PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING
February 8, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
City Hall North Conference Room A
1600 Truxtun Avenue
Committee Members:
Manpreet Kaur
Bob Smith
Bruce Freeman
1. ROLL CALL
2. PUBLIC STATEMENTS
a. Agenda Item Public Statements
b. Non-Agenda Item Public Statements
3. ADOPTION OF MINUTES
a. Adoption of November 14, 2023 Special Meeting Minutes Staff Recommends adoption of minutes
4. REPORTS
5. DEFERRED BUSINESS
a. General Plan and Housing Element update
Staff recommends receive and file
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Downtown Housing Capacity Analysis
Staff recommends receive and file
7. COMMITTEE COMMENTS
8. ADJOURNMENT
MEETING OF THE SPECIAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Of the City Council – City of Bakersfield
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
5:00 p.m.
City Hall North – Conference Room A
1600 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield CA 93301
AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
Meeting called to order at 5:01 p.m.
1. ROLL CALL
Committee Members Present: Manpreet Kaur – Chair
Bruce Freemen
Bob Smith
City Staff Present: Gary Hallen Assistant City Manager
Julie Drimakis, City Clerk
Chris Boyle, Development Services Director
Viridiana Gallardo-King, Deputy City Attorney II
Ashley Zambrano, Deputy City Attorney II
Paul Johnson, Planning Director
Phil Burns, Building Director
2. PUBLIC STATEMENTS
a. Agenda Item Public Statements
Kevin Oliver spoke regarding item 5.b.
Staff: Committee Members:
Gary Hallen, Assistant City Manager Manpreet Kaur – Chair Bruce Freemen
Bob Smith
Special Meeting of the Planning and Development Committee of the City Council – City of Bakersfield Tuesday, November 1, 2022, 12:00 p.m. - Page 2
b. Non-Agenda Item Public Statements
None
3. ADOPT August 22, 2023, AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
Motion by Committee Member Smith for approval of minute.
Motion unanimously approved.
4. REPORTS
None
5. DEFERRED BUSINESS
a. Update on Chronic Nuisance and Properties Progress and Consideration of Vacant Building Registry Ordinance
(Staff recommends receive and file report and provide direction) Phil Burns spoke regarding 5a.
Motion by Committee Member Smith to move item a. to full Council.
Motion unanimously approved.
b. Discussion of Short-term rental property policy
(Staff recommends receive and file report and provide direction) Gary Hallen and Dustin Reilich spoke regarding 5 b.
Motion by Committee Member Smith to bring back a Redline ordinance, including what the top 10 cities are doing.
Motion passed with Committee Member Freeman voting no.
6. NEW BUSINESS
None
7. COMMITTEE COMMENTS
Chair Kaur confirmed the cancelation of the regular planning and development meeting on 12//7/2024.
8. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:34 p.m.
___________________________________
Manpreet Kaur, CHAIR
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Special Meeting of the Planning and Development Committee of the City Council – City of Bakersfield Tuesday, November 1, 2022, 12:00 p.m. - Page 3
ATTEST:
___________________________________
JULIE DRIMAKIS, MMC
CITY CLERK and Ex Officio Clerk of
the Council of the City of Bakersfield
MEMORANDUM
February 8, 2024
TO: PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Manpreet Kaur, Chair
Bruce Freeman
Bob Smith
FROM: Christopher Boyle, Development Services Director
SUBJECT: General Plan/Housing Element Update Progress Report
This report is intended to provide information on the current status of the General Plan and 6 th Cycle Housing Element update. The last report to the Planning and Development Committee occurred on February 9, 2023.
EXISTING GENERAL PLAN
In accordance with California Government Code Section 65300, the City and the County of Kern jointly adopted the Metropolitan Bakersfield General Plan (“MBGP”) and certified the associated programmatic Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) in 2002 to plan for the long-term future development of the Metropolitan Bakersfield area.
The 2002 MBGP included an update to the text of the previous 1990 General Plan and made minor revisions to the land-use map designations that had originally been prepared in the late 1980's. Staff prepared text changes “in-house” and a consultant assisted in preparation of the EIR. The MBGP contains seven elements as were required by state law, including Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Open Space, Noise, and Safety. Two additional optional elements, a Public Services and Facilities Element and Parks Element, reflect the specific needs and objectives of the City. The MBGP also includes a reservation for the “Kern River Plan Element,” which was jointly adopted by the City and County in 1985. The Kern River Plan Element was subsequently adopted in 2007 with separate supporting environmental documentation.
GENERAL PLAN AND HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE
History
In January 2020, the City Council approved a contract with Rincon Consultant Inc. (“Rincon”) for $49,764.00 to prepare a General Plan Update Strategy and Options Report , which was presented to the Planning and Development Committee, Planning Commission , and City Council during the summer of 2020. The City Council directed staff to prepare a comprehensive General Plan update. A programmatic EIR w ill accompany the comprehensive update.
On October 21, 2021, the Council approved an Independent Contractor's Agreement with Rincon Consultants, Inc. ($2,766,189) for the preparation of a General Plan update, associated zone mapping, and associated environmental document; and an Agreement with Rincon Consultants, Inc . ($298,541) for the preparation of a Housing Element update and associated environmental document. The kick-off meeting occurred on 11/30/21.
2023The Last Year
It has been almost exactly one year since the last update. Efforts associated with the General Plan. The past year could be described as a Visioning year. Workshops associated with envisioning the future of Bakersfield were held in a series of in-person and on-line workshop events while the Bakersfield2025 website hosted a “Think Big” survey that reached over 800 respondents. The Visioning efforts were summarized in the release of the Vision Statement.
After the Visioning efforts were completed, the Land Use Alternatives outreach efforts were initiated. Those efforts will continue into this new year.
Approximately one year ago , a comprehensive study of where the City is today was released in the Existing Conditions Background Report (ECBR). The ECBR provides a snapshot of Bakersfield as of 2022 – everything from land use and mobility patt erns, to economic conditions, to natural and cultural resources, and other physical, environmental, and quality of life topics. The ECBR lays out the foundational understanding of Bakersfield and its community.
In total, almost 30 outreach events have bee n held to date with almost 1500 individual respondents. The Bakersfield 2045 RISE website (www.bakersfield2045.com) continues to be the receptacle for all things Bakersfield General Plan and Housing Element.
The 1st Draft 6th Cycle Housing Element was submitted to the Cal ifornia Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in the fall of last year and the City is currently preparing a 2 nd Draft responsive to HCD comments for anticipated submittal in spring of this year. Staff will continue efforts toward an approved document. In conjunction with Housing Element efforts, an update of the City’s residential zoning ordinance is nearing presentation to the Planning Commission and City Council while annexations and rezoning specific to the Housing Element vacant sites inventory are on a similar path. The City is currently in noncompliance with State law since the 6th Cycle Housing Element was not approved by HCD by the end of 2023.
2024?The Next Year
In the upcoming year, the completion of Land Use Alternatives will then signal pop-up events while the consultant begins analysis of the alternatives in advance of a Study Session #2 focused on a preferred land use alternative.
Key Policy Working Papers aligned to the preferred land use alternative will be drafted beginning in the late spring into early summer. Policy workshops will support Study Session #3, followed by additional stakeholder interviews.
An Administrative Draft General Plan is currently targeted for completion in the fall of 2024.
Staff will continue to collaborate with Rincon and HCD in attaining an approved 6 th Cycle Housing Element, with hopes for success before the end of the year. It is essential that the residential zoning ordinance updates, vacant site inventory rezoning, and the Regional Housing Needs Allocation driven annexations are completed as soon as possible to enhance the potential for HCD certification.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that your Committee digest the information within this report and any testimony associated with the Committee meeting itself and receive and file this informational report . CEQA analysis will not be completed as part of this report as there is no project associated with the preparation of this report per the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
NEXT STEPS
The information provided is informational in nature, recommended the committee to receive and file.
MEMORANDUM
February 8, 2024
TO: PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Manpreet Kaur, Chair
Bruce Freeman
Bob Smith
FROM: Christopher Boyle, Development Services Director
SUBJECT: Downtown Housing Capacity Analysis
This report aims to lay the groundwork for a presentation on the potential for downtown Bakersfield to accommodate a growth of 10,000 residents. The presentation will be delivered by Mr. Eric Bagwell, Senior Project Manager at ECONorthwest.
OVERVIEW
A goal of City Council is to increase the number of residents living in downtown Bakersfield by 10,000 by the year 2030. In response, ECONorthwest was tasked to provide a Downtown Capacity Analysis by: (1) defining a specific study area; (2) identifying the current downtown population; (3) collect ing market data and identifying infill prototypes; (4) assessing market value of developable land; and (4) test ing the financial feasibility of prototypes and estimate feasible resident capacity of new development.
To realize this goal, the Downtown Housing Capacity Analysis recommends: (1) strategically up -zoning lower- density portions of downtown; (2) providing incentives for more residential in the C-B zone; (3) leveraging City or other publicly owned parcels to catalyze development; and (4) devis ing an infrastructure strategy to support downtown development.
RECOMMENDATION
The information provided is informational in nature. No action by the Committee is required.