A G E N D A

 

REGULAR MEETING OF THE

PLANNING COMMISSION

OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA

 

Founded 1875

"Populus felix in urbe felici"

 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2006                                       CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS

7:00 P.M.                                                                                                  ROOM 213, CITY HALL

 

 

1.                  CALL TO ORDER

                                            

2.                  PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

 

3.                  ROLL CALL

 

4.                  PLANNING DIRECTOR’S REPORT:

Information concerning future Planning Commission and City Council Agendas.  Update on recent City Council action on appeals, ordinances, development projects, and planning policy studies. Information on recent Architectural Review Board and Landmarks Commission actions.  Update on project status and related planning matters.

 

5.                  PLANNING COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

6.                  APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Consent Calendar

 

6-A.     June 7, 2006

 

7.                  STATEMENT OF OFFICIAL ACTION: None

 

8.                  FUTURE COMMISSION AGENDA ITEMS

Opportunity for suggestions from Commissioners regarding future discussion items, speakers and requests for information

 

9.                  PUBLIC HEARINGS: None

 

10.             COMMUNICATIONS: None

 

11.             DISCUSSION (public input permitted):

 

11-A.     Discussion and recommendation to the City Council related to text amendments to Article 9 (Planning & Zoning) of Santa Monica Municipal Code that modify the development standards and review processes in the R1 District. Specifically, the Planning Commission will consider text amendments to the City of Santa Monica Zoning Ordinance that modify the development standards and review processes in the Sunset Park and North of Wilshire Boulevard R1 Districts including, but not limited to, standards and review related to setbacks, stepbacks, maximum parcel coverage, second floor parcel coverage, garages and garage doors, architectural projections, balconies and porches, and architectural review of specified structures and to clarify the second floor parcel coverage standards in the R1 District north of Montana Avenue. The standards that the Planning Commission will review have been in place through a series of interim ordinances first adopted by the City Council in 2003. The Planning Commission may also consider extending these modifications to the R1 District located north of Pico and south of Exposition Boulevards. APPLICANT: City of Santa Monica.

 

Staff Report

 

11-B.     Discussion and recommendation to the City Council related to text amendments to Article 9 (Planning & Zoning) of Santa Monica Municipal Code that implement key components of the Land Use and Circulation Element Project. Specifically, the Planning Commission will consider possible amendments to the City of Santa Monica Municipal Code that modify project design and property development standards for specified uses in certain residential, commercial and industrial districts in the City including, but not limited to standards related to permitted building heights, exceptions to the height limit, unit density, parcel coverage, floor area, architectural design review criteria, and mandatory on-site or off-site affordable housing threshold. APPLICANT: City of Santa Monica

 

Staff Report

 

11-C.     Review and discussion of a letter to the City Council suggesting that Santa Monica take lead in organizing an affordable housing workshop for elected officials on all levels (local, county and state) using the model of the workshop Community Corporation of Santa Monica arranged in Santa Monica in September 2005. (Requested by Commissioners Dad and Pugh) Continued from July 5, 2006.

 

11-D.     Discussion to consider minor administrative and discretionary adjustments to the objective standards set forth in the Zoning Code. The discussion may include consideration of specific code provisions in the Zoning Code; existing procedures to grant modifications; and, consideration of reasonable standards or processes to grant future modifications, if allowed. (Requested by Commissioners O’Day and Pugh)

 

11-E.     Input, discussion and possible action on policies, process, materials, timeline, participation strategies and related issues pertaining to the Shape the Future 2025 and Motion by the Ocean projects.

 

12.             PUBLIC INPUT

 

13.             ADJOURNMENT

 

Please note that this agenda is subject to change up to 72 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. We encourage you to check the agenda 72 hours prior to the meeting.

 

City Hall and the Council Chambers is wheelchair accessible. If you have any disability-related accommodation request, please contact (310) 458-8341, or TDD Number: (310) 458-8696 at least three (3) days prior to the meeting. All written materials are available in alternate format upon request.

 

Please turn-off or set your cell phone to vibrate while in the Council Chambers. Santa Monica Blue Bus Lines #2, #3 and #8 serve City Hall. Parking is available in front of City Hall and on Olympic Drive.

 

CITY PLANNING COMMISSION

 

Barbara Brown, Commissioner

Darrell Clarke, Commissioner

Julie Lopez Dad, Commissioner

Jay P. Johnson, Commissioner

Hank Koning, FAIA, Commissioner

Terry O’Day, Vice-Chairperson

Gwynne Pugh, AIA, ASCE, Chairperson

 

Pam O’Connor, City Council Liaison

 

Amanda Schachter, Planning Manager

Barry Rosenbaum, Senior Land Use Attorney

Kyle Ferstead, Commission Secretary

 

 

AGENDA POLICIES

 

The Planning Commission considers a range of requests for development permits, appeals, and planning policy matters, and conducts public hearings on many of its agenda items. Due to the number, complexity and public interest associated with many agenda items, meetings of the Commission are generally lengthy. The Commission makes every effort to proceed as expeditiously as possible; your patience and understanding is appreciated.

 

PUBLIC HEARING PROCEDURES on each public hearing item include ex parte communication disclosure by the Commissioners; presentation of a staff report; Commission questions of staff; a fifteen (15) minute presentation by the project applicant or applicant’s representative or team, if any; Commission questions of the applicant; three (3) minutes for each member of the public wishing to speak to the item; three (3) minutes for project applicant to respond to the public or clarify issues raised by the public; Commission deliberations and decision. For an appeal, the appellant, if not also the applicant, has fifteen (15) minutes to address the Commission prior to the applicant speaking and three (3) minutes to respond to public comment.

 

SPECIAL TIME LIMITATIONS. The Commission may limit the time of individual speakers or the total time on a particular issue. If there are more than seven (7) speakers requesting to speak on an agenda item, or if twenty (20) or more persons have requested to speak on any combination of items, the project applicant or appellant on any agenda item shall be limited to ten (10) minutes initially and three (3) minutes in rebuttal. Members of the public are permitted three (3) minutes to address the Commission except as follows: if a member of the public requests to speak on more than one agenda item, the time will be three (3) minutes for the first item and two (2) minutes for any other item unless the Commission grants by a majority vote additional time.

 

REQUESTS TO SPEAK on an agenda item must be submitted on a speaker's request form (“chit”) and submit it to the Commission secretary. All requests to address the Commission on public hearing items must be submitted prior to the Commission's consideration of the item.

 

ASSIGNING OF TIME for members of the public wishing to speak to an item is permissible within specified limits.  A "representative speaker" may be allowed one additional minute of speaking time, to a maximum of five (5) additional minutes [hence, eight (8) minutes total] for each person actually in attendance who assigns his or her right to speak via a request to speak form to the "representative speaker." The project applicant, applicant’s representative or team of representatives (which may include the project architect, attorney, facilitator and all other representatives of the applicant), shall be allowed a total of fifteen (15) minutes initially and three (3) minutes in rebuttal.

 

PRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC should begin with the speaker stating his or her name and address for the public record followed by a statement regarding the item under consideration.  Please speak to the Commission as a whole. 

 

PROFESSIONALS APPEARING BEFORE THE COMMISSION should clearly identify their status, such as "attorney", "paralegal", "architect", "designer", or "landscape architect".  Instances of misrepresentation of professional status may be referred to the City Attorney for possible prosecution.

 

WRITTEN MATERIALS, LETTERS AND E-MAILS regarding agenda items should be submitted to the City Planning Division staff prior to the Commission meeting. All written materials, including e-mails, will be forwarded the Commission Secretary for inclusion in the public record and, if received by noon on the Monday prior to the Wednesday public hearing, shall be forwarded to the Commission in advance of the meeting. Late submissions will be place on the dais on the night of the public hearing, but might not be reviewed by the Commission.

 

EX PARTE COMMUNICATION DISCLOSURES.  During the pendency of any quasi-judicial proceeding, no member of the Planning Commission may engage in ex parte communications with applicants, appellants or members of the public with respect to the matter which is the subject of the proceeding unless that member of the Commission discloses such communication. Prior to each quasi-judicial agenda item each Commissioner must place on the record the subject and substance of any written or oral ex parte communication including the identity of the person, group or entity with whom the communication took place.

 

TIME LIMITATION ON CONSIDERATION OF NEW ITEMS. The Commission shall not commence consideration of a new item on its agenda after 11:00 p.m. unless otherwise required by State or local law or unless otherwise determined by a majority vote of those Commissioners present.

 

CONSENT CALENDAR items will be acted upon by the Commission at one time without discussion unless a Commissioner requests discussion on an item or a member of the public has submitted a request to speak on an item.  If such a request is made, the item will be heard after the balance of the Consent Calendar has been voted upon.

 

ACTION BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION on most matters occurs with the affirmative votes of at least four Commissioners.

 

DESIGN ASPECTS OF PROJECTS considered by the Planning Commission must also be approved by the Architectural Review Board.  For more information on this process, contact the City Planning Division.

 

APPEALS of certain actions of the Commission are appealable to the City Council.  For specific information on appeals, please contact the City Planning Division.

 

 For more information regarding the Planning Commission agenda or development permit procedures and standards,  please contact the City Planning Division at (310) 458-8341.

 

Copies of agendas and staff reports are available at our Planning Counter, Room 111 of City Hall, and through the City’s Home Page on the World Wide Web using the following address: www.santa-monica.org

 

Help Us Shape the Future!   Be part of the effort to create new Land Use and Circulation Elements, and a new Zoning Ordinance.  Help shape a twenty year vision and improve the way we get around Santa Monica.

http://www.shapethefuture2025.net (Land Use Element)
http://motion.santa-monica.org (Circulation Element)