Re: #55 22-1350 Use District Map Amendment and #56 22-1351 Development Agreement Please deny the Ordinance amending the Use District Map of the City of Long Beach removing the horse overlay from CS H and the R-1-N with horse overlay to RP-15 (H) and the Development agreement.
Staff proposal to retain the “H” in the RP-15H is useless because it does not adhere to any of the requirements of the overlay and completely ignores your own development standards for when there is . Once the density is allowed, the “H” use is forever adversely impacted, with cumulative negative consequence. Once again Council will be deciding to ignore past protective zoning decisions and make the equestrian community even more of a minority. This decision will be cumulative attrition to the similar past decisions in this Horse overlay zone, in the other H zones in the City of Long Beach, and in the region. This is a socially unjust decision to eliminate the last of sites trail adjacent whereby the historic equestrian/rancho lifestyle can survive and replace it with high density and “affordable” housing which is not trail dependent and can be placed elsewhere. The equestrian land use designation is also more compatible with the regional master plan and Riverlinks visions whereby larger open spaces and multi-use recreational needs can all be met. A PUD forecloses on all those livability benefits.
The Environmental documentation did not sufficiently address the cumulative adverse impacts removal of this zone creates by further diminishing areas where horses can be housed and lands for the culturally significant equestrian activities and uses. This zone has already undergone negative impact with the zone amendment in the 1980s and development of the affordable high density housing referred to as “countryside Lane”. This zone has also undergone attrition with the removal of the public equestrian facilities and placement of the Dog Park and zero mitigation for the equestrian Horse overlay loss of use.
The PUD does not provide for a single equestrian residence and the removal of the CS zoning does not allow for any public equestrian amenity, corral or stables. The proposed PUD does not provide for a single equestrian home or feature in the development or in the suggested Park.
This decision does not comply with goals and objective of the general plan. This decision will adversely affect the overall character and livability for surrounding equestrian community. Alterations of this zone disrupts the linear connectivity between H overlay zones. The LA River Bridle and hiking trail established in 1944 serves as the mobility corridor for the horses and this zone is a critical connector between the Wrigley equestrian zone to the south, (a zone which also has experience 50% loss of H overlay uses through high-density development), and the next Horse overlay zone north. This decision will not comply with development standards when an overlay exists. The Staff also erroneously indicated there are no trail easements when there are existing trail easements that will be eliminated.
This decision will remove the critical low-density space necessary for Horse keeping in this overlay (H) zone. There will be additional cumulative negative impacts to a culturally significant group in California history as recognized in the EIR and Horse overlay zoning of 1977.
You will be allowing a development that does not provide ANY, NOT ONE equestrian facility (commercial or residential) in a Horse keeping zone and will permanently remove that option. The change to RP-15H planned unit development is too dense for the 8000 square foot lot size and set back minimums the H overlay requires for the health and safety of horses/animals/occupants.
Renee Lawler