1 TO: City Council
FROM: Andrew Vialpando, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Adrian Fernandez, Community and Economic Development Director
MEETING DATE: December 3, 2024
SUBJECT: Discussion and Consideration of Zoning Text Amendment No. 2024-07 – An update to the Lomita Municipal Code regarding definitions, residential land uses and residential development standards for in-house clean up
RECOMMENDATION
Conduct a Public Hearing reading by title only, introduce on first reading Ordinance No. 867 amending sections 11-1.15, 11-1.30.01, 11-1.30.02, 11-1.30.03, 11-1.30.04 and 11-
1.30.05 of Lomita Municipal Code (LMC) Title XI (Planning and Zoning) Chapter 1 (Zoning) and finding the action to be categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and direct staff to schedule the second reading and possible adoption of the ordinance for the December 17, 2024, City Council meeting.
BACKGROUND
On October 15, 2024, the City Council adopted Phase I of the Zoning Code update related to the City’s recently adopted General Plan Update. Phase I included updates to implement the policies and programs of the 2021-2029 Housing Element. Some of these changes included rezoning as well as allowing residential/commercial mixed use in commercial corridors. In the spring of 2024, the Planning Commission and City Council will have the opportunity to consider Phase II of the comprehensive zoning code update.
This will include objective design standards, lot consolidation incentives and other amendments to fully implement the goals, policies and actions in the General Plan.
On November 12, 2024, the Planning Commission considered the proposed zoning text amendment and unanimously voted to adopt Resolution No. PC 2024-17 recommending that the City Council approved the amendment as proposed. During deliberation, a concern came up about parking inoperable vehicles in the front yard. The concern was obviated when a Commissioner stated that inoperable vehicles were covered in a different
CITY OF LOMITA
CITY COUNCIL REPORT
Item No. {{section.number}}b
2 Code section, which prohibited such activity. LMC Section 11-1.66.09(B) requires that storage and/or parking of detached camper/shells, dismantled and inoperable vehicles are not permitted in the front yard setback and must be screened if located outside the front yard setback.
The attached ordinance proposes revisions to the permitted use table and development standards mostly to provide clarity and remove unnecessary footnotes or standards that are already covered in other sections. Included in the changes is restoring the floor area ratio (FAR) and lot coverage standards to the residential development standards which had been inadvertently removed prior to the adoption of Phase I in favor of no building size restrictions. Both FAR for A-1 and R-1 zones and lot coverage for R-2 and R-3 zones have been added back to the residential development standards in the proposed ordinance.
As garages are now optional for residential development and no longer a Code requirement, existing and new garages are frequently converted into ADUs. The Code was updated to require garages to maintain a three-foot setback from the rear property line where no setback was previously required. The Building Code requires a three-foot setback from property lines for habitable buildings with windows facing the property line.
This update will affirm this Building Code requirement if and when garages are converted into ADUs. Another proposed change permits a two-car garage facing a street on lots with a lot width less than 50 feet and removes the requirement for 50 percent of the required front yard to be dedicated to drought-tolerant plant species. The revised code also permits lots with a lot width less than 50 feet to have a two-car garage and for the required front yard to accommodate additional parking spaces. As urban lot splits and ADUs become more common, less public parking will be available due to State law. These changes will facilitate additional onsite parking spaces, which is expected to improve public parking availability.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Planning Division finds that adoption of the ordinance is not subject to CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly. The proposed zoning code amendment does not consist of applications for permits or other entitlements for use. It will result in updates to definitions, residential land uses and residential development standards. The ordinance is not a project as defined in Section 15378 and will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Land use and/or development applications that will be subject to these new standards will be individually evaluated for potential environmental impacts at the time the applications are being processed. Furthermore, the adoption of the ordinance is exempt from CEQA because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15061(b)(3).)
3 PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice of this hearing dated November 21, 2024, was published in The Daily Breeze Newspaper and posted at City Hall and Lomita Park.
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no financial implications resulting from this recommendation.
OPTIONS
1. Approve the attached ordinance.
2. Do not approve the ordinance.
3. Provide staff with further direction.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Ordinance No. 867
1. Exhibit A: Zoning Text Amendment
2. Redlined Zoning Text Amendment
Reviewed by: Approved by:
_______________________ ______________________
Gary Y. Sugano Andrew Vialpando
Assistant City Manager City Manager
Prepared by:
__________________________
Adrian Fernandez, Community and Economic Development Director