3A Public Hearing 2011 0321 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ATTACHMENT A: EXCERPT OF DRAFT MINUTES FOR PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING, FEBRUARY 17, 2011 Item 7b: Public Hearing Consideration of amendments to the City's Zoning Code Related to Downtown Area (DA) uses, parking and definition and conformance to the SB2 Fair Share Zoning Law. A CEQA Initial Study has been prepared for these amendments, and a Negative Declaration has been proposed. Staff recommends that the Planning Commission review and provide comments on the proposed amendments and forward its recommendation to the City Council, which will consider this matter in March 2011. Planner Barros said that this proposal is the first of several rounds of forthcoming Zoning Code amendments and it is intended to eliminate inconsistencies between the Zoning Code and TOD Strategy that have emerged since the latter's adoption in 2007. The amendments tonight include dealing with parking requirements that have been phased out and clarifying the status of a planned development (PD) overlay on any downtown -zoned properties. Planner Barros also requested that the Planning Commission consider the proposed language to comply with the State's Fair Share Zoning Law, or SB2, related to homeless shelters. The definition of homeless shelters was prepared with State Housing and Community Development (HCD) approval during the Housing Element Update planning process and was included in the Housing Element Update that the City Council adopted last year. SB2 requires cities to find areas within their boundaries that permit homeless shelters by right. The Planning Division and Housing Division determined that the Industrial Light District (IL) would be appropriate and shelters would be required to have: • A management plan that includes hours and staffing, • Sufficient waiting room, parking and loading facilities, and • 24 -hour access to male and female toilets, showers and private - lockers Commissioner Fitzsimons asked whether anyone has come forth with any proposals for homeless shelters. Planner Barros said no. She noted though that the State required cities to comply with SB2 at first opportunity or shortly after adoption of their Housing Elements. Commissioner Crow asked if the City could require security measures as well as provisions for length of stay at homeless shelters. Planning Manager Liao responded that homeless shelters may serve varied populations of which many do not need security measures. Planning Manager Liao said that for any project-submitted it would be incumbent on staff to review the management plan. Commissioner Crow said that he was concerned that it should be defined now unless the ability to invoke that requirement is lost if it isn't spelled out. Planning Manager Liao suggested that the phrase "a management plan that includes" would give the City staff the authority to suggest other criteria so long as they were objective and fair. Commissioner Crow also asked about how the City's needs for homeless shelters were assessed. With one facility, he wondered whether that's sufficient now, and what the needs are likely to be in 25 years' time. Planning Manager Liao said that currently there's an emergency homeless shelter for abused women and their children at St. Leander's Church. Assessment of homeless housing needs is typically part of the City's U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development