3B Public Hearing 2012 0221 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes December 15, 20II Agenda No. II -I2 Page 6 of 9 Assembly Uses in Commercial Districts, Commissioner Dlugosh said that he agrees with staffs recommendations. Commissioner Crow thanked Commissioner Dlugosh for pointing out that the proposal would not only restrict movement into industrial areas, but also restrict current property owners' options. He said he isn't sure that such restrictions would make sense in any economy, particularly in an infill community such as San Leandro, which doesn't have room for adding a lot of buildings. He said that he doesn't have a problem with having Assembly Uses conditionally permitted in Commercial Districts NA -2, SA -2 and DA -5, stating that it would enhance the community, provide further opportunity for crime deterrence and community involvement. Commissioner Crow said he also agrees with Commissioner Dlugosh that the Industrial District proposals, which would institutionally restrict uses of their buildings, would create an uproar among warehouse property owners if they understood what was going on. Commissioner Crow also said that Chair Collier made a good point about CUPS enabling the City to retain control over what Commercial Recreation and Entertainment Activities might be approved in industrial areas. Commissioner Fitzsimons said that staffs motivation in preparing the proposals is not an issue. hi either case, he stated, it shouldn't affect the Commission's deliberations, which should be based only on the merits of the proposals. He said that during public hearings, he likes to wait until after the public has had an opportunity to speak to offer his own comments, and tonight, some of the things Mr. Johnson said made a lot of sense to him. hl particular, Commissioner Fitzsimons said, we must look forward, so it doesn't make sense to base a decision on current economic conditions. Our scope should be five, 10, 20 or 40 years out, he said. Commissioner Fitzsimons also stated that Commissioner Dlugosh was on target when he said that recommending the proposed changes to the City Council would limit options. He also pointed out that it isn't necessary to fix something that isn't broken, particularly since the issue doesn't seem to be one of high risk that imminently presents potentially dramatic problems. In response to a procedural question Commissioner Fitzsimons posed, Assistant City Attorney Pio Roda said that the Commission could forward a "no recommendation" option to the City Council as well as a positive or negative recommendation. Vice Chair Abero said it's important to remember that Assembly Use isn't confined to churches, but could include, for instance, facilities such as union halls. She reminded fellow Commissioners to think about the broader application in the context of East 14th Street. As for removing the proposed conditionally permitted uses from the Industrial Districts, she said that she's spoken with many business owners who share Commissioner Dlugosh's concerns, and isn't inclined to place even more limits on their options to find buyers and /or tenants for their properties. Vice Chair Abero indicated, too, that recreational facilities are the wave of the future, while heavy industry and manufacturing are no longer prominent parts of the San Leandro scene. Although this does not rule out manufacturing in the future, she added, we must be aware of the direction in which the economy is moving. [Note: Commissioner Crow made a motion to allow Assembly Uses and Cultural Institutions as conditionally permitted uses in the Commercial Districts as recommended by staff. Commissioner Dlugosh seconded. However, Commissioner Crow withdrew and restated his motion after some further discussion.] hl response to Commissioner Crow's request for further clarification, Senior Planner Livermore read verbatim the definition of Assembly Uses in Article 3 of the Zoning Code. hi response, Vice Chair Abero said she finds nothing wrong with any of the Assembly Uses described, but at a time when the City wants to develop the East 14th Street corridor to draw more people into the community and to make the downtown more pedestrian - friendly, she questions whether these