City of Gonzales
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: November 20, 2023
FROM: Taven Kinison Brown, Community Development Director THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Community Development Department Activity Report
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Business Expo/Job Fair. The inaugural South County
Business Expo, organized by the Soledad Merchants in
partnership with the cities of Soledad, Gonzales,
Greenfield, and the Monterey Workforce
Development, took place on Thursday, November 09,
2023 inside the Soledad Community Center, 560
Walker Dr. in Soledad, from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM. The
Business Expo showcased a wide range of businesses
from the South County region but also served as a Job
Fair, Business Resource Fair, and a Thanksgiving
Food Drive! This was a great opportunity for business
owners to showcase their services, and products,
introduce new business developments to the
community, get customer feedback, network, and
collaborate.
Business License. The department has received two
new business license applications, one is for a new
beauty salon on 38 Fourth Street named “Beauty
Styles” now open. The second new business is “Burger
Pupuseria Lilliana” which will be located at the former Burger Queen restaurant at 800 Fifth Street, Unit H.
They anticipate a soft opening on November 15, 2023,
AGENDA
ITEM
8 and a more formal ribbon cutting, once new business signs are in place Gloria Road Cooler Project. Was approved by the LAFCo Commission on Monday, September 28, 2023. Presently, the applicants are finalizing negotiations with the Agricultural Land Trust for management of the self-applied Agricultural Mitigation Easement, before the package is finalized for sending to the California Board of Equalization by LAFCo staff. The City will continue to meet with the applicant to further condition compliance activities and site development conditions. Staff will commission new maps to be drawn for the City representing the new territory added.
Legacy Signs. Legacy is proceeding with a proposal to change text within the City’s sign code to allow such a sign and will propose a small lease area and access agreement with the City. Such processes and review will require a CEQA determination, Planning Commission review, and City Council action on the changes to the sign code and accepting a lease agreement.
HOUSING
Housing Element. Our consultants are targeting this month, November 2023, for delivery of the third section, Sites Inventory and Analysis of the 6th Cycle Housing Element to staff. Following receipt and review of this section by staff and comments returned to the consultant, the full document will be assembled and circulated for 30 days of public review. We must then take 10 working days to incorporate public comment before submitting an Initial Draft to HCD for a 90-day review. After receiving initial comments, the City can move to adopt and resubmit to HCD for another 60-day review.
HCD then either finds the element in compliance or provides further comment followed by subsequent 60-day review(s) until certification.
From that point with a certified housing element, we will work to implement the Housing Element through zoning actions, program creations, and other mechanisms.
ADUs. Four architectural plan types in four floor-plan sets may be purchased over the counter at City Hall. Plans will be offered for a low administrative fee of $405, representing significant savings for homeowners who may not have to hire an architect and/or civil engineer. Unique site plans will still need to be completed and submitted along with solar plans and fire sprinkler information, if required. Staff intends to update and activate the City’s website, bilingual handout materials, and instructions for submittal.
Vista Lucia. In addition to an intense focus on the financing of public facilities and infrastructure, detailed work is progressing on the CEQA environmental review and the various components and deal points of the draft Development Agreement. Prior to submission to LAFCo, the EIR will need to be completed, and the project and its many components brought to the Planning Commission for recommendation and to the City Council for action in the Spring of 2024.
The D’Arrigo Property. City staff is actively trying to draw developer attention and interest to this property and has provided city contacts and conversations and histories that can be helpful. We continue to work closely with the D’Arrigo management leaders and speak regularly. There has been no apparent activity in the last month.
D’Arrigo H2A Proposal. A Reimbursement Agreement was authorized by the City Council on October 2, 2023, to cover the expense of staff’s time to the matter. As of November 14, 2023, the item is yet to be funded, and no additional plans or proposal have been sent to the City. D’Arrigo and Avila Construction have proceeded with community outreach. A meeting with County planners is expected in November or December.
CODE ENFORCEMENT
The City is advancing its focus on life, health, and safety issues in the community. The City Manager, Community Development Director, and City Building Official, along with other employees, are taking a more proactive approach toward unpermitted structures and unsafe living conditions. The Building official and staff are collaborating with property owners, conducting inspections to identify potential violations, and maintaining documentation as cases progress. Throughout the period of October 1st to the 30th, 2023 a total of five Code enforcement cases were reported. These cases involved residential property code violations, including issues such as unpermitted structures, unpermitted remodels, and unpermitted front yard paving. Two of the alleged code cases have been cleared and closed.
BUILDING DIVISION ACTIVITY
Between October 1st and the 30th, 2023 (spanning 30 reporting days), the City issued six permits through the Building Division. These permits were for diverse projects, including a home remodel, the installation of a solar system, the setup of an electric vehicle charger, two re-roofs, and an upgrade to a residential electrical panel. The collective estimated construction value of these improvements amounted to $74,474.00.