Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council
Regular Meeting of March 3, 2021
Title
ZONING CODE UPDATE STUDY SESSION
(Community Development Director Ken Robertson)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council and Planning Commission:
1. Receive staff presentation;
2. Solicit public comments; and
3. Jointly discuss and provide feedback on zoning code policy, and strategies for implementing the City’s General Plan, as guidance to staff and consultant in formulating the draft Zoning Code Update.
Body
Background:
On August 22, 2017, the Hermosa Beach City Council unanimously adopted its first general plan update since 1979, PLAN Hermosa. PLAN Hermosa is the culmination of a multi-year communitywide effort to reflect on the community and its future and articulates a shared vision.
Zoning and subdivision regulations are primary tools a city has for implementation of its general plan. Zoning and subdivision regulations translate the policies of a general plan into parcel specific regulations, including land use regulations and development standards. The type and intensity of land uses that are permitted and how they perform will be critical to achieving PLAN Hermosa’s vision for neighborhood preservation and enhancement, economic development, coastal resource protection, environmental sustainability, and community health.
The first phase of this project was the Zoning Code Assessment, completed by Miller Planning Associates in May 2020. The Zoning Code Assessment was an analysis of the City’s Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances for consistency with the General Plan, compliance with State and Federal law, the California Coastal Act, and current planning practices. Miller Planning Associates prepared a report that outlined the recommended changes to the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances and outlined a work program, including a community engagement strategy, to achieve adoption of revised Zoning and Subdivision ordinances in a timely manner.
The purpose of the March 3 joint study session is to:
• provide the City Council, Planning Commission and community stakeholders with an overview of the second phase of the Zoning Code update process and State requirements; and
• solicit comments from the City Council, Planning Commission, and community stakeholders regarding zoning policy in Hermosa Beach and potential strategies for addressing implementation strategies in the General Plan.
Public Outreach
There will be multiple future opportunities for public participation at the Planning Commission for review of a draft zoning code document and City Council prior to approval. The City’s Zoning Code Update web page at www.hermosabeach.gov/zoning <http://www.hermosabeach.gov/zoning> will be updated and public outreach actions will update community and interested parties on progress and occasions for public input.
General Plan Consistency:
PLAN Hermosa, the City’s General Plan, was adopted by the City Council in August 2017. The Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance is the primary tool for the implementation of the goals, policies, programs of the General Plan.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no notable fiscal impact associated with the recommendation in this report. The City engaged Miller Planning Associates to execute the second phase of the Zoning Code update process.
Respectfully Submitted by: Melanie Emas, Assistant Planner
Concur: Ken Robertson, Community Development Director
Legal Review: Mike Jenkins, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager