REGULAR MEETING OF THE September 23, 2026
CULVER CITY 7:00 p.m.
PLANNING COMMISSION
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
Chair Carter called the regular meeting of the Culver City Planning Commission to order at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers and online.
Present: Jen Carter, Chair
Jeanne Black, Vice Chair
Stephen Jones, Commissioner
Darrel Menthe, Commissioner
Alexander van Gaalen, Commissioner
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Ruth Martin del Campo, Current Planning Secretary, reported that Christina Burrows, Assistant City Attorney, had joined the meeting virtually.
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Pledge of Allegiance
Chair Carter led the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Public Comment - Items NOT on the Agenda
Chair Carter invited public comment.
The following members of the public addressed the Commission:
Debbie Gambino presented photographs taken by a drone
photographer; discussed Braddock and Lafayette; the threat of the proposed building to the neighborhood, pedestrians and the school; the fence made so that people could not see through to the children; the direct view into the playground; lack of privacy; proximity to the Police Department and the Planning Commission
September 23, 2026
Happyland Preschool; line of sight issues for drivers exiting the alley; the blind corner coming from Lafayette; and she asked the Planning Commission to look into concerns.
T. Cooper was called to speak but was not present in Council Chambers or online.
Max Korman presented a video of Lafayette and Braddock at the only entrance to the proposed massive apartment complex; discussed the alley entrance and exit point; noted an attempt to waive the standard traffic study; asserted that the
situation was a disaster waiting to happen; and stated that as the administrator of the Instagram page, anyone who
approved of the project would have their name associated with the building.
Commissioner Menthe received clarification from staff that the matter was scheduled for their consideration at the second Planning Commission meeting in October.
Raaj Shankla indicated supporting SB 79 to increase housing and affordability; discussed walking his daughter to school every day at Linwood Howe; issues with the proposed
development location; vantage points into Linwood Howe, Happyland Preschool and the Police Department; modifications required of the Amazon project to protect the school; lack of modifications required for the proposed project at Braddock and Lafayette; traffic flow; the current bottleneck;
autonomous vehicles clogging up the area; the poorly designed project; traffic flow directed back into the neighborhood; the pedestrian walkway; concern about something happening to the children; and the responsibility of the Planning
Commission if the project is approved.
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Receipt of Correspondence
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER JONES, SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR BLACK AND
UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECEIVE AND FILE CORRESPONDENCE.
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Planning Commission
September 23, 2026
Consent Calendar
Item C-1
Approval of Draft Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of July 22, 2026
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER MENTHE AND SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR BLACK
THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVE THE DRAFT PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES OF JULY 22, 2026.
THE MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: BLACK, CARTER, MENTHE
NOES: NONE
ABSTAIN: JONES, VAN GAALEN
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Order of the Agenda
No changes were made.
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Public Hearings
Item PH-1
Consideration of a City-initiated Zoning Code Amendment (P2026-0196-ZCA) to Adopt an Exemption pursuant to CEQA Section 15183; Amend the Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) Chapter 17.320, Off-Street Parking and Loading, to Implement Citywide Maximum Parking Ratios for New Development and Redevelopment Projects
Gabriel Barreras, Senior Planner, presented a draft
resolution to introduce an ordinance establishing parking maximums, or caps on future developments or redevelopments; provided background on parking reform; discussed the General Plan Mobility Element; justification for parking maximums; results of the parking maximums study; focus group results; proposed standards; parking ratios; complementary strategies; the CEQA exemption; and the staff recommendation.
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September 23, 2026
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER JONES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MENTHE
AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
Chair Carter invited public comment.
The following members of the public were called to speak:
Jonah Wilkins
Travis Morgan
Robert Coombs
Ruth Martin del Campo, Current Planning Secretary, reported issues while calling speakers on Zoom noting that staff would continue to monitor the issue.
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER MENTHE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER VAN
GAALEN AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
Chair Carter indicated that the public hearing would be reopened for comment when issues were resolved.
Discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding support for parking maximums; parking design and layout guidelines; the intent to change minimums to maximums; revise language and standards that only pertains to minimums;
parking size; figures from the code regarding parking space location; enforcement; interpretation of constraints from the new parking maximums; and necessary revisions in order for the change to have any real effect.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding adding to the maximum allowable in a graphic format; lack of physical constraints as currently written; concern that the item is a solution in search of a problem; buildings with less than the old minimums; market forces that constrain behavior; difficulty recapturing parking as a rental cost; risk of damaging pro-housing policies by imposing an
arbitrary maximum; lack of evidence that changes would reduce Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT); changing the hardscape that would require design guidelines; and risks with the proposed amendment.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding Administrative Use Permits (AUPs); the ability to add language to the resolution to indicate that
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September 23, 2026
substantiation of demonstrated need for an increase is
required; 10% vs. 5% as is used by Santa Monica; development pipeline reports; 23% of projects that would need to exceed the maximum by approximately 11%; efforts to encourage less VMT and follow direction of the General Plan by using 10% as a figure to achieve moving forward; a suggestion to add language to indicate that “5%, or two spaces, whichever is greater” would cover most situations; appreciation for the thoughtful work of staff; evidence that parking spaces can reduce VMT; efforts of developers to balance getting
financing and satisfying community members and the Planning Commission; and effect of the changes.
Discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding adjustments to language to ensure there is no room for
misinterpretation; guidelines intended for different
situations; parking maximums intended for new development and redevelopment; existing developments in compliance with old regulations; the importance of keeping old standards in place; examination of site plans to clarify out of the
ordinary scenarios and ensure that things are being built as they are intended; the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) in Santa Monica vs. the Administrative Use Permit (AUP) in Culver City; and the feeling that bringing things to the Planning
Commission gets in the way.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding difficulty making policy in the current
environment; planning for the future because not much is currently being built; data to inform decision making; market forces discourage developers from building excess parking; the study indicating that small residential projects went over the limit; under-utilized public parking garages in the downtown area; size of outdoor surface parking lots; a request for Planning Commission feedback on complementary approaches; next steps; parking dimension standards; the Standing
Mobility Subcommittee; investing money in parking that might not be needed; incentives in larger-scale projects; support for allowing overnight parking permits in pubic garages; parking above Best Buy; under-utilized parking in the evening in Culver City; creation of an incentive for shared parking; fee restructuring; and going one step at a time.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding support for limiting parking to achieve climate goals; equity; a suggestion to set maximum allowable parking for residential uses at two spots per dwelling unit regardless Planning Commission
September 23, 2026
of number of bedrooms; the inability to equate large houses with larger families; people who get the housing that they can afford, not what they need; limiting parking quantity based on dwelling units; Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs); the current addition of a parking space for an additional
structure whether it is a dwelling unit or not; ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and aging in place legislation that require minimums; reasonable accommodation; ADA requirements as taking precedent over anything in the zoning code; current California Building Code and local Municipal Code include provisions for ADA and reasonable accommodations; a
suggestion to change the title of the ordinance from Number of Parking Spaces Required to Number of Parking Spaces
Permitted; and clarification on references to square footage throughout the ordinance to make it clear that floor area is being referenced for calculating maximum parking ratios.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners to remove language in the section for convenience stores
indicating a minimum of 8 spaces; clubs, lodges and private meeting halls; standalone facilities; parking for retail and services in mixed-use residential development; formulation of a composite maximum for mixed use sites; calculations based on usage type; the general retail category; making a
determination up to the Certification of Occupancy;
establishing the number that cannot be exceeded; commercial parking permitted separately as a standalone use;
enforcement; and modernizing parking requirements for
healthcare facilities.
Discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding support for pursuit of complementary strategies; limiting new curb cuts and driveways; incentives for shared parking; support for limits to surface parking; inclusion of the requirement that justification of additional parking is necessary in the ordinance regarding the AUP; appreciation for the feedback; carrying suggestions forward to inform decisions by the Standing Mobility Subcommittee and the City Council; and inclusion of the AUP in the actual description of the ordinance.
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER JONES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER VAN
GAALEN AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
The following members of the public addressed the Planning Commission:
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September 23, 2026
Travis Morgan expressed appreciation to staff for their efforts to allow public comment; discussed under-utilization of parking lots along Hannum Avenue across from 5757 and 5700; private shared parking agreements; providing incentives or requirements to engage in shared parking arrangements; and empty parking spaces adjacent to entitled projects.
Robert Coombs thanked Commissioners for their service;
indicated living on Lafayette; noted that parking maximums did not eliminate cars, but rather forced them on to
residential streets; expressed concern with equity; discussed shifting the burden on to existing street parking and making it difficult for those not served by public transit; delivery drivers and guests; providing flexible, market-driven options reflecting how people actually live; creation of an
artificial parking shortage; developer response; the one size fits all solution that does not allow flexibility; the need to allow market forces to work properly; addressing market needs to make a project successful; and he asked that
neighborhoods be kept accessible.
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER MENTHE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER VAN
GAALEN AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER JONES AND SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR BLACK THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION: ADOPT RESOLUTION 2026-P006
RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT AN EXEMPTION
PURSUANT TO CEQA SECTION 15183 AND AMEND THE CULVER CITY MUNICIPAL CODE (CCMC) CHAPTER 17.320 OFF STREET PARKING AND
LOADING TO IMPLEMENT CITY-WIDE MAXIMUM PARKING RATIOS FOR NEW
DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AS DETAILED IN EXHIBIT A INCLUDING AMENDMENTS AS DISCUSSED.
THE MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: BLACK, CARTER, JONES, VAN GAALEN
NOES: MENTHE
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Public Comment - Items NOT on the Agenda (Continued)
Chair Carter invited public comment.
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September 23, 2026
Ruth Martin del Campo, Current Planning Secretary, indicated that no requests to speak had been received.
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Items from Planning Commissioners/Staff
Chair Carter thanked everyone for their patience with her first meeting as Chair; noted earlier comments about an upcoming contentious project; asserted that everyone was working in good faith; she did not want anyone on the
Commission to feel bullied or threatened; acknowledged
concerns; and she reminded everyone that they were all
neighbors.
Emily Stadnicki, Planning and Development Director,
congratulated the new Chair and Vice Chair; thanked the past Chair for their leadership; announced that Peer Chacko had been promoted from Senior Planner to Current Planning
Manager; reported that Ruth Martin del Campo had received an Outstanding Performance Award at the City’s Employee
Recognition event in late July and expressed appreciation for her work; she reported that she would be out of town for the next Commission meeting, but Peer Chacko would handle her duties; and she discussed dates for upcoming Planning
Commission meetings.
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Planning Commission
September 23, 2026
Adjournment
There being no further business, at 8:19 p.m., the Culver City Planning Commission adjourned to a meeting to be held on October 14, 2026.
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_____________________________________________________________
RUTH MARTIN DEL CAMPO
SECRETARY of the CULVER CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
APPROVED ____________________
_____________________________________________________________
JENNIFER CARTER
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