City of Gonzales
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: July 22, 2024
FROM: Taven Kinison Brown, Community Development Director THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Community Development Activity Report - June 2024
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Freeway Sign Proposal. City Staff is currently negotiating a lease for use of public property for the sign location and will soon be gathering a design review team together.
Monterey County Business Council, South County Round Table. Staff continues to meet and collaborate with our fellow cities of the Salinas Valley for opportunities to expand and support commercial services and industries and to further the creation of new housing. On Thursday, June 27, the City hosted Kosmont Companies, a nationally recognized real estate and economic development advisory firm and our local Monterey County Business Council (MCBC) for an orientation to the City of Gonzales, and a walking tour of our downtown areas. Kosmont and MCBC are tasked with conducting a retail study and developing feasible and affordable strategies that Gonzales and the other valley cities may employ to stimulate a broader economic base for the region.
HOUSING
Vista Lucia Specific Plan. Staff is advancing the several components of the Vista Lucia Specific Plan.
Success and implementation of the VLSP is inextricably linked to the City seeking certification of the 6th Cycle Housing Element. Without the new site opportunities of the VLSP and the yet to be completed Affordable Housing component, the State of California wants the City to develop an alternative program AGENDA
ITEM
10 where the City’s obligation to provide 1,266 RHNA units would be designated in some manner within the existing City limits.
City staff is advancing the Development Agreement, Affordable Housing Agreement, draft staff report, and the Condition Compliance and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. 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.
Outreach. Additionally, staff is advancing outreach efforts through the United Way’s program for Financial Literacy in both English and Spanish and will have had our most recent class session, Saturday July 13, 2024. Outreach with pamphlets and in-person introductions to coming housing opportunities in the City of Gonzales were held on Thursday the Fourth of July in Central Park. Increased counter, telephone, and email queries have resulted, and staff has officially created an “Interested in Housing” list for our residents. People on the list will be included in new meeting notifications and other outreach efforts regarding new housing in the City. (The list does not guarantee or assure a position or advantage for new units.)
Housing Element. The City is responding to questions from Housing and Community Development (HCD) and is engaging in additional research and evaluations and will be making additions and revisions to the first draft. Staff will be posting responses and edits and share the changes publicly through the website.
Senior Housing Proposal on S. Alta. Geoffrey Morgan intends to meet with City Manager Carmen Gil and Taven Kinison Brown, the week of July 15, 2024 to share the CHISPA progress points in regards to the City-owned parcel on Alta Street.
CODE ENFORCEMENT
The City continues to meet with property owners, inspect potential violations and start documentation to progress to remedies.
BUILDING DIVISION ACTIVITY
From June 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024 (30 reporting days), the City issued 15 permits from the Building Division for residential additions, roof repairs and re-roofs, demolition of non-permitted additions, repairs to meet code at a multifamily development, and formalized repairs and proper permitting for an ADU.
The estimated valuation of all improvements was $174,625.
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 also 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).