[00:03:17]
[CALL TO ORDER]
I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, CALL THIS MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER FOR APRIL 16TH.UH, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL FOR
[ROLL CALL]
THE ROLE.[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.COMMISSIONER TEMPLE, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND DOING THE HONORS.
UH, WE'LL ALSO, UH, AT THIS TIME DO SWEARING IN OF WITNESSES.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE GIVING TESTIMONY, PLEASE STAND AND RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR OR AFFIRM THAT THE EVIDENCE YOU SHALL GIVE IN THIS PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING SHALL BE THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH? THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE.
[1. 26-54846 Recommendation to receive and file Director’s Report. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
WITH, UH, OUR FIRST ITEM, UH, UH, RECOMMENDATION.RECEIVE THE FILE, THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? THANK YOU.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO STAFF FOR THE, FOR THE REPORT.
[00:05:01]
YOU, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.UH, A COUPLE THINGS FROM THE STAFF TABLE.
UH, FIRST JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE.
I HAD PREVIOUSLY LET YOU KNOW THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, BEGAN TO CONSIDER THE MOBILE ENTERPRISE HOME KITCHEN OCCUPATION OR MIKO, UM, REGULATION CHANGES THAT YOU ALL RECOMMENDED.
UM, THAT HEARING, UM, WAS COMPLETED ON TUESDAY.
AND, UH, THOSE UPDATES ARE NOW, UM, APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL.
THE RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU MADE FOR THE, UH, TITLE 21 CHANGES TO ALLOW A BROADER RANGE OF, UM, HOME, UH, HOME KITCHEN ENTERPRISES IN THE CITY.
UM, SO THAT'S AN EXCITING UPDATE.
UH, WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE'RE HERE IN MID-APRIL, SO IT'S EARTH MONTH, UM, AND VERY EXCITED ABOUT SOME OF THE, UM, EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES HAPPENING THROUGH OUR OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND SUSTAINABILITY AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO, UM, CELEBRATE EARTH DAY COMING UP NEXT WEEK AND, UH, THROUGHOUT APRIL.
UM, AND THEN WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE, UM, MOBILE FOOD FACILITIES, UM, ZONING CODE AMENDMENT SERIES THAT YOU ALL RECOMMENDED IS, UM, ALSO COMING BACK TO COUNCIL.
AND THAT'LL BE NEXT WEEK, APRIL 21ST.
SO, BUSY TIME, UH, A LOT OF THE GREAT WORK YOU ALL ARE DOING OR IS MAKING IT TO THAT LAST LEVEL AT THE LEGISLATIVE SIDE, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO, UH, THAT CONCLUDES MY STAFF REPORT.
WE'LL NOW TAKE, UH, TAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, ANY VIRTUAL COMMENTS? IF YOU'RE JOINING US VIRTUALLY WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FUNCTION NOW.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CLERK.
COMMISSIONER TEMPLIN, I CAN TAKE A VERBAL.
IF YOU COULD, UH, READ THE NEXT ITEM.
ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE RECOMMENDATION
[2. 26-54847 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Planning Commission meeting of Thursday, April 2, 2026. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF THURSDAY, APRIL 2ND, 2026.MAY I HAVE A MAKER AND A SECOND PLEASE? THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER SANTOS AND COMMISSIONER LEN, ARE THERE ANY, UH, CORRECTIONS, UH, TO THE MINUTES? SEEING NONE, OR I'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT? ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? AND AS WE MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT, IF THE RECORD COULD JUST REFLECT THAT COMMISSIONER VICE CHAIR WARE HAS JOINED US.
SEEING NONE, ANY VIRTUAL COMMENTS? IF YOU'RE JOINING US VIRTUALLY AND WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FUNCTION AT THIS TIME.
UH, GO AHEAD AND, UH, CALL FOR A VOTE.
[3. 26-54849 Recommendation to accept Categorical Exemption CE-26-022, finding the proposed project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301 (Class 1, Existing Facilities) of the CEQA Guidelines; and Approve a Conditional Use Permit (CUP25-022), and adopt the proposed findings and conditions of approval related thereto, to allow for a restaurant to sell beer on-premises (Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Type 23 License - Small Beer Manufacturer), with 29 feet and 9 inches of linear fixed bar area in conjunction with food service within 500 feet of a zoning district allowing residential uses, located at 1106 East Wardlow Road in the Community Commercial - Automobile Oriented (CCA) Zoning District. (District 5) Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
NUMBER THREE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO ACCEPT CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION, CE DASH 26 DASH 0 22, FINDING THE PROPOSED PROJECT EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUA QUALITY ACT PURSUANT TO SECTION 1 5 3 0, 1 OF THE CQA GUIDELINES AND APPROVE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS AND CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL RELATED THERETO TO ALLOW FOR A RESTAURANT TO SELL BEER ON PREMISES WITH 29 FEET AND NINE NINE INCHES OF LINEAR FIXED BAR AREA IN CONJUNCTION WITH FOOD SERVICE WITHIN 500 FEET OF A ZONING DISTRICT, ALLOWING RESIDENTIAL USES.LOCATED AT 11 0 6 EAST WARDLOW ROAD IN THE COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL AUTOMOBILE ORIENTED ZONING DISTRICT DISTRICT FIVE.
MAY I HAVE A MAKER AND A SECOND PLEASE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WARE AND COMMISSIONER LE.
WE'LL NOW TURN IT OVER TO STAFF FOR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS PROJECT PLANNER, UH, KEVIN NENDO WILL PROVIDE THIS PRESENTATION.
GOOD EVENING CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION BEFORE YOU.
THIS EVENING IS A REQUEST FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW THE SALE OF BEER AT AN EXISTING RESTAURANT.
SMOCK CITY HEIGHTS, LOCATED AT 1106 EAST WARDLOW ROAD.
THIS PROJECT SITE IS LOCATED NEAR THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF WARDLOW ROAD AND LEMON AVENUE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL AUTOMOBILE ZONING DISTRICT, AND CARRIES A GENERAL PLAN, LAND USE PLACE TYPE OF NEIGHBORHOOD SERVING CENTER.
[00:10:01]
FEATURES A SINGLE BUILDING SPANNING OVER TWO PARCELS, TOTALING OVER 11,400 SQUARE FEET.THE STRUCTURE CONSISTS OF A TWO STORY FRONT SECTION FACING WARDLOW ROAD AND AN ATTACHED ONE STORY SECTION AT THE REAR.
WHILE THE FRONT BUILDING HOSTS A MIX OF OFFICE AND UPPER FLOOR RESIDENTIAL USES, OUR SUBJECT TENANT SPACE OF 1,700 SQUARE FEET OCCUPIES THE GROUND FLOOR OF BOTH THE FRONT AND ENTIRE REAR SECTIONS OF THE BUILDING.
OFFSITE, ADJACENT USES INCLUDE RETAIL, RESTAURANT, TAVERN, AND OFFICE USES TO THE NORTH OFFICE AND DANCE STUDIO USES TO THE EAST SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL TO THE SOUTH AND RETAIL OFFICE AND SALON USES TO THE WEST.
THE PROJECT SITE IS LOCATED IN THE PARKING EXEMPT AREA PER AB 2097 AND IS THEREFORE EXEMPT FROM ANY MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE THREE STANDARD AND ONE A DA OFF STREET PARKING SPACES AVAILABLE TO THIS ESTABLISHMENT.
AS YOU MAY NOTICE ON THIS SITE MAP, THE SUBJECT SITE CROSSES THE BORDER BETWEEN LONG BEACH AND SIGNAL HILL.
WE'VE WORKED IN COOPERATION WITH SIGNAL HILL PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AND BOTH CITIES HAVE AGREED THAT LONG BEACH WOULD SERVE AS THE LEAD, UH, JURISDICTION FOR PROCESSING THIS COP.
THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, WE HAVE REMAINED IN CLOSE COLLABORATION AND AS A, AS A RESULT, SIGNAL HILL HILL IS ALSO IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT.
THIS BUILDING IS SHARED WITH MULTIPLE USES AS SHOWN SMOG CITY HEIGHTS IS ON THE FAR LEFT WITH RESIDENTIAL DOORS LEADING TO THE SECOND FLOOR AT THE CENTER AND OFFICE SPACES SHOWN JUST TO THE RIGHT.
ADDITIONALLY, THE EXISTING STORAGE SPACE WITHIN THE PREPARATION KITCHEN IS SHOWN ON THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER.
HISTORICALLY, THE SUBJECT SITE HAS BEEN OPERATING AS A RESTAURANT SINCE 1980 FROM ITS PRIOR TWO TENANTS, BABE'S KITCHEN AND VERUS KITCHEN AND DRINKS.
THE LAYOUT OF THIS RESTAURANT INCLUDES AN INDOOR DINING AREA WITH A SERVICE COUNTER, AN OUTDOOR DINING PATIO, A FOOD PREPARATION KITCHEN WITH STORAGE SPACE, AND A FULL KITCHEN.
ADDITIONALLY, THEIR MENU CURRENTLY SERVES A VARIETY OF LUNCH STYLE MEALS, WHICH SUPPORTS THEIR RESTAURANT USE.
THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDES A CUP TO AUTHORIZE NEW BEER SALES WITHIN, WITHIN A TYPE 23 SMALL BEER MANUFACTURER, A BC LICENSE AT AN, AT AN EXISTING RESTAURANT, A NEW INTERIOR WALL TO CONVERT STORAGE AREA FOR A NEW 273 SQUARE FOOT INDOOR DINING ROOM, AND THE REMOVAL OF OUTDOOR PATIO PLANTERS AND FENCING FOR A NEW SOLID 42 INCH TALL STUCCO PATIO WALL.
CURRENTLY, SMOG CITY HEIGHTS OPENED IN OCTOBER OF 2025 AS A RESTAURANT AND UTILIZES AN A BC TYPE 91 BEER CATERERS PERMIT TO TEMPORARILY SERVE ALCOHOL.
THE RESTAURANT PROPOSES TO OPERATE WITH A DUPLICATE TYPE 23 A BC LICENSE, WHICH ALLOWS SMALL BEER MANUFACTURERS TO OPERATE BRANCH LOCATIONS THAT MAY EXERCISE MOST MANUFACTURING PRIVILEGES EXCEPT FOR ACTUAL PRODUCTION.
UNDER A DUPLICATE LICENSE, THE BRANCH LOCATION MAY SERVE BEER AND WINE AND CAN OPERATE ON PREMISES AS A RESTAURANT.
THE CURRENT HOURS OF OPERATIONS ARE FROM TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY, 11:00 AM TO 9:00 PM FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, 11:00 AM TO 10:00 PM AND SUNDAY FROM 11:00 AM TO 9:00 PM THE PROPOSED HOURS OF OPERATIONS ARE FROM SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY, 8:00 AM TO 10:00 PM AND THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, 8:00 AM THROUGH 11:00 PM THERE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 10 EMPLOYEES WITH FIVE EMPLOYEES PER SHIFT, AND ALL SERVERS AND BARTENDERS WILL BE RBS CERTIFIED.
THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS REVEALED THAT THE SITE IS NOT LOCATED IN A HIGH CRIME DISTRICT.
HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS TRACT, THERE ARE 12 EXISTING ON SALE LICENSES IN THE SURROUNDING AREA, AND A BC RECOMMENDS THAT THERE BE SIX.
THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN OVER CONCENTRATION OF ON SALE ALCOHOL LICENSES.
ADDITIONALLY, ONE CALL FOR SERVICE WAS MADE OUT TO THIS ESTABLISHMENT.
HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NO CALLS RELATED TO A B, C OR, UH, BAD BEHAVIOR.
PURSUANT TO THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE AND APPROVED CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT MAY BE APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION WHEN POSITIVE FINDINGS CAN BE MADE.
STAFF FINDS THAT POSITIVE FINDINGS CAN BE MADE IN SUPPORT OF THIS APPLICATION.
FOR THE FIRST FINDING, THE PROPOSAL TO OPERATE A TAP ROOM WILL BE ACCESSORY TO THE PRINCIPAL USE, MEANING THE ESTABLISHMENT WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE PRIMARILY
[00:15:01]
AS A RESTAURANT.THEREFORE, THE USE WILL, WILL REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH AND CARRY OUT THE GENERAL PLAN AND ALL ZONING REGULATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY.
COMMERCIAL AUTOMOBILE DISTRICT FOR THE SECOND FINDING CONDITIONS WILL BE PLACED TO CONSIDER COMMUNITY WELFARE AND ENSURE THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT REMAINS PRIMARILY AS A RESTAURANT IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 2152 AND NO ADDITIONAL PARKING IS TRIGGERED AS THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED WITHIN THE PARKING EXEMPT AREA, THE OPERATOR WILL PROVIDE NIGHT LIGHTING SECURITY CAMERAS AND WILL TAKE MEASURES TO PREVENT LOITERING AND OTHER UNWANTED ACTIVITIES.
WHILE THERE IS AN OVER CONCENTRATION OF ON SALE ALCOHOL IN THIS AREA, A TYPE 23 DOES NOT REQUIRE A BONAFIDE RESTAURANT.
HOWEVER, CONDITIONS WILL ENSURE THE ESTABLISHMENT MAINTAINS OPERATIONS AS A RESTAURANT.
THE USE MEETS SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS AS A SITE IS APPROXIMATELY MORE THAN 800 FEET FROM BURROWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND 850 FEET FROM RESERVOIR PARK, THE NEAREST SCHOOL AND PARK RESPECTIVELY.
SINCE THE PROJECT IS NOT PROPOSING NEW BUILDING AREA CONSISTENCY WITH THE GREEN BUILDING CODE STANDARDS WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED.
SOME OF THE IMPORTANT CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL ARE LISTED HERE.
THEY INCLUDE LIMITING HOURS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE RESTAURANT AND OUTDOOR PATIO FROM 11:00 AM TO 10:00 PM MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, WITH THE OPTION TO POTENTIALLY EXPAND INTO BREAKFAST HOURS ALCOHOL SALES TO BE LIMITED TO 30% OF GROSS SALES THAT ALL SERVERS AND BARTENDERS BE RES, UH, RESPONSIBLE BEVERAGE SERVICE CERTIFIED, THAT COMPLETE MEALS BE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES WHILE ALCOHOL IS BEING SERVED.
THE INSTALLATION OF URBAN ETIQUETTE SIGNAGE AT ALL ENTRY AND EXITS AND THE OUTDOOR PATIO NOT, UH, WILL NOT EXCEED THREE, THREE AND A HALF FEET IN HEIGHT.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME REVISIONS TO THE LATEST CONDITIONS IN THE SUPPLIED PACKET TODAY.
THESE INCLUDE A CLARIFICATION, TWO CONDITIONS, SIX THAT AUTHORIZES THE SALE, BOTH BEER AND WINE, A REWORDING OF CONDITION 11 THAT SPECIFIES ALCOHOL SALES FOR ONSITE CONSUMPTION.
CONDITION 17 WAS A DUPLICATE AND HAS BEEN REMOVED.
ADDED LANGUAGE FOR CONDITION 21, SPECIFYING THAT PROMOTIONAL DISPLAYS WITHIN SIX FEET OF A STREET FACING WINDOW ARE CONSIDERED SIGNS AND THE REMOVAL OF LEAD TRAINING FOR CONDITION 31.
THIS PROJECT IS ELIGIBLE FOR CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION PER CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT, SECTION 15 3 0 1.
AS THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF, OF ALCOHOL SALES WITH NO EXPANSION OF BUILDING FLOOR AREA, THIS APPLICATION WAS DULY NOTICED AS REQUIRED BY THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE.
AND AS OF TODAY, CITY STAFF RECEIVED FOUR LETTERS OF SUPPORT.
IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICING, STAFF RECOMMENDS, OOPS, STAFF RECOMMENDS ACCEPTING CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION, CE 26 0 22, AND TO ACCEPT THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AS PRESENTED.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
AND IF I MAY TO JUST CLARIFY, UM, UH, KEVIN MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE REVISED CONDITIONS, THOSE WERE, UM, POSTED ONLINE AND SHARED WITH THE COMMISSIONERS EARLIER TODAY, AND THERE'S ALSO, UH, PAPER COPIES HERE FOR ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW THOSE CLARIFICATIONS.
UH, RECOMMENDED THANK YOU QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS.
SO THERE WAS A, A, A CONDITION IN THERE THAT THE ALCOHOL SALES BE LIMITED TO 30%.
UH, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS? I CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY.
SO THERE IS A CONDITION THAT, UH, YOU WOULD SUBMIT YOUR GROSS RECEIPTS ON THE ANNUAL RENEWAL OF YOUR BUSINESS LICENSE, AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE'VE SEEN.
UM, AND WE ADDED VERY SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF ISSUES WITH SOME OF OUR, UM, OUTLETS FOR ALCOHOL THAT OPERATE AS, UH, RESTAURANTS.
BUT THEN WE SEE THAT THE NUMBERS ARE NOT REFLECTING A RESTAURANT USE AND CAN, UH, BECOME MORE ALCOHOL DOMINATED.
AND ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THIS APPLICATION INCLUDES A, NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL TYPE 41, WHICH IS A BEER AND WINE WITH A BONAFIDE EATING PLACE, AS WELL AS A TYPE 47, WHICH ALLOWS BEER, WINE, AND DISTILLED SPIRITS WITH AN EATING PLACE.
THE A BC LICENSE FOR THIS TYPE DOES NOT NECESSARILY MANDATE THAT BONAFIDE EATING PLACE.
UH, SO STAFF FELT LIKE THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT, UH, CONDITION TO ADD.
AND THE GROSS RECEIPTS, UH, WE HAVE HAD THAT ON OTHER CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS THAT ARE MORE OF THE MASTER CUP, WHERE YOU HAVE MULTIPLE OUTLETS AND EVERY
[00:20:01]
YEAR THEY SEND YOUR RECEIPTS AND YOU SHOW THE BREAKDOWN ITEMIZED OF ALCOHOL TO FOOD RATIO, AND WE WOULD SAVE THAT TO THE PROJECT FILE.AND IF IT WAS OUTTA COMPLIANCE, WE WOULD, UH, WORK ON THAT WITH THE APPLICANT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU SAY WORK ON THAT, LIKE WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THEY WOULD HAVE TO ADJUST THEIR OPERATIONS OR THEY WOULD BE AT RISK OF BEING OUT OF COMPLIANCE AND, UH, WITH ANY CUP REVOCATION CAN HAPPEN AFTER DOCUMENTED NON-COMPLIANCE.
SO WE WOULD, UH, WE WOULD WORK WITH THEM IN MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE, SO THEY MIGHT HAVE TO ADJUST THEIR OPERATIONS ON SITE TO MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE, WHICH THEY'RE SIGNING ON TO WITH A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
AND WHAT KINDS OF THINGS WOULD THEY BE DOING TO ENCOURAGE, I ASSUME, EITHER LESS ALCOHOL SALES OR MORE FOOD SALES? IS THAT JUST, I, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THAT MIGHT WORK.
I THINK LIKE, UH, AN INCREASED OR MAKING YOUR MENU MORE ROBUST OR MORE FOOD FORWARD IS ONE OPTION.
UM, YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY REQUIRE EVERYBODY TO BUY ALL THE FOOD, YOU KNOW, AND 40% OF YOUR FOOD, BUT IT'S REALLY HOW YOU OPERATE AND PROMOTE THE ITEMS ON YOUR, ON YOUR MENU.
SO IF YOU HAVE A LIGHT FOOD FAIR, YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT RATIO, BUT IF YOU INCREASE OR SUBSTANTIATE THE OFFERINGS THERE, YOU, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, ANY, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC OR THE APPLICANT WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM COME ON UP CHAIR IF WE CAN TURN TO THE APPLICANT FIRST FOR ANY QUESTIONS? YES.
I'M, UH, OWNER OF SMOG CITY WITH MY HUSBAND JONATHAN PORTER JOHN, AND WE'RE ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY OUR LANDLORD, UH, ROBERT MOLINA, WHO, UM, HAS BEEN REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PROJECT.
UH, SMOG CITY IS CELEBRATING 15 YEARS THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE, UM, FOUR LOCATIONS ACROSS LA COUNTY, INCLUDING A BREWERY IN TORRANCE.
UH, ONE OF OUR LOCATIONS WAS IN LONG BEACH, UM, AT THE STEEL CRAFT LOCATION UP ON LONG BEACH BOULEVARD FOR NINE YEARS.
UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN THE LEASE CAME, UM, UP FOR RENEWAL, THE LANDLORDS DID NOT RENEW US.
AND SO WE WERE PUT IN A POSITION WHERE WE WANTED TO FIND ANOTHER SPACE IN LONG BEACH SO THAT WE COULD MAINTAIN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAD INVESTED IN, UM, THE FANS THAT WE HAD BUILT AND ALSO THE EMPLOYMENT OF OUR STAFF.
WE WOULD'VE HAD TO LET FIVE PEOPLE GO.
UH, WE SPENT ABOUT 10 MONTHS LOOKING FOR A LOCATION AND LUCKILY CAME UPON, UM, THE 1106 WARDLOW LOCATION, WHICH WAS A PERFECT PLUG AND PLAY FOR US.
UM, IT COMES WITH A KITCHEN AND A BAR BUILT IN.
WE'VE HAD TO DO SOME MODIFICATIONS TO MAKE IT ACCOMMODATE THE BEER SALE SIDE OF IT, UM, BUT THE KITCHEN IS SIGNIFICANTLY ROBUST.
UM, SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO TOUCH ON TODAY IS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, UM, CLEMSON'S, MICHAEL CLEMSON'S BRINGING UP CONDITION 11.
IF ANY OF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE, THE BUSINESS OF RESTAURANTS, UM, FUNCTIONING AT A 50, UH, A UH, 30% ALCOHOL SALES TO, UM, 70% FOOD SALES IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
UM, OUR BACK OF HOUSE, UM, KITCHEN STAFF ARE THE MOST EXPENSIVE LABOR LABOR WE HAVE.
UM, OUR FOOD COSTS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY, UM, HIGHER THAN JUST SELLING BEER.
AND SO WE USE THE BEER SALES TO ACTUALLY BALANCE OUT THOSE MARGINS FOR US.
UM, WE, UH, COME TO YOU TODAY TO ASK FOR 50 50.
UM, WE SEE THAT IN ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS WHEN WE HAVE A FOOD TRUCK ON SITE OR WHEN WE HAVE BEER, OR IF WE'RE WORKING IN TANDEM WITH A FOOD HALL THAT THE FOOD SALES DO ACTUALLY HIT ABOUT 50 50.
AND THAT MAKES IT A, UM, SUSTAINABLE, UH, BUSINESS AND SOMETHING THAT WE CAN THRIVE, UH, THRIVE IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES WITH.
UM, I CAN, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WE ARE HERE TO HAVE AN AMAZING RESTAURANT IN LONG BEACH.
OUR INTEREST IS NOT TO, UM, GET THROUGH THE CUP AND THEN CLOSE THE KITCHEN DOWN.
WE'VE INVESTED IN AN EXECUTIVE CHEF.
WE HAVE THREE, UH, FOUR, UM, KITCHEN STAFF.
WE HAVE A ROBUST, UM, MENU THAT COVERS LUNCH AND DINNER, INCLUDING, UM, SNACKS AND, UM, SIDES, BUT ALSO HAS BURGERS, HUMMUS, VEGETARIAN, VEGAN, UM, PROTEIN PLATES.
SO, UM, OUR GOAL IS TO ACTUALLY BUILD THIS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE AS A BREWERY, THIS IS THE FUTURE OF, UM, CRAFT BREWERY SURVIVING.
WE HAVE TO CREATE THE, WHAT WE CALL THE WHOLE CONCEPT WHERE WE ARE PROVIDING FOR OUR CONSUMERS, NOT JUST BEER, BUT ALSO, UM, NOT JUST BEER AND COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO FOOD.
UH, OUR TAP ROOMS THAT HAVE NO FOOD COMPONENTS ARE NOT AS SUCCESSFUL AS THE ONES THAT ARE IN MARKETPLACES OR HAVE FOOD COMPONENTS.
THIS IS HOW SMOG CITY HOPES TO GROW.
[00:25:01]
ARE ALSO OPENING A RESTAURANT, UH, IN 2027 IN CULVER CITY THAT WILL ALSO HAVE A, A KITCHEN JUST LIKE THIS WITH THE SAME MENU.SO, UM, AS A BUSINESS, WE'RE REALLY INVESTED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WE'RE INVESTED IN OUR STAFF, AND WE'RE INVESTED IN MAKING THE BEST PRODUCT WE POSSIBLY CAN, WHETHER IT'S FOOD OR BEER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER.
SO COMMISSIONER CLEMSON ASKED THIS OF THE STAFF AND I WANTED TO ASK THIS OF YOU ALL.
SO YOU DID GIVE AN EXAMPLE, YOU SERVE BURGERS AND WHAT ELSE? BURGERS, CHICKEN TENDERS, UM, WINGS, HUMMUS PLATES.
SO HOW MUCH ARE CHICKEN TENDERS? UH, CHICKEN FINGERS ARE $13.
SO BY THE TIME I ORDER TWO GLASSES OF WINE WITH MY CHICKEN FINGERS, YOU OUT OF COMPLIANCE? A HUNDRED PERCENT
AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE WORKED WITH KEVIN ON THIS AND, AND HE HAS, HE HAS HAD TO PRESENT TO YOU, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE COMING IN AS A RESTAURANT, BUT WHAT I EXPLAINED TO HIM WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO NEGOTIATE THAT PERCENTAGE IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN BE IN COMPLIANCE IS JUST RAISE MY FOOD COSTS.
SO INSTEAD OF CHARGING 14 FOOD PRICES, FOOD PRICES, SORRY, INSTEAD OF CHARGING $14 FOR CHICKEN TENDERS, I'LL CHARGE 20 AND THEN I'M COMPLIANT.
UM, BUT THERE'S NOT REALLY AN EASY WAY TO CONTROL THAT.
THOSE SALES, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, IT'S LIKE ONE PERSON COMES IN, EVEN ONE GLASS OF WINE, YOU'RE PROBABLY ONE TO ONE, ALMOST, YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY A 13 OR $14 GLASS OF WINE AND YOU HAVE 13 OR $14, UM, CHICKEN TENDERS.
UH, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT OBVIOUSLY WITH THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO MITIGATE, UM, IS OBVIOUSLY THE ABUSE AND POTENTIAL RAMIFICATIONS OF A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL SALES, AND OF COURSE THE SECONDARY IMPACTS OF THAT.
WHAT ARE THE CONTROLS THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE THAT YOU ANTICIPATE EITHER AT YOUR CURRENT LOCATION, PAST LOCATION, OR WITHIN YOUR, YOUR PORTFOLIO TO MITIGATE THAT, THAT POTENTIAL RISK? UM, SO IF WE CONSIDER THIS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE RBS CERTIFIED, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY THE A, BC THAT TEACHES OUR STAFF THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THE LIABILITIES THAT THEY HOLD PERSONALLY AND ARE HELD BY OUR BUSINESS.
UM, I ALWAYS LIKE TO SHARE THAT, THAT AS A TYPE 23 BREWERY LICENSE, WHEN I HAVE A DUPE 23, WHICH IS WHAT THIS IS, IT'S A SATELLITE, UM, ANCILLARY, UH, LICENSE TO OUR MASTER.
IF WE WERE TO GET IN TROUBLE WITH THE POLICE OR THE A B, C, THEY ACTUALLY WILL SHUT DOWN ALL OF OUR LICENSES.
SO OUR, UH, EXPOSURE IS EX EXTRAORDINARY, UH, EXPONENTIALLY HIGHER THAN A NORMAL BAR OR RESTAURANT THAT MAYBE IS IN A RESTAURANT GROUP BECAUSE SHOULD WE HAVE A PROBLEM THERE, WE'RE OVER, OVER SERVING, WE'RE SERVING TO MINORS, THEY WILL JUST GO OUT AND CLOSE ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES, WHICH WOULD CLOSE, CLOSE US DOWN.
UM, SO WE HAVE STRICT, UM, PROTOCOLS ON SERVING WHERE ALL OF OUR STAFF ARE REALLY WELL TRAINED ON, UM, DEESCALATION AND CUTTING PEOPLE OFF AND MAKING SURE THEY LEAVE WITH RESPECT SO THAT THEY AREN'T EMBARRASSED SO THAT THEY AREN'T FEELING ATTACKED AND WE WANT THEM TO COME BACK.
WE WANT THEM TO COME BACK AS A GOOD CUSTOMER.
SO WE, WE DO TAKE IT VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY.
WE'VE NEVER HAD A VIOLATION AT ANY ONE OF OUR TAP ROOMS, ANY AT OUR BREWERY.
WE'VE NEVER HAD AN ISSUE IN WHICH, UM, THE A, BC HAS HAD TO COME OUT AND, UH, LOOK AT OUR PROCESSES BECAUSE WE DO, UM, REALLY RECOGNIZE AND RESPECT THE SERVICE OF ALCOHOL, ESPECIALLY AS MY HUSBAND.
UM, HE DOESN'T WANT PEOPLE ABUSING HIS PRODUCT.
IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR OUR BRAND.
UM, SO WE, WE REALLY TREAT EVERY BEER THAT WE SERVE ACROSS THE BAR AS A REPRESENTATIVE, REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR BRAND.
AND I THINK THAT KIND OF KEEPS US IN CHECK.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OH, SORRY, COMMISSIONER, I KIND OF WANT TO PUT THIS BACK ON THE CITY STAFF THEN.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GETTING WORD FROM THE APPLICANT THAT THE BUSINESS MODEL OF A, PROBABLY, AND FORGIVE ME, I'M PUTTING WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH HERE OF ANY TRADITIONAL RESTAURANT IS PROBABLY CLOSER TO A 50 50 OR MAYBE IT'S JUST THE SORT OF BREW PUB MODEL THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY PURSUING.
CAN YOU GO INTO WHAT THE RATIONALE FOR THE 70 30 WAS REALLY QUICKLY, DO YOU WANNA CLOSE QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT AND MOVE BACK TO QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR ARE YOU STILL ANTICIPATING QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT AS WELL? I'M PROBABLY NOT GONNA GO BACK TO THE APPLICANT.
YEAH, WE CAN, WE CAN REVERT BACK AFTERWARDS.
UM, SO I GUESS YOU'RE ALL GOOD.
WE'LL GO AHEAD, UH, HAVE, UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC QUESTION TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
SORRY, I THINK THERE'S A QUESTION FROM, GET TO THE QUESTION THOUGH OF WHAT'S THE RATIONALE FOR THE 70 30 VERSUS WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR, WHICH IS 50 50.
SO THE RATIONALE CAME FROM WE HAVE THE CUP REQUIREMENT, UM, AND THEN WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED THE CUP EXEMPTION OR A Q WHEN WE PROCESS THOSE, THOSE ARE TWO RESTAURANTS AND THEY DON'T CONSIDER, UM,
[00:30:01]
OVER CONCENTRATION SUCH AS THIS, WHERE THIS IS AN OVER CONCENTRATED AREA.SO STAFF FELT THAT PUTTING THE SAME LAYER OF, UH, IT IS AN OVER CONCENTRATED AREA THAT'S ACROSS THE STREET FROM ANOTHER ALCOHOL, UH, RETAIL PLACE THAT IS A RESTAURANT AND THE PROXIMITY, IT WAS A REASONABLE WAY TO ENSURE THAT IT OPERATED AS A RESTAURANT WITH ALCOHOL SALES.
THIS COMMISSION CAN, UH, THAT WAS WHAT WE FOUND IN OUR CODE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR POWER TO TREAT THEM AS ANALOGOUS OR SIMILAR SITUATIONS.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE A 50 50 RULE IN OUR CODE.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT REGULATION.
TYPICALLY THE A BC PER UM, LICENSE HAS BONAFIDE EATING RESTAURANTS.
SO WITHOUT THOSE LEVERS THROUGH THE A, B, C TO GUARANTEE IT'S A BONAFIDE EATING PLACE, UH, THAT WAS WHERE THE RATIONALE FOR THE 30% CAME FROM BECAUSE THAT IS A, A FACTOR IN OUR CODE TODAY.
BUT THIS PLANNING COMMISSION, IF YOU FEEL THAT 50% IS A MORE REASONABLE, YOU CAN USE THAT MORE RATIONAL.
WE JUST TOOK IT FROM THE, THE EXCERPT OF WHERE OUR CODE ALLOWS FOR OVER CONCENTRATION WITH A RESTAURANT THAT SERVES ALCOHOL.
THAT IS A BASIS THAT'S ALREADY FOUND IN OUR CODE.
BUT IF YOU FEEL 50 50 IS A MORE REASONABLE NUMBER OR ANOTHER NUMBER, UH, THAT IS WITHIN YOUR POWER TO DEVIATE AND CHANGE THAT CONDITION, FEEL FREE.
UM, I JUST AM A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED.
I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE RUN INTO EXAMPLES OF OVER CON CONCENTRATION IN OTHER AREAS, IN OTHER, UM, UH, ALCOHOL LICENSES AND THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST TIME THAT I'M, I CAN REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT A REVENUE KIND OF PROPORTION LIMIT.
IT ALSO, WE'VE, WE ARE ALSO THE A BC LICENSE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THIS CASE THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE THAT EATING ESTABLISHMENT.
AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING CLOSE WITH A, B, C AND WE WANNA PUT THOSE SAFEGUARDS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE WE HAVE SEEN THOSE EVEN WITH THE A BC LICENSES THAT REQUIRE THE BONAFIDE EATING ESTABLISHMENTS ABUSE THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO GROW AND CREATE MORE SAFEGUARDS THAT ARE ENFORCEABLE SO THAT WHEN THOSE EXCEEDANCES HAPPEN, BECAUSE WE, WE KNOW THEY WILL HAPPEN, WE WILL HAVE THE PROPER CONDITIONS IN PLACE TO DO THE PROPER ENFORCEMENT.
COMMISSIONER, I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE DISCUSSION.
THERE IS NO MAGIC TO THE 70 30 IF THE COMMISSION WANTED TO DO 60 40 OR 50 50, THAT'S AT THE COMMISSION'S DISCRETION.
I THINK WHAT MARYANNE WAS GETTING AT IS, UM, YOU SEE PROJECTS UPFRONT AND IT'S ALWAYS A VERY POSITIVE STORY AND I'M SURE THIS OPERATOR IS A GREAT OPERATOR AND WE ALWAYS BELIEVE THE BEST.
UM, BUT IN THE OPERATIONAL SIDE OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT THIS COMMISSION DOESN'T ALWAYS GET TO SEE, UM, WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF ISSUES WITH COMPLIANCE AND WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF ISSUES WITH OPERATORS, UM, THAT DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS RESTAURANTS AND THEN BASICALLY OPERATE AS BAR NIGHTCLUB OPERATIONS.
AND WHAT THEY SAY TO US IS, WELL, I HAVE A KITCHEN.
IT'S NOT MY FAULT IF NO ONE BUYS ANY FOOD AND UM, I KICK OUT ANYONE WHO DRINKS TOO MUCH.
BUT IT, IT CREATES NUISANCE ISSUES ON THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S THE MACRO ISSUE THAT THE STAFF IS TRYING TO SOLVE FOR.
UM, BUT THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO MAGIC.
IF WE GOT THE RATIO WRONG, BY ALL MEANS ADJUST IT.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU ON KIND OF A SYSTEM-WIDE, COMMUNITY-WIDE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE FACING A LOT OF, UM, IMPLEMENTATION ENFORCEMENT CHALLENGES WITH OUR, OUR, UM, ESTABLISHMENTS THAT SERVE ALCOHOL THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WITH, WITH THAT IN MIND, UM, SINCE THIS IS A PRE-EXISTING BUSINESS, MIND YOU AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION, HAS THERE BEEN, OR WAS THERE ANY ISSUES WITH THEIR PRIOR A B, C LICENSE IN THIS LOCA AT THEIR PRIOR LOCATION? I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WAS THE CASE.
UH, IT WAS ALSO A DIFFERENT CONTEXT WHERE, UM, IT WAS IN A COMMERCIAL AREA AND I, I DON'T BELIEVE THEY WERE SERVING FOOD AT THAT LOCATION IN A RESTAURANT FORMAT.
SO IT WAS DIFFERENT, UM, CIRCUMSTANCE.
AND WHICH IN THAT CASE THEY HAD PREDOMINANTLY ALCOHOL SALES AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY ISSUES THAT WERE REPORTABLE OR REPORTED.
THE APPLICANT MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT.
ABOUT THE ALCOHOL SALES COMPONENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF STAFF? UM, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE SETTING THEM UP FOR REALISTIC OPERATIONS AT, UH, 70 30, UM, JUST BASED ON THE FOOD TYPE.
UH, AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND MY MOTION AND I WOULD AMEND IT TO 50 50 PER THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST.
[00:35:01]
A BALANCE AND STILL THERE'S SOME GUARDRAILS THERE.THIS MAY BE A DIFFERENT COMMENT IF IT'S A NEW OPERATOR IN A DIFFERENT AREA, BUT, UM, I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH 50 50.
SO I HAVE, THIS IS BE MEETING, UM, ITEM 11.
SO COMMISSIONER LIMI, WOULD YOU, ARE YOU IN I'D BE HAPPY TO SECOND THAT SHE'S ASKING.
THERE, WITH THAT IN MIND, WE HAVE A, A, THE MAKER AND A SECOND OF ACCEPTED AT THIS POINT.
COULD I ADD A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THAT? MAYBE THAT WOULD BE REVIEWED IN A YEAR?
I, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT IT BE REVIEWED IN A YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO PROBLEMS AND THAT EVERYTHING IS STILL GOOD OR EVEN MAYBE BE HIGHER.
SO WE'LL HAVE THE APPLICANT REPORT BACK TO THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR.
I DON'T THINK WE WANNA PUT THEM THROUGH THE BURDEN OF COMING BACK, UH, TO THE CASE.
I ACCEPT THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
FOR PURPOSE OF CLARITY TO THE, UH, THE SECOND FRIENDLY HERE OR THE FRIENDLY IS TO, UH, UH, THAT IT WOULD BE CONDITIONAL ON ONE YEAR REVIEW TO THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR TO REFER TO THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR.
SO ACCEPTED BY THE MAKER IN THE SECOND.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, NOW ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE PUBLIC AT THIS POINT.
I JUST, I JUST WANNA SAY I ALSO THINK IS A GOOD IDEA.
I THINK THERE ARE OTHER THINGS INSIDE OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, UH, REQUIRING THE FULL KITCHEN TO BE, UH, OPERATIONAL DURING BUSINESS HOURS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, UH, AND THEN OF COURSE THE, JUST THE EXPERIENCE AND THE, THE TRACK RECORD OF THE BUSINESS SHOWING ITSELF TO BE, UM, RESPONSIBLE.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S A, A GOOD, A GOOD AMENDMENT.
WELL NOW TURN IT OVER TO THE PUBLIC.
ANY PUBLIC, ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISH PROCEED TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM AS AMENDED.
I LIVE WITHIN BIKING DISTANCE OF WHERE THIS, UM, BUSINESS IS.
AND I LOVE LIVING IN THE BIX AREA FOR THIS VERY REASON.
THE FACT THAT I'VE SO MANY DIFFERENT BARS THAT I CAN WALK OR RIDE MY BIKE TO.
UM, I SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION AND THE AMENDMENT.
UM, BUT I ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT I THINK LONG TERM WE SHOULD CONSIDER, UM, CHANGING, UM, THESE RULES, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING SUPPOSED ISSUES WITH, UH, BUSINESSES COMPLYING WITH THAT.
UM, I'VE WORKED AT RESTAURANTS BEFORE, SO I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT LIKE BEER IS WHERE WE MAKE THE MONEY AND UNFORTUNATELY THE BURGERS IS, YOU KNOW, THE BURGERS AND THE OTHER FOOD KIND OF IS SUBSIDIZED BY THAT.
UM, I THINK ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE BIX MINERALS AREA AND MOST OTHER AREAS WITH LOTS OF RESTAURANTS WE DON'T HAVE ISSUES WITH, LIKE CRIME AND SAFETY.
SO I THINK LONG TERM ON TOP OF APPROVING THIS AMENDMENT, WE SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER POSSIBLY CHANGING THE RULES.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S OUT OF JURISDICTION FOR THIS MEETING, BUT, YOU KNOW, AT A LATER MEETING, LONG TERM.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO VIRTUAL COMMENTS.
ANY VIRTUAL COMMENTS, WHICH IF YOU'RE JOINING US VIRTUALLY AND WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FUNCTION AT THIS TIME.
I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
ANY FINAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE.
UH, PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE COMMISSIONER TEMPLATE.
I CAN TAKE A VERBAL THANK YOU.
CONGRATULATIONS MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE NEXT ITEM.
[4. 26-54850 Recommendation to recommend that City Council adopt an Addendum (EIRA25-001) to the Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) prepared for the General Plan Land Use Element and Urban Design Element (EIR03-16) (SCH No. 2015051054) relating to a Zone Change (ZCHG24-006) and General Plan Amendment (GPA24-004) of a property located at 5705-5723 Lime Avenue (APN 7127-006-917); Recommend that City Council adopt a City-initiated General Plan Map Amendment (GPA24-004), and adopt the proposed findings related thereto, to change the land use PlaceType and height limit of a property located at 5705-5723 Lime Avenue (APN 7127-006-917) from Founding and Contemporary Neighborhood (FCN)/2-stories to Neighborhood Serving Centers, Moderate (NSC-M)/3-stories; and Request City Council adopt a Zoning Map Change (ZCHG24-006), and adopt the proposed findings related thereto, to amend the zoning designation for a property at 5705-5723 Lime Avenue (APN 7127-006-917) from Low-Density Multi-family Residential, Small Lot (R-3-S) to Mixed Use 2, Special Use Incentives (MU-2-A). (District 8) Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
FOUR IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECOMMEND THAT CITY COUNCIL ADOPT AN ADDENDUM TO THE PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT PREPARED FOR THE GENERAL PLAN, LAND USE ELEMENT AND URBAN DESIGN ELEMENT RELATING TO A ZONE CHANGE AND GENERAL PLAN.AMENDMENT OF A PROPERTY LOCATED AT 57 0 5 THROUGH 57 23 LYME AVENUE.
RECOMMEND THAT CITY COUNCIL ADOPT A CITY INITIATED GENERAL PLAN, MAP, AMENDMENT, AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS RELATED THERETO TO CHANGE THE LAND USE PLACE TYPE AND HEIGHT LIMIT OF A PROPERTY LOCATED AT 57 0 5 THROUGH 57 23 LIME AVENUE FROM FOUNDING AND CONTEMPORARY NEIGHBORHOOD SLASH TWO STORIES TO NEIGHBORHOOD SERVING CENTERS.
MODERATE SLASH THREE STORIES AND REQUEST CITY COUNCIL ADOPT A ZONING MAP, CHANGE AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS RELATED THERETO TO AMEND THE ZONING DESIGNATION FOR A PROPERTY LOCATED AT 57 5 THROUGH 53 LY AVENUE FROM LOW DENSITY MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL, SMALL
[00:40:01]
LOT TO MIXED USE TO SPECIAL USE INCENTIVES.CAN I GET A MAKER IN A SECOND PLEASE? THANK YOU.
UM, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO STAFF FOR PRESENTATION.
ALEJANDRO SANCHEZ LOPEZ WILL PROVIDE THIS PRESENTATION.
GOOD EVENING CHAIR AND PLANNING COMMISSIONERS.
THE ITEM BEFORE YOU TODAY IS A PROPOSED REZONING AND GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT FOR CITY OWNED PARCEL, LOCATED AT 57 21 LYME AVENUE.
BEFORE WE GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF THE SITE AND PROPOSE CHANGE, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT FOR THE PROJECT.
IN DECEMBER, 2019, THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED AN UPDATE TO THE GENERAL PLAN LAND USE ELEMENT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE LUE AND ADOPTED A NEW URBAN DESIGN ELEMENT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE UDE.
THIS UPDATE TO THE CITY'S GENERAL PLAN GUIDES GROWTH AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND LONG BEACH THROUGH THE HORIZON YEAR OF 2040.
IN NOVEMBER OF 2020, CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE FIRST REZONING IN LONG BEACH TO IMPLEMENT THE LUE LAND USE DISTRICTS, ALSO KNOWN AS PLACE TYPES THROUGH THE FIRST PHASE OF VIEW PLAN, THE UPTOWN PLANNING LAND USE AND NEIGHBORHOOD STRATEGIES INITIATIVE IN NORTH LAWN BEACH AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TITLE 22.
THE SECOND AND FINAL PHASE OF U PLAN WAS ADOPTED ON SEPTEMBER, 2024 AND COMPLETED REZONINGS OF MAJOR CORRIDORS AND AREAS OF CHANGE IDENTIFIED IN THE LUE IN NORTH LONG BEACH.
THE MAP ON THE LEFT SHOWS PLACE TYPE DESIGNATIONS IN NORTH LONG BEACH.
AREAS OF CHANGE WERE MIXED USE, COMMERCIAL MULTI-FAMILY AND NEO INDUSTRIAL PLACE TYPES SHOWN IN PINK OR PURPLE RED, ORANGE AND BLUE RESPECTIVELY ARE DESIGNATED.
THE TWO PHASES OF U PLAN ARE SHOWN IN THE MAP ON THE RIGHT.
PHASE ONE WAS FOCUSED ON THE ATLANTIC AND ARTESIA CORRIDORS HIGHLIGHTED IN ORANGE AND INCLUDED A PARTIAL REZONING OF THE SUBJECT PARCEL PHASE TWO IS SHOWN IN LIGHT BLUE.
SO NOW LOOKING AT THE SITE ITSELF, IT IS ONE PARCEL SOUTH OF THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SOUTH STREET AND LIME AVENUE.
THE PARCEL ITSELF IS 18,800 SQUARE FEET AND CURRENTLY UNDEVELOPED.
IT IS ADJACENT TO COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL USES TO THE NORTH SINGLE AND MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL TO THE SOUTH AND EAST, AS WELL AS INSTITUTIONAL USES TO THE EAST AND COMMERCIAL USES TO THE WEST ALONG BOTH SIDES OF ATLANTIC AVENUE.
THE SITE IS SEPARATED FROM ATLANTIC AS A MAJOR MIXED USE CORRIDOR THROUGH THE NORTH SOUTH ALLEY THAT RUNS THE LENGTH OF THE 5,700 BLOCK OF LIME AVENUE.
THE MAP HERE SHOWS THE EXISTING SPLIT DESIGNATION ON THE SITE FROM BOTH THE ZONING AND A GENERAL PLAN PERSPECTIVE.
SLIGHTLY OVER ONE OF THE PARCEL, IT'S CURRENTLY MU TWO A AND NSCM THREE STORIES, WHICH ALLOWS FOR A VARIETY OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL USES UP TO 54 DOLING UNITS PER ACRE.
THE REST OF THE SITE IS R THREE S, WHICH ALLOWS FOR UP TO THREE UNITS PER LOT AND FCN OR FOUNDING AND CONTEMPORARY NEIGHBORHOOD PLACE TYPE, WHICH ALLOWS UP TO 18 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE.
THE SITE WAS PARTIALLY REZONED IN 2020 AS PART OF U PLAN PHASE ONE.
AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THIS MAP SHOWS A BROADER PLACE TYPE DESIGNATIONS FOR THE SURROUNDING AREA.
BOTH ATLANTIC AVENUE AND SAR STREET ARE MAJOR CORRIDORS IDENTIFIED AS AREAS OF CHANGE WITH MIXED USE AND MULTIFAMILY DESIGNATIONS RESPECTIVELY AT THREE STORIES THROUGH FOUR THROUGHOUT AND FOUR STORIES AT THE NORTH SIDE OF THE INTERSECTION.
ADDITIONALLY, THE U PLAN PROCESS IDENTIFIED CLEAR PRIORITIES THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED BY THE SITE AS REFLECTED IN THE VISION STATEMENT FOR THE PROJECT.
NEEDS INCLUDED ADDRESSING BLIGHT UNDER INVESTMENT AND VACANT SPACES IN ADDITION TO REVITALIZATION OF OF THESE AREAS TO ADVANCE HEALTHY, ACTIVE, AND COMPLETE NEIGHBORHOODS, INCREASE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SHARED ECONOMIC ITY PROVIDING NEW HOUSING AND MORE VARIETY, VARIETY OF HOUSING TYPES, PARTICULARLY WHILE MINIMIZING DIRECT DISPLACEMENT OF EXISTING RESIDENTS AND SPACES.
ULTIMATELY, THE SPLIT DESIGNATION HAS PRESENTED A MAJOR ISSUE TO DEVELOPMENT OR USE OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH HELPS TO EXPLAIN WHY IT HAS REMAINED VACANT EVEN AFTER U PLAN'S COMPLETION.
THE ZONING MAP HERE SHOWS A BROADER ZONING DISTRICT CLASSIFICATIONS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA.
WHILE LIME AVENUE IS PRIMARILY DESIGNATED AS FCN AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THIS ENTIRE STRETCH OF THE STREET BETWEEN SOUTH STREET AND MARKET STREET IS ZONED R THREE S, WHICH DOES ALLOW FOR SMALL SCALE MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT AND CAN PERMIT A HIGHER DENSITY THAN FCN ON AVERAGE SIZE LOTS FOUND IN THIS PART OF LIME AVENUE AS IT'S THE CASE IN OTHER DENSER COMMUNITIES IN LONG BEACH.
THERE IS A VARIETY OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ALREADY EXISTING ALONG BOTH SIDES OF LIME MAVE AVENUE IDENTITIES THAT CAN EXCEED BOTH R THREE S AND FCN THRESHOLDS, INCLUDING DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE SUBJECT SITE.
THE PROJECT SITE IS NOT IN THE CITY'S HOUSING ELEMENT SITE INVENTORY, BUT IT IS DESIGNATED CURRENTLY AS SURPLUS PROPERTY FOR SALE IN COMBINATION WITH THE ADJACENT PARCEL TO THE NORTH SIDE PARCEL IS ENTIRELY MU TWO A AND CURRENTLY DEVELOPED WITH A VACANT COMMERCIAL BUILDING.
THE MAPS ON THIS SLIDE SHOW THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ZONING AND GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATION, ADDRESSING THE SPLIT ZONING AND CONGRUENCY BY MAKING THE ENTIRE PARCEL BE MU TWO A WITH A HEIGHT LIMIT
[00:45:01]
OF THREE STORIES.THIS WILL ALSO RESULT IN BOTH CITY OWNED PARCELS HAVING CONSISTENT ZONING AND FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH PROPERTIES, GIVEN THE EXISTING CONDITIONS AND IMPEDIMENTS TO DEVELOPMENT IN ADDRESSING BLIGHT IN NORTH LONG BEACH THAT THE CURRENT SPLIT DESIGNATION PRESENTS STAFF HAVE MADE FINDINGS TO SUPPORT THIS CHANGE.
IT WOULD ALLOW THE PROJECT SITE WITH THE ABUTTING MIXED USE CORRIDOR TO WOULD ALIGN WITH THE ABUTTING MIXED USE CORRIDOR BY REZONING TO MU TWO A AND FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF VACANT PRO PROPERTIES THROUGH A CONSOLIDATED AND CONSISTENT ZONING DESIGNATION.
AS A RESULT, THIS ACCOMPLISHES MULTIPLE LAND USE ELEMENT AND HOUSING ELEMENT GOALS OF FOSTERING COMPLETE NEIGHBORHOODS, CONTINUING TO PRIORITIZE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES ALONG MAJOR CORRIDORS AND NEAR TRANSIT HUBS AND EXPANDING HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AT ALL LEVELS AND FOR ALL TYPES OF FAMILIES, ALL WHILE MINIMIZING DIRECT DISPLACEMENT.
THIS SLIDE FURTHER SUMMARIZES A PROJECT ALIGNMENT WITH THE GENERAL PLAN BY ELEMENT FOR THE HOUSING ELEMENT, LAND USE ELEMENT, AND THE AIR QUALITY AND MOBILITY ELEMENTS AS PART OF THE SCORP REVIEW PROCESS.
AN ADDENDUM TO THE PROGRAMMATIC EIR FOR THE LAND SETTLEMENT WAS PREPARED ANALYZING THE PROJECT, NONE OF THE CONDITIONS REQUIRING A NEW SUBSEQUENT OR SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ARE PRESENT.
NONE OF THE COM UH, MY APOLOGIES, NONE OF THE CONDITIONS AS STATED IN SECTION 2 1 1 6 6 OF THE PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE OR SECTIONS 1 5 1 6 2 OR 1 5 1 6 3 OF THE S QL GUIDELINES ARE PRESENT.
I NOTICED THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS PREPARED AND PUBLISHED FOR THE PROJECT IN LONG BEACH PRESS TELEGRAM ON MARCH 27TH OF THIS YEAR.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NOTES TEAM REQUIREMENTS OF THE ZONING REGULATIONS, THE NOTICE WOULD ALSO POSTED AT CITY HALL AND AT CITY LIBRARIES WITH THE PROPOSED CHANGES AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW, IT WAS ALSO POSTED ON THE DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE AND DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE CITY'S NOTIFICATION SYSTEM.
TWO POSTERS WERE ALSO POSTED ON THE SUBJECT'S SITE.
FINALLY, THOUGH NOT REQUIRED GIVEN THE NUMBER OF ADDRESSES, UM, THAT WERE FOUND WITHIN THE DESIGNATED RADIUS, MAILERS WERE NEVERTHELESS SENT TO ALL HOUSEHOLDS WITHIN 1000 FEET OF THE SITE TO BE NOTIFIED.
SINCE THE PUBLISHING OF THE PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE AND DISTRIBUTION TO INTERESTED PARTIES, STAFF HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY COMMENTS WITH THAT.
STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE COMMISSION RECOMMEND FOR CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL FOR THE PROPOSED ZONING AND GENERAL PLAN CHANGES WITH THE CORRESPONDING ORDINANCE AND RESOLUTIONS TO EFFECT SAID CHANGE.
THIS CONCLUDES STAFF PRESENTATION AND WE ARE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER? UM, IS THIS CHANGE PRIMARILY JUST CORRECTING AN INCONSISTENCY OR ARE WE REALLY SETTING IT UP FOR HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT? LIKE DO WE THINK, IS THAT THE DIRECTION WE ARE HOPING TO HEAD TO HEAD IN WITH THIS PARCEL? WELL, WE NEVER LIKE IT WHEN THERE'S A SPLIT ZONING ON A PROPERTY BECAUSE IT'S, IT CAN BE CONFUSING, UM, FOR THE APPLICANT AND PUBLIC AS TO WHAT, UM, IS INTENDED THERE.
UM, AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHEN YOU DO SORT OF AREA AND CITYWIDE LAND USE AND, AND REZONING EFFORTS, UM, YOU DON'T ALWAYS CATCH ERRORS AND, AND SPLIT PARCELS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, AS, AS YOU KIND OF HEARD IN THE PRESENTATION, UM, THE CHANGE IS PROPOSED FROM ESSENTIALLY LOW TO MEDIUM DENSITY, MORE CONSISTENT WITH, YOU KNOW, BOTH PROXIMATE CORRIDORS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY, UM, AS ALEJANDRO MENTIONED DOES OWN THE PROPERTY.
AND SO, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, UH, WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT PROPERTY, WE DO, UM, UNDER STATE LAW PRIORITIZE ALLOWING IT FOR HOUSE, LIKE SOME KIND OF HOUSING IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF THE INTENT IS TO, TO CLEAN IT UP AND HELP FACILITATE.
COMMISSIONER, I'M, I GUESS I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED AS TO, I MEAN, I, I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THIS HAPPENS.
IT'S, YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, 10,000 OR A MILLION PROPERTIES OR WHATEVER IN THIS CITY AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING ONE LINE WRONG IS VERY UNDERSTANDABLE.
WHY ARE WE DRAWING A MAP TO DECIDE HOW THAT THOSE PROPERTIES THAT ARE ALREADY DEFINED SOMEWHERE ELSE CAN BE USED? I I, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS, UM, THEIR RGIS DATA IN CREATING THE LANDY ELEMENT WAS BASED ON OLD GIS DATA THAT WAS ALSO IMPERFECT.
AND SO I THINK IT'S THE IMPERFECT BUILT ON THE IMPERFECT BUILT ON THE IMPERFECT.
[00:50:01]
UM, THERE WAS, UH, MANY YEAR, I THINK ALMOST 15 YEAR PROCESS TO UPDATE THE LANDY SETTLEMENT AND THE MAPPING PORTION HAD BEEN, BEEN DONE IN I THINK, ILLUSTRATOR WHEN IT WAS DONE AT THE TIME.AND SO, UM, THAT IN PART HAS TO DO WITH SORT OF WHICH TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IS BROUGHT ON AT WHAT POINT AND HOW THOSE DESIGNATIONS ARE CREATED.
TO YOUR POINT, I THINK TODAY WE WOULD, WE WOULD, UM, START A MAP IN THE GIS SYSTEM TO ENSURE WE'RE CLEAR ON WHEN WE'RE CUTTING THROUGH PROPERTIES AND CREATING, UM, SPLIT DESIGNATIONS.
IT CAME UP QUITE A BIT DURING YOU, YOU PLAN AND CITY CORE YOU MIGHT REMEMBER AS WELL.
THE MORE WE START DOING CLEANUP, THE MORE ISSUES WE'RE SEEING.
AND SO, UM, THIS WAS ONE THAT GOT, THAT GOT FLAGGED, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT MORE TO FIX FOR SURE.
AND PROBABLY IN BATCHES, THE, THE, THE
I I, I GET THAT'S NOT REALLY THE POINT HERE.
I'M JUST A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED AS TO WHY WE DO IT THIS WAY BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE A LIST OF NUMBERS THAT ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO, FOR TAX PURPOSES AND FOR SALES PURPOSES, AND THEN WE JUST GO AND REDRAW THE LINES AGAIN, WHICH IS JUST SORT OF INVITING FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THESE KINDS OF ERRORS.
THERE'S, UH, WE COULD DO A WHOLE, UH, WORKSHOP ON THIS, I THINK AND, AND WE DO SEE THE, THE NEED TO APPROACH IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN IN THE PAST.
TECHNICALLY ZONING DESIGNATION GOES TO THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET
SO IN YOUR EXAMPLE OF YOUR PROPERTY LINE, IT WOULDN'T BE AS MUCH, UM, OF AN ISSUE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE LA COUNTY ASSESSOR AND THE PARCEL LINES THAT THEY PROVIDE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WHEN THE G WHEN THE, UM, LAND USE DESIGNATION MAP, UM, AND THE OLD ZONING MAP WERE DRAWN, THEY WEREN'T DRAWN IN GAS AND THEY WEREN'T DRAWN BASED ON PARCEL BOUNDARIES.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT IS, YOU KNOW, UNDER, WITH TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY YOU WOULDN'T DO THAT.
AND SO WE'RE AT LEAST NOW ABLE TO MORE EASILY WITH GIS IDENTIFY ALL THOSE, BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, EVEN 20 YEARS AGO, IT WOULD BE HARD, WELL, I GUESS 20 YOU COULD, BUT EVEN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, UM, IT WOULD'VE BEEN REALLY HARD TO DO THAT.
UM, I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE STARTING A LAND USE ELEMENT UPDATE TODAY, I WOULD NOT ALLOW THE MAPPING TO BE HAPPENING IN ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR GIS.
AND FOR CONTEXT, UM, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SHARE KIND OF HOW MANY PROPERTIES HAVE, HAVE, HAVE KIND OF, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS ON THIS, THE DIGITAL CRACKS, UM, THAT, THAT HAVE SURFACED SINCE THE LAND USE ELEMENT WAS, UH, WAS LAST REVIEWED? CITYWIDE? CITYWIDE, YEAH, JUST AN APPROXIMATION.
I I WOULD SAY IN THE THOUSANDS MM-HMM
UM, WE'VE IDENTIFIED HUNDREDS THROUGH THE, THE REZONING PROCESSES THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
UM, AND THAT'S WITHOUT LOOKING FOR THEM, IF WE DID GO LOOKING FOR PROPERTIES THAT EITHER HAVE BEEN RENDERED NON-CONFORMING THROUGH DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE AT THE LUE, ESPECIALLY FOR HOUSING, UM, WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE IN THE THOUSANDS PROPERTIES THAT HAVE SPLIT DESIGNATIONS OR DESIGNATIONS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY MATCH, UM, WHAT'S THERE CURRENTLY, UM, WOULD PROBABLY ALSO BE IN, IN THE THOUSANDS, POSSIBLY IN THE 10TH OF THOUSANDS.
AND, AND HOW AND OFF OF A THOUSANDS, OFF OF HOW, HOW MANY, WHAT IS THE, I DON'T KNOW, YOU COMMISSIONER MENTIONED MILLIONS, BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE MILLIONS OF, UH, LOTS.
HOW MANY LOTS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WITHIN THE CITY CURRENTLY IN OUR PORTFOLIO? THIS IS NOT A, A DEFINITIVE ANSWER, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S AROUND 89,000 TO GIVE AN ESTIMATE.
MAYBE IN THE BALLPARK OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMM COMMISSIONERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, I'LL NOW, UH, TAKE, TURN IT OVER TO THE PUBLIC FOR ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS, ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME FORWARD.
HI, I'M CAROLYN KENT AND WE'VE OWNED A PIECE OF PROPERTY IN THAT ON OLIVE STREET, 5,500 BLOCK FOR 40 YEARS.
I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT IT'S, UM, GONNA BE ZONE THREE LEVELS.
UM, IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
I KNOW THAT IT'S BACKS UP TO COMMERCIAL, BUT THERE HE DID, WHICH I'M GLAD TO SEE THE MAP.
UM, BUT THERE ARE SOME HOMES WILL BE AFFECTED THAT IT IS THREE STORIES, YOU KNOW, NEXT TO THEM AND I THINK THAT CHANGES THE FEELING OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT PARKING.
THERE'S ALSO A PARKING PROBLEM IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ALREADY, AND PARKING IS, I KNOW A LOT OF PLACES THEY'RE NOT REQUIRING, UM, OFF
[00:55:01]
STREET PARKING ANYMORE AND IT'S ALREADY AN ISSUE.AND IF YOU PUT IN A THREE STORY HOUSING, IT'S GONNA BE EVEN A WORSE ISSUE.
AND THEN THE LAST THING IS WE'RE HAVING A NET LOSS IN CALIFORNIA.
WHY ARE WE SO WORRIED ABOUT BUILDING A THREE STORY BUILDING WHERE THERE'S ONLY BEEN TWO STORY BUILDINGS? SO THAT'S MY CONCERNS.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE.
UH, NOW LOOK AT, UH, ANY VIRTUAL COMMENTS.
IF YOU'RE JOINING US VIRTUALLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FUNCTION AT THIS TIME.
WOULD STAFF LIKE TO ADDRESS THE, THE QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC A LITTLE BIT AND JUST TO ADD A LITTLE CONTEXT ON DESIGNATION AND WHAT THE RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES COULD BE FOR THIS, FOR THIS PARCEL? AND IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THE PARKING ISSUE, WHICH SOME OF WHICH WE HAVE CONTROL OVER, SOME OF WHICH WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER.
SO, UH, TO START WITH, THE HEIGHT PART OF THE PROPERTY IS ALREADY DESIGNATED AS THREE STORIES THAT GOES BACK TO THAT SPLIT DESIGNATION, UM, AND THE NOT TOTALLY LOGICAL LINES THAT COMMISSIONER CLEMSON, UH, HIGHLIGHTED.
THAT'S PART OF PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO RECTIFY.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE.
IT WOULD BE JUST HAVING THAT BE RECONCILED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PARCEL MATCHING THE PARCEL TO THE NORTH THAT IS ALSO CITY OWNED.
UM, AND MOST OF THE OTHER ADJACENT PARCELS, UH, I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, EVERYTHING ALONG SOUTH, EVERYTHING ALONG THIS PORTION OF ATLANTIC, UM, IS ALSO THREE STORIES IN HEIGHT.
UM, CURRENTLY WE SEE THAT ONE STORY FOR, UM, CHANGE FOR PART OF THE SITE AS NOT BEING OVERLY TRANSFORMATIONAL.
UM, THE SITE ITSELF, ALONG WITH MOST OF THE PROPERTIES IN THE AREA, UM, IS SUBJECT TO AB 2097.
IT IS ADJACENT TO WHETHER HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE STATE OF THE TRANSIT CORRIDOR.
UM, SO THAT AT THE COMMISSION IS, IS PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH AT THIS POINT, MEANS THAT WE HAVE VERY LIMITED CONTROL OVER, UM, PARKING REQUIREMENTS REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE DESIGNATION OF ANY GIVEN PROPERTY THAT IS UNDER 2097 IS.
UM, UH, AND ULTIMATELY WE ARE LOOKING TO ENSURE THAT A USE COMES IN TO TAKE, UH, UNDEVELOPED, VACANT, BLIGHTED PROPERTY, UM, TO BE, UM, PRODUCTIVE AND REFLECTIVE OF WHAT, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBERS THROUGH THE U PLAN PROCESS HIGHLIGHTED, UM, IN THE VISION STATEMENT.
UM, AND IN THE, THE ZONING PRIORITIES.
UM, SO HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN PARTICULAR, UM, IS A NEED.
UM, PART OF WHY THE POPULATION, UM, IN PARTS OF THE STATE, UM, HAS BEGUN TO SHRINK IS BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST OF HOUSING AND, AND SCARCITY, UM, IN LONG BEACH.
UM, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ACCOMMODATING FUTURE POPULATION GROWTH BUT ALSO ACCOMMODATING THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE THAT ALREADY LIVE HERE.
UM, OUR LAST ASSESSMENT FOUND OVER 20,000 HOUSEHOLDS THAT LIVE IN EXISTING OVERCROWDED CONDITIONS THAT ARE EXTREMELY UNHEALTHY.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE HOUSING IN THE CITY, UM, FOR OUR CURRENT RESIDENTS ALREADY, LET ALONE ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE RESIDENTS.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS WITH THESE TYPES OF CHANGES IN ADDITION TO MAKING IT MORE CONSISTENT AND EASIER TO REGULATE, UM, PROPERTIES BY HAVING A SINGLE DESIGNATION RATHER THAN MULTIPLE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION AND EXPLANATION.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CONCERNS? SEEING NONE.
UH, UH, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE.
UH, PLEASE READ THE NEXT ITEM.
[5. 26-54851 Recommendation to recommend that City Council adopt an Addendum (EIRA26-001) to the Initial Study/Negative Declaration (IS/ND) (SCH No. 2021050034) prepared for the City’s Enhanced Density Bonus (ND 08-20) relating to an amendment to Title 21 for the Enhanced Density Bonus Program Update; and Recommend that City Council approve Zoning Code Amendment (ZCA26-001) and Local Coastal Program Amendment (LCPA26-001), and adopt the proposed findings related thereto, to amend Chapters 21.15, 21.21 and 21.68 of the Zoning Regulations to update the existing Enhanced Density Bonus to align with the provisions of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance; add special bonuses for projects providing community benefits; and implement other procedural and implementation streamlining changes to the Enhanced Density Bonus Ordinance. (Citywide) Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECOMMEND THAT CITY COUNCIL ADOPT AN ADDENDUM TO THE INITIAL STUDY SLASH NEGATIVE DECLARATION, UH, PREPARED FOR THE CITY'S ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS RELATING TO AN AMENDMENT TO TITLE 21 FOR THE ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.UPDATE AND RECOMMEND THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVE ZONING CODE AMENDMENT AND LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM AMENDMENT AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS RELATED THERETO TO AMEND CHAPTERS 21 POINT 15, 21 POINT 21, AND 21.68 OF THE ZONING REGULATIONS TO UPDATE THE EXISTING ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS TO ALIGN WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING ORDINANCE AND SPECIAL BONUSES FOR PROJECTS PROVIDING COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND IMPLEMENTING OTHER PROCEDURAL AND IMPLEMENTATION STREAMLINING
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CHANGES TO THE ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS ORDINANCE.CITYWIDE, CAN I HAVE A MAKER IN A SECOND PLEASE? THANK YOU.
OKAY, I CAN TAKE A VERBAL A SECOND.
SECOND LOOK LIKE COMMISSIONER SANTOS CHU.
YEAH, THERE WAS ALL UM, SO WE HAVE A MAKER IN A SECOND, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO STAFF FOR PRESENTATION.
I'M DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE OUR LONG RANGE PLANNER, CHRISTIAN TURNER, TO PROVIDE THIS STAFF REPORT.
GOOD EVENING CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS BEFORE YOU.
TONIGHT IS A ZONING CODE AMENDMENT AND LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM AMENDMENT FOR AN UPDATE TO THE REGULATIONS OF THE CITY'S LOCAL DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM KNOWN AS ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS.
THE AMENDMENT PROPOSES TO ALIGN THE CITY'S ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING ORDINANCE.
ADD SPECIAL BONUSES FOR PROJECTS, PROVIDING COMMUNITY BENEFITS, AND TO IMPLEMENT OTHER PROCEDURAL AND STREAMLINING CHANGES TO THE ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS.
BEFORE WE JUMP INTO THE DETAILS OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES, LET'S START WITH SQUARE ONE.
DEFINING DENSITY AND DENSITY BONUS RESIDENTIAL DENSITY AS DEFINED AS THE NUMBER OF DWELLING UNITS ALLOWED ON A SPECIFIC AREA OF LAND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
IN THE CITY'S LAND USE AND ZONING DOCUMENTS, REGULATE DENSITY, DENSITY CAN BE EXPRESSED IN THE FORM OF A SINGLE NUMBER LIKE 16 UNITS FOR A PARCEL OR DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE, LIKE 44 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE.
DENSITY BONUS ON THE OTHER HAND, IS AN OPTIONAL PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS FOR INCREASE IN RESIDENTIAL DENSITY BEYOND WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE ALLOWED UNDER THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
AND THIS INCLUDES A MODIFICATION TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS TO HELP HOUSING PROJECTS.
UH, PENCIL OUT DENSITY BONUS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES IN CALIFORNIA WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE CREATING THE FIRST ITERATION OF DENSITY BONUS, EXCUSE ME, STATE DENSITY BONUS IN 1979.
OVER THE YEARS, THE STATE'S DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM EXPANDED AND MANY HOUSING PROJECTS HERE IN LONG BEACH AND ACROSS THE STATE.
TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE STATE'S DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM IN 2017.
UH, CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF TO PROMOTE DENSITY BONUS.
AND IN 2019, THE CITY ADOPTED OUR GENERAL PLANNED LAND USE ELEMENT PROVIDING SWEEPING UPDATES TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS ACROSS THE CITY, WHICH POSITIONED THE CITY FOR GREATER HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
IN THE COVID ERA OF 2020 TO 2022, WE SAW CHANGING DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS WITH RISING DEVELOPMENT COSTS THAT MADE CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSING, UH, UNFEASIBLE.
UM, THOUGH THE HOUSING CRISIS DID INTENSIFY FOR MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS IN THE CITY, UM, THIS IS EVIDENCE DURING THE GROUND TRUTHING ANALYSIS WE DID, UH, FOR U PLAN IN 20 20, 20 21 AND 2022, UH, WHERE WE FOUND THAT EVEN THOUGH THE LAND USE ELEMENT MADE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS MORE FAVORABLE FOR HOUSING PRODUCTION, MEANINGFUL HOUSING PRODUCTION ALSO NEEDED TO BE INCENTIVIZED IN ORDER TO ALLOW THESE PROPERTIES TO ACTUALLY REDEVELOP.
UH, IN RESPONSE IN 2021, UH, WE AS A CITY STARTED OUR OWN LOCAL DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM CALLED THE ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING MORE VIABLE IN THE LONG BEACH CONTEXT.
SHORTLY AFTER ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS, THE CITY ADOPTED ITS CURRENT HOUSING ELEMENT WITH A FOCUS ON HOUSING PRODUCTION, REZONING PROTECTING, UH, EXISTING UNITS AS WELL.
AND IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN ENGAGING IN ONGOING, UH, REZONING IN NORTHWEST CENTRAL AND NOW COASTAL LONG BEACH.
AS WAS JUST DISCUSSED IN THE LAST PRESENTATION, UH, JUST LAST YEAR IN 2025, THE CITY EXPANDED THE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING ORDINANCE CITYWIDE.
AND WE'LL PUT A MENTAL PIN IN THAT ONE BECAUSE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR, UH, DENSITY BONUS AS WELL.
AND TODAY, UM, AS THE COMMISSION IS WELL AWARE, WE'VE GOT ERODING FEDERAL FUNDING, HIGH COST OF INTEREST, CONSTRUCTION, LABOR AND LAND, WHICH ALL MEAN THAT HOUSING PRODUCTION CONTINUES TO BE INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE ENDEAVOR.
ON THE TOPIC OF HOUSING PRODUCTION, UH, WITH THE CLOSE OF 2025, WE'RE NOW HALFWAY THROUGH THE CITY'S EIGHT YEAR SIX CYCLE REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND WE HAVE FOUR MORE YEARS TO GO IN OUR ATTEMPT TO MEET OUR HOUSING, UH, PRODUCTION UNDER OUR ARENA NUMBERS.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S OVERALL HOUSING PRODUCTION TARGET IS 26,502 UNITS ABOUT, UM, 15,000 OF THAT ARE DESIGNATED AT VARIOUS AFFORDABILITY LEVELS.
YOU MAY REMEMBER THIS SLIDE FROM OUR ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT HALFWAY THROUGH WE HAVE ISSUED PERMITS FOR ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE OVERALL HOUSING GOAL, BUT ONLY 6% OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN OUR ARENA TARGET.
SO GOING FORWARD, THE CITY WILL NEED TO INCREASE ITS ENTITLEMENT ACTIVITY IN ORDER TO PERMIT THE NECESSARY HOUSING UNITS AT THE SCALE REQUIRED BY ARENA AND MORE DIRECTLY IN ORDER TO TURN THE TIDE ON.
THE HOUSING CRISES WE'RE FACING HERE IN LONG BEACH, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT EFFORT ALREADY.
THIS PLANNING COMMISSION AND OUR CITY COUNCIL TOOK GREAT STRIDES TO ADOPT AN UPDATE TO THE CITY'S INCLUSIONARY HOUSING
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ORDINANCE LAST YEAR, EXPANDING THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE CITYWIDE AND CREATING DEEPER LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY REQUIRED THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE.AMONG MANY OTHER IMPORTANT CHANGES, AND I APPLAUD YOU FOR IT, THE BOLD STEPS IN INCLUSIONARY ORDINANCE GO HAND IN HAND WITH TODAY'S UPDATES TO DENSITY, BONUS DENSITY, BONUS, AND INCLUSIONARY HOUSING CAN BE SEEN AS SIBLING POLICIES THAT ARE INTENDED TO WORK TOGETHER.
NOW THAT OUR CITYWIDE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS ARE ON THE BOOKS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER HOW PROPERTY OWNERS AND DEVELOPERS ARE ABLE TO ATTAIN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS WE'VE SET OUT FOR THEM.
THIS IS WHERE DENSITY BONUS COMES IN, WHEREAS INCLUSIONARY HOUSING REQUIRES A PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE UNITS BASED ON A PROJECT'S LOCATION.
DENSITY BONUS IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES A SPECTRUM OF BENEFITS TO MULTIFAMILY HOUSING PROJECTS IN EXCHANGE FOR PROVIDING THOSE AFFORDABLE UNITS OR COMMUNITY SERVING AMENITIES, INCLUDING THOSE THAT ARE COMPLYING WITH INCLUSIONARY HOUSING ORDINANCE.
SO INCLUSIONARY HOUSING IS REALLY FOR MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS, 10 OR MORE, WHEREAS DENSITY BONUS IS AN OPTIONAL PROGRAM.
MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS FIVE OR MORE CAN TAP INTO.
AND HAVING A ROBUST DENSITY PROGRAM ALLOWS US TO ENSURE MORE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING PROJECTS ARE PROPOSED AND MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS ARE GOING TO BE BUILT.
SO HOW DOES THIS ACTUALLY WORK? WELL, LET'S THINK ABOUT A HYPOTHETICAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
LET'S SAY WE'VE GOT A PIECE OF LAND AND DENSITY BONUS, EXCUSE ME.
BASE DENSITY ALLOWS THE PROPERTY TO BUILD A 30 UNIT PROJECT.
IF YOU'RE A VISUAL LEARNER LIKE ME, THESE ARE 30 LITTLE BLUE BLOCKS THAT REPRESENT THE 30 UNITS ON THE LEFT THERE.
UM, AND WE KNOW THIS PROJECT IS OVER 10 UNITS, SO IT'S GONNA BE SUBJECT TO INCLUSIONARY.
UM, LET'S SAY HYPOTHETICALLY IT'S 12%, UH, LOW INCOME UNITS.
SO THIS MEANS, UH, IF WE ARE LOOKING AT THE MIDDLE NOW, THAT 30 OF THOSE UNITS ARE GOING, EXCUSE ME, IN THE 30 UNIT PROJECT FOUR ARE GOING TO BE LOW INCOME.
THOSE ARE THE ONES SHOWN IN ORANGE IN THE CENTER OF THE DIAGRAM.
AND THE REMAINING 26 ARE GONNA BE MARKET RATE.
NOW, LET'S SAY THE DEVELOPER RECOGNIZES THAT PROVIDING THOSE FOUR LOW INCOME UNITS, THE ORANGE ONES, CUTS INTO THEIR PROFIT MARGINS AND THEY'D LIKE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DENSITY BONUS.
SO NOW WE MOVE TO THE RIGHT, UM, WHERE PROVIDING THOSE FOUR LOW INCOME UNITS, UM, THEY GET AN ADDITIONAL 12 UNITS TO THE PROJECT SHOWN ON THE, THE VERY RIGHT THERE.
THEY COULD CHOOSE TO BUILD THOSE 12 DENSITY BONUS.
THEY COULD CHOOSE TO BUILD JUST A FEW, THEY COULD BUILD NONE.
UM, IT'S TOTALLY UP TO THEM, BUT IT IS A BENEFIT AVAILABLE TO THEM, UH, TO HELP THAT PROJECT.
UH, DENSITY BONUS IS MORE THAN JUST UNIT COUNT.
UH, THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO PROJECTS WHICH USE DENSITY BONUSES.
UH, THOSE ARE FIRSTLY THE INCREASE IN RESIDENTIAL DENSITY, WHICH WAS JUST SHOWN ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
SECOND IS INCENTIVES AND CONCESSIONS.
THESE ARE REDUCTIONS OR MODIFICATIONS DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS OR ZONING CODE REQUIREMENTS, UH, THAT MAKE UP FOR THE COST OF PROVIDING THOSE AFFORDABLE ONSITE UNITS.
THIS IS WHEN A LOCAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARD PHYSICALLY PREVENTS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PROJECT AT THE ADDITIONAL DENSITY ALLOWED UNDER DENSITY BONUS.
THE PROJECT CAN REQUEST TO WAIVE THAT SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT STANDARD.
THIS FRAMEWORK OF HAVING THREE RELATED BUT DISTINCT DENSITY, UH, BENEFITS COME FROM THE STATE'S DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STATE DENSITY BONUS.
AS MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, THE STATE HAS BEEN GIVING DEVELOPERS SOME FORM OF DENSITY BONUS OPTIONS SINCE THE SEVENTIES.
AND HERE IN LONG BEACH, WE'VE HAD TWO PER PARALLEL PATHWAYS FOR PERMITTING DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS SINCE OUR OWN 2021 LOCAL ORDINANCE.
SO YOU CAN EITHER GO STATE DENSITY BONUS OR LOCAL DENSITY BONUS.
UH, THEY'RE COMPLIMENTARY, UM, BUT THEY IMPORTANTLY ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
SO HOUSING PROJECT CAN EITHER USE STATE DENSITY BONUS OR LOCAL ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS, BUT NOT BOTH.
UM, SO LOOKING AT THE STATE'S DENSITY BONUS, UH, LIKE MANY STATE MANDATED HOUSING PROGRAMS SUCH AS STATE A D OR PERMIT STREAMLINING, THIS PROGRAM APPLIES TO ALL MUNICIPALITIES CITYWIDE AND HAS BEEN EXPANDING IN RECENT YEARS.
CURRENTLY, IT'S MORE GENEROUS THAN OUR LOCAL ORDINANCE FOR CONCESSIONS AND WAIVERS, AND ALSO GIVES GREATER BENEFITS TO PROJECTS THAT ARE 100% AFFORDABLE.
THE STATE ALSO GIVES DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS, UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE HOUSING SPECIFIC GROUPS LIKE SENIORS OR STUDENTS OR FOSTER YOUTH.
ON THE OTHER HAND, OUR LOCAL ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS OBVIOUSLY ONLY APPLIES TO PROJECTS HERE IN LONG BEACH AND GIVES BONUSES BASED ON A PROJECT'S LOCATION AND THE AFFORDABLE UNITS PROVIDED.
IT GENERALLY GIVES LOWER BONUSES THAN THE STATE'S PROGRAM, BUT IT DOES ALLOW FOR THE STACKING OR COMBINING OF MULTIPLE TYPES OF AFFORDABILITY LEVELS, UH, TO GET A BONUS, FOR EXAMPLE, PROVIDING MODERATE INCOME AND LOW INCOME WOULD BOTH GIVE BONUSES TO THE, TO A PROJECT.
WE DO SEE THAT THE MAJORITY OF PROJECTS HERE IN LONG BEACH USE STATE DENSITY BONUS PATHWAY INSTEAD OF OUR LOCAL ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS.
THE INTENT OF THE ORIGINAL 2021 ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS WAS TO BE A PROGRAM THAT REALLY RESPONDS TO OUR LOCAL NEEDS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOUSING PRODUCTION.
BUT WE KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T REALLY HAPPENING OR NOT AS HAPPENING
[01:10:01]
AS IT COULD, UH, IF DEVELOPERS ARE CHOOSING TO USE STATE DENSITY BONUS RATHER THAN OUR LOCAL ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS.SO IN ORDER TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHY OUR LOCAL ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS MAY BE UNDERUTILIZED AND WAYS TO IMPROVE, WE PARTNERED WITH AN ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING FIRM TO DEVELOP FIVE HYPOTHETICAL DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS, WHICH REPRESENTED A VARIETY OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING TYPES THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THESE INCLUDED A SIX UNIT, A 13 UNIT, A 40 UNIT, A 52 UNIT, AND AN 80 UNIT PROJECT.
AND THESE MODELS SHOWED HOW OUR DENSITY BONUS ORDINANCE WORKS FOR A VARIETY OF HOUSING TYPES, BUT ALSO THE LIMITATIONS, WHICH HIGHLIGHT WHY THERE'S SUCH LITTLE UTILIZATION OF THE ORDINANCE AS CURRENTLY WRITTEN.
THIS ANALYSIS WAS COMBINED WITH FINDINGS FROM STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS, UH, WITH DEVELOPERS AND STAFF PLANNERS WHO WORK ON, UH, DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS.
AND I'LL TOUCH ON THOSE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
SO THOSE FIVE HYPOTHETICAL MODELS THAT WE, UH, DEVELOPED REALLY STRUGGLED TO PENCIL OUT UNDER THE CURRENT ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS ORDINANCE.
AND THE PROJECTS WOULD REALLY BENEFIT, UH, FROM GREATER FLEXIBILITY, INCLUDING SIMPLIFYING THE ORDINANCE AND ADDING CLARIFICATIONS ABOUT HOW DENSITY BONUS PROCEDURES ACTUALLY WORK, UH, IMPROVING THE CONCESSIONS AND REMOVING THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN ON AND OFF MENU CONCESSIONS, HAVING MORE TYPES OF AFFORDABLE, UH, SPECIAL BONUSES GIVEN TO PROJECTS, WHICH I'LL TOUCH ON LATER, AND GIVING MORE DENSITY BONUSES FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF AFFORDABLE UNITS, ESPECIALLY, UH, MODERATE UNITS.
AS PART OF OUR BACKGROUND RESEARCH, THE CITY ALSO REVIEWED FIVE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. WE LOOKED AT THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, CULVER CITY, UH, LA COUNTY, AND CITY OF SEATTLE.
OBVIOUSLY, FOUR OF THESE FIVE ARE WITHIN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND ARE THE SAME REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT AS LONG BEACH WITH DEVELOPERS HAVING THE OPTION TO USE THE STATE'S DENSITY BONUS OR OUR LOCAL DENSITY BONUS, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION.
SO WHAT DID WE LEARN WHEN LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES? OF ALL THE CITIES MENTIONED, UM, IN CALIFORNIA AT LEAST, THEY'RE ALL GOING BEYOND THE STATE'S DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AND PROVIDING DENSITY BONUS FOR EXTREMELY LOW INCOME UNITS AS WELL.
THEY'RE ALSO PROVIDING DENSITY BONUSES THAT GO BEYOND 100%.
UH, THEY TYPICALLY DO GIVE DENSITY BONUSES FOR AMENITIES SUCH AS PROVIDING CHILDCARE FACILITIES, PUBLIC OPEN SPACE, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVING, COMMERCIAL USES, AND TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS.
ALL OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS ARE, UM, PROCESSED MINISTERIALLY, AND THEY PROVIDE VERY PREDICTABLE RATIOS AND THRESHOLDS FOR HOW THE, UM, DENSITY BONUS CALCULATIONS ARE CONDUCTED.
WHICH TIES INTO ONE OF THE ISSUES WE'VE HEARD FROM BOTH DEVELOPERS AND STAFF, THAT THE CURRENT ORDINANCE IS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING AND LACKS CLARITY ABOUT HOW TO ACTUALLY CALCULATE, CALCULATE THE DENSITY BONUS.
SO WHEN TALKING TO PLANNERS WHO PROCESS BOTH STATE AND LOCAL DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS, THEY WERE REALLY COGNIZANT OF PROTECTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AMENITIES LIKE UNIT SIZE AND PARKING, UH, THAT PROJECT, UH, PROPONENTS ARE, ARE BUILDING, AND ALSO TRYING NOT TO LOSE THOSE CONCESSION THROUGH CONCESSIONS AND WAIVERS.
SECONDLY, PLANNERS ALSO STRESS THAT, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE FLEXIBILITY AND INCENTIVES AND CONCESSIONS THAT COULD BE, UH, IMPROVING THE DESIGN STANDARDS AND ALSO REDUCING AMBIGUITY THAT DEVELOPERS HAVE IN TRYING TO USE OUR LOCAL ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS.
UH, WE ALSO HAD, UH, FOCUS GROUPS WITH KEY DEVELOPERS THAT BUILD A LOT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY, AND THEY SHARED THAT THE CURRENT BONUSES AND THE CONCESSIONS DON'T ACTUALLY PROVIDE A GREAT BENEFIT AS COMPARED TO STATE DENSITY BONUS, WHICH IS WHY THEY OFTEN GO THAT ROUTE, AND THAT THERE'S A LOT MORE UNCERTAINTY AND RISK IN USING OUR LOCAL ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS AS COMPARED TO THE STATES.
IN ADDITION TO TALKING, UH, WITH STAFF AND HAVING FOCUS GROUPS, UH, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME OVER THE PAST YEAR TALKING TO RESIDENTS.
WE TABLED AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, HOSTED TWO, UH, WORKSHOPS, ONE IN PERSON, ONE ONLINE ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS, ALSO TOOK CENTER STAGE AT TWO OPEN HOUSES FOCUSING ON HOUSING POLICY THAT WE PUT ON LAST SPRING AND EXCUSE ME, LAST FALL AND THIS SPRING.
AND AT THOSE TWO HOPE AND HOUSES ALONE, WE HAD A OVER OVER 161 ATTENDEES.
AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, RECEIVED 156 WRITTEN COMMENTS, UM, IN PERSON AND ONLINE, UH, IN ADDITION TO DOZENS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF, UM, ABOUT THE ORDINANCE.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN DIGGING DEEPER INTO SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK.
ATTACHMENT F OF THE STAFF REPORT INCLUDES ABOUT 50 PAGES DETAILING OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS.
UM, TO SUMMARIZE THOSE 50 PAGES, THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR IMPROVING THE USEFULNESS OF THE POLICY, UH, BY INCREASING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, ELIGIBILITIES, UH, THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS OVER THE IMPACT OF PARKING AND PARKING AVAILABILITY.
ALSO CONCERNS OVER THE PRESERVATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER AND DENSITY INCREASES IN SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE RECEIVED A LOT OF, UH, IDEAS AND SUPPORT FOR MORE SPECIAL BONUSES, PARTICULARLY FOR NEW HOUSING AND PROXIMITY TO PARKS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALSO UNDERSCORED THE NEED TO INCREASE BONUSES GIVEN FOR ALL AFFORDABILITY LEVELS.
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BASED ON THE FEEDBACK FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, STAKEHOLDERS, OUR CASE STUDIES OF OTHER CITIES AND DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS, AND OUR STUDYING OF OUR OWN ORDINANCE, CITY STAFF RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING UPDATES TO THE ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS POLICY TO IMPROVE PROCEDURES AND DEFINITIONS, REFINE THE DENSITY, EXCUSE ME, REFINE THE DENSITY BONUS CALCULATIONS, UPDATE THE INCENTIVES AND CONCESSIONS, ADD MORE SPECIAL BONUSES, AND DO TECHNICAL CLEANUP, UM, TO COMPONENTS LIKE DEFINITIONS AND PROCEDURES.THE FOLLOWING SLIDES WILL GO A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DETAIL ON, ON THESE TOPICS.
THE FIRST UPDATE, UM, IS PROPOSED TO MOVE TO ONE SIMPLIFIED DENSITY BONUS TABLE.
THE DENSITY BONUS TABLE IS THE PLACE IN THE ORDINANCE WHERE STAFF AND DEVELOPERS FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH BONUS WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO A PROJECT BASED ON HOW MUCH AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS PROVIDED.
AS MENTIONED, STAFF AND THE PUBLIC HAVE STRUGGLED TO APPLY DENSITY BONUS, UH, PROCEDURES, AND IN PART BECAUSE THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, UM, GROUPS THE CITY INTO THREE DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC TIERS, EACH WITH THEIR OWN DENSITY BONUS TABLE.
AND THE ORDINANCE ALSO HAS TWO ADDITIONAL TABLES FOR CALCULATING CONCESSIONS.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT INCLUSIONARY HOUSING ORDINANCE HAS FIVE DIFFERENT SUBMARKETS, EACH WITH THEIR OWN AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY.
UM, SO MARRYING THE TWO CAN BE QUITE CONFUSING.
SO OUR INTENT IS TO ALIGN DENSITY BONUS WITH INCLUSIONARY HOUSING AND, UH, JUST SIMPLIFY HOW DENSITY BONUS IS CALCULATED.
SO MOVING AWAY FROM THE THREE GEOGRAPHIC TIERS, UH, TO ONE SINGLE TABLE FOR ALL PROJECTS.
AND WITH THAT SAME TABLE, ALSO PROVIDING THE CONCESSIONS AS WELL.
ADDITIONALLY, THE UPDATES PROPOSED TO ADD MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO DO DENSITY BONUS CALCULATIONS AND ADD A NEW INCOME CATEGORY, UH, EXTREMELY LOW INCOME, UH, FOR WHICH A HOUSING PROJECT COULD RECEIVE A BONUS.
THE NEXT UPDATE IS AROUND SPECIAL BONUSES.
UH, SPECIAL BONUSES ARE GIVEN TO HOUSING PROJECTS THAT GO ABOVE AND BEYOND, UH, WITH AMENITIES THAT SERVE FUTURE RESIDENTS AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS A WHOLE.
THE CURRENT ORDINANCE AWARD SPECIAL BONUSES TO PROJECTS THAT INCLUDE AMENITIES FOR LARGER UNITS WITH ENOUGH BEDROOMS TO ACCOMMODATE FAMILIES OR PROJECTS THAT CHOOSE TO BUILD ONSITE CHILDCARE FACILITIES.
UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WE SPOKE WITH WERE VERY INTERESTED IN EXPANDING THE LIST OF SPECIAL BONUSES AND PROVIDED A LOT OF ROBUST FEEDBACK ABOUT THE TYPES OF A SPECIAL BONUSES THEY'D LIKE TO SEE.
SO BASED ON THEIR INPUT AND LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES WITH DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS, THE OR PROPOSED ORDINANCE, UM, PROPOSES TO INCREASE, OR SORRY TO ADD THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL BONUSES, UH, SPECIAL BONUSES FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE LOCATED WITHIN 1000 FEET OF A PARK.
UH, PROJECTS WHICH ARE REMOVING A NUISANCE FROM A PROPERTY PROJECTS WHICH ARE PROVIDING SENIOR HOUSING PROJECTS WITH AN ACTIVE GROUND FLOOR USE LIKE A RESTAURANT OR A GROCERY STORE, PROJECTS, WHICH ADHERE TO HIGHER LABOR STANDARDS, ENCOURAGING STATE LAWS LIKE IN INCLUDING UNION LABOR AND, UH, ADHERING TO PREVAILING, UH, WAGE.
SO IN EXCHANGE FOR PROVIDING THESE TYPES OF AMENITIES, A HOUSING PROJECT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A SPECIAL BONUS IN THE FORM OF A DENSITY BONUS AND A CONCESSION.
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE WOULD BE A 20% DENSITY BONUS AND ONE CONCESSION FOR EACH OF THE ABOVE.
AMENITIES MENTIONED, UH, THAT THE HOUSING PROJECT PROVIDED, UH, BASED OFF OF FEEDBACK FROM DEVELOPERS AND PLANNERS.
THE UPDATE ORDINANCE ALSO CLARIFIES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WAIVERS AND CONCESSIONS, UM, ADDING AN ENTIRE SUBSECTION ON HOW THEY'RE DEFINED AND USED.
UM, THE ORDINANCE ALSO PROPOSES TO IMPROVE CONCESSIONS MORE BROADLY, SIMPLIFYING HOW CONCESSIONS ARE CALCULATED, REMOVING THE CONFUSING ON MENU AND OFF MENU DISTINCTION OF CONCESSIONS AND ENSURING THAT CONCESSIONS ARE AWARDED, UH, TO PROJECTS WHICH IT COMPLY WITH, UH, INCLUSIONARY HOUSING.
IMPORTANTLY, THE ORDINANCE PROPOSES TO NOT CHANGE SOME CORE COMPONENTS OF CONCESSIONS, NAMELY THAT THE CURRENT MAXIMUM OF SIX CONCESSIONS WOULD STAY THE MAXIMUM SIX CONCESSIONS, AND WE WOULD STILL REQUIRE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVAL FOR PROJECTS THAT REQUEST AN INCREASE IN HEIGHT OF TWO OR THREE STORIES, WHICH ARE AGAIN, BOTH CURRENTLY IN THE EXISTING ORDINANCE.
FINALLY, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE INCLUDES SOME TECHNICAL CLEANUPS, WHICH HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED TO IMPROVE THE USABILITY OF THE ORDINANCE, NAMELY THE ADDITION OF SEVERAL NEW DEFINITIONS TO HELP WITH IMPLEMENTATION, UM, EXPANDING THE PROCEDURES SECTION, UH, HOW TO CALCULATE, UM, DENSITY BONUS UNITS, TIMING OF WHEN THOSE AFFORDABLE UNITS WOULD NEED TO COME AVAILABLE.
CLARIFICATION ON WHEN THE ORDINANCE SUNSETS AND ADDING AN ENFORCEMENT SECTION THAT MIRRORS OUR INCLUSIONARY HOUSING ORDINANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT PROJECTS ARE ACTUALLY BUILDING AND COVENANTING THE AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT THEY SAY THEY WILL.
UH, NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING WAS PUBLISHED IN THREE LONG BEACH, UH, EXCUSE ME, LONG BEACH PRESS TELEGRAM NEWSPAPER ON MARCH 27TH IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR ZONING CODE REGULATIONS
[01:20:01]
POSTED IN, UH, THREE PUBLIC PLACES WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY, POSTED IN CITY HALL AND CITY LIBRARIES WITH THE ORDINANCE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW POSTED ON THE DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE AND DISTRIBUTED, UH, THROUGH THE CITY'S LINK LB NOTIFICATION SYSTEM, UH, WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES, UH, GIVEN LINKS TO THE, THE WEB MAP, EXCUSE ME, THE WEB DRAFT TO VIEW, UH, SINCE THE PUBLIC OF THE PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE, UM, AND DISTRIBUTION TO INTERESTED PARTIES, STAFF HAVE RECEIVED NO, EXCUSE ME, UH, THREE, ACTUALLY THREE, UH, POSITIVE COMMENTS SUPPORTING THE PROPOSED ZONING CODE AMENDMENT AS OF TODAY.UM, AND FINALLY, THIS PROJECT IS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY ANALYZED IN THE ADOPTED 2021 INITIAL STUDY NEGATIVE DECLARATION PREPARED FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS ORDINANCE.
THE PROPOSED DENSITY BONUS ORDINANCE WILL NOT RESULT IN ANY NEW SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS OR IMPACTS GREATER THAN THOSE ANALYZED IN THE INITIAL STUDY AND NEGATIVE DECLARATION, AND NONE OF THE CONDITIONS REQUIRING NEW SUBSEQUENT OR SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AS STATED IN PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE OR SQL GUIDELINES ARE PRESENT.
STAFF RECOMMENDS THE, UM, COUNCIL RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE UPDATE AND CORRESPONDING RESOLUTIONS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF THE PROJECT AND TO SUBMIT TO THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION AT A FUTURE TIME.
THANK YOU AND STAFF ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
GREAT JOB OF SUMMARIZING A VERY COMPLICATED PROCESS, SO THANK YOU.
UM, WITH THAT IN MIND, COMMISSIONERS' QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT WAS AN UNBELIEVABLY GREAT, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, THE LIKES OF WHICH I HAVE NOT SEEN IN SOME TIME.
UM, DEFINITELY SUPPORT, BUT I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
ARE WE, ARE WE GOING ABOVE THE STATE'S DENSITY BONUS? SO WE'RE GIVING OURSELVES A, UM, AN EDGE BASICALLY SO THAT THEY CHOOSE TO, UM, USE US AND WE CAN GIVE EXTRA BENEFITS BASED ON WHERE THE DEVELOPMENT IS AND ENHANCEMENTS YOU ALL ARE SAYING? YES.
CAN YOU JUST EXPAND REALLY QUICKLY? YEAH.
SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL SAY A LITTLE, AND CHRISTIAN, FEEL FREE TO ADD.
SO THE STATE ALLOWS US TO, UM, GO ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT'S ALREADY LEGALLY REQUIRED UNDER STATE DENSITY BONUS.
SO YEAH, THIS IS, THIS IS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND BASED ON OUR LOCAL CONTEXT, AND ESPECIALLY GIVING BONUSES FOR THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, THE MOST, AS YOU SAW, LIKE THOSE SPECIAL BONUSES.
ADDITIONALLY, AS CHRISTIAN OUTLINED, THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO HELP PARTIALLY OFFSET THE COST OF THE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING REQUIREMENT.
THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT COST, UH, FOR DEVELOPERS AND, UM, APPLICANTS.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF A WIN-WIN WHERE WE'RE GETTING THOSE AFFORDABLE UNITS, BUT WE'RE GIVING THEM THAT ADDITIONAL, UH, DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THAT GROUND TRUTH THING, UM, UP IN DURING U PLAN SHOWED US THAT MANY OF THE SITES WE HAD DESIGNATED IN THE LU IS WHERE WE THOUGHT GROWTH WOULD HAPPEN, ARE NOT FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE TO HAPPEN UNDER THE REGULATIONS WITHOUT MORE BONUS.
I, I THINK THIS IS EXCELLENT BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T RE MEET OR EVEN COME ANYWHERE NEAR THAT ARENA TARGET, UM, WITHOUT MAKING SOME HUGE CHANGES.
UM, SO YEAH, I THINK THIS IS GREAT.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER
THIS IS A VERY CO UM, COMPLETE PRESENTATION ON A VERY, VERY COMPLICATED BROAD, UH, UH, TOPIC.
I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS WITH, I THINK, HOW NOT AGGRESSIVE THIS IS.
UH, I, SO LOOKING AT, TO, TO KIND OF DRILL INTO SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE NUMBERS HERE, LOOKING AT THE SCENARIO ONE, WHICH IS, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STRUGGLE WITH THE MOST, WHICH IS ENCOURAGING SMALL PROPERTIES TO BE DEVELOPED, WHICH OF COURSE IS, IN MY OPINION, THE PLACE WHERE WE CAN REALLY SEE A LOT OF KIND OF NATURALLY AFFORDABLE, UH, UH, HOUSING THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE A LOT OF SUBSIDIES, UM, UNDER THE BEST CIRCUMSTANCES THAT IS JUST BARELY BUILDABLE IN THIS W WITH, YOU KNOW, IF, IF EVERYTHING GOES RIGHT, THE, IT CAN JUST BARELY PAY FOR THE LAND COSTS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT IT.
IT, IT SEEMS TO BE FOCUSING A LOT ON THE LARGER PROJECTS, WHICH I'M NOT GONNA SAY THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PRO ANY PROBLEM GETTING BUILT, BUT THEY CLEARLY CAN GET BUILT, WHEREAS THE SMALLER PROJECTS ARE, I THINK, WHERE WE ARE HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE.
UM, SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A QUESTION THERE, UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, IS THERE, IS THERE, IS THERE A REASON THAT WE DIDN'T FOCUS ON THAT OR IS IT JUST THOSE
[01:25:01]
ARE IMPOSSIBLY DIFFICULT? YEAH, I THINK THIS IS WHERE THE SPECIAL BONUSES REALLY SHINE.SO YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT FOR ALL, UH, DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS, FIVE, UH, UNITS IS THE MINIMUM.
UM, SO IF A PROJECT CAN MEET ANY OF THE SPECIAL BONUSES AND IS, YOU KNOW, A FIVE OR SIX UNIT, UH, APARTMENT BUILDING, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR, YOU KNOW, THAT 20% DENSITY BONUS BUMP AND THE ONE CONCESSION.
WE FIND THAT A LOT OF, UH, DEVELOPERS WHEN THEY'RE COMING IN AND TRYING TO INVOKE DENSITY BONUS, THEY'RE ACTUALLY USING IT FOR THE CONCESSIONS.
THEY'VE GOT A SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT STANDARD LIKE AN FAR OR A CEC THAT THEY'RE JUST HAVING TROUBLE MEETING AND BEING ABLE TO MODIFY ONE OR MORE OF THOSE REALLY, REALLY HELPS, UM, THE PROJECTS.
UM, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SCENARIO ONE, WERE YOU REFERENCING THE, LIKE FIVE HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIOS THAT WERE CONDUCTED OR YEAH, IN, UH, WAS IT ATTACHMENT E? YEAH.
UM, THERE'S THE SCENARIOS IN VARIATION THREE, WHICH I ASSUME MEANS LIKE EVERYTHING GOES RIGHT, YEAH.
AND ENTIRE ATTACHMENT E IS ANALYZING THE EXISTING ORDINANCE, UM, AS IT STANDS, NOT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, UH, BEFORE YOU TODAY.
AND IT WAS MEANT TO KIND OF DEMONSTRATE THE, UM, CHALLENGES, UH, WITH SPECIFICALLY PROVIDING MIS MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING, UM, AND THE CURRENT ORDINANCE.
UM, DID I MISS THE SORT OF AFTER THE ORDINANCE, UH, COST FEASIBILITY OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO MODEL OUT YET? CORRECT.
THIS SECOND, WELL, IT WAS AN EITHER OR
AND SO WE HAVEN'T DONE KIND OF AFTER ASSUMING WHAT, WHAT WE ARRIVED AT TODAY AS A PROPOSAL, WHAT THOSE SCENARIOS WOULD PAN OUT TO BE, BUT WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE MORE THAN WHAT WAS ANALYZED IN THE SCENARIOS UNDER THE AS IS PROPOSAL, AND IN PARTICULAR WHERE THE FOCUS AND THE LOCAL EMPHASIS ON THOSE SPECIAL BONUSES, UH, FOR PARKS, FOR AMENITIES THAT ARE ALIGNED WITH WHAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS PRIORITIZE COULD REALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE, AS CHRISTINA WAS MENTIONING.
THAT'S WHERE WE THINK WE DON'T HAVE THAT SAME MODELING WITH KIND OF HIGH LEVEL PERFORMANCE TO SAY DEFINITIVELY, BUT WE THINK THAT WE'RE MOVING MUCH CLOSER TO FEASIBILITY FOR PROJECTS, PARTICULARLY AT THAT SMALLER SCALE, THOSE 5,000 TO 10,000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS THAT DON'T REALLY GET THE SAME LEVEL OF OPPORTUNITY THAT LARGER DEVELOPMENTS DO.
AND THAT ALSO CAN REALLY BE MUCH MORE SCALED UP THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE HAVE A LOT MORE 5,000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS THAN WE HAVE 20,000 OR 30,000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS.
SO WE THINK THAT'S WHERE THE BIGGEST, UH, LOW HANGING FRUIT IS THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY, UM, GONE AFTER OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THIS UPDATE.
NO, I APPRECIATE THAT PERSPECTIVE ALSO.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GREAT THING.
UM, GIVEN THAT WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF AN ESTIMATE OF THAT, ARE WE GONNA, IS THERE ANY THOUGHT ON HOW THIS WILL GET REPORTED OUT AND, AND REPORTED BACK TO US? UM, YOU KNOW, AS THIS GETS APPROVED AND IMPLEMENTED AND STARTS SEEING PROJECTS COME THROUGH, IT'LL DEFINITELY BE PART OF OUR ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORTING GOING FORWARD.
SINCE THIS IS A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE, WE'RE HOPING TO ALSO JUST, WE HAVE STARTED MANUALLY TRACKING EDB PROJECTS VERSUS DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS.
AS CHRISTIAN MENTIONED, WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE VDB PROJECTS IN THE CITY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT HAVE GOTTEN SOME TYPE OF APPROVAL.
WE HAVE OVER 20 DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS, SOME OF WHICH ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW.
WE HAVE YET TO HAVE AN EDB PROJECT THAT HAS GOTTEN TO THE CONSTRUCTION STAGE.
UM, SO WE ARE ALREADY DOING SOME OF THAT TRACKING.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HIGHLIGHT THAT AND ALSO PROVIDE THAT AS, AS A COMPREHENSIVE REPORTING COMPONENT GOING FORWARD AS WELL.
ALSO, I MEAN, UM, THE, COULD YOU ALSO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT IN TERMS OF, UM, THE BEST PRACTICES THAT ARE HAPPENING, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE SURROUNDING CITIES THAT WE KIND OF, UM, COMPARED AGAINST? SURE.
IN TERMS OF BEING MORE PLUG AND PLAY.
UH, THOSE ARE MY, MY TERMS SINCE A LOT OF THE DEVELOPERS AND, AND THE FOLKS THAT WOULD BE BUILDING THESE OUT DIDN'T, UM, SEE OUR, OUR BONUSES AS APPEALING OR HAD, YOU KNOW, THE CATCH 22 KIND OF SCENARIO.
SO IF YOU COULD ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON, ON WHAT WERE SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING.
LOOK, YEAH, SO LET ME GIVE YOU KIND OF THE FULLER CONTEXT.
SO, UM, OTHER LARGE CITIES LIKE SAN DIEGO, SAN JOSE, UH, SACRAMENTO, ARE ALL DOING SIMILAR APPROACHES TO WHAT YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO TONIGHT.
THEY HAD EXPANDED DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. THEY'VE ADJUSTED THEM, UM, BASED ON CHANGES AT THE STATE LEVEL AND WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CITIES.
[01:30:01]
UM, SO WHILE OURS MAY NOT PERFECTLY, YOU KNOW, MATCH BECAUSE WE TRIED TO MAKE IT APPROPRIATE TO LONG BEACH, OUR STATUS QUO PROGRAM IS VERY SIMILAR TO AN LA PROGRAM CALLED TOC TRANSIT ORIENTED COMMUNITIES.AND WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS SOMETHING MORE SIMPLIFIED, UM, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT SAN DIEGO AND SACRAMENTO HAVE DONE.
UM, WE HAVE INCLUSIONARY REQUIREMENTS AND, AND SO DO SOME CITIES, BUT MOST CITIES DON'T.
SO PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS OFFSET INCLUSIONARY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT PROVIDES AFFORDABLE UNITS, BUT IT RESULTS IN COST, REAL COST, SUBSTANTIAL COST, UM, 10, 20, 30% ADDED COST TO A DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO OFFSET THAT SO THAT EVERYTHING KIND OF COMES BACK INTO BALANCE.
UM, MANY CITIES SMALLER THAN US, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, MOST CITIES AND, AND LA ORANGE COUNTY, THEY DON'T HAVE ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS AT ALL.
THEY OPERATE THE STATE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, BUT THEY ALSO DON'T HAVE AN INCLUSIONARY PROGRAM.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING TO BE OFFSET.
SO WE'RE KIND OF IN A CATEGORY WITH MAYBE 10 PEER CITIES AND THE HUNDREDS OF OTHER CITIES IN CALIFORNIA'S NOT REALLY APPLICABLE.
'CAUSE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BALANCE TWO SIDES OF THE SCALE THAT ARE GOING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.
RIGHT? UM, SO THAT'S PART OF THE CONTEXT.
THE OTHER PART OF THE CONTEXT APPRECIATE THE, THE DISCUSSION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER CLEMSON'S CONCERN ABOUT NOT GOING FAR ENOUGH, BUT IT'S AN INCREMENTAL MOVE FROM THE STATUS QUO.
AND, AND I WILL SAY DURING THE PUBLIC PROCESS, THERE'S A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT ARE CONCERNED THAT THIS GOES TOO FAR, AND THERE'S COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE ALL KINDS OF OPINIONS, SOME CLOSER TO THE, IT DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH, SOME CLOSER TO THE, IT GOES TOO FAR.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE BALANCE, RIGHT? WE'RE TRYING TO LISTEN TO ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THEN ACHIEVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF BALANCE, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S NO SORT OF CONSENSUS VIEWPOINT.
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS, UM, THAT WE'RE HEARING.
AND, AND WITH THAT IN MIND, UM, PART OF THE, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF THE MANY THAT ARE OUT THERE IS AWARENESS.
UM, ESPECIALLY SOME OF THE LOTS THAT ARE JUST BELOW THE, WHAT I WOULD CALL THE PROFESSIONALLY MANAGED LOTS, YOU KNOW, THE LARGER SCALE HAVE PEOPLE THAT THEY HIRE, BUT THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF, OF PROPERTIES IN THE CITY THAT ARE, I THINK THE REFERENCE WAS THE 5,000 TO 10,000 THAT, THAT YEAH, KIND OF MIDDLE TIER LOT, THE MOM AND POP OWNED PROPERTIES THAT ARE SITTING ON, ON LAND AND HAVE NO IDEA THAT THEY CAN HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY OR WHEN IT, WHEN IT, UM, WHAT, WHAT'S THE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, THE MARKETING OF THIS, THAT THAT'S FOR THE OUTREACH TO, TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS SO THAT THEY CAN ACTIVATE SOME OF THAT LAND.
THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE TRY TO ACCOMPLISH WHEN WE GO THROUGH REZONING PROCESSES IS SHOW ALL THE TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR, FOR PROPERTY OWNERS.
UM, IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO EXPAND UPON.
UM, AS KRISTEN MENTIONED, THERE'S PRETTY EXTENSIVE OUTREACH FOR RESIDENTS OVERALL THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK TO MARKET THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE, PARTICULARLY IF AND WHEN THIS GETS ADOPTED, AND IT GOES INTO EFFECT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS KNOW THAT THERE'S A CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING THAT WASN'T POSSIBLE OR DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF FEASIBILITY AS BEFORE.
AND TO DO SO IN A WAY THAT PROVIDES A PUBLIC BENEFIT THROUGH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT, THROUGH THE NEXUS WITH THE SPECIAL INCENTIVES AROUND PROVIDING GROUND FLOOR GROCERY STORES OR PARK ACCESS, UM, AND ALIGN WITH OTHER CITY PRIORITIES.
UM, SO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO MORE OF, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S ALWAYS THE CHANCE TO, TO EXPLORE NEW WAYS TO GET THE WORD OUT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ONE THING I WOULD OFFER UP TOO, I MEAN, CERTAINLY NOT, NOT THE END ALL BE ALL, BUT IT'S, IT'S NICE TO HAVE, UM, A ONE PAGER FOR THOSE, FOR THE LAY PEOPLE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, HAPPEN TO COME TO THE FRONT DESK OR TO THE, TO THE COUNTER, AND THERE'S A 6,000 TO 12,000 SQUARE FOOT LODGE.
YOU'RE LIKE, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED, HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THIS? HERE'S SOME INFORMATION FOR YOU TO CONSIDER.
SO, YEAH, SO IT'S NOT ABOUT DENSITY BONUS, BUT ALLISON'S GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE WORK WE'VE DONE IN CAMBODIA TOWN WITH SMALL, UM, BUSINESS AND PROPERTY OWNERS, JUST 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S APPLICABLE TO WHAT WE WOULD THEN DO, UM, WITH THIS PROGRAM.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THAT, AND THEN, UH, CHRISTIAN CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME HANDOUTS AND MATERIALS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON TOO.
SO, UM, WE, UM, IN, UH, CENTRAL LONG BEACH AS, AS PART OF OUR, UM, ZONE IN CITY CORE WORK, PARTNERED WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO REACH OUT TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND PROPERTY OWNERS TO JUST SHARE MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT THESE, UH, CHANGES IN REGULATIONS MEAN AND COULD MEAN, AND WHAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE.
UM, HOSTED A WORKSHOP THAT WAS IN PERSON, BUT ALSO ONLINE AND RECORDED HOSTED IT AT A TIME WE IDENTIFIED WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS MOST LIKELY TO BE ACCESSIBLE, UM, TO, FOR EXAMPLE, SMALL
[01:35:01]
BUSINESS OWNERS OR, OR SMALL PROPERTY OWNERS.UM, AND SO WHERE WE WORK TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION, THERE IS KIND OF A LINE AS THE REGULATOR TO, TO NOT SAY, HERE'S A PROJECT YOU SHOULD DO, OF COURSE, UM, BUT WANTING TO AT LEAST GET THE INFORMATION OUT.
WE DO HAVE SORT OF A BROCHURE ON OUR EXISTING ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS, UM, OUT ON THE WEBPAGE AND AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO WE HAVE USED THAT, BUT THAT IS ALSO PART OF THE FOCUS OF THIS GRANT.
KRISTEN, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT? SORRY, THIS GUY GRANT, UM, SOME OF THE LIKE, MATERIALS.
UM, SO YEAH, WE'RE WORKING ON A ONE PAGER, UH, WHICH WILL BE EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE, UM, MENTIONING, UM, CASTILLO ABOUT THE, JUST, YOU KNOW, HERE'S HOW THE ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM WORKS, IF YOU'D LIKE TO USE IT, HERE ARE THE SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND, YOU KNOW, HERE'S HOW IT APPLIES.
UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO DISAMBIGUATE STATE DENSITY BONUS LAW AT THE SAME TIME.
A LOT OF TIMES THE DEVELOPER WILL COME IN AND THEY'RE NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THEY'RE TRYING, WELL, THEY'VE GOT AN IDEA ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT, RIGHT? AND SO THEY'RE ASKING STAFF PLANNERS TO FIGURE IT OUT WITH THEM.
UM, SO HAVING MUCH CLEAR IMPLEMENTATION MATERIALS ARE REALLY GONNA GUIDE THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, FROM SQUARE ONE, WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON A WEB, UM, ON OUR WEB PLATFORM TO ACTUALLY HAVE THE CALCULATIONS FOR DOING DENSITY BONUS, LIKE RIGHT THERE, AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBPAGE FOR ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS.
SO A DEVELOPER DOESN'T HAVE TO KIND OF LIKE DO THE BACK OF THE NAPKIN MATH AND THEN COME INTO STAFF AND ALSO ASK US TO CORRECT OR HELP THEM WITH THAT.
IT'LL REALLY JUST BE KIND OF A PLUG AND PLAY, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE ZONE, HERE'S THE BASE UNITS, HERE'S THE DENSITY BONUS MULTIPLIER, SPITS OUT THE NUMBER POSSIBLE, RIGHT? A LITTLE BIT MORE CUT AND DRY, DEFENSIBLE, AND ALSO JUST GETS THE CONVERSATION GOING TO WHAT BENEFITS IS GONNA BE PROVIDED TO THE COMMUNITY AS PART OF THIS PROCESS IN, IN THE SPECIAL BONUS FITS, WHICH IS WHERE WE'D REALLY LIKE TO FOCUS AS STAFF IF, IF POSSIBLE.
COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER WHERE, JUST ONE FINAL QUESTION.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES RESIDENCY PROGRAMS THAT LOOK LIKE A LOT OF BUILDING IS GONNA HAPPEN, THEY THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY DON'T WANT AS OPPOSED TO WHAT THEY WANT.
UM, A LOT OF THE COMMENTS WERE AROUND NEIGHBORHOOD COMPATIBILITY.
SO CAN YOU JUST SPEAK REAL QUICKLY TO HOW WE MAINTAIN, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD COMPATIBILITY IN APPROVING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, SO FIRST THE BONUSES ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, BONUSES TO BE, UM, INTERTWINED WITH THE EXISTING DESIGNATION, RIGHT? SO THAT IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN DO THIS HUGE LARGE PROJECT IN THE MIDDLE OF A, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR LOWEST DENSITY RESIDENTIAL ZONE.
THERE'S A LOT RELATED TO CONTEXT.
THERE'S ALSO, UM, ADDITIONAL, UH, SETBACK AND STEPBACK REQUIREMENTS TO HELP ENSURE COMPATIBILITY, UM, ACROSS, FOR EXAMPLE, PROPERTY LINES OR TRANSITIONS TO LOWER DENSITY LOCATIONS, UM, THAT MAY BE NEARBY A PROJECT.
UM, AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID KEEP FROM THE ORIGINAL ENHAN, THE EXISTING ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS, UM, IS A REQUIREMENT THAT, UM, ANY ADDITION OF HEIGHT MORE THAN ONE STORY WOULD HAVE TO GO TO, UM, A PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS.
UM, AND ALEJANDRO CAN TALK A LITTLE MORE IN DETAIL OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO, AS, AS ALLISON MENTIONED, I I THINK OFTENTIMES THE BIGGEST FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN IS AROUND HEIGHT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE MOST VISIBLE CHANGE, UM, WHICH IS TOTALLY UNDERSTANDABLE.
AND WHY THIS, UH, UPDATE IS WRITTEN TO STILL ALLOW FOR PUBLIC OVERSIGHT AND THE PUBLIC REVIEW PROCESS AT THIS COMMISSION FOR ANY HEIGHT CHANGE OVER ONE STORY, UH, FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE.
SO IF A PROJECT IS PRIMARILY MARKET RATE AND THEY ARE PROPOSING TO, OR EVEN THREE STORIES IN HEIGHT, UH, ABOVE WHAT'S THERE NOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE THAT PUBLIC HEARING COMPONENT THAT MAKES IT DISCRETIONARY SO THAT THERE'S THAT ADDED OVERSIGHT.
SO COMMITTEE MEMBERS CAN SAY, OH, WE UNDERSTAND THE PROJECT MORE, WE ARE NOT SUPPORTIVE, OR, NO, WE REALLY DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT FIT, AND THIS COMMISSION IS A BODY THAT CAN THEN MAKE THE DECISION ON THAT PROJECT.
SO WE THINK THAT'S A GOOD BALANCE OF OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY WHILE STILL PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY.
AND WE KNOW THAT IN A CITY OF AROUND HALF A MILLION PEOPLE, THERE'S JUST SO MANY POSSIBILITY THAT WE CAN'T ASSUME THE OUTCOME FOR EVERY, UM, PROPOSED PROJECT.
AND WE THINK THAT THAT ADDED OVERSIGHT PROVIDES THAT FLEXIBILITY, UM, WHILE STILL GIVING PEOPLE A VOICE, WHEN THERE'S GONNA BE A CHANGE THAT IS THAT POTENTIALLY DRAMATIC COMMISSIONERS ANY COMMISSIONER.
I THINK SOME OF OUR, UM, SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATIONS LIKE THE APARTMENT HOUSE THAT WAS BUILT ON, UM, ANAHEIM AND WALNUT, AND THEY PUT THE BOTTOM OF IT, IT'S A CLINIC, AND I BELIEVE ONE OF THE BIGGEST OPPONENTS, OR A NUMBER OF THE OPPONENTS WERE THE SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS THE STREET, AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY TURNED IT ALL AROUND, AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY SAYING, WELL, WE'RE DOING BETTER NOW.
AND, AND THE, UH, CLINIC IS VERY WELL USED, AND ALL THE APARTMENTS I BELIEVE ARE, UH, OCCUPIED.
AND THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS.
AND WHEN MR. TURNER, UM, COMMENTED ON HAVING MORE GROCERY STORES,
[01:40:01]
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.UH, ANYWAY, SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT MAYBE WE COULD, I DON'T WANNA SAY PAT THEM, BUT TOUT THE, UH, THE SUCCESSES AND THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE KIND OF AGAINST, BUT THEY, THEY'RE DOING SO WELL.
THAT WAS JUST, UH, I, I APPRECIATED THE COMMENT ON THAT.
AND IT WAS A VERY GOOD PRESENTATION.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON COMMISSIONERS? SEEING NONE.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE PUBLIC.
ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME FORWARD.
I'M A POLICY ASSOCIATE AT ABUNDANT HOUSING LA UH, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND ALSO OUR LOCAL CHAPTER, EVERYBODY'S LONG BEACH.
UH, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER LEMI AND TEMPLATE.
IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY GOOD PRESENTATION, SO KUDOS TO THE STAFF, UM, SPEAKING IN SUPPORT, UH, TODAY.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO, UH, THANK, UH, MR. CLEMSON FOR, UH, URGING, UH, THE CITY TO BE, UH, MORE AMBITIOUS IN TERMS OF, UH, CREATING, UH, MORE, MORE DENSITY, UH, THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE DENSITY TO, TO OFFSET, UH, COSTS AND CONSTRAINTS.
UM, I THINK, UH, YEAH, THERE, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GREAT STUFF, UH, IN, IN THIS ORDINANCE IF WE'RE INTERESTED.
I, I THINK IN THAT SMALLER, MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING THAT I THINK YOU WERE REFERENCING, UM, MAYBE ONE OPTION IS TO, I MEAN, F FIRST OF ALL, I, I AGREE WITH, I THINK THE THRUST OF THE CONVERSATION HERE AND ALSO WHAT STAFF WAS RAISING THAT THIS CAN BE, UH, SOMETHING CAN BE EVALUATED AND, AND REVISITED, UM, IN THE SAME SPIRIT THAT THIS HAS COME BACK, UH, TO YOU TODAY, UH, AS AN UPDATE.
UH, AND MAYBE, UH, AS PART OF THAT UPDATE, WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE INCLUSIONARY ZONING ORDINANCE.
UH, IF THERE SEEMED TO BE BARRIERS IN THAT, THAT SMALLER, UH, PROJECT RANGE, MAYBE, UH, WE TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT, MAYBE 10% IS A LITTLE BIT TOO LOW FOR IT TO KICK IN, MAYBE 15% IS MORE FEASIBLE.
MAYBE THE 15 TO 20% HAS A DIFFERENT PERCENTAGE BELOW THAT, THAT THAT 10%.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GREAT STUFF HERE, UH, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THE DENSITY BONUSES, UH, HOW THE, UH, AFFORDABILITY LEVELS AND, AND THE INCENTIVES CAN STACK, STACK ON EACH OTHER.
UH, LOCAL BONUSES FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, SENIOR HOUSING FOR PROJECTS NEAR PARKS.
UM, SO, UH, YEAH, AGAIN, UH, UH, HERE IN SUPPORT, BUT REALLY, UH, APPRECIATE THE URGE TO BE, TO BE MORE AMBITIOUS AND TO ADVOCATE FOR HOUSING AT ALL INCOME LEVELS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS WILLIAM FRANKENFIELD.
I AM A VOLUNTEER WITH EVERYBODY'S LONG BEACH AND JUST A LOCAL CONCERNED RESIDENT.
UM, I ALSO, SECOND, I SUPPORT, UH, VOTING ON THIS MOTION TO, UH, ENHANCE, ENHANCE OUR, UH, ENHANCE DENSITY BONUS.
BUT I'M AFRAID THAT IT WILL ONCE AGAIN FALL A LITTLE BIT SHORT OF EXPECTATIONS.
UM, 'CAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT LIKE A MAP.
I, I ATTEND ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS AND I WAS LOOKING AT A MAP, AND THERE'S A LOT OF THESE LIKE, REALLY TINY PARCELS, AND IT'S HARD TO GET LIKE, YOU KNOW, A FIVE STORY UNIT TO ADD LIKE TWO MORE UNITS, ESPECIALLY WITH, UM, IF THERE'S OTHER CONSTRAINTS SUCH AS PARKING.
UM, SO I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD START, BUT I'M JUST AFRAID THAT ONCE AGAIN, NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE DOING THIS AGAIN WHERE WE'LL JUST BE COMING.
OKAY, THIS STILL, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO GET PROJECTS TO PENCIL OUT.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS IS A GREAT START.
AND I ESPECIALLY LOVE, UM, WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE STAFF, UM, FOR LISTENING TO MY COMMENTS, BECAUSE WHEN I HEARD PUBLIC PARK, UM, I REMEMBER SPECIFICALLY LEAVING A NOTE ON THAT.
UM, RIGHT NOW OUR CITY HAS THIS HUGE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN WHERE OUR PARKS ARE AND WHERE WE'RE ADDING NEW HOUSING.
SO LIKE, I WOULD LOVE TO LIVE IN SOUTH OF CONANT BECAUSE YOU ARE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF WARDLOW PARK, ROSIE THE RIVETER PARK AND HARTWELL PARK, LIKE ALL THREE OF THOSE PARKS ARE LIKE RIGHT THERE.
WHEREAS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY, YOU HAVE TO LIKE BIKE A MILE JUST TO YOUR NEAREST PARK.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY THIS, UM, AND THIS CHANGES TO THE ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS COULD HELP CLOSE SOME OF THAT DISCREPANCY BETWEEN WHERE WE LIVE AND WHERE OUR PARKS ARE.
UM, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THIS IS UNFORTUNATELY ONLY THE START, SO I AM BOTH LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THIS ROSE OUT, BUT ALSO FRUSTRATED THAT WE MAY HAVE ANOTHER MEETING LIKE THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
SO, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE SO FAR.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC?
[01:45:02]
SEEING NONE, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO ANY VIRTUAL COMMENTS.IF YOU'RE JOINING US, VIRTUALLY WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FUNCTION AT THIS TIME.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, UH, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE.
COMMISSIONER CLEMSON? YES, COMMISSIONER EZ.
AND VICE CHAIR WHERE YES, MOTION IS CARRIED.
AND, AND AGAIN, REITERATE TO STAFF.
I KNOW THIS IS A LOT OF WORK AND TRYING TO BALANCE THE NEEDS, UH, ON BOTH ENDS.
UH, I KNOW IT'S, IT IS A, A TERRIBLE POSITION TO BE IN, BUT, UM, THANK YOU AND IT'S A GREAT OUTPUT.
SO, AND, AND TO, TO THIS MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE JUST ON THAT ROAD, WE'RE JUST CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD, SO TRYING TO DO IT THE BEST WE CAN HERE.
ALRIGHT, NEXT ITEM, MADAM CLERK.
[6. 26-54852 Recommendation to recommend that City Council adopt an Addendum (EIRA26-002) to the Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) prepared for the General Plan Land Use Element and Urban Design Element (EIR 03-16) (SCH No. 2015051054) relating to the implementation of the General Plan Land Use Element through an amendment to Title 21 and Title 22 of the Zoning Regulations; and Recommend that City Council approve a Zoning Code Amendment (ZCA24-004) and Local Coastal Program Amendment (LCPA24-005), and adopt the proposed findings related thereto, to amend Chapter 4 of the of Southeast Area Specific Plan (SP-2); and Title 2, Title 21, and Title 22 of the Long Beach Municipal Code (Zoning Ordinance) in accordance with State Law and the City’s adopted 6th Cycle Housing Element. The proposed code changes are intended to satisfy state mandates and better align the Zoning Code with the City’s General plan by implementing required Housing Element actions to facilitate and streamline housing production in the City. The amendment is composed of four (4) major components: (1) codifying required Housing Element Implementation actions related to streamlining housing development and addressing fair housing goals around discrimination and segregation of uses, (2) implementing provisions from the City’s 2023 Emergency Declaration of Housing and Homelessness, (3) satisfying new State Housing Law requirements around residential uses, definitions, and allowances citywide, and (4) changing technical language that clarifies the zoning code, addresses inconsistencies, and removes duplicative information related to housing uses and regulations. Additional minor code changes not specific to housing are proposed to address existing inconsistencies within the Zoning Code related to commercial use allowances, wireless telecommunications facilities, and clarifications on approval procedures.(Citywide) Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
SIX IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECOMMEND THAT CITY COUNCIL ADOPT AN ADDENDUM TO THE PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT PREPARED FOR THE GENERAL PLAN, LAND USE ELEMENT AND URBAN DESIGN ELEMENT RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GENERAL PLAN LAND USE ELEMENT THROUGH AN AMENDMENT TO TITLE 21 AND TITLE 22 OF THE ZONING REGULATIONS.AND RECOMMEND THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVE A ZONING CODE, AMENDMENT AND LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM AMENDMENT AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS RELATED THERETO TO AMEND CHAPTER FOUR OF THE SOUTHEAST AREA SPECIFIC PLAN AND TITLE TWO, TITLE 21 AND TITLE 22 OF THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW AND THE CITY'S ADOPTED SIX CYCLE HOUSING ELEMENT, THE PROPOSED CODE CHANGES ARE INTENDED TO SATISFY STATE MANDATES AND BETTER ALIGN THE ZONING CODE WITH THE CITY'S GENERAL PLAN BY IMPLEMENTING REQUIRED HOUSING ELEMENT ACTIONS TO FACILITATE AND STREAMLINE HOUSING PRODUCTION IN THE CITY.
THE AMENDMENT IS COMPOSED OF FOUR MAJOR COMPONENTS.
ONE, CODIFYING REQUIRED HOUSING ELEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS RELATED TO STREAMLINING HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND ADDRESSING FAIR HOUSING GOALS AROUND DISCRIMINATION AND SEGREGATION OF USES.
TWO, IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS FOR THE CITY'S 2023 EMERGENCY DECLARATION OF HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS.
THREE, SATISFYING NEW STATE HOUSING LAW REQUIREMENTS AROUND RESIDENTIAL USES, DEFINITIONS AND ALLOWANCE CITYWIDE.
AND FOUR, CHANGING TECHNICAL LANGUAGE THAT CLARIFIES THE ZONING CODE ADDRESSES INCONSISTENCIES AND REMOVES DUPLICATIVE INFORMATION RELATED TO HOUSING USES AND REGULATIONS.
ADDITIONAL MINOR CODE CHANGES NOT SPECIFIC TO HOUSING AND TO ADDRESS EXISTING INCONSISTENCIES WITHIN THE ZONING CODE RELATED TO COMMERCIAL USE ALLOWANCES, WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES, AND CLARIFICATIONS ON APPROVAL PROCEDURES CITYWIDE.
CAN I HAVE, UM, MAKER AND A SECOND PLEASE? THANK YOU.
UM, COMMISSIONER TEMPLE AND COMMISSIONER SANTOS AND WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO STAFF.
UH, SPEAKING OF A LONG ROAD, UH, THIS, I'M EXCITED TO HAVE BEFORE YOU, UH, THIS EFFORT, UH, WHICH STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR A FEW YEARS, AND ALEJANDRO SANCHEZ LOPEZ WILL PROVIDE THE PRESENTATION.
GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS BEFORE YOU.
TONIGHT IS WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER THE MOST EXCITING OF OUR CODE UPDATES PROPOSED.
UH, THIS IS A ZONING CODE AMENDMENT AND LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM AMENDMENT FOR AN UPDATE TO THE CITY'S ZONING REGULATIONS THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING OMNIBUS CODE UPDATE.
IN ADDITION TO TITLES 21 AND 22, THIS PROPOSED UPDATE ALSO MAKES MINOR AMENDMENTS TO TITLE TWO OF THE CITY'S MUNICIPAL CODE AND CHAPTER FOUR OF THE SOUTHEAST AREA SPECIFIC PLAN, ALSO KNOWN AS CIP.
BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THE SPECIFICS OF THIS PROPOSED CODE UPDATE, IT'S HELPFUL TO TAKE A STEP BACK ONCE AGAIN AND EXPLAIN WHAT AN OMNIBUS UPDATE IS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AN OMNIBUS ZONING CODE AMENDMENT IS A COMPREHENSIVE SINGLE PACKAGE OF AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY'S ZONING REGULATIONS.
BY BUNDLING SEVERAL, SEVERAL RELATIVELY SMALLER CHANGES INTO ONE PIECE OF LEGISLATION, THE CITY CAN MORE EFFECTIVELY AND HOLISTICALLY ADOPT IMPLEMENTING ACTIONS THAT ACHIEVE A VARIETY OF GENERAL PLAN GOALS AND RELATED CITY POLICIES.
OMNIBUS AMENDMENTS ARE BECOMING MORE COMMON PRACTICE, PARTICULARLY IN LARGER JURISDICTIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, LA COUNTY PLANNING IS NEARING THE FINISH LINE ON A SIMILAR HOUSING ORDINANCE UPDATE GOING TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN MAY,
[01:50:01]
WHICH INCLUDES OVER 160 PAGES OF CODE AMENDMENTS AND CITY OF LA'S NEW ZONING CODE, MAINTENANCE ORDINANCE AND MISSING MIDDLE ORDINANCE ARE BOTH MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE HEARING BODIES ACHIEVING SIMILAR ENDS IN LONG BEACH.OUR CITY'S FIRST PROPOSED HOUSING OR ORDINANCE IS FOCUSED ON STREAMLINING NEW DEVELOPMENT AT ALL LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY AND OTHER FOR HOUSING GOALS.
ADDITIONAL NON HOUSING CLEANUPS HAVE BEEN ADDED AS THE PACKAGE HAS EVOLVED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
SO THE UPDATE TODAY IS COMPOSED OF FOUR MAJOR COMPONENTS.
FIRST, ADOPTING A NUMBER OF HOUSING AL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS.
SECONDLY, IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS FROM THE CITY'S 2023 EMERGENCY DECLARATION OF HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS.
THIRD, SATISFYING NEW STATE HOUSING LAW REQUIREMENTS, WHICH CONTINUE TO EVOLVE SEEMINGLY ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND FOURTHLY, CHANGING TECHNICAL LANGUAGE THAT CLARIFIES THE ZONING CODE, ADDRESSES INCONSISTENCIES, CLARIFIES PROCESSES, AND REMOVES DUPLICATIVE INFORMATION.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, AN UPDATE THIS MULTIFACETED IS YEARS IN THE MAKING AND THE RESULT OF A SERIES OF EVENTS.
THE ORIGINAL SCOPE FOR THE HOUSING OUS UPDATE WAS ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED IN 2022 WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE CITY'S SIX CYCLE HOUSING ALL AMEN UPDATE.
THE ELEMENT INCLUDES MULTIPLE ACTIONS THAT REQUIRE ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS AS COMMITMENTS TO MEET A HOUSING POLICY GOALS.
THE FOLLOWING YEAR, IN JANUARY OF 2023, THE CITY DECLARED A LOCAL EMERGENCY ON HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, WHICH TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED OR AFFECTED MULTIPLE CHAPTERS OF THE CITY'S MUNICIPAL CODE, INCLUDING BOTH TITLES 21 AND 22.
BEST PRACTICES LEARNED DURING THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION PERIOD, WHICH ENDED THE FOLLOWING FEBRUARY, WERE IDENTIFIED TO BE MADE PERMANENT THROUGH ADDITIONAL CODE UPDATES INCORPORATING INTO THE OMNIBUS SCOPE THAT SAME MONTH.
THE PROJECT TEAM SCOPE HOSTED A STUDY SESSION WITH THIS COMMISSION ON THE PROPOSED UPDATED SCOPE AT THE TIME, THROUGHOUT THE SECOND HALF OF 2024, THE PROJECT TEAM CONDUCTED ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ON THE PROPOSED CODE CHANGES, INCLUDING AT THREE HOUSING POLICY FORUMS, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HOSTED BETWEEN AUGUST AND OCTOBER OF THAT YEAR.
FINALLY, THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PERIOD AND CONTINUING TO TODAY, THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF STATE BILLS ADOPTED INTO LAW, WHICH AFFECT HOUSING, ZONING, LAND USE, AND OTHER PLANNING POLICIES.
THE PROJECT TEAM HAS WORKED TO MAINTAIN UPTODATE, UH, INFORMATION ON ALL RELEVANT LEGISLATION AND INCORPORATE LOCAL AMENDMENTS INTO THE SCOPE.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS AND RECONCILIATION WITH EXISTING LOCAL REGULATIONS REQUIRED EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND CODE EDITS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE AND CONGRUENCY WITH STATE POLICY AND LAW PLANNING STAFF SPENT THE ENTIRETY OF 2025 DURING THIS REFINEMENT WORK.
IN ADDITION TO INCORPORATING PUBLIC INPUT AND FEEDBACK RECEIVED INTO THE DRAFT REGULATIONS AS WELL AS WORKING THROUGH EXISTING TEXTUAL AND STRUCTURAL INCONSISTENCIES IN THE ZONING CODE ACROSS BOTH TITLES 21 AND 22.
FINALLY, IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, THE FIRST FULL DRAFT ORDINANCE WAS RELEASED FOR PUBLIC REVIEW.
NOW THE NEXT FULL FEW SLIDES WILL SUMMARIZE THE ACTUAL CODE CHANGES BY EACH OF THE FOUR PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED MAJOR COMPONENTS.
FIRST HOUSING ELEMENT IMPLEMENTATION.
THERE ARE 10 SPECIFIC ACTIONS ACROSS THREE MAJOR POLICIES IN THE ELEMENT THAT ARE ACTED UPON THROUGH CODE UPDATES, INCLUDING IN THIS OWN OMNIBUS PACKAGE.
THESE ACTIONS LARGELY REVOLVE AROUND STREAMLINING AND EXPANDING HOUSING DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES CITYWIDE THROUGH REGULATORY CLARIFICATIONS, MORE FLEXIBLE THRESHOLDS FOR ADDITIONAL REVIEW AND DISCRETIONARY REQUIREMENTS, REDUCING REGULATORY BARRIERS CREATED BY OUTDATED DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND DEFINITIONS AND UPDATED USE STABLE REGULATIONS FOR SPECIFIC HOUSING USES.
THE NEXT CATEGORY IS CHANGES THAT INSTITUTIONALIZE WHAT WORKED DURING THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION PERIOD.
SOME OF THESE CHANGES RELATE TO OR OVERLAP WITH THE AFFORD MENTIONED HOUSING ELEMENT ACTIONS.
THESE CHANGES INCLUDE TO CONFORM PERMITTED LOCATIONS FOR INTERIM HOUSING USES IN THE CITY, SUCH AS EMERGENCY SHELTERS AND TRADITIONAL AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF AB 2339, WHICH WAS ADOPTED, UM, AND PASSED INTO LAW IN 2022.
EXPAND WHERE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR HOMELESSNESS SUCH AS SOCIAL SERVICE FACILITIES, SAFE PARKING SITES AND STORAGE SPACES ARE PERMITTED IN THE CITY, MANY OF WHICH WERE PILOTED DURING THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION PERIOD.
ESTABLISH A LOCAL PERMITTING PROCESS FOR PERMITTED DWELLING UNITS TO BE CONVERTED TO ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.
PURSUANT TO AB 25 33, IMPLEMENT A 60 DAY REVIEW TIMELINE FOR BUYRIGHT PROJECTS AND TO CLARIFY THAT SPR IS A NON-DISCRETIONARY PROCESS WHEN CARRIED OUT AT THE STAFF LEVEL AND FOR PROJECT THAT DO NOT REQUIRE PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEW.
NEXT IS ALL THE CHANGES TO ALIGN WITH STATE LEGISLATION FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS.
THE BILLS LISTED HERE GENERALLY RELATE TO DENSITY BONUS UPDATES TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY BENEFITS AND STANDARDS.
HOUSING CRISIS ACT UPDATES AROUND NO NET LOSS AND OTHER PROTECTIONS FOR EXISTING UNITS AND TENANTS AND CHANGES TO INTERIM HOUSING USES AND OVERSIGHT.
SIMILAR TO THE PRIOR TWO CATEGORIES, MANY OF THESE CHANGES
[01:55:01]
OVERLAP WITH OTHER CHANGES ACROSS EACH OF THESE BUCKETS.FINALLY, WE HAVE A SERIES OF TECHNICAL CLEANUP AMENDMENTS, INCLUDING CHANGES UNRELATED TO HOUSING USES AND STANDARDS.
THESE TECHNICAL EDITS ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE ZONING CHAPTERS OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE AND INCLUDE UPDATES TO CHAPTERS TWO OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE AND CCP AS DETAILED ON THIS SLIDE.
AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, STAFF DID EXTENSIVE OUTREACH DURING 2024 EVENTS FOR THE YEAR INCLUDED ONE STUDY SESSION AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THREE HOUSING POLICY FORUMS, TWO STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS, ONE WITH HOUSING RIGHTS ADVOCATES AND THE OTHER WITH DEVELOPERS IN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
A NOTICE THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS PUBLISHED IN THE LONG BEACH PES PRESS TELEGRAM NEWSPAPER ON MARCH 27TH OF THIS YEAR AND ACCORD WITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NOTICING REQUIREMENTS OF CHAPTER 2121 OF THE ZONING CODE.
THIS NOTICE WAS ALSO POSTED AT CITY HALL AND AT ALL CITY LIBRARIES WITH THE ACCOMPANYING BELIEVE 202 PAGE ORDINANCE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AT EVERY SINGLE BRANCH.
BOTH WERE POSTED ON THIS DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE AND DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE CITY'S LINK OB SYSTEM WITH INTERESTED PARTIES.
GIVEN THE LINK TO REVIEW THAT THE PROPOSED DRAFT THREE POSTERS WERE ALSO POSTED CITYWIDE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL NOTICING, UH, VISIBILITY.
SINCE PUBLISHING OF THE PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE AND DISTRIBUTION TO INTERESTING INTERESTED PARTIES, STAFF HAS RECEIVED NO COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
SIMILAR TO PRIOR PROJECTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT, THE CITY PREPARED AN ADDENDUM TO PREVIOUSLY CERTIFIED PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE LAND USE ELEMENT.
THE ADDENDUM ANALYZED A PROPOSED PROJECT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PEIR AND DETERMINED THAT THE PROJECT WILL NOT RESULT IN ANY NEW SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS OR ANY IMPACTS THAT EXCEED THOSE ANALYZED IN THE PEIR.
FURTHERMORE, DURING THE COURSE OF THE PROJECT, THE GOVERNOR SIGNED AB ONE 30, WHICH EXEMPTS ACTIONS RELATED TO HOUSING AL COMPLIANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION FROM SQL ANALYSIS.
WHILE THE ADDENDUMS COVERS THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROPOSED ACTIONS AND AMENDMENTS UNDER AB ONE 30 ONLY PORTIONS OF THE PROJECT SUCH AS THOSE UNRELATED TO HOUSING AND THOSE THAT ARE NOT ALREADY IMPLEMENTING, UH, HOUSING ELEMENT, UH, ACTIONS ARE SUBJECT TO SQL REVIEW.
STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, UM, AND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT THE CORRESPONDING ORDINANCE AND RESOLUTION, UH, TO EFFECTUATE THE CHANGE.
THIS CONCLUDES STAFF PRESENTATION AND WE ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
SO THE ANALOGY IS NOW NOT NECESSARILY GOING DOWN THE ROAD, BUT A MOVING TARGET.
SO, UM, COMMISSIONER'S, QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER, WHERE YOU ARE WORKING OVER TIME, ALEJANDRO TODAY,
UM, HOUSING PROJECTS MOVE A BIT FASTER.
UM, LESS THINGS COME TO PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, MORE HOUSING TYPES AND OTHER PLACES, AND I THINK THAT WAS MY TAKEAWAY.
UM, DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS, BASICALLY.
HOW DO WE JUST ENSURE THAT STREAMLINING DOESN'T REDUCE THE ABILITY TO HAVE, UM, SITE-SPECIFIC DECISIONS THAT MAYBE HAVE MAJOR IMPACTS OR ALSO NOT CUTTING THE MORE THINGS DON'T HAVE TO COME TO THE COMMISSION.
ARE WE CUTTING OUT OUR NEIGHBORS IN INPUT ON PROJECTS AS THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN? YEAH, SO I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S A BALANCE BALANCE.
UM, CERTAINLY WHEN, UM, ANY PROJECTS, UM, GO THROUGH A SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION, THEY'RE BEING, UM, REFERRED TO ALL OF OUR CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL PARTNERS.
SO PUBLIC WORKS, UM, PARKS AND RECREATION, LONG BEACH TRANSIT FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT MAKING SURE THE PROJECT IS GOING TO BE, UM, THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND, UM, GONNA MEET THE, THE VARIOUS NEEDS OF THE CITY AND COMMUNITY.
WE ALSO, UM, POST, UM, RESULTS OF THE, UM, SITE PLAN REVIEW COMMITTEE LEVEL DECISIONS ONLINE SO THAT THEY COULD BE APPEALED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION IF SOMEONE HAD A CONCERN.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT A FULL PUBLIC HEARING, THERE IS, THERE IS LESS NOTICE, BUT THERE IS STILL ACCESS TO THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
JUST A QUICK COMMENT, UM, TOTALLY IN FAVOR ON ANYTHING THAT REMOVES SO MANY PROCESSES TO GET HOUSING.
YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT MY TIME HERE I GET TO SEE US REACH SOME PORTION OF OUR HOUSING GOAL AND THIS IS ANOTHER STEP IN THAT DIRECTION.
COMMISSIONER, ANY OTHER? NOPE.
UM, I'LL JUST ADD, UH, ONE, ONE THING AS IT RELATES TO THAT 'CAUSE IT'S, UM, IT'S BEEN, UM, FOR MY TIME ON THE COMMISSION, IT'S BEEN QUITE A, QUITE A PROCESS, UH, AN AN EVOLUTION I WOULD SAY BECAUSE WE, THERE'S, TO YOUR POINT EARLIER, COMMISSIONER
[02:00:01]
ON THE NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T SEE AS MANY LOWER HANGING FRUIT, UM, AS AS WE USED TO.UM, BUT THERE, THERE CERTAINLY IS, UM, UH, A CONCERN THAT WE'RE NOT GIVING THE PUBLIC ENOUGH ACCESS TO US EITHER AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT, UM, MAYBE AT A, AT A FUTURE MEETING WE CAN LOOK AT HOW THAT SHIFT HAS KIND OF TAKEN PLACE.
'CAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF IT NOW FALLING INTO ZONING ADMINISTRATOR AND, AND, UM, THERE IS A, A COST TO HAVING AN AUDIENCE MM-HMM
SO MAYBE THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING TO SPEAK TO AS WELL.
YEAH, I THINK WE CAN COME BACK.
I WOULD JUST SAY WE SHARE SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS.
I THINK OUR GOAL ISN'T TO TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND NOT HAVE A ROLE FOR YOU AND, UM, THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND TO LEARN MORE AND TO MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO I THINK AS WE SEE FEWER AND FEWER INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS, UM, WHEN THIS COMMISSION SEES POLICY ITEMS, WHEN THEY SEE AMENDMENTS TO THE ZONING CODE, THAT THOSE THINGS ARE MORE IMPORTANT.
SOMETIMES THEY DON'T BRING ANYONE OUT IN THE AUDIENCE, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY AREN'T IMPORTANT.
THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT'S SHAPING ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT DON'T GO TO A HEARING.
UM, SO I THINK WE DID REALLY GOOD WORK RECENTLY, UM, IN SORT OF THE UM, CENTRAL LONG BEACH, CAMBODIA AREA WITH THAT ZONE IN PROJECT AND OTHER, UM, BETWEEN KNOLLS THAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU.
UM, BUT I THINK THOSE THINGS MATTER A LOT AND, AND WE TRY, WE HAVEN'T MET ALL OUR GOALS AND GETTING PEOPLE ENGAGED AND EXCITED ON THOSE PROJECTS 'CAUSE THEY WANNA ENGAGE ON THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS.
BUT IN SOME WAYS THIS DECISION, FOR BETTER OR WORSE HAS, HAS SORT OF BEEN MADE FOR US BY THE LE THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
UM, SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ADAPT.
BUT I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE THERE MAY BE ROLES FOR THE COMMISSION, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT HEARING INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS TO, WE CAN FOCUS ON ONE PART OF TOWN AND HAVE KIND OF A COMMUNITY FORUM FOR THE, THE COMMISSION TO HEAR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN NORTH LONG BEACH OR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WEST LONG BEACH.
SO, UM, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT TOMORROW, I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD.
BUT, UM, I THINK WE SHARE SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS AND THIS IS THE BODY WHERE THE PUBLIC IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO GO AND, AND TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UM, AS THE LAWS CHANGE, WE NEED TO FIND NEW WAYS TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS AT LEAST CAN GET THE INFORMATION AND CAN BE HEARD.
AND I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW, UH, I HAD CONTEMPLATED THIS FOR QUITE A FEW MONTHS NOW WHERE I'M, AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEST INCORPORATE THAT BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY ESPECIALLY ON, ON, ON SESSIONS WITH WHICH ARE A LITTLE LIGHTER ON THE AGENDA, UM, TO PLAN FOR SOME MORE INFORMATION GATHERING FOR US IN TERMS OF CONTEXT, UM, BRINGING, UH, SOME GUEST SPEAKERS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, SOME JUST COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT REPRESENT CERTAIN CONSTITUENCIES OR CERTAIN INDUSTRIES OR, OR, OR STAKEHOLDERS, UH, TO COME AND PRESENT AROUND SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE CAN FURTHER THE CITY, WHETHER THAT BE HOUSING, WHETHER THAT BE ZONING, WHETHER THAT BE ANYTHING.
UM, BUT, UH, THAT, THAT MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY WE CAN EXPLORE DOWN THE ROAD.
YEAH, I'D LOVE TO EXPLORE THAT, UM, WITH YOU.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK WE DO THAT DOESN'T COME TO THIS COMMISSION HAVING TO DO WITH THE WEST SIDE AND WHAT'S CALLED THE WEST SIDE PROMISE PROGRAM.
SO I THINK, UM, WE'D LOVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU AND, AND, AND ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY? OKAY.
UH, ALRIGHT, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE PUBLIC.
ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
ANY VIRTUAL COMMENTS? IF YOU'RE JOINING US VIRTUALLY, WE'D LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FUNCTION AT THIS TIME.
WE'LL TURN IT BACK, COMMISSIONERS.
ANY LAST CHANCE HERE? IT, IT'S SURPRISING, LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER, UH, SUCH A BIG PIECE OF CHANGE AND, UH, ZERO COMMENTS AT ALL.
FOR FROM THIS, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC.
UM, SO WE'LL NOW, UH, CALL FOR THE VOTE.
[02:05:02]
AND COMMISSIONER, WHERE? YES.VICE CHAIR WHERE MOTION IS CARRIED.
UH, NOW I THINK THAT'S THE LAST AGENDA ITEM, BUT NOW, NOW WE'LL TURN IT
[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Planning Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]
OVER FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON ANY NON-AGENT ITEMS? WISHING AT THIS POINT OPEN.
MIKE, YOU CAN ALSO DO SOME COMEDY.
UM, UH, ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH ANNOUNCEMENTS? UH, VIRTUAL COMMENTS, PLEASE.
IF YOU'RE JOINING US VIRTUALLY, WE'D LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FUNCTION AT THIS TIME.
[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
ANNOUNCEMENTS? SEEING ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? SEEING NONE.OKAY, THEN WE'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO, IF THERE ARE NO
[ADJOURNMENT]
OBJECTIONS, WE'LL CALL THIS, UH, WE'LL AJOUR THIS MEETING.