RESOLUTION NO. 2021-09-PCR-14
6 TH CYCLE 2021-2029 HOUSING ELEMENT AND ISND
PAGE NO. 1
RESOLUTION NO. 2021-09-PCR-14
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING THAT
THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT THE CITY’S 6
TH CYCLE 2021-2029
DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT OF THE GENERAL PLAN AND
ASSOCIATED CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
DOCUMENTATION, INITIAL STUDY/NEGATIVE DECLARATION
WHEREAS, the City’s 5
th Cycle Housing Element was approved and adopted by
the Mayor and City Council on March 18, 2014 and was certified by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for the 2013 - 2021 update cycle;
WHEREAS, a 2017 Technical Midterm Update to the City’s 5 th Cycle 2013-2021
Housing Element was required to allow an eight-year cycle to begin in 2021; WHEREAS, the 2017 Technical Midterm Update to the City’s 5 th Cycle 2013-
2021 Housing Element was adopted by the Mayor and City Council on September 19, 2017 and was certified by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on January 23, 2019;
WHEREAS, the 6
th Cycle 2021-2029 Housing Element presents a framework for meeting the housing needs of existing and future resident populations within the City based on the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) of 2,490 units. While the RHNA allocation is 2,490 units, when accounting for a credit of 451 units and 240 anticipated ADUs, the total need with a 10% buffer is 1,944 units; WHEREAS, the 6
th Cycle 2021-2029 Housing Element identifies strategies and programs to conserve and improve existing affordable housing; provide adequate housing sites; assist in the development of affordable housing; remove governmental and other constraints to housing development; and promote equal housing opportunities in a strategic manner;
WHEREAS, the 6
th Cycle 2021-2029 Housing Element actualizes the noted strategies and programs with proposed additional residential densities within mixed-use designations, residential recycling, residential overlays in commercial and industrial zones, and residential development on religious properties through coordination with nonprofit organizations;
WHEREAS, the 6th Cycle 2021-2029 Housing Element recognizes that diversity in the types of housing in the City is necessary to accommodate a population with varying socioeconomic needs;
RESOLUTION NO. 2021-09-PCR-14
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WHEREAS, pursuant to Government Code Section 65583(c)(7) a robust public participation effort concerning housing throughout the City has been ongoing since 2017. A General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) was established and met 22 times over the course of four years to discuss various topics regarding the City’s General Plan, including a Land Use Plan that reevaluated the City’s residential development potential and mixed-use policy in order to accommodate the City’s RHNA. GPAC consists of 27 community members and regularly discussed land use, including residential uses, densities, and locations throughout the City and conducted outreach to groups such as Beach Cities Health District (serves special needs groups including seniors and persons with disabilities), the Salvation Army (serves low and moderate income and homeless persons) and the Redondo Beach Unified School District. In addition to GPAC’s 22 meetings to date, there have been three community wide meetings and multiple public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council that have focused on a land use plan centered upon accommodating the City’s RHNA. The City advertised all these public meetings and workshops via press releases, Facebook posts, email blasts, cable TV advertisements, posting on the City’s General Plan Update and Housing Element Update websites which have collected 1,200 email addresses for notification, as well as the City’s Community Services Newsletter that is sent to over 11,000 email addresses;
WHEREAS, the City issued a Notice of Availability on July 7, 2021 announcing the availability of the Draft Housing Element for review. The City also prepared a flyer in English and Spanish announcing the availability of the Draft Housing Element for public review and sent the flyers to agencies and organizations that serve low- and moderateincome residents and those with special needs, market-rate and affordable housing developers, affordable housing projects and mobile home parks, among other community groups. Additionally, the City plans to embrace the affordable housing community of professionals as a critical next step;
WHEREAS, the City Council at duly noticed public meetings on April 20, May 4, May 11, and May 18, 2021 at which time all interested parties were given an opportunity to be heard and to present evidence, considered multiple land plans for the purpose of identifying housing sites throughout the City that would accommodate the City’s RHNA; WHEREAS, the City Council at their dully noticed public meeting on June 15, 2021 approved a draft land use plan that identified housing sites that can accommodate the City’s RHNA and directed the Community Development Department to submit the 6 th Cycle 2021-2029 Draft Housing Element to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for their 60-day review;
WHEREAS, the 6
th Cycle 2021-2029 Draft Housing Element of the General Plan was submitted to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on July 12, 2021 and received for review by HCD on July 13, 2021; RESOLUTION NO. 2021-09-PCR-14
6 TH CYCLE 2021-2029 HOUSING ELEMENT AND ISND
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WHEREAS, the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) issued preliminary comments on August 2, 2021 which were further discussed in telephone conversations on August 5 and 10, 2021 between Community Development Department staff, the City’s housing consultant Veronica Tam, and HCD and on August 19, 22, and 23, 2021 revisions to the element were submitted to and received by HCD in response to preliminary comments from HCD;
WHEREAS, on September 2, 2021 the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) issued a letter citing that the City’s 6th Cycle 2021- 2029 Draft Housing Element “addresses many statutory requirements; however, revisions will be necessary to comply with State Housing Element Law (Article 10.6 of the Gov. Code).”. HCD cited concerns with the analysis within the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing sections and the sites inventory analysis of the “North Tech District”, and various “Small Sites”, one (1) on South Pacific Coast Hwy and eight (8) located in the 190th Street Industrial Flex Districts. Additionally, HCD cited concerns with various Housing Programs within the element stating that they did not provide enough specific actions;
WHEREAS, the Community Development Department and the City’s housing consultant, Veronica Tam, are preparing additional information and revisions to the element in response to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) September 2, 2021 letter and have summarized the Community Development Departments planned approach for addressing HCD’s cited concerns in the staff report dated September 16, 2021 and presented the same at the Planning Commissions, duly noticed public hearing on September 16, 2021;
WHEREAS, the Community Development Department and the City’s housing consultant Veronica Tam, anticipate that the 6th Cycle 2021-2029 Draft Housing Element, as revised in response to the State Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD’s) September 2, 2021 letter, will be brought back to the Planning Commission and City Council for future public hearings prior to January 2022; WHEREAS, pursuant to Chapter 3, Title 10 of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code, and the Guidelines to the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the City proposes to adopt a Negative Declaration for the 6 th Cycle 2021-
2029 Draft Housing Element. The Negative Declaration is based on the finding within the Initial Study that the project being a policy document would not have any significant environmental impacts and as such, does not require any mitigation measures. The reasons to support such a finding are documented within an Initial Study prepared by the City;
WHEREAS, the City issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) on August 5, 2021 to adopt an Initial Study/ Negative Declaration (ISND) for the City’s 6 th Cycle 2021-2029 Draft
Housing Element, prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act RESOLUTION NO. 2021-09-PCR-14
6 TH CYCLE 2021-2029 HOUSING ELEMENT AND ISND
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(CEQA), CEQA Guidelines, and local implementation procedures and advertised the public review period beginning on August 5, 2021 and ending on September 3, 2021.
Two (2) comment letters were received on the proposed ISND and they are included as an appendix to the ISND along with the City’s responses to said comments; WHEREAS, notice of the time and place of the public hearing where the Initial Study/Negative Declaration and the 6
th Cycle 2021-2029 Draft Housing Element of the
General Plan would be considered was given pursuant to State law and local ordinances by publication in the Beach Reporter, and written notice was also mailed to agencies and organizations providing housing support services to low income residents, seniors, and other segments of the community; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of Redondo Beach has considered evidence presented by the consultant, Veronica Tam & Associates, Inc., the Planning Division, and other interested parties at the public hearing held on the 16th day of September, 2021, with respect thereto.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
REDONDO BEACH DOES HEREBY FIND:
1. That the 6th Cycle 2021-2029 Draft Housing Element is a policy document only and no changes in land use designations are included with this project.
2. That the 6th Cycle 2021-2029 Draft Housing Element recommended amendments to the City’s Land Use Plan in order to accommodate the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) of 2,490 units will be further considered with the City’s update the Land Use Element and when considered with the updates to the City’s Land Use Element do constitute a major change in allowable land use pursuant to Article XXVII Section 27.2. (f) Definitions.
3. That based on existing underutilization, existing Floor Area Ratio, existing building conditions, improvement valuation, and COVID-impacted uses and current development patterns/trends, among other objective information, existing uses in the sites inventory identified to accommodate the very low and low income RHNA are likely to be discontinued or redeveloped with residential during the planning period, and therefore does not constitute an impediment to additional residential development during the period covered by the Housing Element.
4. Pursuant to Chapter 3, Title 10 of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code, and the Guidelines to the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) a Negative Declaration for the 6
th Cycle 2021-2029 Draft Housing
Element has been prepared and based upon the findings and conclusions of the RESOLUTION NO. 2021-09-PCR-14
6 TH CYCLE 2021-2029 HOUSING ELEMENT AND ISND
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Initial Study determined the project would not have any significant environmental impacts and as such, does not require any mitigation measures.
5. That the 6th Cycle 2021-2029 Draft Housing Element will have no impact upon Fish and Game resources pursuant to Section 21089(b) of the Public Resources Code.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
REDONDO BEACH DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. That based on the above findings, the Planning Commission does hereby recommend that the City Council approve the Initial Study and Negative Declaration and further recommends that the City Council adopt the 6 th Cycle 2021-
2029 Draft Housing Element of the General Plan addressing HCD’s comments with the following recommended edits:
• Addition of a bar chart representation of Table H22, illustrating percentages of housing unit types in Redondo Beach, other South Bay jurisdictions, and the SCAG region (Page 25 of Draft Housing Element); • Deletion of language characterizing residents’ concerns with impacts caused by new housing (Page 35 of Draft Housing Element); and • Elimination of Measure DD references within Section B. 1. Integration and Segregation, Race and Ethnicity of Appendix D: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (Pages D-3 and D-4 of Draft Housing Element).
FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Planning Commission forward a copy of this resolution to the City Council so the Council will be informed of the action of the Planning Commission.
RESOLUTION NO. 2021-09-PCR-14
6 TH CYCLE 2021-2029 HOUSING ELEMENT AND ISND
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PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 16
th day of September, 2021.
________________________
Chantal Toporow, Vice-Chair
Planning Commission
City of Redondo Beach
ATTEST:
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) SS
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH )
I, Brandy Forbes, Community Development Director of the City of Redondo Beach, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 2021-09-PCR-14 was duly passed, approved and adopted by the Planning Commission of the City of Redondo Beach, California, at a regular meeting of said Planning Commission held on the 16
th day of September, 2021, by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Commissioners Berg, Boswell, Gaddis, and Godek
NOES: Vice-Chair Toporow, Commissioners Hinsley, and Ung ABSENT: None
_______________________________
Brandy Forbes
Community Development Director
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
__________________________
City Attorney’s Office