City of Gonzales
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: January 17, 2023
FROM: Taven Kinison Brown, Community Development Director THROUGH: Carmen Gil, Interim City Manager
SUBJECT: Community Development Department Activity Report
BUILDING DIVISION ACTIVITY
From November 1, through December 31, 2022, (reporting 61 days) the city issued 33 permits from the Building Division for an ADU, reroofing, electrical associated with solar roof projects, plumbing, and a new sign permit for the remodel laundromat at 28 Forth). The estimated valuation of all improvements was $691,941.13.
BUSINESS LICENSES
The City presently has issued licenses for 253 businesses conducting business activities in the City of Gonzales. These licenses represent our long-standing agricultural businesses, downtown business, commercial district businesses, home occupation businesses, as well as consultants and other contractors who conduct business within the City.
CODE ENFORCEMENT
The City presently has several active Code Enforcement cases and other calls that we field responses to that do not rise to official “cases.” These cases involve rubbish in yards that need to be removed, vehicles parked on residential lawns, RVs not regularly moved, or RVs being connected to house utilities while in driveways and streets.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL PROJECTS
Mann Packing has expressed a desire to double the size of its Gonzales facility. Their architect is AGENDA
ITEM
6 advancing designs and site plans and on September 28, 2022, staff met face-to-face to discuss the matter.
Pending potential language adjustments in the City’s standard Reimbursement Agreement, Mann Packing may be ready to execute a Reimbursement Agreement soon. Such would allow the City to craft an RFP to begin an environmental review process while the project description gets further refined. Such a project will be dependent on the City’s infrastructure capacity to serve existing and future developments.
Staff has fielded a few calls regarding the HC Highway Commercial property on the corner of Fifth and Fanoe Road. There appears to be an interest to develop a moderate-sized hotel with provisions (potentially half of the units) to allow farm worker housing during the high-activity agricultural seasons.
Such a facility could serve tourists and visitors, as well as worker housing.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Helping restart the City of Gonzales Chamber of Commerce. The city is at the table and ready to assist with outreach or other efforts for our local business community.
Potential Freestanding Electronic-Display Freeway-Oriented Billboard. Following the holiday break, staff will be outlining the tasks ahead to potentially modify the zoning and sign codes to allow such structure on public property.
HOUSING
Sphere of Influence Area
City staff continues to work with Pembrook Development Group Vista Lucia Specific Plan (VLSP) and Jackson Family Investments Puente Del Monte Specific Plan (PDMSP), and the Rianda Family Trust on developments in the City’s Sphere of Influence.
1. Vista Lucia Specific Plan
a. Pembrook recently submitted a Water Supply Assessment (WSA) for City review and comment. On January 25, 2023, staff will be convening the professional engineers representing City staff and the Pembrook Development team to discuss the findings and determination of the WSA. Staff will follow with a presentation to Council for information and direction, prior to incorporation in the Vista Lucia planning and environmental documents and other studies underway for proposed new development. b. Willdan Financial Study. With the City’s assistance, the City’s consultant will be determining future staffing service needs for Fire, Police, Public Works, Parks, Building and Planning, and Administrative Services needs for the annexation areas and as the City has in-fill. Such study will inform the City’s coming negotiations with the County for revenue neutrality, and assessment districts or other financial structures that may be employed in the areas to be incorporated.
c. The VLSP representatives delivered a draft Development Agreement on November 16, 2022, to the City. Such an Agreement needs to be negotiated with City leadership and is inseparable from the Specific Plan Preparation and Environmental Review Documents under preparation. Administrative Staff will be convening in January to determine City needs and responsibilities in the matter and to flesh out the phasing of the VLSP project among a host of activities such as infrastructure installation and costs, Affordable Housing, Agricultural Mitigation, and other business details. d. The City’s coming Agricultural Mitigation Ordinance and recently adopted Vehicle Miles Travelled policy will have a bearing on this project.
2. PDMSP. The Rianda Cooler project proposal will reshape the PDMSP once more is known and certain about how the Rianda Cooler moves through city development review and LAFCO processes.
3. Rianda Family Trust (Rianda Cooler). Staff and the consultant are proceeding to move this project forward with work on the CEQA document and an evaluation of adjustments that may be needed in the General Plan to enable such a facility in its proposed location.
Community Development staff has started an initial draft staff report for tracking the project through Planning Commission, City Council, and LAFCO.
Housing Within the City
DR. Horton continues in their due diligence and exploration of the development of the 138-acre D’Arrigo property.
Housing Element Preparation.
A community Kick-off meeting with 4-Leaf consultants will be scheduled in January.
Housing Element Funding.
Staff was successful in aligning the Housing Element task preparation with available funding resources,
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTIVITY
At their September 12, 2022, public meeting, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council consider engaging an update to the City’s parking ordinances city-wide.
On October 10, 2022, The Planning Commission conducted a workshop on the practice of abiding by parliamentary procedures / Roberts Rules of Order.
On November 14, 2022, staff presented the Community Development Department Master Task list, to inform the Commission of the present activities and duties of the department, projects under review, next steps, and items expected to come under the Commission’s review.
The December and January 2023, Planning Commission meetings were canceled due to the lack of development review items. Planning Commission activity is expected to ramp up again with the Housing Element getting underway and the Agricultural Mitigation Ordinance. Staff is also expecting to introduce additional planning division resources (Brent Slama Consulting) to the Planning Commission for LAFCO and other applications that are gaining momentum. Staff will introduce and outline the bureaucratic pathways ahead for the projects in the specific plan areas and the ties to the necessary LAFCO applications.
OTHER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES
Agricultural Mitigation Ordinance. (A requirement of the 2014 MOA with the County) On August 29, 2022, the Gonzales Agricultural Committee met to discuss the City’s previous efforts to craft an Ag Mitigation Program. Staff and the Committee addressed the timing of agricultural mitigation, the ratio of mitigation, and how easements are appraised and secured, and potential exemption to not deter the construction of affordable housing units. The Agricultural Land Trust has expressed a willingness to work with the City to develop an ordinance that meets the test of environmental law as well as practicality.
Anticipated Ordinances and Policies that are needed and are being worked into the department’s work program:
a. Agricultural Mitigation Ordinance
b. Housing Element Update
c. Safety Element Update
d. Environmental Justice Element (a new state requirement) e. Electric Vehicle Charging Ordinance / Policy
f. Administrative Citation /Code Enforcement Ordinance strengthening, g. Water Efficiency Landscaping Ordinance (update to the 2015 effort) h. Parking Regulations (potentially, if directed)
i. Sign Ordinance revisions (potentially, if directed)