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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Decembes 13, 2007 Agenda No. 07-23 Page 2 of 8 Item 6: Public Hearing a). Consideration of amendments to the Zoning Code including: Article 16, Section 4-1682 related to Fences, Walls and Hedges to preserve views in the RS-VP District; consideration of amendments to the Zoning Code including Article 3, Section 1-304, and Article 6, Sections 2-606, 2-612, 2-704, 2-706 and 2-708 to allow for limited online sales of used vehicles in the CC, CS, IL, IG and IP Districts; and consideration of amendments to the Zoning Code including: Article 2, Section 1-204, adding new DA-1 through DA-6 Base Districts; amending Article 6, Sections 2-b36, 2-638, 2-640, 2-642, 2-644 and 2-646, to add minimum density related to single-family and two-family residential; amending Article 16, Sections 4-1662, 4-1666, 4-1672 and 4-1674, to add DA-] to DA-6 Base Districts; amending Article 17, Section 4-1714, related to Bicycle Parking; Article 18, Section 4-1806, related to Regulations for On- Premise Signs; amending Article 17, Section 4-1704 adding DA-1 to DA-6 Base Districts related to off-street parking requirements. Environmental Status: This project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061 (b)(3). This is because the proposed ordinances have no potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. These Ordinances do not, in themselves, allow the construction of any projects and therefore, have no potential for resulting in physical changes in the environment, directly or ultimately. Secretary Livermore thanked Planner Maryann Miller for her efforts in compiling all of the information for the proposal about fences, walls and hedges. She reiterated some of the detail from the joint Planning Commission/Board of Zoning Adjustments work session on the topic, noting that staff conducted additional research based on their discussion and incorporated several changes into the proposed zoning code amendments to address issues raised. Among the issues discussed at the work session were various "transparent" materials, the determination of a lot's "natural" grade. Specifically, the proposal has been modified to: 1) Limit the list of acceptable fence materials to glass or welded wire (which she showed on a photo); this material is also known as "hog wire." 2) Consider removal of plastic and Plexiglas as allowable fence materials due to their propensity to lose transparency over time. 3) Clarify that all fence materials shall be kept in good repair. Secretary Livermore also showed a photo of the welded wire, which was taken on a City of Livermore property. She reported that the Bay-O-Vista Improvement Association requested that a statement be added to the proposed zoning code amendment to allow solid fencing higher than the three-foot limit "if mutually agreed upon by [adjacent or affected] neighbors." Staff feels that such exceptions are best handled through the existing fence modification process, which has a noticing procedure that would invite input of affected neighbors and which could also handle variances involving tubular steel or wrought iron, both of which came up at the work session as potential materials above the three-foot mark. When staff presented that opinion to representatives of BOVIA, they agreed that it is appropriate to continue in that manner. As a result of all of the input, staff revised language for the proposed language of Article 16, Section 4-1682: