Planning Commission Meeting

MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, October 11, 2016 4:00 pm AFTERNOON SESSION ONLY 580 PACIFIC STREET, COUNCIL CHAMBERS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Commissioners Present: Fletcher, Millich, Davis, Dawson, Reed, Widmar Commissioners Absent: Latasa Staff Members Present: Chief of Planning Engineering & Environmental Comp. Cole, Principal Planner Caraker, Recording Secretary Leinen CALL TO ORDER Chair Fletcher called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. CONSENT ITEMS Commissioner Widmar made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda. Commissioner Davis seconded the motion. Commissioner Dawson and Commissioner Reed abstained from voting due to their absence from the September 27, 2016 meeting. On a motion by Commissioner Widmar, seconded by Commissioner Davis, and carried by the following vote, the Planning Commission approved the CONSENT ITEMS: AYES: 4 COMMISSIONERS: Fletcher, Millich, Davis, Widmar NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 1 COMMISSIONERS: Latasa ABSTAIN: 2 COMMISSIONERS: Dawson, Reed RECUSED: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None Approval of Minutes 1. September 27, 2016 ACTION: Approved as submitted. ***End of Consent Agenda*** PUBLIC COMMENTS None. PUBLIC HEARING Commissioner Davis recused himself from item #2 due to a conflict of interest and left the room. 2. Approve 457 Wave Street; Permit 16-410 to Amend Use Permit 13-468 to Allow Four Parking Spaces to Be Shared between 457 Wave Street and 471 Wave Street; Applicant City of Monterey; Owner Monterey Wave Street Partners LP; C-2 Zoning District (CEQA Initial Study with Mitigated Negative Declaration Previously Circulated and Certified)  Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, October 11, 2016 ACTION: Adopted a resolution amending Use Permit 13-468 to allow four parking spaces to be shared between 457 Wave Street and 471 Wave Street with Conditions of Approval. Staff Presentation/Commissioner Questions Elizabeth Caraker presented the Agenda Report and answered Commissioners’ questions. Kimberly Cole also answered Commissioners’ questions. Applicant Paul E. Davis, representative for applicant, said property owner Eleigh Kelly is familiar with the Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions but was unable to attend the Planning Commission meeting on September 13, 2016 when the Use Permit was granted. Mr. Davis said Mr. Kelly is present today to answer any questions the Commissioners may have. Public Comments Rick Johnson, New Monterey Business Association (NMBA), responded to questions raised by Commissioners regarding parking and said that both street parking and garage parking are allowed for up to 72 hours. He also said, in his experience, tenants of the Downtown area will notify the Parking Division if they plan to leave their car in the garage for more than 72 hours. Commissioner Comments Commissioner Widmar made a motion to adopt a Resolution amending Use Permit 13-468 to allow four parking spaces to be shared between 457 Wave Street and 471 Wave Street with Conditions of Approval. Commissioner Reed seconded the motion. On a motion by Commissioner Widmar, seconded by Commissioner Reed, and carried by the following vote, the Planning Commission adopted a resolution amending Use Permit 13-468 to allow four parking spaces to be shared between 457 Wave Street and 471 Wave Street with Conditions of Approval: AYES: 5 COMMISSIONERS: Fletcher, Millich, Dawson, Reed, Widmar NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 1 COMMISSIONERS: Latasa ABSTAIN: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None RECUSED: 1 COMMISSIONERS: Davis 3. Recommend to the City Council to Amend the Lighthouse Specific Plan to Prohibit Ground Floor Residential Uses on Lighthouse Avenue (Mitigated Negative Declaration Previously Certified) ACTION: Adopted a resolution recommending that the City Council amend the Lighthouse Specific Plan to prohibit new residential ground floor uses on Lighthouse Avenue. Staff Presentation/Commissioner Questions Ms. Cole presented the Agenda Report and answered Commissioners’ questions. Public Comments Mr. Johnson, NMBA, said the NMBA is not opposed to buildings that have been continually used as residential remaining residential, but is concerned with allowing new construction to include residential on the first floor. He also said it is important to maintain the commercial Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 11, 2016 2 Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, October 11, 2016 character of the area. Carl Outzen said Lighthouse Avenue is unique in that it is an eight-block commercial area serving the local community and is the only shopping area in the City aside from Del Monte Center. Mr. Outzen said it is important to keep the commercial area intact and that introducing residential units on the first floor would be detrimental to the district and its character. Commissioner Comments Commissioner Dawson said he agrees with Mr. Outzen that the amendment to the Lighthouse Specific Plan is appropriate and suggested clarifying the amendment language. Vice Chair Millich proposed amending the language to read “New residential uses in the Lighthouse Character Area are prohibited with the exception that existing, continuing or historical residential uses can continue as permitted uses.” The Commission discussed a letter submitted by a member of the public regarding exempting first floor residential units that have no entry onto Lighthouse Avenue. They also discussed grade changes on Lighthouse Avenue and whether residential uses that are behind current commercial units should be allowed. Commissioner Reed said existing first floor residential would be allowed to remain and suggested retaining the amendment as proposed by staff, but clarifying the language. Commissioner Davis suggested added language stating that new residential first floor uses are prohibited. The Commission also agreed, by consensus, to replace the language “existing or historical residential units” with “existing or previously used residential uses.” Commissioner Dawson made a motion to adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council amend the Lighthouse Specific Plan to prohibit new residential ground floor uses on Lighthouse Avenue with the following amendments: Lighthouse Avenue Foam Street Character Character Area Area Residential – Minor and Major (first * P floor) * New residential first floor uses in the Lighthouse Character Area are prohibited with the exception that existing or historical residential uses existing or previously used residential uses can continue as permitted uses. Commissioner Widmar seconded the motion. On a motion by Commissioner Dawson, seconded by Commissioner Widmar, and carried by the following vote, the Planning Commission adopted a resolution recommending that the City Council amend the Lighthouse Specific Plan to prohibit new residential ground floor uses on Lighthouse Avenue with amendments: AYES: 6 COMMISSIONERS: Fletcher, Millich, Davis, Dawson, Reed, Widmar NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 1 COMMISSIONERS: Latasa ABSTAIN: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None RECUSED: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 11, 2016 3  Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, October 11, 2016 PUBLIC APPEARANCE 4. Receive Report on Draft Local Coastal Plan Policies ACTION: Received report on the draft Local Coastal Program (LCP) policies. Staff Presentation/Commissioner Questions Ms. Caraker presented the Agenda Report and answered Commissioners’ questions. She also introduced Dr. David Revell of Revell Coastal, who gave a presentation on the draft LCP policies and discussed key vulnerability findings, coastal hazards, adaptation approaches, visions and goals, and policy development and answered Commissioners’ questions. Public Comments None. Commissioner Comments Commissioner Dawson said a regional approach should be taken as flooding in other local communities has the potential to impact Monterey. Dr. Revell said impacts are to be expected during storm events and the amount of risk and exposure the community is willing to accept will determine the types of strategies that are implemented. Vice Chair Millich expressed concern regarding whether there is a coordinated approach at the federal level for issues affecting coastal communities. Dr. Revell said there is both scientific and hazard mitigation work being done at the federal level. Vice Chair Millich asked what, if any, coordination is happening with local cities. Dr. Revell said there was previously a technical working group for the southern Monterey Bay with federal agencies, sanctuaries, USGS, Army Corps of Engineers, and researchers and that reinvigorating this group could be a possibility. Ms. Cole said many of the adaptation strategies incorporated in the update were developed by this group. In response to Commissioner Reed’s question, Dr. Revell said the City is updating its Local Coastal Program because it is required by the Coastal Act and also gives the City power to implement its vision at a local level. Ms. Caraker noted that public workshops on the LCP update are being held in addition to the Planning Commission and Council meetings and that input from residents is being recorded. She also said there is a City webpage dedicated to the update process. Commissioner Widmar suggested that trigger points be incorporated into the LCP update to ensure mitigation measures can be taken before disasters occur. In response to Commissioner Davis’ question, Ms. Caraker said staff anticipates that the Waterfront Master Plan will be part of the implementation plan for the update. Chair Fletcher said it is helpful having the LCP brought before the Commissions for review in sections. COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS None. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 11, 2016 4  Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, October 11, 2016 INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS 5. Planning Office Update  Update received.  Ms. Cole said the October 25, 2016 meeting of the Planning Commission will tentatively be cancelled. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:37 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Elizabeth Caraker, AICP Chair Principal Planner Planning Commission Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 11, 2016 5