Laguna Niguel City Council
December 5, 2023

December4,2023
LagunaNiguelPlanningCommissionCityofLagunaNiguel30111CrownValleyParkwayLagunaNiguel,CA92677 RE:CommentstotheCityofLagunaNiguelPublicHearingforGeneralPlanAmendmentGPA2021-35onDecember5th,2023 ToTheHonorableMembersoftheLagunaNiguelCityCouncil,
TheKennedyCommission(theCommission)isabroad-basedcoalitionofresidentsandcommunityorganizationsthatadvocatesfortheproductionofhomesaffordableforfamiliesearninglessthan$30,000annuallyinOrangeCounty. Formedin2001,theCommissionhasbeensuccessfulinpartneringandworkingwithOrangeCountyjurisdictionstocreateeffectivehousingandland-usepoliciesthathaveledtothenewconstructionofhomesaffordabletolower-incomeworkingfamilies.

ThankyoufortheopportunitytoreviewandcommentonthePublicHearingregardingtheCityofLagunaNiguel’splantoadopttheGeneralPlanHousingElement.

TheCommissionstronglyopposestheadoptionoftheOctober2023DraftoftheHousingElementbecauseoftheCity’slackofprogramstoidentifysitesthatareadequateforaffordablehousingorinfilldevelopmentandthereforeimploreTheCitytotakeadvantageofcertainbillsthatwerepassedinCalifornia’sLegislaturetofulfillitsRHNAobligations.

NewHousingPoliciesforAffordableHousingLagunaNiguelhaspointedoutthedifficultyinidentifyingcity-ownedsitesthatcouldbeutilizedforaffordablehousing,whichmakesitdifficultforTheCitytofulfillitsRHNAobligations.Additionally, thecompletionofthesite'sinventoryandanalysisdemonstratetheneedforthecitytoaddprogramsthatwouldencouragethedevelopmentofaffordablehousingintheCityofLagunaNiguel.Additionally, itisimperativeforTheCitytoincludeaprogramthatwouldpromotecooperationbetweendeveloperstopromoteinfilldevelopmentforaffordablehousing.

Finallytoaddressthelackofavailablelandsuitableforthedevelopmentofaffordablehousing,TheCommissionstronglyrecommendsthecityadoptanInclusionaryHousingOrdinance 1 oraHousingOpportunitiesOrdinancethatrequires15%ofunitsofallcitywideresidentialprojectsbesetattheextremelylow(5%),very-low(5%),andlow-incomelevels(5%).Thisordinancewillhelpthecitycreatebalancedhousingdevelopmentalongwithmarketratehousing.ThispolicywillhelpcreatetheaffordablehousingthatisnotcreatedintheOrangehousingmarket.TheInclusionaryHousingOrdinanceshouldbeimplementednolaterthansixmonthsfromtheadoptionofthe6thCycleHousingElement.TheCommissionstronglybelievesthatanInclusionaryHousingOrdinancewouldgreatlybenefittheCity’seffortinfulfillingitsRHNAscoreandasktheCitytoexploretheviabilityofsuchameasure.CitiessuchasSantaAnaandIrvinehavebothimplementedanInclusionaryHousingOrdinanceandhaveseenpositiveresultsintheefforttocreateaffordablehousing. 2024LegislativeandFederalOpportunitiesforAffordableHousing SB555WiththeclosingoftheLegislativeyearinCalifornia,thereareafewbillsTheCommissionbelieveswouldaidtheCityinaccomplishingtheirhousinggoalsbasedonthefindingsoftheHousingNeedsSurveyfeaturedinLagunaNiguel’sHousingElement.SB555TheStableAffordableHousingActisacriticalmeasurethatcreatesagoaltocreate1.2millionunitsofsocialhousinginCaliforniathroughamixofacquisitionandproduction.ConsideringhowtheCityoptednottoincludetheBuiePropertyintheSitesInventory, webelievethatavacantpropertywith4.4acresofbuildablelandwouldbeaperfectplacetoconstructasocialhousingstructure.ThemodeladoptedbyCaliforniaisbasedonsuccessfulmodelsfeaturedinViennaandSingaporeandwouldprovideeconomicopportunitiesbyprovidingpubliclybackedhousingthatisaffordabletoindividualsandfamiliesofdifferentincomeareas.ThismeasurewouldbefurtherbackedbythepassingofSB423whichextendsSB35andsubsidizesthecreationofmixedincomehousing.

AB1287MostresidentsinLagunaNiguelareonorbelowtheModerateIncomecategory, thereforeTheCommissionasksforTheCitytoexploretheviabilityofimplementingaMiddleIncomeBonusProgramasameanstoaccomplishtwogoalswithonegoal.Thismeasureallowsfordeveloperstoapplyforamoderateincomebonusaslongastheyincludethemaximumnumberoflow/verylowincomeunits.

ChetHollifieldFederalBuildingFinally, theFederalGovernmentiscurrentlymovingforwardwithrepurposingTheChetHolifieldFederalBuilding,an89-acreparcelsittinginanareathatisbeyondsuitableforhousing.ThecityhasmentionedthedifficultytofulfillitsRHNAScorebecauseofthelackofvacantlandthatcouldberepurposedforhousing,soopportunitieswith89acresintheCitydon’tcomeupveryoften,thereforewebelievethatthisisanopportunitytocollaboratetoensurethat 2 thislargefederalpropertybecomespartofthesolutiontoalleviateourhousingandhomelessnesscrisisinOrangeCounty.

ThesiteislocatedinanareathathasplentifulresourcestoensureLowandVeryLow-incomeresidentstheopportunitytoprosperinthecitybecauseofitsproximitytoahighschool,twoelementaryschools,parks,andgrocerystoresthatareallwithinwalkingdistancefromthesite.

WelookforwardtoworkingwiththeCityofLagunaNigueltoencourageeffectivehousingpoliciesthatwillhelpcreatebalancedhousingdevelopmentandcreatemuch-neededaffordablehousinginourlocalcommunities.Ifyouhaveanyquestions,pleasefeelfreetocontactmeat(949)[email protected].

Sincerely,
CesarCovarrubiasExecutiveDirector
3 Dec 5, 2023
CityofLagunaNiguel30111CrownValleyParkwayLagunaNiguel,CA92677 ByEmail:KJennings@cityoflagunaniguel.org,SOddo@cityoflagunaniguel.org,RGennawey@cityoflagunaniguel.org,GJohns@cityoflagunaniguel.org,SWinstead@cityoflagunaniguel.org,council@cityoflagunaniguel.org CC:cityclerk@cityoflagunaniguel.org,cityattorney@cityoflagunaniguel.org,JChrist@cityoflagunaniguel.org Re:SecondReadingofZoningCodeAmendmentZCA23-02:ObjectiveDevelopmentandDesignStandards DearLagunaNiguelCityCouncil,
OnOctober 10th, 2023, CalHDFsubmittedaletter totheCity’sPlanningCommissionoutlining concerns with many standards’ failuretoarticulateobjectivestandards. OnNovember7th, 2023, CalHDFsubmittedanotherlettertotheCityCounciloutliningourconcernswiththeobjectivityofdeiningarchitecturalstyles,especiallywithregardtotheirdeinedcorrespondingmaterialsandcolors.WethoroughlyappreciatetheCity’sattentiontoandrobustrevisionofthesestandards—itiscleartheCityiscommittedtopassingstandardsinaccordancewithstatelaw.However,wesubmitthislettertodaytoreiterateourconcernthatcolordeinitionsshouldberevisedtobeasspeciicaspossiblesoapplicantscanknowwithcertaintywhethertheirproposeddesignwillsatisfytheordinance.

Asnotedinourpreviousletters,SB330,theHousingAccountabilityAct,andSB9allbarcitiesfromimposingorenforcingsubjectivedesignstandards Again,CalHDFsincerelyappreciatesLagunaNiguel’searnesteorttorevisittheordinancetoestablishobjectivedevelopmentanddesignstandards, andurgestheCitytofurtherclarifycolordeinitionsinitsdesignstandardsbeforepassingitthisevening.

CalHDFisa501(c)3non-proitcorporationwhosemissionincludesadvocatingforincreasedaccesstohousingforCaliforniansatallincomelevels,includinglow-incomehouseholds.YoumaylearnmoreaboutCalHDFatwww.calhdf.org. 360GrandAve#323,[email protected]

Sincerely,
DylanCaseyCalHDFExecutiveDirector
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