3B Public Hearing 2012 0221 - Laserfiche WebLink

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File Number: 12 -056 The 1999 -2002 General Plan Update represented another extensive community engagement process with a 52 member General Plan Advisory Committee advising the Planning Commission and City Council on the General Plan Update. As part of this process, the core values of the industrial districts as a major industrial, technology and office employment center were established. One example in the General Plan is Goal 7: Industrial and Office Districts. Goal 7 states: Continue to develop a strong and healthy industrial and office employment base in the community. Policy 7.03 of the General Plan states the following: TECH - SECTOR RECRUITMENT: Attract and retain technology (high tech') companies by improving technology infrastructure, targeting such companies through marketing, supporting incubator and start up firms, and maintaining development regulations which facilitate the adaptive reuse of older industrial buildings. Also, Policy 10.04 states the following: INDUSTRIAL SANCTUARY: Protect the City's major industrial areas from encroachment by uses that are potentially incompatible with existing viable industrial activities, or which may inhibit the ability of industry to operate effectively. These General Plan goals and policies speak to the importance of the industrial area as a sanctuary for viable industrial activities to operate effectively, and retain high quality employment, especially in the tech sector. Staff is recommending that Commercial Recreation and Entertainment Activities be removed as a Conditionally Permitted Use from the Industrial Districts, except for properties in the AU industrial areas, to retain the industrial and employment base that the industrial districts represent. The short term gains of employment with commercial recreation or entertainment activities conflict with the long term goals of stable employment and future higher wage jobs industrial areas attract. The 52- member General Plan Advisory Committee wanted to protect the limited resource of the industrial area which is especially restricted when we examine the City's high tech industrial opportunities. There is no record of any existing Commercial Recreation or Entertainment Activities uses in the industrial districts. Also, staff has prepared a map that illustrates the various commercial districts throughout the City where Commercial Recreation and /or Entertainment Activities are permitted by right, or by permit. Commercial Recreation is permitted or conditionally permitted in the following districts: CC, CC (AU), CR, CRM, NA -1, NA -2, SA -1, SA -3, and DA -1. Entertainment Activities are permitted or conditional permitted in the following districts: CN, CN (AU), CC, CC (AU), CR, NA -1, NA -2, SA -1, SA -2, SA -3, DA -1, DA -2, and DA -5. These properties provide considerable opportunities for commercial recreation and entertainment activities. Following the December 15, 2011 Planning Commission meeting, staff carefully considered the comments of the Planning Commission. And, in response, staff proposes to add sections 2 -710, 2 -712 and 2 -714 to explicitly state the Permitted and Conditionally Permitted Uses, Uses Requiring Administrative Review, and Temporary Uses Requiring Administrative Review for I (AU) districts. The uses would be the same as those uses currently found in the IL, IG and IP zones. In addition, Assembly Uses, Commercial Recreation and Entertainment Activities would be added as Conditionally Permitted Uses in the IL (AU), IG (AU) and IP (AU) Districts. There are 70 properties designated IL (AU) representing 23.55 acres; 17 properties designated IG (AU) representing 84.31 acres; and 28 properties designated IP (AU) representing 21.27 acres. This is a total of 115 properties representing 129.13 acres. This proposal provides a balanced, citywide approach to providing traditional industrial employment opportunities while maintaining flexibility in attracting commercial recreation and City of San Leandro Page 3 Printed on 211512012