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Home My WebLink AboutPC Min 2013-04-03 Workshop City of Seal Beach — Planning Commission & Ad Hoc General Plan/Local Coastal Program Citizens Advisory Committee April 3, 2013 Chair Massa-Lavitt called the Joint Public Workshop of the Planning Commission and Ad Hoc General Plan/Local Coastal Program Citizens Advisory Committee to order at 6:05 p.m. in the City Council Chambers and the Chair asked Barbara Barton to lead the Salute to the Flag. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Massa-Lavitt; Commissioners: Goldberg, Campbell, Cummings, Sloan Committee Members: Jon Regnier, Barbara Barton, Kevin Kropf, Bruce Monroe, Gene Blackmun III, Patty Campbell, Mario Voce, Brandon Powers, Libby Appelgate, Craig Sandberg (Alternate) Staff Present: Jim Basham, Director of Community Development Jerry Olivera, Senior Planner Crystal Landavazo, Assistant Planner Quinn Barrow, City Attorney Tina Knapp, Deputy City Clerk Linda Devine, City Clerk WORKSHOP Mr. John Douglas, Douglas & Associates, Housing Element consultant, introduced the 2013-2021 Draft Housing Element discussion indicating that the 2008-2014 Housing Element was adopted last year and a new draft is presented for discussion as a result of a change in state legislation revising the schedule for cities to adopt the Housing Element. All jurisdictions within the six-county Southern California Associate of Governments (SCAG) region are required to prepare an update to the Housing Element for the 2013-2021 planning period. The due date for adoption of the new element is October 15, 2013. The SCAG region includes Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties. Mr. Douglas outlined that, as mandated by state law, the Housing Element consists of the following major components: • Analysis of the City's demographic and housing characteristics and trends; • Evaluation of land, financial, and administrative resources available to address the City's housing needs and goals; • Review of potential constraints, both governmental and non-governmental, to meeting the City's housing needs; Page 2 - Planning Commission 04/03/13 • A Housing Action Plan for the 2013-2021 planning period, including housing goals, policies, and programs; and • A review of the City's accomplishments and progress in implementing the 2008 Housing Element. Mr. Douglas indicated that the City's current Housing Element has been found to be in full compliance with state law and that the 2013-2021 update is expected to be a fine-tuning process without major changes to City policies. No changes to land use or zoning designations are anticipated if the programs described in the 2008 element are completed in a timely manner. Mr. Douglas indicated that it is important that the City's Housing Element be certified by the state because doing so maintains eligibility for grant funds, provides for the legal adequacy of the General Plan, and allows for local control of land use decisions. Key Housing Element requirements include maintaining and improving existing housing, planning for growth need for all household types and income levels, removing constraints for housing development, and ensuring fair housing and equal opportunity. Key Housing Element requirements also include the accommodation of a variety of new housing: • Single-family homes & condos • Multi-family apartments • SROs • Second ("granny") units I • Emergency shelters • Transitional housing • Mixed-use & live/work The 2013-2021 Housing Element discussion centered primarily around the following: Chapter I: Introduction Provides an overview of the element and reflects current data sources and a summary of the public participation process. Chapter II: Housing Needs Assessment This chapter has been extensively revised to reflect current demographic data, trends, and special housing needs. Most of the demographic information is based on the 2010 Census or the American Community Survey. This chapter also includes the new Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), which describes housing growth needs for the new planning period. Housing Element law requires a quantification of each jurisdiction's share of the regional housing needs as established in the RHNA. RHNA is prepared by SCAG in consultation with member jurisdictions and sub-regional councils of governments such as the Orange County Council of Governments (OCCOG). The RHNA is based on forecasted population growth during the new planning period, and the number of additional housing units needed to accommodate additional household growth at all income levels. The RHNA allocation for Seal Beach in the new planning Page 3 - Planning Commission 04/03/13 period is 2 units: 1 very-low-income and 1 low-income unit. This allocation is consistent with the regional growth forecast and reflects the City's limited supply of vacant developable land. RHNA establishes a planning goal, and cities are not required to build or issue permits for the number of housing units prescribed by the RHNA process. Rather, cities are required to demonstrate there are adequate sites with appropriate zoning that could accommodate the amount of i new housing in the RHNA, if property owners and developers choose to pursue such development opportunities. It is anticipated that the zoning amendment for the Accurate Storage property required as part of the 2008 Housing Element implementation program will also satisfy the RHNA requirement for the new planning period, therefore no additional zoning amendments are necessary. i RHNA is significant in that: • RHNA is not a quota • Cities don't build housing F • Affordable housing requires subsidies • Focus is on development opportunities • RHNA is compared to inventory of sites with development potential (default density) • Focus on lower-income need • If insufficient sites are available to accommodate RHNA, City must create additional capacity The next steps in the process are: • City Council review • California Department of Housing and Community Development review • Fine-tuning • Planning Commission & City Council hearings • State certification PLANNING COMMISSION & COMMITTEE COMMENTS In response to questions from the Commission, Mr. Douglas clarified that as long � as the previous Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) requirement of addressing the need for 19 additional low income housing units is met that in the 2013-2021 element, only two new low income housing units would need to be addressed. Mr. Douglas reconfirmed that the deadline for adoption of the new element is October 15, 2013 and that adoption is defined by City Council action t adopting the new element. Mr. Douglas indicated that he believed that if a City does not adopt the element by the October 15th deadline that a grace period would be extended; however that City would be penalized by being required to adopt a new element every four years instead of eight. In response to additional questions from the Commission, Mr. Douglas indicated that the reference to "hotel" on page eight of Municipal Code Amendment 13-1 could potentially be changed to "units". He also indicated that nonconforming Page 4 - Planning Commission 04/03/13 properties may potentially be brought into compliance with Municipal Code Amendment 13-1 and that this Amendment would not regulate rents. Staff responded to a Commission question that they will correct the errors on page eight of Municipal Code Amendment 13-1, in Section 11.6.05.010, where "due to a person's" language is repeated. PUBLIC COMMENTS Chair Massa-Lavitt opened the public hearing. Speakers: Pat Ross, Pansy Circle, handed out a document outlining the questions and concerns of the Seal Beach Citizens Action Committee. Jim Caviola, Ocean Avenue, provided handouts pertaining to the history of site selection for various housing element requirements and indicated he felt that the City should find another location to put residential housing other than the Accurate Storage property. There were no other speakers — Chair Massa-Lavitt declared oral communications closed. After Public Comments, Chair Massa-Lavitt ordered the 2013-2021 Draft Housing Element be received and filed by the Planning Commission and Ad Hoc General Plan/Local Coastal Plan Citizens Advisory Committee. ADJOURNMENT With no objections, Chair Massa-Lavitt adjourned the joint public workshop with the Planning Commission and Ad Hoc General Plan/Local Coastal Plan Citizens Advisory Committee at 6:47 p.m. to Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. for the regular Planning Commission meeting. J4 Deputy City Clerk Approved: /� '1 i O ill % .. , Chair Attest: n ntaJr Deputy City Clerk