City of Gonzales
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: April 15, 2024
FROM: Taven Kinison Brown, Community Development Director THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Community Development Department Activity Report - March/April 2024
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Freeway Oriented Reader Board. Following staff’s update to the City Council, on February 5, 2024, staff has prepared revisions to the City of Gonzales Sign Ordinance (Zoning Code Section 12.116) to enable Freeway Oriented Reader Board signs. On Monday, April 8, 2024, the Planning Commission considered revisions to the Sign Ordinance to enable such signs. Public Notice will be prepared directing the new Ordinance before the Council for first reading on May 6, 2024, and May 20, 2024, for adoption. Thirty days later the new ordinance would be in effect.
On a separate track, staff continues to engage with Legacy Signs who has shown interest in proposing such a sign on City property and extending a revenue opportunity to the community. A formal Conditional Use Permit and lease request is expected soon.
Business Development. The Economic Development Director attended the ICSC Conference in Monterey on March 25-27, 2024, on behalf of the City. There, Taven networked with companies looking to expand their store locations and services in the region and California and also learned of real estate listing services and databases that may be leveraged to the City’s advantage. One significant lesson learned is that many of the City’s vacant and underutilized properties, such as those found on or just off Alta Minor are not listed with nationwide and local listing services, so businesses and commercial brokers are not generally aware of our local potential sites. Director Kinison Brown is now assembling a City portfolio of AGENDA
ITEM
9 such properties. He will be contacting each property owner to solicit their approval for staff to enter their site’s availability and potential economic utility. More to come.
HOUSING
Housing Element. On Monday, February 12, 2024, staff held a second workshop with the Planning Commission and concluded a 30-day public review period. Three commissioners (of 4) were in attendance, and no persons from the public were present or spoke by Zoom. Commissioners commented on how out-of-reach housing prices are for so many in the community and how complex and involved the Housing Element is; that it is hard to grasp. To date, staff has only received a single written response from LandWatch Monterey County.
On February 28, staff made final notes and no revisions and forwarded the Housing Element to the State Department of Housing and Community Development. The State then has 90 days to review and return comments to the City, should additional issues need to be addressed or clarified. 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.
Vista Lucia Specific Plan. The VLSP Draft Environmental Impact Report completed its 45-day public review and staff and consultants are preparing responses to the comments received. A copy of the EIR is available on the City of Gonzales website (https://gonzalesca.gov/services/communitydevelopment/development-activity-projects) under the Vista Lucia Project section.
CODE ENFORCEMENT
The City continues to meet with property owners, inspect potential violations, and documents on progress to remedies.
BUILDING DIVISION ACTIVITY
From March 1, 2024, to March 31, 2024 (31 reporting days), the City issued 21 permits from the Building Division for four ADUs and a JADU, residential solar projects, roof repair, modifications to a cellular facility and electrical and plumbing work to abate code enforcement notifications. The estimated valuation of all improvements was $721,034.00.
GENERAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY
The City Council approved modifications to the City’s aged “Taxicab” Ordinance to facilitate and streamline the application processes for new cab services to the City. The Yellow Cab Company has welcomed the City’s actions and has applied for a business license to begin service in the community soon.