1 TO: City Council
FROM: Andrew Vialpando, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Adrian Fernandez, Community and Economic Development Director
Brianna Rindge, Consultant
MEETING DATE: October 1, 2024
SUBJECT: Discussion and Consideration of General Plan Amendment No. 2024-02, Zoning Text Amendment No. 2024-05, Zoning Map
Amendment 2024-02, and Environmental Impact Report No. 2024- 01 – General Plan Update and Related Environmental Impact Report and Zoning Map and Text Amendments to Various Sections of Lomita Municipal Code Title XI (Planning and Zoning), Chapter 1 (Zoning), to Implement Policies and Programs of the Certified City of Lomita 2021-2029 Housing Element
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution No. 2024-32 and introduce on first reading Ordinance No. 863 approving: (1) Zoning Text Amendment No. 2024-05, an ordinance amending various sections of Lomita Municipal Code (LMC) Title XI (Planning and Zoning) Chapter 1 (Zoning); (2) General Plan Amendment No. 2024-02 for updating the Land Use Element, Mobility Element, Resource Management Element, Noise Element, Economic Development Element, and Implementation Element of the General Plan; 3) certifying General Plan Update Program Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) No. 2024-01; and 4) Zoning Map Amendment No. 2024-02; in order to implement policies and programs of the certified City of Lomita 2021-2029 Housing Element.
BACKGROUND
The City’s General Plan serves as a “blueprint” for future development. It establishes Land Use designations and policies to assist decision-makers as they review proposals for new development or consider changes to city ordinances. The General Plan addresses issues that impact the entire City, such as how land is used, where buildings may be built, the locations of roads and parks, safety, noise, and more. A comprehensive
CITY OF LOMITA
CITY COUNCIL REPORT
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2 update to the General Plan was last performed in 1998 and since that time, Lomita has undergone significant changes. The update to the General Plan is critical to ensure the City is consistent with business and market changes, along with trends in transportation and mobility demands of residents, visitors and workers.
In this comprehensive update, the most notable updates to the General Plan involve changes to the City’s Land Use designation and Zoning Code, specifically addressing Lomita’s commercial corridors to align with the City’s recently adopted Housing Element.
The Housing Element was recently approved by the California Housing and Community Development (HCD) agency to address housing density regulations and promote redevelopment along Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Lomita Boulevard, Narbonne Avenue, etc.
DISCUSSION
The General Plan Update project kicked off on May 8, 2023, following City Council approval of a professional services contract with De Novo Planning Group. The project involves an update to the General Plan, preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and a comprehensive update to the Zoning Code and Map. The timeline for the project was driven by the City’s recently adopted Housing Element, which includes Program 14: Rezone Program.
Program 14 is designed to “facilitate the development of multifamily housing affordable to lower-income households, especially in areas with access to resources and opportunity.” Per the program, the City is required to rezone to accommodate its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) and expand by-right housing allowances. Furthermore, Program 14 commits the City to implement the rezoning by October 15, 2024. To meet this deadline, the City Council would need to consider and approve the proposed General Plan Update and EIR and conduct a first reading of the ordinance to adopt the Zoning Code and map amendments, with a second reading at its next scheduled meeting on October 15, 2024.
Public Outreach and Input
The City and consultant team conducted extensive public outreach throughout the project with a concentrated effort in the summer and fall of 2023. This was intended to gather community input from residents, employees, visitors, and other stakeholders in Lomita on the vision for the City, objectives for development of the General Plan, and direction on a Preferred Land Use Plan. Three Visioning were held in June and July of 2023 where over 100 people attended, as well as outreach during the Founders Day Weekend and National Night Out events, an online survey (over 160 responses), and a dedicated project website was established.
Additionally, a 12-member General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) collaborated with City staff and the consultant team throughout the development of the General Plan. The GPAC met eight times between June 2023 and March 2024 to identify key issues and challenges that Lomita faces over the next 20 years, prepare a Community Vision 3 Statement, and to develop the comprehensive set of goals and policies to be contained in the General Plan. Each GPAC meeting was open to the public.
Collectively, the outreach efforts resulted in the following overarching objectives for development of the General Plan Update:
1. Preserve, protect, and enhance the City’s existing residential neighborhoods;
2. Celebrate and enhance Downtown Lomita;
3. Expand the range of housing choices to allow more people to live and work in Lomita;
4. Encourage new desirable uses in Lomita and expand the local economy;
5. Promote walkability to everyday uses;
6. Expand the range of high-quality housing options;
7. Create pedestrian-scaled environments;
8. Target housing growth to support commercial activity;
9. Reinforce corridors with memorable places; and
10.Create a fiscally-sustainable land use plan with balanced residential and nonresidential development.
In total, the GPAC met for over 24 hours across eight meetings. This resulted in the preparation of a comprehensive set of goals, policies, and actions for the different General Plan Elements: Land Use, Mobility, Resource Management, Noise, and Economic Development (the Housing and Safety elements were recently updated and thus are not part of this project). Drafts of the General Plan Elements became available for public review and the City hosted its Open House to publicly discuss the Plan on Monday, August 26, 2024.
Preferred Land Use Plan
The General Plan Update reached a critical milestone in November 2023 with City Council giving direction on the Preferred Land Use Plan. First, the GPAC considered eight possible land use alternatives and arrived at four options for the future land use direction in Lomita. The four options ranged from a Business as Usual or No Change Alternative to alternatives with progressively higher densities and intensities. At its meeting of October 9, 2023, the Planning Commission considered the recommendations of the GPAC and recommended a preferred land use alternative to the City Council.
Subsequently, and following discussion over two meetings held on October 17, 2023, and November 7, 2023, the City Council selected a Preferred Land Use Plan and directed staff and the consultant team to move forward with development of the General Plan and preparation of the Environmental Impact Report. The chosen alternative was a modified version of the Core and Perimeter Alternative, which is intended to provide a catalyst for revitalization along Pacific Coast Highway and other key nodes in the city by expanding where higher density mixed-use development can occur in Lomita. The Preferred Land Use Plan will allow for implementation of Housing Element Program 14 and for sustainable growth and redevelopment along the city’s commercial corridors without significant impacts on Lomita’s lower density residential neighborhoods. 4 Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires an EIR for analysis of the anticipated development that may potentially occur within the City through implementation of the General Plan. While this General Plan Update does not propose any specific development projects, the General Plan accommodates future growth in Lomita, including new businesses, expansion of existing businesses, and new residential uses, under a 20- year planning horizon. The EIR contemplates and addresses the potential impacts to aesthetics, air quality, agriculture and forestry resources, biological resources, cultural resources, energy, geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, mineral resources, noise, population and housing, public services, recreation, transportation, tribal cultural resources, utilities and service systems, and wildfires. As the proposed changes will result in significant impacts in several environmental respects, this EIR includes a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) to identify appropriate monitoring steps/procedures and provide a basis for monitoring such measures during and upon project implementation. The EIR was available for public review through September 4, 2024. The document is available on the project website at https://lomita.generalplan.org/documents-maps.
Other General Plan Updates
The project poses new language to replace five existing Elements, including the Land Use, Mobility, Resource Management, Noise, and Economic Development Elements of the City’s General Plan. Each element includes background discussion of existing studies completed by the City in the past few years as well as additional studies authorized as part of this General Plan Update. At the end of each Element is the specific goals, policies, and actions generated through public engagement and defined by the GPAC that aim to address the issues discussed throughout each chapter, State mandates, and the MMRP. Each goal is supported by a particular set of policies and actions to implement and achieve that goal. Each element also includes a complete summary of each action that is identified in the element, accompanied by the City department responsible for implementing the action and the timing of implementation. It is these implementation actions that City staff will annually report upon progress.
Housing Sites Inventory
The adopted Housing Element (Attachment 5) highlighted 14 specific sites to accommodate State-mandated housing production opportunities. All sites are located on Lomita Boulevard and Narbonne Avenue. The City requires its tax base to fund public services, so the proposed zoning text amendment provides for mixed-use along the corridors, requiring a minimum amount of commercial use and allowing 100 percent commercial, and not allowing 100 percent residential use, except for the highlighted 14 specific sites which would be allowed 100 percent residential in compliance with the certified Housing Element. The State overruled cities and requires that the City must byright approve up to 100 percent residential at each site listed in the Housing Sites 5 Inventory of the certified Housing Element. Therefore, the proposal includes an overlay zone to accommodate this mandate on those specific sites only.
Zoning Code Update
A comprehensive zoning code update will take place in two phases. First, the proposed ordinance (Attachment 2) amends the current Zoning Code in conformance with the rezoning and by-right housing requirements of HCD. The recently adopted Housing Element provided that the City will achieve this through the allowance of higher density residential along the existing commercial corridors. Therefore, the first phase only includes the Zoning Code updates needed to meet the October 15, 2024, rezoning deadline; however, in addition, staff proposes updates to development standards to ensure that any applications submitted under the premise of alleviated residential zoning requirements will be constructed with minimal impact to surrounding uses, particularly nearby single-family housing. This includes requirements such as building height and requirements Lomita has previously included in development agreements such as open space provisions.
In spring of 2025, the Planning Commission and City Council will have the opportunity to consider Phase II of the comprehensive Zoning Code update. This will include amendments to fully implement the aforementioned goals, policies, and actions within the newly adopted General Plan and to ensure consistency with State law.
Planning Commission Review and Recommendation
On September 23, 2024, the Planning Commission reviewed all materials related to the proposed General Plan Update. At the meeting, the Commission adopted a resolution recommending City Council approval of the subject item with a revision to remove the lot consolidation incentives, which included a density bonus for mixed used projects and development fee waivers. Ordinance No. 863 has been updated consistent with the Planning Commission recommendation. Lot consolidation incentives will be evaluated at a later date. The Planning Commission voted 7-0 to adopt Resolution No. PC 2024-14 as recommended by staff with the amendment to postpone any changes to lot consolidation incentives to Phase II of the zoning code update.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice of this hearing dated September 19, 2024, was published in The Daily Breeze Newspaper and posted at City Hall and Lomita Park.
OPTIONS
1. Adopt Resolution No. 2024-32 and Ordinance No. 863 approving: (1) Zoning Text Amendment No. 2024-05, an ordinance amending various sections of Lomita Municipal Code (LMC) Title XI (Planning and Zoning) Chapter 1 (Zoning); (2) General Plan Amendment No. 2024-02 for updating the Land Use Element, Mobility Element, Resource Management Element, Noise Element, Economic 6 Development Element, and Implementation Element of the General Plan; 3) General Plan Update Program Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) No. 2024- 01; and 4) Zoning Map Amendment No. 2024-02; in order to implement policies and programs of the certified City of Lomita 2021-2029 Housing Element.
2. Adopt the resolution and ordinance with specified amendments.
3. Request additional studies and continue the item to the next City Council meeting (this will result in missing the State’s October 15, 2024, deadline).
4. Do not approve the zoning text amendments, rezoning, General Plan Update, or Environmental Impact Report.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution No. 2024-32
2. Ordinance No. 863
• Exhibit A: Proposed Zoning Map
3. General Plan Update
4. Final Program Environmental Impact Report
5. Housing Element
6. Safety Element
Reviewed by: Approved by:
_______________________ ______________________
Gary Y. Sugano Andrew Vialpando
Assistant City Manager City Manager
Reviewed by:
__________________________
Adrian Fernandez, Community and Economic Development Director