City of Gonzales
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: June 17, 2024
FROM: Taven Kinison Brown, Community Development Director THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Community Development Department Activity Report - May 2024
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Freeway Sign Proposal. Following the adoption of the City’s updated Sign Ordinance to allow a freestanding freeway-oriented electronic reader board to be proposed within the City, a conditional use permit application was made by Legacy Signs. The application is now being circulated among city departments and Caltrans for comment, and a committee will soon be convened to make a recommendation to the Planning Commission on design. Thematically, Legacy Signs has drawn from the architectural character of the Alta Street Archway at Fourth Street. The new Ordinance requires that a development agreement be negotiated with the City that would determine the rent and financial return to the City for the use of public property. Additional revenue could be gained by local businesses who may advertise on such a new changing-message sign.
Valdez Auto Sales. Valdez Auto Sales conducted a very successful special event on Memorial Day Weekend that included use of
some portions of the city rightof-way (with an encroachment permit). Seems that offering
free hotdogs can really bring in
the business.
Anecdotally, Mr. Valdez
shared that he sold in two days,
AGENDA
ITEM
8 what otherwise may have been a 2-3 week average.
HOUSING
Housing Element. The City has now received the first official comments from the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and is responding to dozens of questions and having to engage additional research and evaluations and will be making numerous additions and revisions. City staff has 60 days (from May 29, 2024) to revise and respond before posting changes on the City’s website and then sending our second set of revisions back to HCD. Staff will be posting our responses and edits and share the changes publicly through the website. As the consultant contract was completed in 2023, up the value of a previous $65,000 grant secured by the City, the Community Development Director is having to personally respond to the HCD and is working these efforts into his regular (and diverse) workload. It is quite the lift. Once we achieve Certification, the City has secured modest funding through LAFCo (Reap 2.0) to be applied towards the implementation of Housing Element policies, programs, and outreach efforts. Again, the Community Development Director will do as much as he can towards implementing the Housing Element, but consultant and environmental review assistance may be needed.
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. A separate update on the Vista Lucia Specific Plan Project is agendized.
Senior Housing Proposal on S. Alta. On Tuesday, May 14, 2024, the Community Development Director met with CHISPA at a recent senior housing project constructed in Salinas as a potential example of a senior housing proposal they may wish the City to consider for the city-owned property on S. Alta Street.
Staff is encouraging CHISPA to intensify and increase density in whatever manner they can to provide new roofs for our seniors.
CODE ENFORCEMENT
The City continues to meet with property owners, inspect potential violations and start documentation to progress to remedies.
BUILDING DIVISION ACTIVITY
From May 1, 2024, to May 31, 2024 (31 reporting days), the City issued 9 permits from the Building Division for residential additions, signs at the remodeled laundromat, roof repair, duct system replacement, a fire sprinkler system for a new ADU, and the new Community Center! The estimated valuation of all improvements was $ 19,062,392.00.
GENERAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY
Potential mini storage and vehicle storage opportunity. The Community Development Department continues to work with an applicant as his proposal takes shape for new commercial/industrial uses on Gonzales River road on the western city edge. The potential here is to provide support for our major agricultural processing giants but will include mini storage and vehicle storage opportunities for the greater public.
City’s Business License Ordinances. The Economic Development staff is looking into an update to the City’s Business License Ordinances that have not been revisited since 1972 (52 years).