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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-04-05 PC Minutes Regular MeetingMINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH HELD ON APRIL 5, 2000, AT 7:00 P.M. IN THE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS The meeting was called to order by Chairman Perrotti at 7:10 p.m. Commissioner Hoffman led the pledge of allegiance. Roll Call Present: Commissioners Hoffman, Ketz, Schwartz, Pizer, Chairman Perrotti Absent: None Also Present: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director Ken Robertson, Associate Planner Brian James, Planning Center Diane Cleary, Recording Secretary Commissioner Perrotti announced that the library will reopen tqmorrow at noon. PUBLIC HEARINGS 7. C-31— COMPLETION OF THE LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM PURSUANT TO THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL ACT. INCLUDES AMENDING THE CITY'S COASTAL LAND USE PLAN, AND A TEXT AMENDMENT TO ADOPT REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE POLICIES OF THE LAND USE PLAN AND COASTAL ACT. WILL RESULT IN THE CITY OBTAINING PERMIT AUTHORITY FOR DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE COASTAL ZONE (CONTINUED FROM MARCH 21, 2000 MEETING). Staff Recommended Action: To recommend approval of amendments to the Coastal Land Use Plan and adoption of the implementing ordinance. Director Blumenfeld summarized the staff report. He said that based on input received from the Planning Commission at the March 21, 2000 meeting, staff has made several changes to the attached documents. He stated also, several additional changes were incorporated pursuant to the input of the City Attorney. He said at this time staff is recommending that these documents be forwarded to the City Council with a recommendation for approval. Also, staff will draft a resolution for the Commission's adoption at the next meeting. The following changes in the Certified land Use Plan were reviewed and discussed: I. "Background" replaced with "Local Coastal Program Preparation." • First paragraph — deleted. 3,(1) P.C. Minutes 04-05-00 • New wording — added. IL. Parking and Access Summary B. Goals and Objectives 2. New wording — "To maintain adequate parking space for visitors, shoppers and beach -goers." 3. New wording — "To facilitate easy access to work -related parking for merchants." 6. New wording — "To recognize the unique parking needs of the pedestrian oriented downtown business and visitor serving area, which are less than a typical commercial area because of its proximity to a regional bike path and to high density residential areas, and to continue to explore and encourage new sources of parking, parking strategies, transit options, and alternative means of travel as alternatives to providing parking on -site for new development. C. Policies and Programs 1. Existing Policies and Programs • Policy — Corrected wording — "In the pedestrian oriented downtown commercial district, alternatives to providing parking to meet increased demands for use should be allowed to encourage alternatives to using motorized vehicles and to encourage improvement and enhancement of visitor -serving business activities." • Program - Remove the second "Program." • Program - New wording — "Public parking will continue to be provided to beach visitors on the Greenbelt between "' and 11`h Streets, east side of Valley Drive, adjacent to Clark stadium." • Additional policies and programs added from the Coastal Development Permit. (Preferential Parking Program) • Policy — New wording — "Maintain a supply of parking that balances between long-term (beach user) and short-term (shoppers) parking in the downtown area to provide an adequate and flexible number of parking spaces to satisfy beach user and commercial demand." • Program — New wording — "Public parking is provided in the North Pier parking structure, public parking lots, and on the street. The rates for parking at these downtown parking facilities will continue to be flexibly structured, recognizing seasonal and locational demands, to encourage an efficient balance between beach users, visitor -serving commercial uses, and other commercial demand." • Program — New wording — "The City had commissioned a study to develop a downtown parking plan." • Policy — A "Program" should follow and be added. 2. Exceptions 2 P.C. Minutes 04-05-00 • Policy — New wording — "Minimize parking impacts by encouraging a mix of visitor -serving and other commercial uses that balances peak and non -peak parking demand that occurs during the day and seasonally." • Program — New wording — "For new retail and office development or expansions of existing retail and office development within the DED, required parking in excess of that existing on the site shall be provided at 65% of the current parking requirement." • Program — The wording "The DEC, or its successor agency or the private party" deleted and replaced with "City Council." • Program — New wording added — "and the City shall construct new parking upon reaching that threshold limit or the City shall not accept any fees in -lieu of parking beyond that threshold limit." • Program — deleted. • Policy — deleted. • Program — deleted. 2. Future Policies • Policy — deleted. • Policy — deleted. • Policy — New Wording — "That the City should maximize the efficiency of parking and public parking lots dispersed throughout the City and downtown enhancement district so as to minimize the impact on the parking demand to the City and its residents, and consider the possibility of lease or purchase of parking lots when the opportunity arises." • Policy — deleted. III. Coastal Housing — Deleted. III. Coastal Recreational Access C. Policies and Programs 1. Existing Policies and Programs • Policy — Corrected wording — "That the City should restrict buildings and structures on the beach with regard to size and number consistent with current access, safety, and beach usage. Police -Lifeguard structures should be held to a minimum both in size and number consistent with good safety practices." • Policy — Corrected wording — "Appendix C." 2. Future Policies and Programs • Policy — deleted. • Policy — Wording kept in place — "That the City should, in conjunction with the City of Manhattan Beach, create a continuous and seamless beachfront bicycle and pedestrian path between the two cities." • Policy — The wording "recently constructed" — deleted. IV. Coastal Development and Design 3 P.C. Minutes 04-05-00 B. Goals and Objectives 4. Wording corrected — "To continue to develop facilities that serve the needs of both coastal visitors and the City's residents." C. Policies and Programs 1. Existing Policies and Programs • Policy — New wording — "Development in the Coastal Zone will be reviewed and permitted pursuant to the provisions of the Coastal Act and the policies and implementation .programs of the City's Local Coastal Program." • Program — New wording — "The City began the process to resolve inconsistencies between the General Plan Land Use Map and the Zoning Map in 1981, and resolved the inconsistencies within the Coastal Zone by 1990." • Policy — New wording — "The City should continue to maintain high standards of design for public works projects and public improvement programs, including the redevelopment of the streetscape at upper and lower Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue in the downtown area." • Program — New wording — "The City will continue to utilize the City of Hermosa Beach Downtown implementation Plan dated October 1994, as a guideline for the design and development of the streetscape at upper and lower Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue." • Policy — New wording — "Encourage the preservation of the City's historic buildings and cultural heritage." • Program — New wording — "In November 1998 the City conducted a survey of historic resources, adopted a historic preservation ordinance, and designated a historic landmark." 2. Future Policies and Programs • Policy — New wording — "The Zone Code will be examined to remove unnecessary impediments to the rehabilitation of existing commercial and residential structures." • Policy — New wording — "Encourage visitor -serving commercial land uses within the downtown area." • Policy — New wording — "The Biltmore Site is a vital asset of the people of Hermosa Beach. This coastal site is designated public open space and beach public parking." • Program — New wording — "The certified land use designations for the publicly owned property known as Noble Park are as follows (Amended by vote of the people November 5, 1992)." "1. The designation for the property specifically known as Noble Park is Restricted Open Space (O-S-2), to ensure its preservation and use as a public park." "2. The designation for that part of the Biltmore Site known as Noble Park is commercial/Public Beach Parking." The following changes in the Implementing Ordinance were reviewed and discussed: 4 P.C. Minutes 04-05-00 17.37.010 - Purpose • "and use plans" replaced with "The General Plan, Zoning Ordinance and any." 17.37.020 - Definitions • A space added between "the" and "Coastal." • "Aggrieved Person" deleted. Appealable Development 2. "a project or" deleted. 3. "or General Plan" added. • "Bulk" definition deleted. • Coastal Development Permit — "certificate" replaced with "permit." • Coastal Policy Checklist — "relevant" added. • "Disaster" definition deleted. • "Historic structure" definition deleted. • "Major energy facility" definition deleted. • "Public works" definition deleted. • "Sea" definition deleted. • "Project" definition deleted. • "Sensitive Coastal Resource Areas" - The Commission agreed to keep this section in the Ordinance. • "Special District" definition deleted. • "Structure" definition deleted. • "Temporary/Special Event" — • "an exclusive use of a sandy beach, parkland, water, streets or parking area which is otherwise open and available for general public use and/or" — deleted. • "and/or exclusive use of a sandy beach, parkland, water, streets or parking area which is otherwise open and available for general public use. "Exclusive use" means a use that precludes use in the area of the event for public recreation, beach access or access to coastal waters other than for or through the event itself' — added. 17.37.040 - Exemptions and Categorical Exclusions A. Exemptions lb. "between the sea and the first public roadway paralleling the sea, or within three hundred (300) feet of the inland extent to the beach, whichever is greater" — deleted. "in the appealable area" — added. 3. "shoreline protective works or docks" — deleted. 1 d. Deleted. le. Deleted. 3a. "bluff retaining wall" — deleted. 6. Deleted. 8. Deleted and put in the definition section. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following are exempt — First paragraph — deleted. 4d. Relocated to Section 17.37.224. 5 P.C. Minutes 04-05-00 B. Categorical Exclusions 5c. "Entertainment/specific event permits." — deleted. 5d. "Minor" — deleted. "building" — added. This item now becomes "c." 6b2. "building" replaced with "business." 17.37.050 - Coastal Development Permit Applications B. Burden of Proof — New wording — "The applicant shall state in the application how:" C. Refusal of Acceptance of Application for Lack of Information — "Deny" replaced with "reject." D. Concurrent Filing — New wording — "A Coastal Development Permit shall be considered concurrently with any other discretionary permits required for the project by the City. 17.37.080 - Coastal Development Permit Notice Requirements A2. New wording — "In Appealable Areas: Property owners and occupants of commercial and residential property located within a 300-foot radius." A3. "residents" replaced with "occupants of commercial and residential property." B7. "decision" replaced with "description." B8. "system" replaced with "procedure." 17.37.090 - Coastal Development Permit Public Hearings A. New wording — "Hearing. The Planning Commission shall hold a public hearing to review and consider an application for a Coastal Development Permit." B. Deleted. 17.37.100 - Coastal Development Permit Approval or Denial Findings B. New wording — "An application for a Coastal Development Permit shall be denied where the evidence fails to substantiate the basis for approval contained in Section 17.37.100A." 17.37.120 - Notice of Action and Appeal Rights D. Deleted. Sections 17.37.130 and 17.37.140 — Deleted and reorganized. 17.37.140 - Appeals A. Add a period. B 1. New wording — "The City Council may initiate a review of the decision of the Planning Commission at the City Council meeting succeeding the Planning Commission action pursuant to Section 2.52.040." B3. Add a period. Appeals to the Coastal Commission — Becomes "C." C2a. Add "or" and a period. C2b. "or a major energy facility" — deleted. C3a. Add "or" and a period. Cab. Add a period. 6 P.C. Minutes 04-05-00 C5. Add a period. 17.37.150 — Expiration of Unused Permits A3. Remove the word "for" after "low-income housing." 17.37.160 — Amendments to Coastal Development Permits A. "As stated in Section 17.37.030, the approving authority shall amend a Coastal Development Permit" — deleted. C. "in the Director's opinion, the proposed amendment" and "lessen or void the effect of — deleted. D2. "a Coastal Development Permit Amendment is required per 17.37.160.A." — added. 17.37.180 — Revocation of Coastal Development Permits A2. Deleted. B. New wording — "The City may initiate proceedings to revoke a permit based on evidence submitted..." "The Director may initiate revocation proceedings when the grounds for revocation have been established" — deleted. C. New wording — "Where the Director determines that grounds exist for revocation of a Coastal Development Permit, the operation of the permit shall be reviewed and be automatically suspended if it is a threat to public health and safety." 17.37.220 — Local Coastal Program Amendments C. "must be acted upon" replaced with "shall be considered." 17.37.224 — Temporary/Special Events Calendar - added. The Commission took a break at 8:40 p.m. The Commission reconvened at 8:50 p.m. Brian James of the Planning Center presented a matrix in which, he stated, justifies all the changes and describes the implementation of the Coastal Act. He said that the second column is the applicable Coast Act Policy and the third column is from the Land Use Plan which is existing today. He said that the existing implementation column describes how the policies are implemented through the Zoning Code. He noted that the last column has any recommendations and changes discussed in the LUP. He reviewed the following changes: Row 3 Continued, page 4 — The wording - "If the downtown business area enhancement district commission determines that the private party is responsible for the in lieu fee, the private parry shall pay said fee as requested by the City Council" should remain. 7 P.C. Minutes 04-05-00 Row 9 Continued, page 8 - 17-44-040 Parking Requirements for the Downtown Area A. Replace with the language out of the LUP shown on page 5. 17.44210 Parking plans — This section will be merged into the Parking Plan Section. 17.44.140 — This change will reflect changes in the LUP. Row 12, page 11 — 17.44.190 — This change will reflect changes in the LUP. Row 25, page 17 — 17.06.060D — This section could be updated and "railroad right-of-way" could be changed to "greenbelt." The last sentence could also be eliminated. Row 27, page 18 — Recommendation to designate as open space on the Zoning Map. Director Blumenfeld stated that a Resolution has been prepared and staff is recommending that the Commission approve the Coastal Land Use Plan and adopt the Implementing Ordinance. He noted a change on line 28 of the Resolution which should read, "Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.9." Commissioner Schwartz questioned why the Commission is taking on the added responsibility, risk and cost regarding the Local Coastal Program. Director Blumenfeld pointed out that anyone doing an improvement or obtaining a discretionary permit in the coastal zone will be helped in time and project cost savings by the City obtaining coastal authority. He said that in speaking to other cities, staff noted that there has not been a dramatic increase in the amount of work involved by local jurisdictions. He said additional administrative costs would have to be recovered, relative to permit processing and a new coastal checklist would need to be prepared to facilitate permit notification to the Coastal Commission. He said, however, there should be greater benefits, which justify the approval of the program. Commissioner Pizer suggested that the fees and structure should be considered to allow the City to be profitable. Further, he noted that half of the area of Hermosa Beach is in the coastal area. MOTION by Commissioner Hoffman, seconded by Commissioner Pizer, to APPROVE the amendments to the Coastal Land Use Plan and ADOPT the implementing ordinance, as amended. AYES: Hoffman, Ketz, Schwartz, Pizer, Chairman Perrotti NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Commissioner Ketz to ADJOURN the meeting at 9:10 pm. P.C. Minutes 04-05-00 111-� No objections, so ordered. CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and complete record of the action taken by the Planning Cony: sign of Hermosa Beach at the special scheduled meeting of April 5, 2000. Sara Perrotti, Chairman '9'oTB1umenfeJ4 Secretary Date 9 P.C. Minutes 04-05-00