REGULAR MEETING OF THE August 24, 2022
CULVER CITY 7:00 p.m.
PLANNING COMMISSION
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
Chair Barba announced that at least a portion of the meeting would be conducted pursuant to California Government Code Section 54953 in that Commissioner Jones would be participating by speaker phone, in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act and his teleconference location had been identified in the notice and agenda for the meeting.
Chair Barba called the regular meeting of the Culver City Planning Commission to order at 7:03 p.m. in Council Chambers and via Webex.
Present: Nancy Barba, Chair
Ed Ogosta, Vice Chair
Jennifer Carter, Commissioner
Stephen Jones, Commissioner*
Andrew Reilman, Commissioner
*Commissioner Jones joined the meeting remotely from 11 Ocean Way, Cottage 22, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
Ruth Martin del Campo, Administrative Secretary, received clarification from Commissioner Jones that he could hear the meeting clearly; he had a copy of the agenda for the meeting; a copy of the agenda was posted at his location; there were no members of the public present and wanting to speak at
Commissioner Jones’s location; she asked any member of the Commission to speak up if they were not able to hear Commissioner Jones and no Commissioner indicated that they could not hear Commissioner Jones, nor did they indicate that there was any reason to doubt that was Commissioner Jones taking part in the teleconference; and she indicated that all votes would be taken by roll call during the meeting.
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Pledge of Allegiance
Chair Barba led the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director, indicated that he was participating remotely and that due to his plans to retire, the meeting would be his last Planning Commission meeting.
Commissioners thanked Mr. Blumenfeld for his service and guidance over the years.
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Public Comment - Items NOT on the Agenda
Chair Barba invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the Commission:
Andrew Weissman reported serving on the Selection Committee when Sol Blumenfeld first came to the City; discussed his work with Mr. Blumenfeld; the active Redevelopment Agency working on many projects during his tenure; the dissolution process of the Redevelopment Agency by the state; projects built; and he expressed appreciation to Mr. Blumenfeld for his efforts and service to the City.
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Receipt of Correspondence
Ruth Martin del Campo, Administrative Secretary, indicated that correspondence for Item PH-1 and PH-2 had been routed to Commissioners and staff prior to the meeting.
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Consent Calendar
Item C-1
Approval of Draft Planning Commission Meeting Minutes for July 13, 2022
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER OGOSTA AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER
CARTER THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVE THE DRAFT
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES FOR JULY 13, 2022.
THE MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: BARBA, CARTER, JONES, OGOSTA
NOES: NONE
ABSTAIN: REILMAN
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Order of the Agenda
No changes were made.
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Public Hearing Item
Item PH-1
PC - Consideration of a Site Plan Review & Density and Other Bonus Incentives, to Allow Construction of a 104-unit
residential mixed -use development with ground floor
commercial uses at 12727 Washington Boulevard (Project) Erika Ramirez, Current Planning Manager, introduced the item.
Jose Mendivil, Associate Planner, provided a summary of the material of record.
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER REILMAN, SECONDED BY CHAIR BARBA AND
UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
Kevin Read, Bastion Development, provided background on the company; expressed best wishes to Sol Blumenfeld on his retirement; discussed the history of the project; design iterations; work with the City to address issues; best
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addressing the site; the shared jurisdiction of the site spanning both Culver City and Los Angeles; density; height; massing; architecture; setbacks; materials; required open space; amenities; screening; the unit mix; floor plans; zoning and design; separation of distinct uses; retail; neighborhood serving uses; parking; ingress and egress; and sustainability features.
Chair Barba invited public input.
The following members of the public addressed the Commission:
Ilan Levin discussed new development that improves the area; concerns with traffic; and he asked about the mix of low - income units.
Arturo Levin expressed concern with height, density, massing, parking, and he noted the lack of guest parking.
Alex Tabri zi indicated that he was available to answer questions as the Traffic and Parking Engineer for the project.
Michael Miller discussed issues with trucks and deliveries related to the previous occupation of the site by the 99 Cent Store; the need to address ingress and egress issues;
differences between the Los Angeles side and the Culver City side; and concern with the proposal for increased activity with limited access.
Joe Fuchs, Southwest Regiona l Council of Carpenters,
discussed environmental impacts of the project; felt that the City should require that the project be built utiliz ing a local skilled and trained workforce ; cited the California Workforce Development Board report entitled: Putting
California on the High Road: A Jobs and Action Plan for 2030; the actions of other cities to adopt trained workforce
requirements in their General Plan; minimizing Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT); and he stated the project should not be considered a Transit Priority Project (TPP) because of the failure to demonstrate it as high transit priority and failure to mitigate for noise.
Arturo Levin questioned whether the project had made any mitigations to address energy and water consumption related concerns in the state and in Los Angeles with the increased number of units in the project.
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Discussion ensued between project representatives, staff, and Commissioners regarding maneuverability of vehicles and deliveries with a neighboring property; lack of a loading dock for the 99 Cent Store; efforts to shield the neighborhood from the parking; internalization of loading; the renderings; maintenance; use of materials that blend with the adjacent buildings; agreement by project representatives to work with staff to tone down the colors; proposed alternative colors; aesthetics; finish type; a suggestion to provide a large mockup; the viability of taking the extra parking spaces off of ground level; ability to lease the space; the convenience of on-grade parking; HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) spaces for employees; the Uber pick up area; bike racks; bike parking requirements for the Los Angeles part of the plan;
flexibility; mixed use projects; clarification that the retail is located in Culver City but not in Los Angeles; ground floor retail; changes to the retail i ndustry;
opportunities to provide more on-street parking; EV (Electric Vehicle) charging stations; LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation, qualification, and certification; costs; Reach Codes; all-electric construction; potential cost savings; all electric building operations and not relying on gas in the building; and future changes.
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER CARTER, SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR OGOSTA
AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding technical difficulties with the display; leveraging the state density bonus; issues related to joint
jurisdiction; passive design ; the need for more off -street bike parking for retail; the updated Housing Element;
residential ground floor usage; support for going down to minimum parking levels to provide more bike parking; density along the corridors; transit-friendly development; perpetual affordability covenants; eliminating the concern about
tenants from the decision -making process; the Sustainable Community Density bonus; adherence to requirements; efforts to decrease parking requirements; induced demand; changing the community feel; agreement by the applicant to work with staff regarding materials and color, as well as to convert one ground level commercial parking space to a short term, commercial bicycle parking space and one commercial basement parking space to long-term commercial bicycle parking space; and concern that the parking concessions did not go far enough.
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MOVED BY COMMISSIONER REILMAN AND SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR
OGOSTA THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVE A SITE PLAN REVIEW
SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL, ADMINISTRATIVE USE PERMIT
AND ADOPT A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PROJECT EXEMPTION AND
RECOMMEND CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF DENSITY AND OTHER BONUS
INCENTIVES INCLUDING REVISIONS TO THE SITE PLAN REVIEW
MATERIALS AS WELL AS THE BICYCLE PARKING CONFIGURATION.
THE MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: BARBA, JONES, OGOSTA, REILMAN
NOES: CARTER
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Item PH-2
PC - Consideration of a City-Initiated Zoning Code Amendment (P2022-0234-ZCA), Amending the Zoning Code as it Relates to Minimum Required On-Site Parking, Automated Parking/Parking Stackers, Bicycle Parking, and Loading and Providing a
Recommendation to the City Council
Erika Ramirez, Current Planning Manager, introduced the item.
Gabriela Silva, Associate Planner, and Andrea Fleck, Planning Technician, provided a summary of the material of record.
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER REILMAN, SECONDED BY CHAIR BARBA AND
UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
Chair Barba invited public input.
The following members of the public addressed the Commission:
Bubba Fish, Advisory Committee on Housing and Homelessness (ACHH) Vice Chair, expressed appreciation to staff for their work on the zoning code amendment; discussed equity; the ACHH recommendation to abolish parking minimums and establish parking maximums near transit; City Council direction; the importance of establishing a parking cap; environmental and safety issues created by excess parking; the length of time for meani ngful parking maximum options to be available; DRAFT
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developers catering to the top of the market ; impacts to affordable housing; and he asked the Commission to move forward with passing the amendments.
Jeanne Black provided background on herself; discussed her mobility issues; maintenance of existing parking; reduced costs for new housing; those who do not drive being stuck subsidizing the cost of driving for those who do; gradual changes to parking in the City; application of rules to new development only; encouraging Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) construction; making it safe for those who choose alternative transit options; and she expressed support for adoption of the proposed resolution to reduce reliance on the automobile.
Carl Fleisher was called to speak but did not respond.
Kelly Kent expressed appreciation for the work put into the process; support for moving forward with the staff
recommendations; and she noted the impact of parking on housing, climate, and quality of life.
Till Steger s commended staff for the recommendation;
expressed support for the elimination of parking minimums; and wanted to see increased bicycle parking.
Carl Fleisher expressed appreciation to staff for creating the amendment and support for the recommendation.
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER REILMAN, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER
CARTER AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
Discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding potential blind spots; unintended consequences; loading zone changes; non-residential uses; elimination of the exception allowing loading on the street; incorporating off -street loading requirements for residential projects into the
amendment; further consideration of loading zone standards under a separate amendment; the goal of removing minimums to make projects more affordable and reduce the incentive to have vehicles on the road; the need to impose a minimum loading space requirement; impacts to larger housing
projects; proposed loading requirements in the staff report; clarification that loading has its own section in the code; adding a provision to include an adequate loading space; discretionary cases; and thresholds for minimum loading DRAFT
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requirements; and incorporating an amendment into the second phase when bringing maximums forward.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding the difficulty and necessity of working with
parking minimums; determining the appropriate maximum number; concern with eliminating minimums altogether; providing a giveaway to some developers who will take advantage; pushing the burden of parking on to Ci ty streets and neighborhoods and off the site being developed; commercial and office projects; the profit incentive; maximizing the amount of rentable area; the recent vote to eliminate gasoline cars, but not all cars; concern with naivete in trusting developers and consequences for all citizens; the need to be realistic; 15 Minute Communities; City Council direction; Comprehensive Plans currently in effect; the ability to set future parking minimums in Comprehensive Plans ; clarifying that minimum requirements do not apply to existing Comprehensive Plans; replacing language to indicate notwithstanding minimum
requirements set forth in a Comprehensive Plan; notice and hearing requirements for modifications to approved
Comprehensive Plans; City Council purv iew; appreciation for the work of staff; confirmation that the Commission
recommendation to the City Council is on the actual ZCA ; historical context of Commission recommendations; new
viewpoints being brought into the Commission; support for increased bicycle parking; the need to provide protections; success with changes in other cities; proposed ZCA still allows parking or existing parking to remain the importance of sustainability; promoting de carbonization in building; removing parking minimums not seen as removing the carbon footprint of society; the small piece removed by eliminating parking minimums; hesitancy of the last applicant to remove parking; the feeling that change will be gradual; benefits for long -term developers; opposition from developers to parking maximums; building parking in order to get financing for projects; the belief that communities will feel impacts to affordability before impacts to parking; The Happy City by Charles Montgomery; the evolution of cities; things that impact carbon emissions; changing needs of the community and stakeholders; adding infill density; increasing walkability; reminder to those listening that this is eliminating minimums and doesn’t mean that no one gets to build parking; the Culver Crossroads development; lookback conditions; onsite parking DRAFT
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attendants; bicycle parking requirements; the Entitlement Review Process; the ability to require more ; the staff recommendation to approve the resolution with recent
revisions to include the additional bicycle parking
requirements; and clarification that the loading requirement would come back separately.
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER CARTER AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER JONES THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2022- P016 RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF ZONING CODE AMENDMENT P2022 -0234-ZCA RELATED TO OFF -STREET PARKING,
BICYCLE PARKING, AND LOADING STANDARDS WITH THE RECENT
REVISION TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL BICYCLE PARKING REQUIREMENTS AS PROPOSED BY STAFF.
THE MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: BARBA, CARTER, JONES
NOES: OGOSTA, REILMAN
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Public Comment - Items NOT on the Agenda (Continued)
Chair Barba invited public comment.
Ruth Martin del Campo, Administrative Secretary, reported that no requests to speak had been received.
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Items from Planning Commissioners/Staff
Erika Ramirez, Current Planning Manager, discussed upcoming agenda items; items for City Council consideration; and the upcoming meeting schedule for the remainder of 2022.
Vice Chair Ogosta received clarification that no meeting was scheduled for November 23, 2022.
Chair Barba invited the public to attend upcoming City meetings on Reach Codes and she announced an opportunity to provide public comment on a protected bike lane from Lincoln Boulevard in Venice to National in the city of Los Angeles.
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Erika Ramirez, Current Planning Manager, indicated that the Transportation Department would be able to provide additional information to interested parties.
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Adjournment
There being no further business, at 10:22 p.m., the Culver City Planning Commission adjourned to a regular meeting to be held on October 12, 2022.
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_____________________________________________________________
RUTH MARTIN DEL CAMPO
SECRETARY of the CULVER CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
APPROVED ____________________
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NANCY BARBA
CHAIR of the CULVER CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
Culver City, California
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that, on the date below written, these minutes were filed in the Office of the City Clerk, Culver City, California and constitute the Official Minutes of said meeting.
________________________ _________________________
Jeremy Bocchino Date
CITY CLERK
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