What the Hell Does That Mean?

This page has some easy definitions of weird terms that come up in discussing things in and around the City. If there’s a term you don’t know and want it added to the list, let me know! I’ll add as many as I can think to and will update the list as new terms need to be added.

Form-Based Code
A new idea where construction is determined by the form of the buildings as opposed to their intended use. In traditional zoning, what the building will be used for is the most important factor in determining where it can be built. Form-based code, on the other hand, cares more about what things look like and less about what goes on inside them. You can read more about it at the Form-Based Code Institute’s website.

In-Lieu Fees
These are fees that a developer can pay instead of including a certain number of rent/price-restricted affordable units in a development.

Objective Criteria
These are a big part of how zoning and development are being determined now, and is a requirement from the State. Basically, in order to speed up development (and, consequently take power from the Planning Commission) there has to be a set of measurable and objective criteria that apply to plans for development. And, if the developers meet those criteria, the City will approve the plan without the Planning Commission’s involvement.

Route 238 Project
Waaay back, CalTrans decided that it’d be a cool idea to run a massive freeway through Hayward. Technically speaking, Foothill and Mission Blvds are both a part of State Route 238, but there were plans to make it a multi-lane freeway. CalTrans bought up a lot of land in Hayward which couldn’t be developed on until CalTrans got rid of it. As you can see from the map, it would have been devastating for the City if this had gone through. Bullet dodged.

Hayward snapped up the lots and was required, by law, to offload them to developers within a certain timeframe. This is why there’s been a lot of development, or at least development talk, in recent years in those locations. At this point most, if not all, of the parcels have been offloaded and are in various stages of development.