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CITY OF SAN LEANDRO <br />CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE <br />January 14, 2010 <br />4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. <br />San Leandro City Hall <br />835 East 14th Street <br />San Leandro, California <br />Sister Cities Gallery <br />HIGHLIGHTS <br />Committee Members: Chair Stephens, Councilmember Reed and Vice Mayor Starosciak. <br />City staff present: Assistant City Manager Marshall, Community Development Director Sims, <br />Business Development Manager Battenberg, Planning Manager Livermore, <br />Senior Development Specialist Penaranda, Business Development Analyst <br />Kay, Development Specialist Ricard. <br />Public present: Dave Johnson (Chamber of Commerce), Jim Prola. <br />The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. <br />1. Update on Retail Big Box Ordinance <br />Director Sims provided the Committee with an update on the proposed Retail Big Box <br />Ordinance. He explained that while the Planning Commission recommended adoption of an <br />ordinance they did so with a provision that the final language include adequate flexibility to <br />insure that certain retail formats would still be allowed. Staff has not been able to conduct the <br />necessary research, legal analysis and additional outreach to address the Commission's <br />recommendation prior to the matter being considered at the January 19, 2010 City Council <br />meeting. For this reason staff will be making a recommendation that the matter be postponed. <br />After the revision are drafted, the matter will be returned to the Business and Housing <br />Development Committee, Planning Commission and the City Council for review. <br />The Committee asked if the proposed ordinance as drafted would only apply to new big box <br />retail. Staff affirmed that it would. The existing Costco would be grandfathered in as a legal <br />nonconforming use; however being nonconforming, there would be no provision to permit <br />expansion of it. In addition, if a big box retail were to go out of business and not be replaced <br />within the 180 days provided by the Zoning Code, a new big box retail business could not <br />replace it. <br />The Committee asked if official action was taken to direct staff to develop and retail big box <br />ordinance. Director Sims shared that the Committee directed staff approximately one year ago to <br />research the creation of a retail big box ordinance to protect neighborhood retail centers as big <br />box retailers can detract from smaller neighborhood stores and take away patronage from them <br />causing closure of the shops. <br />