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City of San Leandro <br />Meeting Date: February 5, 2018 <br />Staff Report <br />Agenda Section:File Number:18-042 ACTION ITEMS <br />Agenda Number:10.A. <br />TO:City Council <br />FROM:Chris Zapata <br />City Manager <br />BY:Tom Liao <br />Deputy Community Development Director <br />FINANCE REVIEW:Not Applicable <br />TITLE:Staff Report for Discussion on Updating the Zoning Code <br />SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS <br />Staff requests direction from the City Council regarding updates to the Zoning Code, specifically <br />initiating a comprehensive update to modernize the City’s Zoning Code, and to integrate new, <br />updated, and ongoing policy issues. Although the City conducts regular updates to the Zoning <br />Code, it has not initiated a truly comprehensive update for the purpose of modernizing its <br />organization and layout since 1989. A comprehensive update would focus on reformatting and <br />clarifying existing provisions to be more user-friendly, implementing recent City initiatives, such as <br />the proposed Bayfair TOD Specific Plan, and to address public comments and regulatory <br />updates regarding the Professional Office or P-zoning district, short-term rentals, accessory <br />dwelling units, telecommunications, and sustainable landscaping, amongst others. <br />An alternative to a comprehensive update could be a targeted Zoning Code update, which would <br />focus on one or a few specific initiatives described above. Tonight, staff seeks City Council <br />direction on how to proceed regarding the aforementioned recommendations. <br />BACKGROUND <br />The Zoning Code is the primary tool of implementation for the General Plan, the comprehensive <br />policy guide for the City, as well as specific plans such as the Downtown Transit Oriented <br />Development (TOD) Strategy and the proposed Bayfair TOD Specific Plan (which is tentatively <br />scheduled for City Council consideration at its February 20, 2018 regular meeting). The City’s <br />power to implement planning is granted by the State Constitution; the Legislature regularly <br />passes legislation that affects the Zoning Code. <br />The original Zoning Code was adopted in 1961; it consisted of one chapter within the Municipal <br />Code. The City’s first major modernization effort began in February 1989, a three-year process <br />Page 1 City of San Leandro Printed on 1/30/2018 <br />33