TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Anne McIntosh, Community Development Director
Nhung Madrid, Senior Management Analyst
Rafael Garcia, Assistant Planner
SUBJECT:Title
Consider Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance No. 19-0004 Establishing a Sepulveda Boulevard Corridor Overlay District and Amending Commercial Development Standards to Provide a Height Bonus of 40 Feet for Hotel Developments in the General Commercial (CG) Zoning District Along Sepulveda Boulevard (Community Development Director McIntosh).
a) CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING
b) ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. 19-0004
Line
_________________________________________________________
Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that after conducting a public hearing, the City Council adopt Ordinance No. 19-0004 amending the Manhattan Beach Municipal Code as it relates to commercial development standards in the General Commercial (CG) Zoning District along Sepulveda Boulevard.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City Council conducted public hearings regarding proposed amendments to the CG zone on Sepulveda Boulevard. The amendments would allow increased height on certain larger properties for the purposes of encouraging hotel development. At the meeting of February 5, 2019, the City Council introduced Ordinance No. 19-0004 on first reading, and directed staff to send a notice to neighboring residential property owners for the final review and second reading of the ordinance.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications with the amendment of the zoning code. However, any hotel that is constructed pursuant to the revised ordinance would provide Transient Occupancy Tax revenue to the City.
BACKGROUND:
From January to March of 2018, the Sepulveda Initiatives Task Force comprised of residents, business owners, property owners and real estate professionals met to discuss the Sepulveda Corridor and possible policies for revitalizing properties, improving the aesthetics and interface between commercial and residential properties. The Task Force report was prepared and presented to the Planning Commission and then City Council for consideration.
One of the primary recommendations of the report was to consider increasing the allowable height for certain types of uses that might require additional height to design an economically viable project. Among these uses were hotels, mixed use, community and cultural uses, and senior housing. After a series of public hearings, the City Council felt that the most viable of these options was to focus on hotel uses. Several experts in the development of hotels provided justification as to why the additional height is needed for this particular use.
At the February 5, 2019, City Council meeting, Council considered two options for amending the zoning code to apply the additional height to certain properties in the CG zone on Sepulveda. Following the public hearing and discussion, the City Council introduced Ordinance No. 19-0004 increasing the allowed height to 40 feet, for hotel uses proposed on minimum sized lots within CG zoned lots along Sepulveda Boulevard, and maintain the daylight plane requirement at 45 degrees. Further, to ensure that Sepulveda adjacent neighbors would be fully aware of the adoption of the ordinance prior to the final decision, City Council directed that a notice be sent to property owners.
DISCUSSION:
Upon adoption, Ordinance No. 19-0004 would amend the zoning code to 1) remove the requirements for sloped roofs or structured parking in order to allow for heights above 22 feet; 2) establish an overlay zone for properties in excess of 20,000 square feet and with a minimum lot depth of 135 feet; 3) allow a 40 foot height limit for hotel projects and up to 5 additional feet for elevators and rooftop equipment, on properties that qualify as sites under the overlay zone; and 4) eliminate the requirement of a use permit for a change of use for a permitted commercial use that does not constitute an intensification.
POLICY ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council can decline to adopt the ordinance. This will maintain the status quo and there will be no overlay zone or incentives for hotel development on Sepulveda Boulevard.
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST:
As part of the community outreach process, the City mailed courtesy postcard notices to all property owners and occupants within a 500 foot radius of commercial properties abutting Sepulveda Boulevard. Approximately 2,300 postcards were mailed (Attachment).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is an enabling ordinance, not the approval of a development project. Therefore, the action cannot have a significant impact on the environment and is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Section 15031(b)(3). Projects reviewed under the enabling ordinance are subject to CEQA, unless they are specifically exempt.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
Attachment:
1. Ordinance No. 19-0004
2. Public Hearing Notice