ATTACHMENT NO. 1
SUGGESTED FINDINGS FOR APPROVAL
MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION NO. 21-003
ZONING MAP AMENDMENT NO. 21-001
SUGGESTED FINDINGS FOR APPROVAL – MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION NO. 21-003:
Mitigated Negative Declaration No. 21-003 has been prepared in compliance with Article 6 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. It was advertised and available for a public comment period of twenty (20) days. Comments received during the comment period were considered by the City Council prior to action on Mitigated Negative Declaration No. 21-003, General Plan Amendment No. 21-002, and Zoning Map Amendment No. 21-001.
Mitigation measures, incorporated into the Mitigation, Monitoring, and Reporting Program avoid or reduce the project’s effects to a point where clearly no significant effect on the environment will occur. No significant impacts are anticipated with implementation of mitigation measures in the areas of biological resources, cultural resources, geology, and tribal cultural resources.
There is no substantial evidence in light of the whole record before the City Council that the project, as mitigated, will have a significant effect on the environment. Potential impacts from the project are reduced to less than significant through the project design and mitigation measures.
SUGGESTED FINDINGS FOR APPROVAL - Zoning Map Amendment No. 21-001:
Zoning Map Amendment (ZMA) No. 21-001 to change the zoning on an approximately 2.07 acre site from RL (Residential Low Density) to RM (Residential Medium Density) is consistent with the goals and policies of the General Plan as identified below:
Land Use Element
Goal LU-1 - New commercial, industrial, and residential development is coordinated to ensure that the land use pattern is consistent with the overall goals and needs of the community.
Policy LU-1A – Ensure that development is consistent with the land use designations presented in the Land Use Map, including density, intensity, and use standards applicable to each land use designation.
Policy LU-1C - Support infill development, consolidation of parcels, and adaptive reuse of existing buildings.
Policy LU-1D - Ensure that new development projects are of compatible proportion, scale and character to complement adjoining uses.
Policy LU-2D - Maintain and protect residential neighborhoods by avoiding encroachment of incompatible land uses.
Policy LU-2E - Intensify the use and strengthen the role of public art, architecture, landscaping, site design, and development patterns to enhance the visual image of Huntington Beach.
Goal LU-4 - A range of housing types is available to meet the diverse economic, physical, and social needs of future and existing residents, while neighborhood character and residences are well maintained and protected.
Goal LU-7 - Neighborhoods, corridors, and community subareas are well designed, and buildings, enhanced streets, and public spaces contribute to a strong sense of place.
The ZMA will implement the land use designation proposed with General Plan Amendment No. 21-002 and will be an extension of zoning found in the area. It will enable redevelopment of an infill site into a residential community consisting of 34 townhomes to address the diverse housing needs of the community. The proposed project will be compatible with the character of the neighborhood and will meet the changing needs of the community. The project will exhibit an architectural style that is in keeping with the proportion, scale, and character of the neighborhood and consistent with the development standards in the Huntington Beach Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance (HBZSO). The project also provides landscaped areas along the street frontages and throughout the site to enhance its appearance.
B. Housing Element
Policy 1.1 - Preserve the character, scale and quality of established residential neighborhoods.
Goal 2 - Provide adequate housing sites through appropriate land use, zoning and specific plan designations to accommodate Huntington Beach’s share of regional housing needs.
Policy 2.1. - Provide site opportunities for development of housing that responds to diverse community needs in terms of housing types, cost and location, emphasizing locations near services and transit that promote walkability.
Goal 3 - Enhance housing affordability so that modest income households can remain an integral part of the Huntington Beach community.
Policy 3.1 - Encourage the production of housing that meets all economic segments of the community, including lower, moderate, and upper income households, to maintain a balanced community.
Policy 3.2 - Utilize the City’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance as a tool to integrate affordable units within market rate developments. Continue to prioritize the construction of affordable units on-site, with provision of units off-site or payment of an in-lieu housing fee as a less preferred alternative.
Policy 3.3 - Facilitate the development of affordable housing through regulatory incentives and concessions, and/or financial assistance, with funding priority to projects that include extremely low income units. Proactively seek out new models and approaches in the provision of affordable housing.
Policy 3.4 - Explore collaborative partnerships with non-profit organizations, developers, the business community and governmental agencies in the provision of affordable housing.
Policy 4.1 - Regulatory Incentives for Affordable Housing Support the use of density bonuses and other incentives, such as fee deferrals/waivers and parking reductions, to offset or reduce the costs of developing affordable housing while ensuring that potential impacts are addressed.
The proposed project will develop an underutilized site with 34 two- and three-story townhomes that will be consistent with the scale and nature of residential land uses surrounding the site while also addressing the diverse housing needs of the community. The project will comply with the City’s affordable housing requirement to provide 10 percent of the proposed base dwelling units as affordable units. Due to the provision of affordable housing, the applicant is entitled to a 5 percent density bonus, one incentive/concession, and an unlimited number of waivers of development standards as permitted by the California Density Bonus Law. The project includes a 5 percent density bonus to allow 2 density bonus dwelling units in addition to the 32 base density units.
The ZMA would only change the land use designation of the subject property rather than a general land use provision and would not affect the uses authorized in and the standards prescribed for the proposed zoning district.
A community need is demonstrated for the change proposed because it will allow an underdeveloped site to be developed with a residential use that is consistent with the character of the area and will add to the City’s housing stock.
Adoption of the ZMA will be in conformity with public convenience, general welfare and good zoning practice because the proposed zoning will implement the land use designation proposed with General Plan Amendment No. 21-002 and is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.
Attachment No. 1.1