TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Carrie Tai, AICP, Community Development Director
Talyn Mirzakhanian, Planning Manager
Erik Zandvliet, T.E., City Traffic Engineer
SUBJECT:Title
Consider Approving the Annual Commission Work Plans for the Parking and Public Improvements Commission and Planning Commission (Community Development Director Tai).
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Discuss current Work Plan items for the Parking and Public Improvements Commission and Planning Commission, and review additional issues identified by the Commissions as potential work plan items.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
No fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
The Work Plan section of the Boards and Commissions Handbook states:
“Prior to the annually scheduled Joint City Council/Commission meeting, the Staff Liaison will develop a list of ideas to discuss with City Council. At the Joint meeting, the commission will receive direction and prioritize ideas from the City Council. Subsequently, at the next regularly scheduled commission meeting, the commission will further develop a Draft Work Plan based on City Council direction. Ideas will then be filtered to be consistent with City Policies and develop fiscal implications. Following the approved Draft Work Plan, Staff Liaisons shall provide a cover memo indicating whether the Commission’s Draft Work Plan corresponds with the Department’s Work Plan. The process allows staff and commissioners to draft a Commission Work Plan that properly accounts for their priorities and requests funding to meet their goals.”
The work of the Parking and Public Improvements Commission (PPIC) and Planning Commission is regulatory in nature and primarily mandated by State and Local codes. The majority of work items for these Commissions are applications submitted by property owners and community petitioners. However, the Commissions also provide direction on policy matters that come before the City Council. Some of these are mandated by State Law, but others are issues of local concern.
The Work Plan was last discussed jointly by the City Council, Planning Commission and PPIC on January 20, 2020. In preparation for the 2021 joint meeting, the Planning Commission discussed existing and potential Work Plan items at its meeting on November 18, 2020. The PPIC discussed existing and potential Work Plan items at its meeting on December 3, 2020.
DISCUSSION:
The following items are ongoing City Council work plan items involving the Planning Commission and PPIC that will continue in the coming year:
1. Transportation Options Review
Background: At the work plan meeting on April 23, 2019, City Council directed staff to review various emerging modes of transportation to determine the types of mobility options could be implemented in the City. Private electric shuttles, micro-transit vans, bikesharing programs, rideshare network partnerships, micro-mobility services and mobility-as-a-service apps are some of the options that can improve intra-city mobility without the high cost and overhead of a fixed route transit system. These mobility opportunities would help support the implementation of various policies including the City’s General Plan Mobility Plan, Bike Master Plan and Living Streets Manual.
Status: In Progress
Target Due Date: Winter 2021
2. Parking Management Plan Update
Background: Many changes to Downtown parking have occurred since the 2008 Downtown Parking Management Study, including a second generation of smart parking meters, time limits and parking rates. These changes, plus the potential for permanent outdoor dining areas, will be assessed in an update to the 2008 Study. The update will analyze current parking conditions, estimate actual employee and customer parking demand, and determine if new parking management technologies and measures should be implemented.
Status: In Progress
Target Due Date: TBD
3. Modernize Parking Standards
Background: At their retreat on May 3, 2017, City Council requested staff evaluate and propose updated parking standards. During the discussion regarding the Sepulveda Corridor Initiatives Project on September 19, 2017, City Council directed staff to incorporate modern parking standards into the working group’s discussion of possible incentives and goals for the project. The PPIC discussed this item at its December 5, 2019 meeting and made suggestions. It is scheduled to be presented to the Planning Commission this spring, and then forwarded to the City Council with a Planning Commission recommendation and ordinance.
Status: In Progress
Target Due Date: Summer 2021
4. Update Housing Laws/Policies
Background: The State of California has passed housing legislation over the past several years in an attempt to address the State’s housing supply and affordability issues. Because new housing regulations affect the City’s development standards, staff has continually reevaluated its current housing regulations and made adjustments as necessary. The City Council recently approved the updated Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance, and staff is focused on the City’s Housing Element update and associated General Plan and zoning regulations this year.
Status: In Progress
Target Due Date: Fall/Winter 2021
5. Wireless Telecommunications Program - Community Information Background: In response to changing regulations from the Federal Communications Commission, the City continues to update ensure that review of telecommunication facilities in accordance with State and federal law. It is also important to keep the community educated and informed about: 1) the City’s authority to review and approve or deny equipment; and 2) infrastructure needs for communication facilities.
Status: Paused in 2020; resuming effort in Spring 2021
Target Due Date: Winter 2021
In addition to established work plan items, in the past year, the PPIC identified the following additional items for consideration at their December 3, 2020 meeting:
1) Outdoor Dining Parklet Program - The PPIC is recommending the development of a program to construct and manage permanent outdoor dining locations within the public right-of-way. The Public Realm and Infrastructure chapters of the Downtown Specific Plan would serve as references in the development of the design. This item can be incorporated into an existing City Council Work Plan item for Downtown and North End Beautification.
The Planning Commission identified the following items for consideration at their November 18, 2020, meeting:
1) Public notification of development projects: Identify options for improving/changing public notification for discretionary projects, such as Use Permits, to improve the effectiveness of community engagement. Options to consider include increasing current 500-foot radius for certain types of projects or larger sized projects, including photos in notices, requiring on-site signs, and/or implementing procedural changes that reach additional people in the community (e.g., outreach via e-notification, social media, newspaper, cable television, etc.).
2) Community Outreach Regarding Residential Development Regulations: During the Planning Commission study sessions for the Accessory Dwelling Units draft ordinance, members of the public and the Planning Commission expressed a desire for community outreach to discuss housing regulations. Specifically, the request was for roundtable discussion-style meetings to receive input from the development community (architects, developers, property owners) to discuss challenges to residential development and redevelopment of existing residential sites and learn about the tools that the City has to assist.
3) Discussion about an Affordable Housing Policy: As part of the City’s Housing Element update, the City will be required to demonstrate development capacity to accommodate for a certain number of residential units in the City in four income categories - very low-income, low-income, moderate, and above moderate. The Planning Commission requested a discussion with the City Council regarding any affordable housing goals or policies for the City, as the City begins to initiate the process to update the Housing Element.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.