Honorable Chair and Members of the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission
Special Meeting of August 8, 2022
Title
COMPREHENSIVE ZONING CODE UPDATE:
DISTRICT AND DESIGN STANDARDS
(Assistant Planner Melanie Hall)
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends Planning Commission:
1. Receive the staff presentation;
2. Solicit public comments; and
3. Provide feedback on the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update: District and Design Standards.
Body
Summary:
On August 22, 2017, the Hermosa Beach City Council unanimously adopted the first general plan update since 1979, PLAN Hermosa. PLAN Hermosa is the culmination of a multi-year community-wide effort to reflect on the community and its future and articulates a shared vision.
Zoning and subdivision regulations are one of the 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 is critical to achieving PLAN Hermosa’s vision for neighborhood preservation and enhancement, economic development, coastal resource protection, environmental sustainability, and community health. The comprehensive zoning code update (ZCU) would result in updated zoning and subdivision ordinances that:
• Are consistent with and implements the General Plan/Coastal Land Use Plan;
• Are modern and reflects the City’s current uses, practices, and development patterns;
• Provide clear decision-making protocols and streamlined review processes, where
appropriate;
• Retain the character and scale of the community’s neighborhoods, districts, and
corridors;
• Add to the economic vitality and promotes adaptive reuse and reinvestment of
properties;
• Address previously created nonconforming situations and balances whether to allow
their continuance or bring them into compliance; and
• Are clear, concise, understandable, and easy to use.
Background:
The draft District and Design Standards are one part of the comprehensive zoning code update. The District and Design Standards includes zoning district development standards, building design standards, general site regulations, and rules of measurement.
Past Meetings
|
Meeting Date |
Description |
|
March 4, 2020 |
Joint City Council/Planning Commission Study Session - Introduction to the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Assessment for Feedback |
|
May 19, 2020 |
Planning Commission - The Final Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Assessment Presentation |
|
February 17, 2021 |
Economic Development Stakeholders Advisory Working Group - Introduction to the Targeted Parking Amendments to Receive Feedback |
|
March 1, 2021 |
Economic Development Committee - Introduction to the Targeted Parking Amendments to Receive Feedback |
|
March 3, 2021 |
Joint City Council/Planning Commission Study Session - Introduction to the Comprehensive Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance for Feedback |
|
April 20, 2021 |
Planning Commission - Commissioner Item to Provide Input as a Follow-up to the March 3rd Study Session |
|
July 20,2021 |
Planning Commission - Unanimous Recommendation to the City to Approve the Text Amendments to Hermosa Beach Municipal Code Section 17.26.050, Chapter 17.44, and Section 17.52.035 |
|
August 10, 2021 |
City Council - Approval of Parking Text Amendments |
|
February 2, 2022 |
Special Planning Commission Meeting to discuss Draft Land Use Regulations |
|
April 6, 2022 |
Special Planning Commission Meeting to discuss Draft Land Use Regulations |
|
June 7, 2022 |
Special Planning Commission Meeting to discuss Draft District and Design Standards |
Analysis:
The Preliminary Draft District and Design Standards presents draft provisions for the regulation of land uses in the Zoning Ordinance. The Preliminary Draft District and Design Standards document includes the following sections:
1. Introduction. The introduction provides an overview of the contents of the Preliminary Draft District and Design Standards, explains the major changes in the development standards for each base zoning district, adds new design standards specific to entrances, windows, articulation, and summarizes the revisions to the general site regulations and rules of measurement.
2. Zoning District Development Standards. The first section presents draft development standards for each base zoning district. Each base zoning district has a purpose statement, development standards and dimensional requirements applicable to development in each zone. Use regulations, detailing the types of uses allowed in each zone and respective level of required permit, were included in a previous set of draft regulations.
3. Building Design Standards. This section includes objective design standards for various types of development, including detached single‐unit, attached single‐unit, multi‐unit, and nonresidential development. To provide flexibility and reflect the variety of design styles, locations, and lot configurations in Hermosa Beach, menus of acceptable methods of meeting the standards are provided where appropriate. Additionally, alternative designs that meet the intent of the requirements may be approved through a discretionary process, allowing the City to consider appropriate design alternatives on a case by case basis.
4. General Site Regulations. This section summarizes the regulations applicable to all development within some or all zoning districts, regardless of use. The existing standards have been updated, revised, and reorganized; however, the intent and effect of the standards reflect current practice.
5. Rules of Measurement. This section of the paper includes rules for performing calculations and measurements required to implement the zoning regulations included in the Zoning Ordinance. These provisions are located in a single section to make them easier to find and help ensure consistency of interpretation and measurement. Existing provisions and procedures for calculations and measurements are carried forward. Refinements are made to provide more detail on measurement rules or to codify current practices
On June 7, 2022, the Planning Commission hosted a special Planning Commission meeting to discuss the draft District and Design Standards. Staff requested that the Planning Commission provide feedback on the draft district and design standards, considering the following questions:
1. Are the Residential Zone development standards appropriate, including the proposed refinements:
a. Removal of allowance for increased height in RH Zone with PC approval.
b. Consistent application of reduced open space and lot coverage requirements for small
lots.
c. Standardized and simplified open space requirements.
The Planning Commission discussed retaining the discretionary allowance for additional height in the RH Zone. Although the height exception is not used often, it was intended to address limited unique situations that may still exist. The Planning Commission agreed with Staff’s recommendation to make the open space and lot coverage requirements consistent throughout the zones.
2. Are the Commercial Zone development standards appropriate, including the proposed refinements:
a. Removal of story limitation in the DT Zone.
b. Incorporation of design related findings related to a maximum 35-foot height allowance into universally applicable design standards for consistent application in the CC, GC, and SC Zones.
The Planning Commission discussed the standards for the commercial development and found requiring a 14-foot minimum ground floor height in Commercial Zones too restrictive. Staff has revised the minimum ground floor requirement based on that feedback. The Planning Commission asked staff to consider increasing FAR allowance in the Downtown Zone. The FAR allowance comes from PLAN Hermosa and is considered under the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for that project. Increasing the FAR allowance would require additional environmental review and public outreach that is not part of the ZONE-IN Hermosa comprehensive code update project.
3. Are the Light Industrial and Public and Semi-Public Zone development standards appropriate?
The Planning Commission discussed proposed standards for the Light Industrial and Public and Semi-Public Zone and found they were appropriate for the City.
4. Are the building design standards appropriate for:
a. Single Unit Development
b. Multi-Unit Development
c. Nonresidential Development
The Planning Commission thought that the design standards seem to be overly prescriptive, particularly for single unit residential development. The Planning Commission wanted input from local designers and architects.
Staff met with the Business and Process Improvement Stakeholder group consisting of 13 members of the design and construction community. The goal of the workshop was to solicit feedback however only two members of the group participated. At the workshop, a construction professional noted that while the proposed design standards come with a construction cost, his Hermosa Beach clients want a high-quality design for their homes so meeting these standards would be easier.
Staff has continuously been reaching out to local designers and architects since June and have not received any additional feedback.
5. Do the building design standards address the appropriate elements of design?
In discussing elements of design, the Planning Commission stressed that they liked that the City of Hermosa Beach has organically developed and because of that, unique and eclectic design styles exist. While the Planning Commission recognizes that objective standards must be in place to satisfy state housing laws, they wanted to ensure that the new standards were not limiting.
6. Are the General Site Regulations appropriate, including notable changes:
a. Allowable encroachments into side and rear setbacks for stormwater management equipment such as rain barrels and other mechanical equipment.
b. Standardized open space requirements for all zones, allowing more flexibility in the location of open space and increasing the amount of open space required in certain situations.
c. New screening requirements along common property lines between industrial or utility
uses and a Residential Zone.
d. Reduced threshold for applicability of trip reduction and transportation demand management measures from 25,000 square feet of nonresidential development to
15,000 square feet.
Since existing standards have been updated, revised, and reorganized, the Planning Commission agreed with staff’s recommendations.
Conclusion
After receiving direction from the Planning Commission, staff will incorporate comments into a revised draft and prior to final adoption of the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update, a subsequent public hearing will be held by the Planning Commission.
Attachments:
1. Presentation Slides
2. Draft District and Design Standards
3. Draft Development Standards Illustrations - Single Unit Design Standards
4. Draft Development Standards Illustrations - Multi-Unit Design Standards
5. Draft Development Standards Illustrations - Commercial Standards
6. Draft Zoning Code Map
7. Zoning Code Assessment
8. Link to June 7, 2022 Planning Commission Staff Report
9. SUPPLEMENTAL - Email from Jon David 8/8/2022
Respectfully Submitted by: Melanie Hall, Assistant Planner
Approved: Jeannie Naughton, Community Development Director