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

025 lets the City Council authorize a density bonus above a residential district's maximum allowable density under California Government Code Sections 65915 through 65918, plus any additional development incentives the council has adopted. A developer cannot apply for the bonus separately: the request for the density bonus, along with any associated incentives, concessions, waivers of development standards, or modified parking ratios, must be submitted together with the application for the discretionary permit that governs the project itself, such as a Special Development Permit or Use Permit under Title 19.

The Director of Community Development is authorized to establish guidelines, forms, and submittal requirements for filing, processing, and considering density bonus applications, so the exact paperwork depends on current department guidance rather than the code text alone. 050 requires at least fifteen percent of ownership units or single-family lots in a covered project to be developed as BMR units, with fractional unit obligations satisfied either by rounding up to an additional BMR unit or paying an in-lieu fee. Projects of seven or more ownership units must submit a BMR Compliance Plan concurrently with the first project application, and no application is deemed complete until that plan is filed. Dwelling units set aside to meet the inclusionary requirement can count toward qualifying the project for the state-law density bonus.