Monterey Park · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Monterey Park public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Measure HOM Housing Overlay Ballot Measure
The council formally endorsed Measure HOM, which would create HOME (Housing Overlay – Mixed Environments) overlays in the city's commercial and industrial areas. Voters decide on November 3, 2026.
Goodviews project termination finalized
The city-owned hillside where a failed development cost taxpayers $16 million in stabilization is being prepped for sale under R-3 zoning. Residents want a dog park or trail; the council says selling to recoup costs comes first, but options remain open.
Short-Term Rental Regulation Update
About 230 short-term rentals operate without city permits out of roughly 290 advertised online. The council wants annual permits, limits per owner, a citywide cap, and stricter enforcement before the 2028 Olympics squeeze the housing market.
Hillside Fence Heights and View Preservation
Two longtime residents described a neighbor's 6-to-7-foot vinyl fence that wiped out views they'd enjoyed for decades and dented property values. The council directed staff to study a possible municipal code change requiring neighbor consent for view-blocking fences, though nothing can be done retroactively.
Inclusionary Housing Ordinance pause and legal challenges
Recent court rulings have made the city's affordable housing requirements legally shaky, so the council is keeping them paused while staff reworks the rules. The goal is an ordinance that actually produces affordable units without scaring off developers.
Measure NDC passage and Saturn Park future
Residents passed a first-in-the-nation ballot measure banning data centers by 86% to 13%. The city attorney confirmed the third implementing ordinance takes effect ten days after election results are certified.
Vagabond Drive Rezoning Dispute
Property owner Nancy Nguyen asked the council to help reverse a 2020 rezoning that changed her Vagabond Drive land from residential to commercial without her notice, killing her nearly-approved home project. The mayor said the city likely can't undo it without going back to the voters, and staff will keep working with her.
Planning Commission as building code appeals board
A first reading passed on an ordinance making the Planning Commission the board of appeals for building standards code disputes, clearing up ambiguity flagged by a 2024 court ruling.