualifying child care center. 090. 040(A) makes clear the chapter tracks Government Code Section 65915: if the state's minimum requirements change after adoption, the lowest applicable minimum in Section 65915 or its successor statutes controls over the chapter's own percentages.