To: PLANNING COMMISSION
From: MARC WIENER, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
TITLE
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PUBLIC HEARING TO CONTINUE DELIBERATIONS ON UPDATES TO THE CITY’S GENERAL PLAN LAND USE, OPEN SPACE & CONSERVATION, NOISE, AND SAFETY ELEMENT, AND TO INTRODUCE REVISIONS TO THE CITY’S ZONING ORDINANCES AND LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM (LCP) REQUIRED FOR CONSISTENCY AND TO IMPLEMENT THE CITY’S HOUSING ELEMENT
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RECOMMENDATION:
1. Open the public hearing, administer oath, take testimony from staff, the public and other interested parties, and deliberate; and
2. Continue the public hearing to September 19, 2024.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Planning Commission is required to review updates to the General Plan, along with any associated Zoning Ordinances and Local Coastal Program amendments required for consistency, and make recommendations to the City Council pertaining to its adoption. Updates to the General Plan, Zoning Ordinances, and Local Coastal Program, along with the Environmental Impact Report, are tentatively scheduled for final consideration by the Planning Commission on September 19, 2024. The City Council will review and take action on the General Plan, Zoning Ordinances, and Local Coastal Program amendments in October 2024.
At the June 20, 2024 Planning Commission meeting, staff provided a high-level introductory overview (Discussion Item) of the pending updates to the City’s General Plan Land Use Element, Open Space and Conservation Element, Safety Element, and Noise Element along with associated Zoning Ordinance and Local Coastal Program amendments required for consistency and to implement the Housing Element. Attached to this report is a copy of the June 20, 2024 Administrative Report (inclusive of attachments).
At the August 1, 2024 Special Meeting of the Planning Commission, staff introduced a public hearing item with the specific updates to the City’s General Plan Land Use, Open Space & Conservation, Noise, and Safety Elements and requested that the Planning Commission receive public testimony, review, deliberate, and make recommendations on the proposed updates and continue the public hearing to their next regular scheduled meeting on August 15, 2024 for further consideration. The Planning Commission reached consensus on a number edits and recommended changes to multiple Goals, Policies, and Implementation Measures within the Land Use and Open Space & Conservation Elements. A track changes version of the General Plan, incorporating the Planning Commission’s proposed modifications, will be included in the packet for the September 19, 2024 public hearing. Additionally, concerning the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in the Public Institutional Zone, Staff is still conducting the requested research and anticipates having additional information on this matter to the Planning Commission as a Blue Folder item prior to the August 15, 2024 meeting.
At this August 15, 2024 continued public hearing, Staff will introduce the specific Zoning Ordinance and Local Coastal Program amendments required for consistency and to implement the Housing Element. Staff is requesting that the Planning Commission take public testimony, review, deliberate, and make recommendations on the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, Coastal Zoning Ordinance, and Local Coastal Program required for consistency and implementing the Housing Element and continue the public hearing to the next regular scheduled meeting on September 19, 2024 for final Planning Commission consideration and recommendations to the City Council.
The Planning Commission may make recommendations on the proposed modifications to the draft Zoning Ordinances which can be compiled for consideration by the City Council at a later date.
Attached to this report are the following documents which first summarize and then detail the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinances and Local Coastal Program.
1. Description of Proposed Amendments to Title 10 Planning and Zoning of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code.
o Summarizes all the Housing Element Programs and the required Zoning Ordinance amendments to implement the Housing Element.
2. Attachment A: Proposed Amendments to Title 10 Planning and Zoning, Chapter 1 Subdivisions of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code.
o Details all specific amendments with strikethroughs and underlines.
o All specific amendments required by the Housing Element.
3. Attachment B: Proposed Amendments to Title 10 Planning and Zoning, Chapter 2 Zoning and Land Use (Inland) of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code.
o Details all specific amendments with strikethroughs and underlines.
o All amendments required by the Housing Element, State Law, and General Plan consistency.
4. Attachment C: Proposed Amendments to Title 10 Planning and Zoning, Chapter 5 Coastal Land Use Plan Implementing Ordinance of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code.
o Details all specific amendments with strikethroughs and underlines.
o All amendments required by the Housing Element, State Law, and General Plan consistency.
5. Local Coastal Program Amendments
o Details all specific amendments with strikethroughs and underlines.
o All amendments required by the Housing Element, State Law, and General Plan consistency.
The above listed/attached five (5) documents are also posted on the City’s PLANredondo webpage and allow for comments from the public to be made on each of the documents. Staff will provide any comments from the public on the proposed amendments as a Blue Folder item prior to the August 15, 2024 public hearing.
In addition to the attachments noted above that detail the specific proposed Zoning Ordinance and Local Coastal Program amendments, two (2) map sets are also attached:
1. Maps illustrating the City’s current zoning, proposed zoning, and proposed zoning with areas of change; and
2. Maps illustrating the City’s Current Coastal Land Use Map and Proposed Coastal Land Use Map.
The BACKGROUND section below presents a brief summary of the proposed Zoning Ordinance and Local Coastal Program amendments which are detailed in the attachments noted above.
BACKGROUND
Updates to Title 10 Planning and Zoning of the City’s Municipal Code including the City’s Subdivision Ordinance (Chapter 1), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 2), and Coastal Land Use Plan Implementing Ordinance (Chapter 5) include modifications required for consistency with the proposed General Plan, recently adopted Housing Element, and by recent changes in State Law.
The amendments to Title 10 Planning and Zoning of the Municipal Code codify the community’s vision as established in the General Plan Update, implements key General Plan concepts, and realizes requirements of the 2021-2029 Housing Element. The table below summarizes the proposed amendments to Title 10 Planning and Zoning generally, while the attachments describe in detail what changes are implemented in Title 10, how they are implemented, and why the changes are required.
• Attachment A includes the proposed amendments to the Subdivision Ordinance (Title 10, Chapter 1)
• Attachment B includes the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance (Title 10, Chapter 2)
• Attachment C includes the proposed amendment to the Coastal Land Use Plan Implementing Ordinance, also referred to as the Zoning Ordinance for the Coastal Zone (Title 10, Chapter 5).
General Summary of Zoning Updates (Inland and Coastal) and Local Coastal Program Updates
The following list categorizes and summarizes the proposed amendments to the Subdivision Ordinance, Zoning Ordinance, Zoning Ordinance for the Coastal Zone, and Local Coastal Program. The proposed amendments fall into two (2) categories:
1. Requirement for implementing the Housing Element and State Law; and
2. Requirement for consistency with and implementing the proposed General Plan Update.
The attachments noted above detail the specific proposed amendments and provide summaries of all the Housing Element Programs which drive many of the amendments summarized below.
1. Required for Implementing the Housing Element and State Laws
Subdivision Ordinance Updates:
• Administrative Process for Subdivisions with up to 15 Condominium Units:
o Amendments to the Subdivision Ordinance will change the required entitlements for subdivisions above three (3) units to subdivisions above 15 units for requiring a Planning Commission Design Review.
o Subdivisions of up to 15 condominium units will be processed administratively with an Administrative Design Review.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Programs 9 and 13.
Zoning Ordinance Updates (Inland and Coastal):
• Map Updates:
o Amendments to the zoning map align zoning designations on all properties with the land use map changes identified in the General Plan Update to the Land Use Element.
§ Many of the map updates implement Housing Element Program 8 and identify the required “Housing Sites”.
• New Affordable Housing Overlay Zone (Inland Zoning Ordinance Only):
o The new affordable housing overlay (AHO) zone implements the residential overlay areas identified in the Land Use and Housing Elements including the following sites: North Tech, South of Transit Center, South Bay Marketplace, Kingsdale, 190th Street and FedEx.
o The AHO establishes a minimum density of 20 du/ac and a maximum of 55 du/ac and requires that the minimum density established by the AHO prevail over any minimum density standards of the underlying zone.
o The AHO provides options to cluster development to incentivize housing production and allow for the preservation of existing uses.
o The AHO also allows for 100 percent residential projects as well as mixed use projects with residential and non-residential uses, provided 50 percent or more of the total floor area for the proposed project is for residential uses.
o The AHO also provides additional incentives for projects that include at least 20 percent of units affordable to lower income households including an administrative design review process that is exempt from discretionary review, and a reduction in the amount of public open space a project must provide.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 8 and identify the required “Housing Sites”.
• Updates to Residential High (RH) zones:
o Increase the allowable density in all Residential High (RH) zones from 28 du/ac to 30 du/ac. In the RH-3 zone establish a minimum density of 20 du/ac for all sites identified on Table B-2 of the Housing Element.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 8 and 9.
• Updated Mixed Use 3a and 3c:
o The proposed General Plan redesignates several existing MU-3 areas as MU-1, and reduces the allowable density from 35 to 30 du/ac.
o These areas will be implemented by MU-3a and MU-3c zones, which will be updated to reflect the change in density.
o This change was anticipated in the housing element and sites located in the MU-3a zone were identified on Table B-2 in anticipation of this zoning change to reduce the maximum density.
o A provision will also be added to the MU-3a zone to establish a minimum density of 20 du/ac for all sites identified on Table B-2 of the Housing Element.
§ Changes to MU-3a Required to implement Housing Element Programs 8 and 9.
• Minimum Density for Housing Element Sites:
o New requirements for a minimum density of 20 dwelling units per acre for all sites identified in Table B-2 of the Housing Element that are used to satisfy low or very low-income requirements as part of the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) (these are described under the applicable zones above).
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 8 and 9.
• Permitted Uses:
o Specifically allow employee housing, supportive housing, and transitional housing as a residential use, subject to the same standards as other residential uses, in all districts where residential uses are allowed.
o Establish Special Use Regulations for supportive housing.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 13.
• Permitted Uses:
o Specifically allow low barrier navigation centers as permitted uses in all mixed-use zones and industrial or commercial zones where the Affordable Housing Overlay is applied.
o Establish Special Use Regulations for low barrier navigation centers.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 13.
• Permitted Uses:
o Conditionally allow Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing in all C-4 zones.
o Establish Special Use Regulation for SROs.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 13.
• Adjustments to Parking Requirements:
o Parking standards for multi-family residential development will be changed from 2 spaces for each unit to 1 space for each studio/0-bedroom unit, 1.5 spaces for each 1-bedroom unit, and 2 spaces for each unit with 2 or more bedrooms.
o Parking requirements for Emergency Shelters will be established based on staffing levels only by changing the standard from one space for each 250 square feet of gross floor area, to one parking space per employee on site at the same time.
o Parking will not be required for permanent supportive housing within ½ mile of a major public transit stop.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 13.
• Administrative Permitting of More Types of Housing and By-Right Approval for Qualifying Projects:
o Increase the maximum size of multiple-family housing projects that are permitted administratively in multi-family zones from 3 units to 15 units. The number of units permitted is dependent on the density allowed in the underlying zoning district.
o All projects identified as a reused site in Table B-1, or listed on Table B-2 of the Housing Element that provide capacity for units affordable to lower income households (including both low and very low categories) and provide at least 20 percent of units affordable to lower income households shall be permitted by right, exempt from discretionary review, subject to administrative design review and shall be approved if found compliant with objective standards.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Programs 9 and 13.
• Definitions:
o Updates to definitions and new definitions for several terms. The following terms have been added or updated to comply with State Laws: Employee housing; Family; Household; Household, lower income; Low barrier navigation center; Residential care facility, limited; Single room occupancy (SRO) housing; Supportive housing; Target population; Transitional housing.
o The following terms have been added or updated to clarify the intent of other changes in the Zoning Ordinance: Affordable housing overlay (AHO) project (Inland Zoning Ordinance Only); Affordable housing overlay (AHO) site (Inland Zoning Ordinance Only); Floor area, gross; Mixed-use, horizontal; Mixed-use, vertical.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 13.
• Density Bonus Update:
o Updates to the density bonus ordinance to align with State Law.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 13.
• New Article to Address Replacement Housing:
o New requirements to provide replacement housing units consistent with State Laws.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 10.
• Reasonable accommodation requirements:
o New regulations to implement reasonable accommodation requirements consistent with the 2021-2029 Housing Element.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 13.
Local Coastal Program Updates:
• Updates to Residential High (RH) district:
o Increase the allowable density in all Residential High (RH) districts from 28 du/ac to 30 du/ac. In the RH-3 zone establish a minimum density of 20 du/ac for all sites identified on Table B-2 of the Housing Element.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 8 and 9.
• Updated Mixed Use (MU) districts:
o The proposed General Plan redesignates several existing MU land use designations and reduces the allowable density from 35 to 30 du/ac.
§ The Salvation Army and Riviera Village sites within the LCP require updating to be consistent.
• Changes to MU required to implement Housing Element Programs 8 and 9.
• Density Bonus Update:
o Updates to the density bonus provisions within the LCP to implement the Housing Element and align with State Law.
§ Required to implement Housing Element Program 13.
2. Required for Implementing and Making Consistent with the General Plan Update
Zoning Ordinance Updates (Inland and Coastal):
• Map Updates:
o Amendments to the zoning map align zoning designations on all properties with the land use map changes identified in the General Plan Update to the Land Use Element.
§ Some of the map updates implement determined and desired changes identified during the General Plan update process to date, i.e., New Industrial Flex Overlay Zone and CN Zone.
• Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update.
• New Industrial Flex Overlay Zone:
o The new Industrial Flex Overlay zone provides standards allowing for an integrated mix of light industrial and commercial and/or office uses that contribute to the creation of a mixed-use transit node, serving as a regional draw for commercial uses and a center for new innovative jobs and high-density housing, as described in the Focused General Plan Update.
§ Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update.
• Updates to Regional Commercial (CR):
o The allowable density will decrease from 35 du/ac to 30 du/ac consistent with the MU-TC land use category identified in the Focused General Plan Update.
o This map change is located on the Galleria Mall project site, and is not anticipated to impact the entitled project or the number of affordable units planned as part of the entitled project.
§ Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update.
• Rename Mixed Use 2 zone:
o The Proposed General Plan eliminates the existing Mixed Use 2 (MU-2) land use category by combining it with the MU-1 land use category. To reflect this, change the MU-2 zoning district will be renamed as MU-1a and the maximum density will be reduced from 35 to 30 du/acre, consistent with the General Plan.
§ Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update.
• Eliminate Mixed Use 3b zone:
o The proposed General Plan eliminates all instances of MU-3b. This category will be removed.
§ Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update.
• Amend FAR for the AACAP Area:
o Amend the FAR within the AACAP area from an FAR of 0.6 to and FAR of 1.5.
§ Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update.
• Amend FAR in I-1, I-1A, I-1B, and IC-1 Industrial Zones to 1.0 FAR:
o The FAR in I-1 and IC-1 zones will be raised from 0.70 to 1.0 FAR.
§ Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update.
• Public FARs will be revised as required:
o The FAR for P-PRO will be reduced from 0.25 to 0.20 FAR.
o The FAR for P-RVP will be set at 0.75 FAR from “… shall be determined subject to Planning Commission Design Review.”.
§ Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update.
• Non-conforming uses:
o Provisions to allow for existing uses that may become non-conforming and existing non-conforming uses to remain and be rebuilt with the same number of units and square footage in specific instances.
§ Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update.
Local Coastal Program Updates:
• Map Updates:
o Amendments to the Coastal Lan Use Plan to align districts on all properties with the land use map changes identified in the General Plan Update to the Land Use Element.
§ Some of the map updates implement determined and desired changes identified during the General Plan update process to date, i.e., CN Neighborhood Commercial and OS Parks and Open Space.
• Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update.
• New Commercial Neighborhood (CN) district:
o The new Land Use Category allows for commercial districts with uses that complement adjacent residential neighborhoods. Allowed uses include retail, restaurants, personal services, office, hotel*, kenneling*, and similar uses. The intent of this designation is to provide goods and services that meet the needs of residents and businesses.
o CN Commercial Neighborhood: The maximum floor area ratio is 0.5 and the maximum building height is two stories (30 feet).
§ Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update.
• Updates to Public or Institutional district:
o Districts entitled Parks and Open Space (OS), Utility (U), and Public/Institutional (PI) updated the existing single Public or Institutional (P) district to accurately reflect the existing uses consistent with the General Plan Update.
§ Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update.
• Updates to Sea Level Rise and Tsunami Runup policies:
o Update policies related to sea level rise and tsunami runup applicable to development projects from the updates of the Draft Safety Element of the General Plan.
o New Figure D-1: Sea Level Rise in Redondo Beach by 2050 and Figure D-2: Sea Level Rise in Redondo Beach by 2100 added to the LCP.
§ Required to implement and be consistent with the General Plan Update (Draft Safety Element Update).
ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS:
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a program Environmental Impact Report is being prepared and will be presented to the Planning Commission at the same time as the final draft of the General Plan Update and Zoning Ordinance Amendments. The overall purpose of this program Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) is to inform the City, responsible agencies, decision makers, and the public about the potential environmental effects resulting from full implementation of the proposed Redondo Beach General Plan Update, and the associated Zoning Ordinance, Zoning Ordinance for the Coastal Zone, and Local Coastal Program amendments that are required by the for-consistency purposes. This DEIR addresses effects that may be significant and adverse; evaluates alternatives to the project; and identifies mitigation measures and alternatives to reduce or avoid identified potentially adverse effects. Included as an appendix to the program Environmental Impact Report is a document that explains the buildout assumptions and methodologies utilized for projecting the potential growth in the City over the next 25 years. The horizon year of the General Plan Update is 2050. An attachment to the DEIR entitled “Appendix A Buildout Methodology” which explains the projections used to analyze the “project” was provided to the Planning Commission with the General Plan Update documents. The DEIR was released for a 47-day public comment period starting August 1, 2024 and ending September 16, 2024.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Current Zoning Map-Proposed Zoning Map-Proposed Zoning Areas of Change
2. Current Coastal LUP Map-Proposed Coastal LUP Map
3. Description of Proposed Amendments to Title 10 Planning and Zoning of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code
4. Attachment A Proposed Amendments to Title 10 Planning and Zoning, Chapter 1 Subdivisions of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code
5. Attachment B Proposed Amendments to Title 10 Planning and Zoning, Chapter 2 Zoning and Land Use (Inland) of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code
6. Attachment C Proposed Amendments to Title 10 Planning and Zoning, Chapter 5 Coastal Land Use Plan Implementing Ordinance of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code
7. Local Coastal Program Amendments
8. Public Comments Received Aug 1, 2024 to Aug 8, 2024 on Draft GP, Zoning Ord, and LCP Amendments