Del Mar City Council Meeting Agenda
VIA TELECONFERENCE ONLY
1050 Camino del Mar, Del Mar, California
April 18, 2022 City Council Meeting
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AFTER THE COUNCIL AGENDA
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1 April 18, 2022 Item 01
1 Melinda Gould
From: James Wang <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2022 5:03 PM
To: City Clerk Mail Box
Subject: April 18 Agenda: SAC Building Electrification Presentation Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Honorable Del Mar Mayor Worden and City Council:
At first glance, Building Electrification sounds wrong because it challenges some long-held beliefs.
Can we examine those beliefs and recognize that we may need to change them? Change is always difficult. But if technology and the world have changed, then we must acknowledge those changes and adapt to them.
As for Building Electrification, once we analyze what's changed and what's new, we soon realize that our previous beliefs are no longer valid. In fact, we can take advantage of new technologies that are well-suited to our new world.
Given the SAC presentation, rarely is the decision as easy as it is for BE: its benefits far outweigh its costs. If we re-examine long-held beliefs about electrification and we realize that they are no longer valid, there are no arguments against BE.
Some of the advantages of BE:
Quicker development
Reduced installation cost
Lower operating cost
Elimination of indoor toxic gases and fine particulate matter Increased public safety
Lowered fire risk
Climate change mitigation
And common beliefs about gas vs. electric are outdated and no longer valid:
X Methane space and water heating is cheaper
X Electric stoves are slow to turn on and off
X Gas stoves give provide more heat and give better control Over 50 California jurisdictions have approved Building Electrification ordinances. As required by the California Energy Commission (CEC), every one of these jurisdictions submitted a Cost Effectiveness Study (CES) showing how BE is economically advantageous. 1 April 18, 2022 Item 02
2 Our Climate Emergency, the health of our residents, plus the cost-savings combine into a compelling case for Building Electrification.
Since there are many reasons in favor of a Building Electrification ordinance and no valid ones against it, please proceed to adopt such an ordinance.
Thank you,
James Wang
2 April 18, 2022 Item 02
1 Melinda Gould
From: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2022 2:53 PM
To: City Clerk Mail Box
Subject: Red dot comment on 4/18 Agenda item #2
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
I am pleased to see the city of Del Mar is considering an ordinance to require new buildings to be all-electric. This is a common-sense, cost-effective policy that will future proof the city’s new buildings.
Agenda item #1 from the County of San Diego’s RDF report heartily recommends all-electric new construction, referring to it as a “low-regret” policy that should be pursued in the short term. The RDF report also mentions that this is costeffective and will mitigate potential stranded gas utility assets by minimizing unnecessary extensions of the gas pipeline system.
Cost-effectiveness studies for Del Mar’s climate zone are available for free, and numerous other resources can be leveraged to minimize staff costs.
It’s not hard for builders to change their construction techniques to be all-electric. The products are mature and there are many examples in the region, including high end designer homes, developers just need the nudge from leaders like you to make the change.
Thank you for your support to accelerate the efforts to establish an all-electric new construction ordinance in Del Mar. 3 April 18, 2022 Item 02
1 Melinda Gould
From: Peter Zahn <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2022 11:27 PM
To: City Clerk Mail Box
Subject: 4/18/22 Council Meeting, Agenda Item VIII(2) - SAC Building Electrification Ordinance Proposal
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Hello Honorable Mayor & Councilmembers --
Del Mar has a history of leadership on climate. The former Sustainability Advisory Board was known county-wide for its thoughtful, science-based development and consideration of climate initiatives.
The City Council has rightly declared a climate crisis, and joined the Clean Energy Alliance (CEA).
It’s widely known that among the best measures we can take to combat climate change are: (1) cleanse the energy supply of fossil fuels, and (2) electrify everything, especially energy, transportation and buildings. In the built environment, natural gas (aka "fossil gas") has harmful health and safety effects - in addition to potent GHG emissions.
Del Mar’s Sustainability Advisory Committee has recommended that the Council adopt an ordinance requiring electrification of all new buildings and substantial remodels.
I urge you to prioritize in the City’s Workplan a comprehensive all-electric building reach code ordinance. Our region and our planet need you to join the 50+ California cities that have taken action, and consider and adopt such an ordinance as soon as possible.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best wishes,
Peter Zahn
_____________________________________________
Peter Zahn
CEO, Futures Unbound
Former Deputy Mayor & Councilmember, Solana Beach;
Former Chair & Member, Solana Beach Climate Action Commission 4 April 18, 2022 Item 02
1 Melinda Gould
From: Harold Loyd <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2022 9:20 AM
To: City Clerk Mail Box
Subject: April 18 Agenda Item VIII #2 Building Electrification Presentation by the Sustainability Advisory Committee (SAC)
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Mayor and Council Members,
I am writing to voice my support for the recommendation being made by the SAC for the City of Del Mar to adopt a building electrification ordinance. Emissions from buildings are a major source of green house gasses in our region.
Eliminating new gas connections in our communities is one step that can be taken to address the climate crisis.
Please direct city staff to begin the process of developing an ordinance for building electrification for new buildings and remodeling of existing buildings in the city of Del Mar. I ask you to join Solana Beach, Encinitas and Carlsbad in these efforts to remove green house emissions from our homes and businesses. This action will not only assist in the fight against the worst effects of climate change but will also address health concerns by improving indoor air quality.
Thank you for your consideration.
Harold Standerfer
Member Sierra Club
Sent from my iPad
1 April 18, 2022 Item 02
1 April 18, 2022 Item 02
1 Melinda Gould
From: City Clerk Mail Box
Subject: FW: April 18 2022, Agenda Item VIII #2 Building Electrification Presentation by SAC From: Mary Yang
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2022 11:17 AM
To: City Clerk Mail Box <[email protected]>
Subject: April 18 2022, Agenda Item VIII #2 Building Electrification Presentation by SAC CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
City Clerk,
Please use the following communication as a red dot item. Please also redact my email contact before publishing. Thank you.
------------------
Honorable Mayor, and Council Members,
I am writing in support of the All-Electric Reach Code Ordinance being proposed by your Sustainability Advisory Committee (SAC). Here are some of the reasons why cities across the state are moving towards all-electric buildings. GHG reduction - Electricity from clean, renewable energy can be used to power our Buildings; Cutting methane from natural gas is the single biggest and fastest strategy for slowing down warming
Cost savings - Via lower energy bills and new home construction Health concerns - Improves public health by reducing combustion pollution that causes asthma and respiratory diseases
Safety - Eliminates fire and explosion risks caused by gas leaks, particularly with earthquakes
Creates - 100,000 new jobs in construction, HVAC installation, electrical work, energy efficiency, and load-management services
Energy efficiency - e.g. heat pumps water heaters are 2-5x more efficient than gas With regard to energy efficiency, much of the horrors of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is being funded by the world’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels. In February, Bill McKibben outlined his idea on Heat Pumps for Peace and Freedom . The idea is to use the Defense Production Act to build more heat-pumps for Europe. This creates more manufacturing jobs in the US, and helps Europeans decrease their reliance on Russian energy. Now, according to the Washington Post, the Whitehouse is now seriously considering this.
Honorable Mayor and Council Members, the actions of a small City can be so very widely impactful. Heat-pumps for heating and cooling, new induction cooktops and many other energy efficient appliances are readily available but unfamiliar to most. By accepting the SAC’s proposal, you would be helping to build consumer awareness and transforming the market towards more efficient and sustainable electric appliances. You would also be sending a message to Sacramento and the Country, to embrace clean renewable energy to power our homes. This is good for peace, good for our health, and good for the planet.
1 April 18, 2022 Item 02
2 Time is so critical – Both for Ukraine and the Climate Emergency. Please accept the SAC proposal and direct Staff to work towards an all-electric reach code ordinance ASAP.
Thank you.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mary M. Yang, Ph.D.
Board Secretary, Climate Action Campaign
Member, San Diego Building Electrification Coalition
Former Chair and Member, Solana Beach Climate Action Commission. 2 April 18, 2022 Item 02
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA QUESTIONS
APRIL 18, 2022
Item 6 – Phase I/II Planning Studies to Implement the City’s Housing Element
1. The Keyser Marston Associates (KMA) updated Scope of Work at page 1 still states: "Further, the City adopted the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update (HEU) on March 25, 2021, obtained comments from the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in July 2021, and plans to consider re-adoption of its HEU in December 2021" (Highlight added) This should be updated as the December 2021 re-adoption has occurred, and we are now in a 3rd cycle with HCD, no?
Answer: The amended KMA task order (KMA 2021-1) is intended only to clarify the three scenarios in the initial scope of services in order to help distinguish those services (paid for from the General Fund) from services covered by the supplemental task order (KMA 2022-1) that is being paid for by the HAP Grant. If the City Council chooses, additional clarifications can be incorporated.
2. The staff reports refer to "public sites." It's pretty clear from a reading that the reference is to the fairgrounds, the civic center, and the city lot on 28th street. Can staff confirm that the "public sites" being reviewed do NOT include the tennis courts or Shores Park?
Answer: That is correct, the “public sites” included in the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element sites inventory (Fairgrounds, Civic Center 10th Street, and 28th Street properties) are the only public sites that are being analyzed as part of the Phase I studies. Consistent with City Council direction, the tennis courts (Public Parkland zone) and Shores Park (Public Facilities zone) were explicitly excluded from consideration as prospective housing sites for the 6th Cycle Housing Element.
3. Will the scenarios on Accessory Dwelling Units include student housing opportunities?
Answer: The Phase II analysis of ADUs is specific to the types of incentives that will encourage property owners to enter into a contract with the City to deed restrict their ADU for rent to a low-income household. It is not focused on who meets the criteria for this type of rental. As a general rule, deed restricted low-income units can help the City meet the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) assigned to Del Mar, while student housing is generally not eligible to meet RHNA.
4. I recall from prior city studies that the city owns a number of "fragments" of City right-of-way (ROW) and other odds and ends of property. Are these being looked at for housing potential? Possibly as sites for sale with funds going to the housing fund? It seems they have a place in our housing programs even if just as a financing strategy. Does this part of the Scope 1 April 18, 2022 Items 6 and 7
address these fragments? Scattered Sites - 57 family units on scattered sites totaling 1.06 acres; and 83 family units on scattered sites totaling 1.56 acres.
Answer: The Phase I study of publicly owned sites is specific to the feasibility for development of affordable housing units on the sites included in the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element sites inventory (Fairgrounds, Civic Center 10th Street, and 28th Street properties). Potential development of right-of-way parcels with affordable housing is a separate analysis that is not part of this study. The “scattered sites” analysis refers to consideration of potential tax credit program options available if the Fairgrounds and City-owned sites identified are developed in combination with one another as part of a larger project.
5. Part of Steven Dalton & Associate’s (SDA) work is to identify zoning incentives to encourage affordable housing, but in reality it seems more like identifying impediments that can be removed. This part of their work is likely to generate controversy as it addresses loosening floor area ratio (FAR), height, parking and other constraints. In this context can the City identify current ADU law, and SB 9 (when it kicks in post CCC approval) as removing some impediments? It seems to me these state laws have already removed some impediments and that the City, and HCD, should acknowledge that fact.
Answer: The State laws applicable to ADUs and SB 9 will not produce any lower income affordable units in Del Mar; these laws will yield only above moderate and moderate units. The existing impediment to production of lower income units (identified during the Housing Element update process) is associated with the City’s existing zoning, which has not produced any multiple dwelling unit projects or affordable housing units. The City was required in the 6th Cycle Housing Element to address existing impediments and identify a variety of housing action programs that can facilitate production of lower income units.
As part of the Phase II studies, SDA and KMA are performing studies/analyses to assist the City satisfy these Housing Element program obligations (e.g., Program 1D Affordable Housing Overlay Zone and Program 1I Streamlining and Incentives for Affordable Housing). The zoning assessment and economic studies will help the City Council (through future public discussions and processes) select incentives, as appropriate, and determine whether to use an overlay zone as an implementation tool to limit those incentives only to select sites (i.e., sites in the Housing Element sites inventory). This is something that the City is committed to do per the adopted 6th Cycle Housing Element. A delay or modification (to not include analysis of potential incentives in the Phase II studies) is not recommended as it is would conflict with the City’s HAP Grant commitment and could further delay pending State certification of the 6th Cycle Housing Element. 2 April 18, 2022 Items 6 and 7
6. Will the SDA feasibility study focus on Del Mar's "standard" zoning and review process, or will it also address the feasibly of building ADUs and building under SB 9?
Answer: The Phase II feasibility studies are focused on the City’s existing zoning standards. SDA will be reviewing the zones the City identified in the 6th Cycle Housing Element sites inventory as potential sites for lower income units in the current cycle (e.g., North Commercial and Professional Commercial zones) and for future cycles (i.e., Central Commercial zone). As mentioned above, the State laws applicable to ADUs and SB 9 will not produce any lower income affordable units in Del Mar, which means they are relevant to the zoning assessment/feasibility study that the City is required to complete.
That being said, the City’s RHNA strategy in the 6th Cycle Housing Element identified a target of 15 deed restricted ADUs for lower income households as one component of that strategy and identified the ADU Pilot Program/incentive program as the means to achieving that target. Housing Element Program 2A requires the City incorporate additional incentives and/or program modifications to encourage participation in the program. The KMA Task Order (KMA 2022-2) will help the City satisfy this requirement by providing feasibility and financial analysis that can help the City Council (through future public discussions and processes) select incentives and program modifications to facilitate production of low income ADUs.
Item 7 – Update on City Phased COVID-19 Reopening Plan
1. The city owns the Library and the DMCB. How are these handled? Does the city, or the county library system, set rules for the library, including the Community Room which hosts events?
Answer: Although the City owns the Library building, the County Library operates the Library and manages all events that occur there in accordance with County guidelines and policies/practices.
2. Same for the Del Mar Community Building —does the City set the rules, or does the Foundation as the licensee for the building?
Answer: The Del Mar Foundation as the Licensee sets the rules for how visitors and staff use the space, not the City.
3 April 18, 2022 Items 6 and 7