To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: SEAN SCULLY, ACTING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
TITLE
title
ADOPT BY TITLE ONLY ORDINANCE NO. 3260-23 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 10, CHAPTER 5, COASTAL LAND USE IMPLEMENTING ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO ADMINISTRATIVE DESIGN REVIEW AND PLANNING COMMISSION DESIGN REVIEW COMPLIANCE WITH OBJECTIVE RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS AND DETERMINING SUCH AMENDMENTS AS EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT, FOR SECOND READING AND ADOPTION; AND
ADOPT BY TITLE ONLY ORDINANCE NO. 3259-23, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 10, CHAPTER 2, ZONING AND LAND USE PERTAINING TO ADMINISTRATIVE DESIGN REVIEW AND PLANNING COMMISSION DESIGN REVIEW COMPLIANCE WITH OBJECTIVE RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS AND DETERMINING SUCH AMENDMENTS AS EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT, FOR SECOND READING AND ADOPTION
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As part of the City Council’s Strategic Planning efforts, the Community Development Department was directed to update the City’s Residential Design Guidelines to Objective Residential Standards. The Residential Design Guidelines were adopted in 2003. The replacement Objective Residential Standards were approved by the City Council on August 15, 2023.
In June 2021, the City retained Lisa Padilla (dba Cityworks Design) to assist in the update effort. Initial community feedback was obtained in late 2021 and early 2022 to help guide the development of objective standards. The Draft Objective Residential Standards were released for public comment in January 2023. Staff and the consultant received significant input on the draft document from the Planning Commission Objective Residential Standards Subcommittee, from members of the design community who attended the Designer Focus Group meeting on March 15, 2023, and from the public at the joint Planning Commission meeting and Community Workshop held on March 29, 2023. The Draft Objective Residential Standards were updated to incorporate the input provided at the above meetings (May 2023 version) and were presented and discussed at the May 18, 2023 Planning Commission meeting.
Later, at a public hearing held on June 15, 2023, the Planning Commission adopted a resolution recommending revisions to the Redondo Beach Municipal Code to implement the Objective Residential Standards and suggestions for the Draft Objective Residential Standards document to be considered by the City Council. The Resolution also included findings that the proposed amendments are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The Planning Commission recommendations were presented by staff at the July 18, 2023 City Council meeting. City Council reviewed the Draft Objective Residential Standards and the Planning Commission recommendations at that meeting, and provided direction on preferred modifications.
On August 15, 2023, the City Council conducted a public hearing and introduced the amended Ordinances to implement the Objective Residential Standards and approved a resolution to submit the coastal ordinance to the California Coastal Commission for certification. At the meeting, the City Council also adopted, by Resolution, the Objective Residential Standards, with specific revisions, and directed staff to study and return with information on specific follow up items that could be considered for inclusion as part of a later update to the City’s Objective Residential Standards document.
Approval of this item would adopt both the inland and coastal related implementing Ordinances.
BACKGROUND
In 2019-2020, the City Council set a Strategic Planning goal to update the Residential Design Guidelines, which were adopted almost 20 years ago. This update was driven by various residents expressing concerns about residential developments throughout the City which led the Mayor and City Councilmembers to realize that the guidelines should be evaluated and appropriately updated.
In June 2021, the City was awarded an SB2 grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to fund the update to the Residential Design Guidelines. The scope of needed work was as follows:
• Create objective standards instead of guidelines open to subjective interpretation. This was also driven by the adoption of SB 330 in 2019 which restricts any development requirements adopted after January 1, 2020 to be objective, quantifiable and written development standards
• Add standards for R1A zones
• Clean-up ambiguous, outdated guidelines
• Give better direction on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
The Objective Residential Standards, similar to the 2003 Residential Design Guidelines that they will replace, are in addition to the zoning provisions of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code. The Objective Residential Standards exist to clarify the details of the zoning code requirements. The main goal is to provide objective criteria that reflect the community’s interest in maintaining neighborhood character so that new or renovated residential buildings are compatible with established development. By establishing clear and objective direction on what is required of a project, the planning review process can be simplified and streamlined for residential projects.
One of the biggest challenges of the existing 2003 Residential Design Guidelines has been differing interpretations of the Guidelines’ subjective descriptions of the City’s requirements. Ultimately, intervention is required to make determinations resolving ambiguities. This has been a major concern of both staff and applicants and has led to process delay and/or disappointment from applicants.
One measure of success for the new Objective Residential Standards will be the reduced time for residential project review from concept to completion, due to more direct requirements and a streamlined planning process. The State of California defines objective standards as those that, “involve no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and are uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant or proponent and the public official before submittal.” A standard is distinguished from a guideline by the terminology that is used. Standards are identifiable by the words “shall” or “must” whereas guidelines use should or may. The intent of going from subjective guidelines to objective standards is to be straight-forward and clear, and to eliminate application interpretation on a case-by-case basis.
On June 8, 2021, the City Council approved a contract with Cityworks Design to prepare Objective Residential Design Standards. The original contract term ran through June 30, 2022. On June 14, 2022, the City Council approved an amendment to the Agreement, extending the term through December 31, 2022. The original contract deadlines were aligned with the SB2 Grant Funding from the California Department of HCD.
In December 2022, HCD granted extensions to the SB2 Grant Agreements to allow additional time for completion, due to many of these grants being utilized for Housing Elements that are not finalized or delayed work on other contracts due to focus on Housing Element preparation. Following the extension, adoption of the Objective Residential Standards needs to be completed by September 30, 2023 to comply with the terms of the Grant Agreement.
With the extended deadline, the City Council authorized a contract amendment with Cityworks Design in February 2023 to adjust the term of the Agreement to correspond with the Grant Agreement extension and to also accommodate additional community feedback opportunities. This allowed for supplemental input from the Planning Commission Objective Residential Standards Subcommittee, additional Planning Commission meetings and more feedback from the community. The Planning Commission held their public hearing on the Objective Residential Standards on June 15, 2023 and adopted a resolution recommending amendments to the implementing Ordinance and revisions to the Objective Residential Standards document at that meeting.
The community outreach began in December 2021. The key work completed to date includes:
July - Nov 2021 Background/Existing Conditions Research, Content Development for Initial Engagement Events
December 13, 2021 Designer Focus Group Workshop #1
December 16, 2021 Planning Commission Meeting #1 to discuss the purpose of the updates and to gain initial feedback on the current Residential Design Guidelines
January 10, 2022 Community Workshop #1 to discuss the project and explain the topics to be included in the updated Objective Residential Standards
January 2022 Community Survey to gain feedback on the main topics of focus to be included in the updated Objective Residential Standards
September 2022 Planning Commission established a subcommittee to for this project
Fall 2022 Planning Commission subcommittee provided input and feedback on internal draft language for document
January 2023 Draft Objective Residential Standards document was released, with request for public comment
February-March 2023 Received feedback from Planning Commission Objective Residential Standards Subcommittee, design community, and public on the Draft Objective Residential Standards document
March 15, 2023 Designer Focus Group Workshop #2
March 29, 2023 Community Workshop #2 and Planning Commission Meeting #2 to discuss draft document and get further direction on some of the standards.
May 11, 2023 Revised Draft Objective Residential Standards document was released
May 18, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting #3 to discuss revisions
June 15, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting #4 with public hearing and resolution recommending to City Council implementing regulations and revisions to the Draft Objective Residential Standards
July 18, 2023 City Council discussion and direction on revisions to the Draft Objective Residential Standards
August 15, 2023 City Council public hearing, introduction of implementing ordinances and adoption of Objective Residential Standards
At a public hearing on June 15, 2023, the Planning Commission adopted a resolution recommending revisions to the Redondo Beach Municipal Code to implement the Objective Residential Standards, and recommendations to the City Council regarding the Draft Standards’ document. A copy of that Resolution is included in the agenda packet.
The Planning Commission recommendations were presented by staff at the July 18, 2023 City Council meeting. The City Council reviewed the Draft Objective Residential Standards and the Planning Commission recommendations, and provided direction on preferred modifications. The revised final Objective Residential Standards document incorporating these changes was considered before the City Council at a public hearing on August 15, 2023.
On August 15, 2023, City Council conducted a public hearing and introduced the amended Ordinances to implement the Objective Residential Standards and approved a resolution to submit the coastal ordinance to the California Coastal Commission for certification. At the meeting, the City Council also adopted, by Resolution, the Objective Residential Standards with specific revisions. The final version of the document and the City Council’s approved motion for follow up study items is attached.
The proposed inland and coastal Ordinances are now ready for second reading and adoption.
COORDINATION
The Community Development Department coordinated the preparation of the Draft Objective Residential Standards with Cityworks Design and the preparation of the associated Ordinances and Resolutions with the City Attorney’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT
The costs associated with the preparation of the Objective Residential Standards are included in the contract with Cityworks Design. The original contract cost was $138,955 and was fully funded by SB2 Grant Funds provided by HCD through a Grant Agreement executed with the City on June 12, 2020. The additional amended contract amount of $72,080 was funded by the City’s General Plan Maintenance Fund. The total not-to-exceed amount of the Agreement was $212,035.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• Objective Residential Standards Adopted August 15, 2023
• Ord - No. 3259-23 - Objective Residential Standards Inland June 23, 2023, 1st reading August 15, 2023, adoption September 19, 2023
• Ord - No. 3260-23 - Objective Residential Standards Coastal 1st reading August 15, 2023, adoption September 19, 2023
• Resolution 2308-082 - Objective Residential Standards Forward to Coastal Commission, August 15, 2023
• Resolution 2308-081 - Objective Residential Standards Adoption Amended as Adopted August 15, 2023
• Motion on Objective Residential Standards Introduction of Ordinances and Adoption of Resolutions August 15, 2023
• Objective Residential Standards to Consider for Further Study
• City Council Administrative Report, August 15, 2023
• City Council Presentation August 15, 2023
• Planning Commission Resolution Objective Residential Standards Implementing Ordinances - AS ADOPTED June 15, 2023
• Planning Commission Administrative Report, June 15, 2023
• Planning Commission Presentation, June 15, 2023
• Current Residential Design Guidelines Booklet Adopted October 7, 2003
• Proof of Notice of Publication Objective Residential Standards August 3, 2023