4 MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING; AND CITY
COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION SPECIAL
JOINT MEETING; AND PLANNING COMMISSION
S LV; N G REGULAR MEETING
March 7, 2022
Monday
5: 00 P. M.
5: 00 PM — SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Uhrig called the meeting to order at 5: 03 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Charlie Uhrig; Mayor pro tern Mark Infanti; Councilmembers Robert Clarke, Claudia Orona, Jim Thomas
Staff: City Manager Xenia Bradford, City Attorney Dave Fleishman, Assistant City Attorney Chelsea O' Sullivan, City Clerk Annamarie Porter
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Led by Mayor Uhrig
PUBLIC HEARINGS
1. PUBLIC HEARING TO REVIEW SOLVANG ELECTIONS DISTRICT MAPS Hold a Public Hearing. Open the Public Hearing to discuss and revise the draft maps and discuss election sequence.
City Manager Bradford introduced the item; presented a brief background and deferred to the City' s consultant for a complete report.
Dr. Daniel Phillips, Consultant, National Demographics Corporation, narrated a PowerPoint presentation regarding the City' s transition to by -district elections.
Discussion followed regarding the election sequence and Dr. Phillips reported every Councilmember gets to finish their four-year term.
Mayor Uhrig opened the public hearing.
Lansing Duncan opined that the Orange plan is the best choice and urged City Council to approve it.
Sheila Benedict (via Zoom), asked for clarification ofthe proposed election sequence and Dr. Phillips explained there will be a transition period and reported in 2024, all Councilmembers except the Mayor will be District Representatives and noted City Council may change it, as desired.
Gay Infanti (via Zoom), referenced the Orange plan and noted the boundary is not drawn on Viborg but through the north side of Viborg through the middle of several streets in the neighborhood. Dr. Phillips explained it is a school attendance area boundary because the population did not work taking the boundary to Viborg, but he will review the matter and make adjustments as appropriate.
Susan Bott ( via Zoom), reported she and her husband prefer the Orange plan.
There were no other public comments and Mayor Uhrig closed the public hearing.
Discussion followed regarding avoiding splitting neighborhoods, needing to make adjustments and post the plan seven days prior to the public hearing, the possibility of making Fifth Street as the boundary for District 3 on the east and giving everything from Fifth Street over to District 1 and having District 3 encompass the entire TRC.
Councilmember Orona expressed concerns that by splitting District 3 by Mission Drive may be harder to find candidates willing to run and suggested encompassing both sides of Mission Drive.
Consultant Phillips reported he will return to the next City Council meeting with a revised plan for City Council to consider and approve.
2. ADJOURNMENT — Mayor Uhrig adjourned the meeting at 5: 41 p.m. 6: 00 PM — SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL & PLANNING COMMISSION JOINT MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Uhrig called the meeting to order at 6: 00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
City Council Present: Mayor Charlie Uhrig; Mayor pro tem Mark Infanti; Councilmembers Robert Clarke, Claudia Orona, Jim Thomas
Planning Commission
Present: Chair Jack Williams; Commissioners Scott Gold, Joannie Jamieson, Aaron Petersen, Justin Rodriguez
Staff: City Manager Xenia Bradford, City Attorney Dave Fleishman, Assistant City Attorney Chelsea O' Sullivan, City Clerk Annamarie Porter
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Led by Mayor pro tem Infanti
1. GENERAL PLAN UPDATE PREFERRED LAND USE ALTERNATIVE ADOPTION a. Receive a report on community input and General Plan Advisory Committee recommendations for the Preferred Land Use Alternative; and,
b. Adopt the Preferred Land Use Alternative
City Manager Bradford introduced the item; provided a brief background and deferred to the City' s consultant for a report.
Brent Gibbons, Mintier Hamish, narrated a PowerPoint presentation ofthe General Plan Update preferred land use alternative.
Discussion followed regarding total acres within the TRC, the number of housing units that could fit into the TRC as mixed -use is developed, the different types of mixed use.
Mayor Uhrig invited public comments.
Steve Martin suggested creating categories of design and acknowledging different types of architecture within the City.
Elizabeth Breen commented on the GPAC' s agreement regarding guiding principles including a wide range of housing options and living wage jobs.
Denise Johns expressed disappointment about the GPAC not considering higher density residential development in downtown and commented on the existing housing crisis and lack of affordable housing.
There were no other public comments.
Discussion followed regarding the possibility of building lower- or moderate -income housing through a public/private partnership onto City parking lots with parking on the bottom floor.
Motion by Chair Williams, seconded by Commissioner Petersen, to recommend to the City Council approval of Alternative I as presented by GPAC. Motion carried 5- 0.
Motion by Mayor pro tem Infanti, seconded by Councilmember Orona, to approve Alternative 1 as presented by GPAC. Motion carried as follows:
AYES: Mayor Uhrig; Mayor pro tem Infanti; Councilmembers Clarke, Orona, Thomas NOES: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: None
2. ADJOURNMENT — Mayor Uhrig adjourned the meeting at 6: 37 p.m.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION
Chair Williams called the meeting to order at 7: 00 p. m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Jack Williams; Commissioners Scott Gold, Joannie Jamieson, Aaron Petersen, Justin Rodriguez
Staff: City Manager Xenia Bradford, Assistant City Attorney Chelsea O' Sullivan, Planning Consultant Laurie Tamura, City Clerk Annamarie Porter
PLEDGE TO THE FLAG
Led by Commissioner Gold
1. PRELIMINARY MATTERS:
A. Public Comment - None
B. Requests for Continuance, Withdrawals, or Addition of Ex -Agenda items City Manager Bradford announced that the applicant for Item No. 3 has requested that the item be continued to a future City Council meeting.
Brief discussion followed regarding the status of expanding the footprint ofthe Farmers Market.
C. Conflicts and/ or Ex-Parte Communications - None
D. Approve the minutes of the Planning Commission regular meeting of February 7, 2022, and the Joint Special Meeting of the Planning Commission and Design Review Committee of February 17, 2022 Motion by Commissioner Gold, seconded by Commissioner Jamieson, to approve the minutes ofthe Planning Commission regular meeting ofFebruary 7, 2022, and the Joint Special Meeting of the Planning Commission and Design Review Committee ofFebruary 17, 2022. Motion carried 5- 0.
E. Receive and file current Planning & Building Division Projects Laurie Tamura, Planning Consultant, presented a list of current Planning and Building Division projects and discussed the status of each.
Discussion followed regarding the waterwheel project.
2. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS
A. Public Hearing to consider Adopting Resolution No. 22- 02 recommending to City Council amendments to Title 11 Zoning Ordinance addressing accessory structures, including sheds, in the side -yard and rear -yard setbacks.
Assistant City Attorney O' Sullivan presented the staff report; discussed requirements of the Fire Code regarding side -yard setbacks requirements and access around buildings and addressed edits made to the resolution as discussed in the last Planning Commission meeting. She added there is no requirement that there be a minimum distance between the property line and the building, within the Fire Code.
Planning Consultant Laurie Tamura addressed the height of the accessory structures.
Chair Williams opened the public hearing.
Rovy Butcher asked for clarification regarding the minimum required separation between accessory structures, whether the side yard setbacks apply to side yards without gates; referenced a letter of complaint from Ann Nicholas, noting that she uses the condition of 20 properties as a reference and not is not filing a complaint against the 20 families. She requested that the Planning Commission reduce the distance between accessory structures and/ or to accommodate and grandfather existing sheds where no one is complaining and that the City Council drop enforcement or make recommendations or accommodations for the affected homeowners.
Denise Neal inquired about corner lots and accessory structures, specifically a requirement in the ordinance that no accessory structures can be closer to the street than the principal residence, noting that many corner lots will be negatively affected.
Jay Carsman ( via Zoom), agreed with Ms. Butcher' s comments regarding grandfathering existing sheds and thanked the Commission and City staff for their work on this matter.
There were no other public comments and Chair Williams closed the public hearing.
Planning Consultant Tamura reported that Ms. Nicholas removed her shed because of the adjacent neighbor' s complaint; discussed the visibility of sheds from the street, that are higher than six feet and reported that the ordinance does not make a distinction relative to corner lots.
Assistant City Attorney O'Sullivan discussed corner lots and recommended deleting " side" from 65, Subsection E of Section 11- 12- 2, to allow sheds in side yards.
Discussion followed regarding different considerations for corner lots possibly being discriminatory, the Commission' s ability to change that section ofthe ordinance ( Page 65) and making an exception for accessory structures on corner lots with size limitations/ standards ( below 9 feet in height with a maximum total 200 square feet on each side yard).
Planning Consultant Tamura will work with Assistant City Attorney O'Sullivan to develop appropriate language to address accessory structures in side yards of corner lots.
Discussion followed regarding making the ordinance consistent throughout, reviewing the Building Code provision for possible changes, the distance between buildings on the same side, setback requirements for nonresidential districts, reducing the space between accessory structures from five feet to three feet and setbacks applying to side yards where there is no gate.
Motion by Commissioner Petersen, seconded by Commissioner Jamieson, to adopt Resolution No. 22- 02 recommending to City Council amendments to Title 11 Zoning Ordinance addressing accessory structures, including sheds, in the side yard and rear yard setback, as discussed. Motion carried 5- 0.
B. Public Hearing to consider providing a recommendation to the City Council on the General Plan Annual Report and to Adopt a Categorical Exemption.
Planning Consultant Tamura presented details of the report.
Chair Williams opened the public hearing.
Motion by Commissioner Rodriguez, seconded by Commissioner Petersen, to recommend to the City Council approval of the General Plan Annual Report and to adopt a Categorical Exemption. Motion carried 5- 0.
3. DISCUSSION ITEMS
A. Preliminary review of 1783 Mission Drive Hotel and Apartments ( Old Lumberyard) This item was continued to a future City Council meeting per the applicant' s request.
4. PLANNING COMMISSIONER' S COMMENTS - None
5. PLANNING STAFF COMMENTS - None
6. ADJOURNMENT — Chair Williams adjourned the meeting at 8: 04 p.m.
Respectfully submitted:
Annamarie Porter, City Clerk