West Long Beach Rezoning
City Council Public Hearing – May 2, 2023
Zone In West Long Beach Project Backgound
2 Project Timeline
• In June 2021 a one-year moratorium (urgency ordinance) was established at the behest of Council District 7 to allow for new neighborhood-serving zoning regulations to be adopted
• Per the urgency ordinance, the moratorium affects properties shown in blue on the map (properties on West Willow west of the Los Angeles river and on Santa Fe from Wardlow to Pacific Coast Highway) • City staff hosted a Zone In: WestLB Virtual Open House online with community members in May 2022 to provide an overview of Zone In and showcase initial ideas for the Willow and Santa Fe corridors. • The one-year moratorium was extended for a year in June 2022, with a rezoning goal of December 2022 and hard deadline before June 2023. • On April 20, 2023 the Planning Commission recommended approval for the rezoning
• Co
Willow
Santa Fe
Title 22 Zoning Code Amendment
• Update Incentives Regulations for A-Series zoning districts o Zoning Code Update
One New Zoning District proposed to be added to Title 22 • Create one Zoning Districts “B-Series” variation) to correspond to the Neighborhood- Serving Corridor Low (NSC-L) LUE PlaceType
o Same development standards and uses allowed as MU-1-A, but requires a commercial component for new development
Rezone select properties on Willow Street and Santa Fe Avenue in West Long Beach
• Rezone select properties on Willow Street and Santa Fe Avenue in West Long Beach from their existing zoning to the proposed new zoning districts within the NSC-L areas (MU1-A and MU1-B)
Project Overview
3 Project Components
What is Zone In?
4 Zone In is a systematic effort to update the zoning regulations to implement the 2019 General Plan Land Use Element (LUE). The City has three major rezoning efforts underway: UPLAN in North Long Beach, City Core in Central Long Beach, and WestLB in West Long Beach. All three efforts seek to accommodate housing needs and improve access to commercial uses.
A set of zoning recommendations
that aim to accommodate housing
needs, activate commercial
corridors, and incentivize essential
retail and services, including
grocery stores, banks, and
pharmacies
West Long Beach Deliverable
An evolving, engaged, and
equitable community where
existing residents benefit from new
investment and have their core
needs met locally.
West Long Beach Outcome
LUE PlaceType Map Guides What Zoning Recommendations Can Be Made 5 LUE Guidance for Uses and Standards:
Willow
Santa Fe
UPLAN Zones Adopted in 2020 (LBMC Title 22)
6 • The two zones circled
in red were developed
to implement NSC-L
PlaceType
• Mixed-Use 1 (MU-1-A)
is more commercially
focused
• Residential Mixed-Use
3 (RMU3-A) is more
residentially focused
Community Feedback Guided Zoning Recommendations
7 • City staff hosted a Zone In: WestLB Virtual Open House online with community members in May 2022 to provide an overview of Zone In and showcase initial ideas for the Willow and Santa Fe corridors. o Participants emphasized the need for essential services to be available locally, especially grocery stores, banks, and pharmacies.
o Residents voiced concerns around housing and transportation options and the dearth of community-serving commercial corridors.
• A study session was held at the January 19, 2023 Planning Commission meeting, where City staff presented the draft zones and district boundaries.
• Staff hosted a final virtual workshop for community members on February 9, 2023, where residents provided feedback on the proposed zoning district boundaries for MU-1-A and MU-1-B. • Co
Willow
Santa Fe
Original Zoning Recommendations
8 • Apply MU1-A along Willow Street and Santa Fe Avenue outside of key intersections but with additional
incentives* for:
o Banks/financial services
o Pharmacies
*Incentives will also be applicable to other areas of the City (UPLAN) already zoned for the A-series
• Modify MU1-A to create a new “MU1-B” to include a
commercial requirement at major street intersections
(see red polygons on the map)
o Market studies show best way to attract commercial is through commercial/residential mixed-use incentives
o 100% residential projects will not be permitted in MU1-B o Most likely to get commercial development if concentrated into viable nodes
• Explore new locations in high-resource areas for sites to be added to the Housing Element Site Inventory to
address potential shortfall
Revised Zoning Recommendations
Mixed Use 1-A
3 stories
(max)
• Any combination of residential and
commercial
• Nonresidential Floor Area Ratio (FAR) limited
to 1.5
• number of residential units based on height
limit and other development standards
9 Mixed Use 1-B (hatched)
3 stories
(max)
• All projects must include a commercial
component
• Nonresidential FAR limited to: 1.5 number of
residential units based on height limit and other
development standards
Next Steps
10 • Offsetting or new housing inventory sites are not required at this time. • Zoning provides one important tool to meeting the Westside’s needs but does not in and of itself create new projects, goods, services or amenities. • The Economic Development Department is working on the economic study and outreach requested in the original moratorium council-motion. • The overall strategy is to support existing businesses, assure that any new development or change is consistent with community standards and needs, and to explore economic development tools over time.
• Zone In rezoning work is also underway in North, Central, and Greater Bixby Knolls portions of the City. Wrigley, Broadway Corridor and other areas are coming this fall.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
11 • Environmental Review
o Pursuant to CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines:
• City as lead agency prepared an addendum #3 EIRA-01-23 to a previously certified Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) (EIR 03-16) prepared for the General Plan LUE Update and Urban Design Element • Addendum determined that the project will not result in any new significant impacts that exceed those analyzed in the PEIR Public Noticing
12 Pursuant to Chapter 21.21 of the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC), three posters were displayed at prominent locations within the proposed rezoning vicinity, and notices were posted at City Hall and all libraries in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 21.21 of the LBMC.
Although not required by code, Public Hearing Notices were mailed to all affected property owners and occupants.
Recommendation
13 Receive the supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing; Adopt a Resolution approving and certifying an Addendum (EIRA-01-23) to the Program Environmental Impact Report prepared for the General Plan LUE Update and Urban Design Element (PEIR) (EIR 03-16) relating to the implementation of the General Plan Land Use Element through an amendment to Title 22 and the rezoning of designated Neighborhood Serving Corridors or Centers Low (NSC-L) Place Type in West Long Beach on Willow Street and Santa Fe Avenue (the “Project”), in accordance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) Section 15164 of the CEQA guidelines and making certain findings and determinations that the adopted Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program mitigates, to the extent reasonably feasible, impacts associated with the implementation of the Neighborhood Serving Corridors or Centers Low (NSC-L) Place Types as described above, in accordance with those measures set forth in the General Plan LUE Update and Urban Design Element EIR and that no new or different mitigation measures are required;
Adopt an Ordinance amending Title 22 of the Municipal Code to establish a new zoning district to implement the Long Beach General Plan Land Use Element Update adopted in 2019; and, Adopt an Ordinance to implement City-initiated rezoning of areas that are designated by the 2019 General Plan Land Use Element Update as the Neighborhood Serving Corridors or Centers Low (NSC-L) Place Type on Willow Street, west of the 710 freeway to the city terminus; and Santa Fe Avenue, between Pacific Coast Highway on the south and Wardlow Road on the north, to implement the NSC-L PlaceType in West Long Beach and to end the existing moratorium on new development along said corridors. (Citywide)
Thank you
14 Alejandro Sanchez-Lopez
Planner
Development Services Department
[email protected]