From: Steven C Shepherd Architect
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF); [email protected] Subject: Agenda Item #24: You"re kidding, right?
Date: Tuesday, December 17, 2024 8:15:08 AM
In reading the memo meant to support Agenda Item #24, it’s almost as though the authors of this document spent all their time in the City Attorney’s office instead of consulting their own subject matter experts in HB Community Development. And while this might represent our new council’s idea of “good politics,” any document that is this overtly bias, inaccurate, and demeaning of the City of Huntington Beach Community Development staff and current zoning code should raise lots of questions among Huntington Beach residents.
Here are my questions:
1. As that the express purpose of the City of Huntington Beach Zoning Code is “promoting and protecting the public health, safety, and general welfare of Huntington Beach residents and to provide the physical, economic and social advantages protect the health and safety of residents,” why would HB residences be at risk from something currently addressed by our current zoning code? Is our current zoning code useless? Is our city staff failing to enforce our current zoning code? Why would there be a need for any additional standards?
2. Why does your characterization of “studies” on overcrowding make it sound like all new multi-family developments would resemble the tenement living of the late Industrial Revolution? Isn’t this why zoning codes were established in the first place? (A couple of FYI’s for you: a) Many of the people interested in new multi-family dwelling units here in HB already live and/or work here, and b) currently, overcrowding is most prevalent in areas where a variety of dwelling unit options (size
and cost) are severely limited or completely unavailable.)
3. You state, “In Huntington Beach, multi-family developments construct studio and single bedroom units with small overall square footage in order to maximize financial profits,” but in a community where over 70% of dwelling units are found exclusively in unaffordable single-family homes, isn’t this type of development simply filling an obvious void in Huntington Beach’s housing inventory? Isn’t this simply appealing to the free market?
There is an undeniable need for new housing in Huntington Beach. Without it, we limit opportunities and slowly strangle our community's future.
On a related note, if you're really serious about limiting local GHG emissions related to transit, there is something you could do that would also improve public safety and quality of life for residents: embrace and fully fund pedestrian & bicycle infrastructure upgrades.
Steve Shepherd
Huntington Beach 92646
12/17/24
24 (24-893)