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 Work Plans for the Parking and Public Improvements Commission (PPIC) and Planning Commission (Community Development Director Tai).
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss current Work Plan items for the PPIC and Planning Commission, and review additional issues identified by the Commissions as potential work plan items.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are 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 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. Both Commissions also assist in the review and/or approval responsibilities of the Community Development Department Work Plans.
The Work Plan was last discussed jointly by the City Council, Planning Commission and PPIC on January 20, 2021. In preparation for the 2022 joint meeting, the PPIC discussed existing and potential Work Plan items at its meeting on December 2, 2021. The Planning Commission discussed existing and potential Work Plan items at its meeting on December 8, 2021. Neither Commission identified any additional items for consideration, due to staffing resource limitations.
DISCUSSION:
The following items are ongoing City Council Work Plan items involving the Planning Commission and PPIC that will continue in the coming year.
Downtown and North End Beautification (PPIC)
The role of the PPIC is, in part, to review proposed projects as part of the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) that the Public Works Department oversees and advances. The pending items in this Work Plan item include installation of new landscaping, street benches, and wayfinding signs in the downtown. The PPIC will continue to provide input and review projects in the CIP. One component of this Work Plan item is the discussion of widening sidewalks, which was temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Long Term Outdoor Dining/Business Use (Planning Commission/PPIC)
When COVID-19 operating restrictions prevented restaurants and businesses from operating indoors, the City relaxed regulations allowing for outdoor dining and business use on public and private properties. On August 24, 2021, the City requested that staff work towards a long-term program to allow this on public right-of-way and private property. For private property, this would involve a zoning code amendment to change development standards to allow this. The City Council added this to the Department’s Work Plan on October 5, 2021, and will be conducting a discussion on January 18, 2022, on the ability to reprioritize this Work Plan item.
Modernize Parking Standards - Sepulveda Corridor Action Item (Planning Commission/PPIC)
Staff developed preliminary work product in early 2020, but work was deferred due to staff vacancies and need to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic response. Progress resumed in mid-2021. Staff will be scheduling a study sessions with the Planning Commission in spring of 2022, with the draft ordinance with revisions to the City’s parking regulations to be presented the Planning Commission/City Council in the fall.
Update Housing Laws/Policies (Planning Commission)
• The City has completed the update of the Accessory Dwelling Units Ordinance; the Ordinance was submitted to the California Coastal Commission for certification.
• Staff, with the assistance of a consultant team, completed the draft 6th Cycle Housing Element and associated Environmental Review, with the Planning Commission public hearing scheduled for January 12, 2022, and the City Council public hearing scheduled for February 1, 2022. The Planning Commission’s action on January 12, 2022, will be forwarded as a recommendation to the City Council. After adoption, staff will commence the implementation of the Housing Element, which will consist of changes to the zoning map and development standards to effectuate the development capacity.
• The City has adopted an interim zoning ordinance with objective standards for implementation of Senate Bill 9. Planning Division staff will be working on a long-term ordinance during 2022.
Climate Resiliency Program (Planning Commission)
The City’s Local Coastal Program (LCP) and portions of the General Plan will be updated to reflect a new Climate Resiliency Program that includes a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and Sea-Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment. These programs demonstrate how the City can respond to the effects of climate change. Staff anticipates presenting a study session to the Planning Commission in advance of public hearings. The Planning Commission’s decision will be forwarded as a recommendation to the City Council.
Wireless Telecommunications Program - Community Information / Staff Training
(Planning Commission)
Following the City’s adoption of updated regulations for wireless telecommunications facilities in 2019, this Work Plan item was formulated to educate the community on the limits placed on cities in regulating these types of facilities. Staff continues to reform internal procedures and tracking systems to implement new regulations passed by the Federal Communications Commission. Due to staffing limitations and other priorities, the community outreach and education portion of this Work Plan has not progressed.
Zoning Code “Clean-Up” Activity in Advance of the Triennial Building Code Update (Planning Commission)
The City is required to adopt new building codes every three years. Given that there are portions of the Zoning Ordinance that reflect requirements in the Building Code, staff will be identifying zoning code amendments needed to be consistent with the Building Code adoption in Fall 2022. This effort will commence in Spring 2022.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
After analysis, staff determined that public outreach was not required for this issue.
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.
ATTACHMENT:
1. PowerPoint Presentation