MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE
PLANNING COMMISSION
June 17, 2026 @ 6:00 p.m.
San Clemente City Hall Council Chamber
910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, CA 92673
Teleconference via www.san-clemente.org
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Cosgrove called the Regular Meeting of the Planning Commission of the City of San Clemente to order at 6:02 p.m. The meeting was offered in person at San Clemente City Hall Council Chambers, 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, California, 92673, and also via live stream from the City’s YouTube Channel.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Commissioner McCaughan led the Pledge of Allegiance.
3. ROLL CALL
Commissioners Present: Chair Cameron Cosgrove; Vice Chair M. Steven Camp; Chair Pro Tem Scott McKhann; Gary McCaughan; Patrick Griffin; and Brett Freeman
Commissioners Absent: Commissioner Karen Prescott-Loeffler Staff Present: Zachary Rehm, Acting City Planner
Alexia Gruszczynski, Assistant Planner
Sarah Chmielak, Contract Planner
Tim Camptin, Acting City Attorney
Tamara Tatich, Recording Secretary
These minutes reflect the order in which items appeared on the meeting agenda and do not necessarily reflect the order in which items were actually considered.
4. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS/SPECIAL PRESENTATION
A. Presentation of Commendation: Commissioner Gary McCaughan Chair Cosgrove presented outgoing Commissioner McCaughan with a signed commendation and was joined by the other commissioners for a photo.
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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes of June 17, 2026 Page 2
5. MINUTES
A. Receive and file Minutes from the Planning Commission Regular Meeting of June 3, 2026.
IT WAS MOVED BY CAMP, SECONDED BY MCKHANN, AND CARRIED 5-1,
COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN ABSTAINED, COMMISSIONER LOEFFLER ABSENT, TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR MEETING OF JUNE 3, 2026.
6. ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
None.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
None.
8. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Public Hearing Project (PHP) 26-079, Zebra House Patio, 1001 S. El Camino Real
A request for the Planning Commission to consider approval of a 263 sq. ft. expansion to an existing patio area, including the construction of a pergola with climbing vines, installation of two new exterior roll-up garage-style doors and exterior lighting, and removal of an existing landscape planter located at the front of the building.
The Planning Commission will also consider whether the project is Categorically Exempt from the requirements of the CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines §15301 (Existing Facilities), and §15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures), and §15311 (Accessory Structures).
Cosgrove opened the public hearing. No ex parte disclosures were presented by the commissioners.
Cosgrove moved to continue item to July 15, 2026, second by Camp, unanimous
IT WAS MOVED BY CHAIR COSGROVE, SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR CAMP, AND CARRIED 6-0, COMMISSIONER LOEFFLER ABSENT, TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING TO THE ADJOURNED MEETING TO BE HELD ON JULY 15, 2026 AT 5:00 P.M.
9. NEW BUSINESS
A. Economic Development: Gateway Overlay
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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes of June 17, 2026 Page 3 A request for the Planning Commission to review and provide feedback on draft report and menu of options for City Council initiated Gateway Overlay and Economic Development initiatives.
Contractor Planner Chmielak and Assistant Planner Gruszczynski summarized the staff report titled “Option for Amendments to Development Standards to Incentivize Hotels and Other Economic Development.” A copy is available by contact the Planning Division.
Report included a project background beginning in September 17, 2024 through June 4, 2026; Gateways purpose and history; Focus Areas purpose and location of Overlay; Map Preview that was an overview of the GIS map that did not include the Del Mar “T” Zone; Development Standards review and approval processes; Development Standard Layers; Development Standard Impacts; Development Activity 2015-2025; Hotel Inventory; Outreach to residents, property owners and developers; market analysis for TOT, visitor trips, overnight stays; leakage; fit score; retail leakage; peer city study, and options to consider:
1. Ease the approval process for hotel uses;
2. Create an Economic Development Overlay District;
3. Amend Special Use Standards for Hotels;
4. Streamlining with Local Coastal Program Certification;
5. Waive Freeway Height Restrictions;
6. Lengthen Carry-Over of Entitlements;
7. Publish map of reduced parking areas; and
8. Explore Revenue Sharing of Transient Occupancy Tax
Public Comments:
Amanda Quintanilla, resident, expressed concern with noise at Ole Hanson Beach Club. Stated that San Clemente cannot be compared to Dana Point and that the Gateway Overlay did not take into account the noise levels or threat of litigation regarding noise levels. Ms. Quintanilla applauded the Commission’s concerns expressed at the June 4, 2026 meeting regarding the lack of utilities and infrastructure to support ADUs.
Robert Beaulieu, resident since 1976, gave a history of his involvement and of the town; and emphasized the need to redevelop El Camion Real, help the small hotels with improvements and focus on helping businesses, not just hotels.
Chair Cosgrove confirmed with staff that the purpose of the agenda item was to obtain feedback to make revisions to the first draft.
Commission Discussion:
• Need to protect Spanish Village by the Sea
• Concern with making hotels a “permit by right”
• Streamlining is tactical and not strategic
DRAFT
Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes of June 17, 2026 Page 4 • View and quality of life is priority
• Confidence in data is needed before offering incentives • Need more analysis on existing hotels
• Table by-right approvals
• Need a full market analysis
• Planning Commission needs to retain oversight
• High interest rates make new construction project challenging • Market conditions are not presented in report
• None of the recently approved hotel project encounter significant hurdles in the approval process
• The residents will not support a “by right” approval process • Not in favor of only emphasizing hotels in report
• Report is statistic and should balance direct comparisons for available and developable properties; and compare the quality of the developments
• Perception and quality of the environment is the focus • Need a big picture and hone in on specific properties • Analyze why some projects are successful and other aren’t • All agree that ECR is a unique thoroughfare
• TOT is only a small piece
• Report should be broader
• Shared parking is great concept
• We need more than a parking study, but rather long-term benefits • Research Incentives in other cities and which cities use them • Landscaping is part of economic growth and features and amenities should be included in report
• Increase FAR to 100% is a huge deal. Need to know which zones are applicable
• Need to evaluate projects that had incentives that have not been successful
• Need to be sensitive to scale
• San Clemente does not have a lot of buildable areas so we don’t have the same opportunities as other cities and this dictates more opportunity for small boutique properties than a big box
• Other option besides the Outlets is for a developer to buy up existing properties along El Camino Real
• Hopes that one day downtown will have a parking structure • Desire to look at how to improve development processes and bring in more economic development with the challenge of being built out The Commission responded to the options presented in the staff report, as follows:
• Best shortcut is adopting the Local Coastal Program (LCP) • Identify objective standards rather than loosen the standards DRAFT
Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes of June 17, 2026 Page 5 • There are more factors than FAR to consider. We need to be careful of incentives.
• San Clemente is not a simple town to change. People like the small-town charm. If we lose that, we lose us. Maximizing revenue and fast growth is not our way. The General Plan (GP) is clear about development.
People are invested in our view corridors and the architecture. The GP is here to say. Elected officials are here for four years. There are opportunities on El Camino Real. We need to identify the goal and the problem we’re trying solve. We need to identify the micro economy at North Beach. Vacant lots should be considered Opportunity Zones. North Beach to top of “T” zone, and analyze metrics and success ratios on the South El Camino Real hotels to determine the opportunities for improvement.
• Gateways incentives for development should be removed. Gateways are villages and they can have a micro, sub-cultures and we don’t have the identifiers for that. Create more Gateway identity with beautification and architectural identifiers. Clean up freeway exits.
Staff’s Responses:
• Development would still have to comply with General Plan and design standards.
• Landscaping code changes are not included in the report because what is current is great. We didn’t find a need to amend that section.
Additional Commission Comments:
• There has already been substantial streamlined implemented. • There’s a need for balance with public processes versus streamlining. • The LCP needs to be the highest priority.
• Consider consolidating number of applications to reduce delays caused by wrong application submittal.
• Hotels is just one element of the equation and they need to fit in with our charm. We have two in the pipeline that will add over 100 rooms. • We need to recruit economic development staff to assist the Outlets and support other projects.
• Identify areas that need help and create an identity and possibly rezone. • A Study Session was suggested
10. OLD BUSINESS
None.
11. REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF
A. Commissioner Reports
None.
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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes of June 17, 2026 Page 6 B. Tentative Future Agenda
Written report provided.
C. Administrative Permit Report
Written report provided.
D. Staff Reports
12. ADJOURNMENT
The Planning Commission adjourned at 8:03 p.m. the Adjourned Planning Commission scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 5:00 p.m., and will be held at the San Clemente City Hall Council Chambers located at 910 Calle Negocio, 2nd Floor, San Clemente, California.
Respectfully submitted,
___________________________
Cameron Cosgrove, Chair
Attest:
___________________________
Zach Rehm, Secretary to the Planning Commission
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