3B Public Hearing 2012 0221 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning Commission Special Meeting Minutes Excerpt January 26, 2012 Page 2 of S The City Council will consider this item at its meeting on February 21, 2012. Staff is asking the Planning Commission to review the proposed changes and recommend to the City Council adoption of the negative declaration and the proposed, revised text changes to the Zoning Code. Commissioner Rennie asked for confirmation that the revised proposal, as it relates to the Industrial Districts, would add properties along the Washington Avenue and San Leandro Boulevard corridors to districts that would allow Assembly Uses, Commercial Recreation and Entertainment Activities as Conditionally Permitted Uses. Senior Planner Livermore said that his understanding is correct. In comparison with the proposal made on December 15, 2011, Commissioner Rennie asked how much greater an area the revised proposal would authorize for Assembly Uses, Commercial Recreation and Entertainment Activities as Conditionally Permitted Uses. Senior Planner Livermore said that the revised proposal does not change anything in terms of Assembly Uses. As for the Commercial Recreation and Entertainment Activities, she explained that the current Zoning Code allows both as Conditionally Permitted Uses throughout the Industrial Districts. In contrast to staffs previous recommendation, the revised proposal would retain these as Conditionally Permitted Uses in a portion of the Industrial Districts [i.e., IL(AU), IG(AU and IP(AU)], but remove them from the IL, IG and IP Districts. Commissioner Rennie said that he's concerned about the lack of noticing regarding this proposal. Secretary Liao said that under the City's Administrative Code, the noticing requirement for a special meeting is at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. He said Planning Commissioners were notified earlier this week. Commissioner Rennie asked whether anything more robust was undertaken besides posting notice of the meeting at City Hall 24 hours in advance. Secretary Liao said no. As a result, Commissioner Rennie indicated that owners affected by the proposed nuanced approach should have been notified that their properties are being considered in this fashion. Vice ChairAbero invited comments from the public. Dave Johnson, San Leandro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, said that as he now understands it, the proposal would reduce the number of places in the Industrial Districts where Commercial Recreation and Entertainment Activities would be Conditionally Permitted Uses. If that's true, he said, the Chamber would still stand in opposition. As he recalled the Planning Commission's discussion at the December 15, 2011 meeting, it made sense to take a sophisticated look at what it would mean to eliminate these Conditionally Permitted Uses throughout the Industrial Districts. If the AU Districts are buffer zones, the revised proposal might work, but he said that he doesn't quite understand what's being proposed and therefore remains opposed to moving away from allowing for such uses throughout the Industrial Districts. He said that he fully supports the idea of Commercial Recreation and Entertainment Activities continuing to be only Conditionally Permitted Uses, so that the City would retain oversight and significant control over those uses and they wouldn't interfere with the fundamental industrial, light industrial and research uses. With no other speakers coming forward, Vice Chair Abero brought the discussion back to the Commission. Commissioner Dlugosh said that his understanding of the proposal is that Commercial Recreation would not be among the Conditionally Permitted Uses in the IG District, and that such uses would be Conditionally Permitted Uses only in the districts with the AU sub - designation. Senior Planner Livermore confirmed his understanding. Thus, Commissioner Dlugosh said, that would prohibit these Conditionally Permitted Uses on industrial properties in the areas west of I -880 and east of I -880, roughly between Marina and Floresta Boulevards.