1 RESOLUTION NO. PC 05-2025
RESOLUTION OF THE FORT BRAGG PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL:
A. ADOPT AN ORDINANCE AMENDING DIVISION 17 OF THE FORT BRAGG MUNICIPAL CODE (LCP 1-25) TO AMEND CHAPTER 17.36 “PARKING AND LOADING” TO 1) MODIFY MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND 2) AMEND THE PARKING REGULATION OF THE CLUDC TO MATCH CHANGES ALREADY APPROVED FOR THE ILUDC BY CITY COUNCIL; AND 2) AMEND CHAPTER 17.35 “LANDSCAPING STANDARDS” TO ADDRESS
INCONSISTENCIES IN LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS FOR PARKING LOTS.
B. ADOPT AN ORDINANCE AMENDING DIVISION 18 OF THE FORT BRAGG MUNICIPAL CODE (ILUDC 1-25) TO AMEND CHAPTER 18.36 “PARKING AND LOADING” TO: 1) MODIFY MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND 2) AMEND CHAPTER 18.35 “LANDSCAPING STANDARDS” TO ADDRESS INCONSISTENCIES IN LANDSCAPING
REQUIREMENTS FOR PARKING LOTS.
C. PURSUE ALTERNATIVE POLICY OPTIONS TO OBTAIN FOUR ADDITIONAL POINTS FOR THE PRO-HOUSING DESIGNATION.
WHEREAS, California Constitution Article XI, Section 7, enables the City of Fort Bragg (the “City”) to enact local planning and land use regulations; and WHEREAS, the authority to adopt and enforce zoning regulations is an exercise of the City’s police power to protect the public health, safety, and welfare; and WHEREAS, the City of Fort Bragg (“City”) adopted a General Plan in 2002 which established policies for all lands within Fort Bragg city limits and its sphere of influence; and
WHEREAS, the City adopted an Inland General Plan and certified an Environmental Impact Report Addendum (“EIR Addendum”) for the General Plan on December 2, 2012; and
WHEREAS, the City adopted an Inland Land Use and Development Code and Negative Declaration on February 10, 2014; and
WHEREAS, the adoption of an Inland Land Use and Development Code is necessary to: 1) provide a regulatory framework for implementation of the Inland General Plan; 2) to implement new State planning and land use requirements; and 3) update zoning regulations in accordance with City Council policy direction; and WHEREAS, the City adopted a Coastal General Plan (“Coastal GP”) as the Land Use Plan portion of the Local Coastal Program on May 12, 2008 which established policies for all land within the Fort Bragg Coastal Zone; and
WHEREAS, in August 2008 the California Coastal Commission certified the City’s Local Coastal Program (LCP) which includes the Coastal GP as the Land Use Plan; and Docusign Envelope ID: 37B96F7B-6984-4D14-9430-F5D605FE8EEF 2 WHEREAS, The City Council adopted Resolution 3162-2008 on May 12, 2008 adopting the Coastal General Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City adopted a Coastal Land Use and Development Code in 2008 as the implementing portion of the Local Coastal Program on May 12, 2008, which established all land use regulations for the Coastal Zone; and WHEREAS, the Coastal General Plan includes policies to: (1) advance the orderly growth and development of the City’s Coastal Zone; (2) protect coastal resources; (3) incorporate sustainability into the development process so that Fort Bragg’s coastal resources and amenities are preserved for future generations; (4) respond to current environmental and infrastructure constraints; (5) protect the public health, safety and welfare; and (6) promote fiscally responsible development; and WHEREAS the City desires to ensure that residential development occurs in an orderly manner, in accordance with the goals and objectives of the General Plan and reasonable land use planning principles; and
WHEREAS, the City of Fort Bragg would like to achieve the Pro-Housing designation by the State of California, and the elimination of a minimum parking requirement is one avenue to obtain points towards that designation; and
WHEREAS, the City has adopted four ordinances which made many improvements to the Parking and Loading Section of the Inland Land Use and Development Code and the City desires to migrate these changes to the Coastal Land Use and Development Code; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b3), this project is exempt from CEQA by the commonsense exemption; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing on January 29, 2025 to consider the Zoning Code Amendment, accept public testimony and directed staff to revise the resolution recommending that the City Council adopt a zoning amendment to modify the City’s Parking regulations as follows:
1. Eliminate the recommendation to eliminate parking requirements for residential development, and
2. Provide alternative Pro-housing policy recommendations.
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing on February 26, 2025 to consider the Zoning Code Amendment, accept public testimony and further directed staff to revise the minimum parking requirements to match those in State Density Bonus Law.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED pursuant to Fort Bragg Municipal Code Section 17.94.040 and Section 17.94.060 the following findings are the Planning Commissions reasons for recommending amendments to the Fort Bragg Coastal Land Use and Development Code:
a. The proposed amendment is consistent with the General Plan, Coastal Element 9 Docusign Envelope ID: 37B96F7B-6984-4D14-9430-F5D605FE8EEF 3 Housing Element, including Coastal Element Policy H-2.5, and any applicable specific plan; and
b. The proposed amendment would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or welfare of the City and seeks to be consistent with recently adopted State Laws, including Assembly Bills 68, 587, 671, 345 and 881 and Senate Bill 13; and
c. The proposed amendment is internally consistent with other applicable provisions of Division 17 and the Fort Bragg Coastal Land Use and Development Codes; and d. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and made a part of this Resolution; and e. The documents and other material constituting the record for these proceedings are located at the Community Development Department.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED pursuant to Fort Bragg Municipal Code Section 18.94.040 and Section 18.94.060 the following findings are the Planning Commissions reasons for recommending amendments to the Fort Bragg Inland Land Use and Development Code:
a. The proposed amendment is consistent with the General Plan Policies and Programs, including Policy H-1.3 Secondary Dwelling Units; and any applicable specific plan; and
b. The proposed ILUDC 1-25 amendment would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or welfare of the City as it intends amendments to be consistent with recently adopted State laws; and c. The proposed amendment ILUDC 1-25 is internally consistent with other applicable provisions of the Inland Land Use Development Code, including its Chapters 18.42, 18.71, 18.100, and others; and
d. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and made a part of this Resolution; and
e. The documents and other material constituting the record for these proceedings are located at the Community Development Department.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Fort Bragg Planning Commission, based on the entirety of the record before it, which includes without limitation, CEQA, Public Resources Code §21000, et seq. and State CEQA Guidelines, 14 California Code of Regulations §15000, et seq.; the Fort Bragg Coastal General Plan; the Fort Bragg Coastal Land Use and Development Code; State law; all reports and public testimony submitted as part of the Planning Commission meeting of January 29, 2025 and Planning Commission deliberations; and any other evidence (within the meaning of Public Resources Code §21080(e) and §21082.2);
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Fort Bragg Planning Commission does hereby recommend the City Council:
1. Adopt an Ordinance Amending Division 17 of the Fort Bragg Municipal Code (LCP 1-25) to Amend Chapter 17.36 “Parking And Loading” to: 1 Reduce Minimum Parking Requirements for Residential Uses; 2) Amend the Parking Regulation of The CLUDC to Match the Changes that have Already been Approved for the ILUDC by City Council; and 3) Address Inconsistencies in Landscaping Requirements for Parking Lots.
Docusign Envelope ID: 37B96F7B-6984-4D14-9430-F5D605FE8EEF 4 2. Adopt an Ordinance Amending Division 18 of the Fort Bragg Municipal Code (ILUDC 1-25) to Amend Chapter 18.36 “Parking And Loading” to: 1) Reduce Minimum Parking Requirements for Residential Uses; and 2) Address Inconsistencies in Landscaping Requirements for Parking Lots.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Fort Bragg Planning Commission does hereby recommend that the City Council pursue the following alternative policy options to obtain four additional points for the Pro-Housing Designation.
1. 2D. Establishment of permitting processes that take less than four months to complete. Policies under this category must address all approvals necessary to issue building permits. (Newly Achieved!) 2 points;
2. 2I. Establishment of one-stop-shop permitting processes or a single point of contact where entitlements are coordinated across the city approval functions (e.g., planning, public works, building) from entitlement application to certificate of occupancy. (Newly Achieved) 1 point; and
3. 2L. Documented practice of publicly posting status updates on project permit approvals on the internet. 1 Point; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its passage and adoption.
The above and foregoing Resolution was introduced by Vice Chair Neils seconded by Commissioner Turner, and passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Planning Commission of the City of Fort Bragg held on the 26th day of February 2025, by the following vote:
AYES: Stavely, Neils, Bushnell, Turner, Jensen
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
RECUSE: None
David Jensen, Chair
ATTEST:
Maria Flynn, Administrative Assistant
Docusign Envelope ID: 37B96F7B-6984-4D14-9430-F5D605FE8EEF