MINUTES
WHITTIER CITY COUNCIL
WHITTIER REDEVELOPMENT SUCCESSOR AGENCY
WHITTIER UTILITY AUTHORITY
REGULAR JOINT MEETING
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 13230 PENN STREET
AUGUST 27, 2024, 6:00 PM
CALL TO ORDER - CLOSED SESSION
None.
2. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION
None.
3. CLOSED SESSION
None.
4. CALL TO ORDER - REGULAR SESSION
Mayor Vinatieri called the Regular Session to order at 6:36 p.m. in the Council Chamber of Whittier City HaIl, 13230 Penn Street, Whittier, CA 90602.
5. ROLL CALL
PRESENT:
Joseph A. Vinatieri, Mayor
Cathy Warner, Mayor Pro Tern
Octavio Martinez, Council Member
Fernando Dutra, Council Member
Mary Ann Pacheco, Council Member
STAFF PRESENT:
Brian Saeki, City Manager
Keith Collins, City Attorney
Shannon DeLong, Assistant City Manager
Rigoberto Garcia Jr., City Clerk
Ben Pongetti, Director of Community Development
6. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Bowie, from the Whittier Girls Softball League, led the Pledge of Allegiance.
CLOSED SESSION REPORT
None.
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8. PRESENTATIONS
8.A. Whittier Girls Softball League lOU and 6U Gold All-Star Teams Mayor Vinatieri invited Adrian Napoles, Whittier Girls Softball League President, to the lectern. Mr. Napoles discussed the teams’ accomplishments.
The City Council congratulated the players, families, and coaches for their hard work.
8.B. Proclamation - National Hispanic Heritage Month
Mayor Vinatieri presented the proclamation to Martha Carreon, board secretary for the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce (HOT). Mr. Carreon invited residents to the “El Grito” celebration on September 8, 2024, at the Victor Lopez Auditorium.
The City Council thanked the HOT organization for their contributions to the corn rn unity.
9. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
MOTION
Council Member Dutra moved and Council Mernber Pacheco seconded a motion to approve the Agenda. The motion carried unanimously.
10. PUBLIC COMMENTS
Mayor Vinatieri indicated that any members of the audience who wish to deliver a public comment should line up by the lectern and any members of the public on Zoom who wish to deliver a public comment should raise their hand. Staff forwarded and provided copies of the email correspondence to City Council Members for review.
The following individuals provided live public comments:
Tom Hall; Tom Bihr; Isaiah Leslie Leon Savage; Magdalena Barragnon Moe; Anonymous; and Edward Nahar.
Conny McCormack provided a teleconference public comment.
All public comments and documents submitted are part of the record and are on file with the City Clerk Department. A video of the oral communications is available through the City’s website.
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11. CITY MANAGER REPORT
City Manager Saeki indicated that the elevator in the Comstock parking structure is frequently repaired due to vandalism. After rescuing two girls who were stuck in the elevator recently, it was discovered that the elevator was previously vandalized.
City Manager Saeki discussed the City’s emergency operations plan and indicated that more information can be found on the City’s website. City Manager Saeki also indicated that the City Council recently authorized the hiring of a fulltime emergency management staff person, who will be shared with the City of Santa Fe Springs.
City Manager Saeki answered questions regarding the hosting agency for the Wednesday Night Market event in Uptown Whittier; fire access during Street closures; and the HAM Radio groups.
12. PUBLIC HEARINGS
12.A. (Continued) Proposed Amendments to the Whittier Municipal Code (WMC)
Zoning Code Amendment No. ZCA22-0001
Zone Change No. ZCG24-0001
Recommendation: Continue deliberation regarding the August 13, 2024 public hearing and introduce the first reading of Ordinance No. 3159, approving Amendments to Title 18 — Zoning and Title 17- Subdivisions (ZCA22-0001) and adopting an Official Zoning Map (ZCG24-0001).
Environmental Review
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires public agencies and local governments to measure the environmental impacts of development projects or other major land use decisions, and to limit or avoid those impacts if possible. The amendments to Title 18— Zoning and Title 17 — Subdivisions, together with the adoption of an official zoning map are considered a project under CEQA. In accordance with CEQA, a program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared for the Envision Whittier General Plan that included within its scope, amendments to the Whittier Zoning and Subdivision Regulations, and Zoning Map. The City of Whittier certified Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) State Clearinghouse (SCH) No. 2021040762 for the 2021-2040 Envision Whittier General Plan on October 12, 2021. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines 15168 (c), Use with Later Activities - subsequent activities in the program must be examined in light of the program EIR to determine whether an additional environmental document must be prepared. City Staff finds that pursuant to Section 15162, no new effects could occur and no new mitigation measures would be required; therefore, no new environmental document is required, and the Whittier City Council/Redevelopment Successor Agency/Utility Authority Minutes August 27, 2024 Page 4 of 5
activities proposed to be enacted by Zoning Code Amendment ZCA22-000i and Zone Change ZCG24-0001 are within the scope of the certified program EIR and said program EIR adequately described the activity for the purposes of CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15168 (e). To the limited extent that there may be additional and related changes included herein to the Whittier Municipal Code (WMC) that were not analyzed in the program EIR, City Staff has determined such changes are categorically exempt from CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines 15061 (c)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that such changes may have a significant effect on the environment.
Director Pongetti and Jose Rodriguez (from MIG) presented the report. City Manager Saeki, City Attorney Collins, Director Pongetti, and Mr. Rodriguez answered questions regarding program environmental impact reports (EIRs); mitigated negative declarations under EIR tiers; variances and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) studies; building multi-family homes near existing single family residential properties; front yard setback requirements on heavily trafficked residential areas; frequency of Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RNHA) reports; state mandates related to RHNA; previous RHNA allocations; the ability to carrying forward overproduced allocations to the following RHNA cycle; income level requirements in RHNA numbers; the redevelopment funds that previously assisted with income level housing; the formula for calculating RHNA allocations; the ability to call up projects for review; consequences for calling up projects that meet objective design standards; public input; the ability to revise objective design standards; drive throughs at the Quad (MU-3 area) through conditional use permits; a letter received from the owner of the Quad; zones that allow lodging facilities; the options at end of the amortization period for non-conforming lodging facilities; residential care facilities and enforcement; guest parking; and current zoning in the Envision Whifler map.
The City Council requested maintaining the ability to review projects before the Design Review Board, even if the projects meet objective design standards.
Mayor Vinatieri requested that City Staff reach out to the owner of the Quad regarding the amendment language relative to Section 18.10.050 - Minimum Residential Density.
Mayor Vinatieri exited the meeting.
MAJORITY CONSENSUS
By majority consensus, the City Council directed City Staff to amend Title 18, Division 1 to allow drive-throughs in all commercial zones (c-i, c-2, c-2 with housing overlay, C-3, C-C, MU 1-3, Medical, and Innovative), and excluding the residential and manufacturing zones. Council Member Pacheco dissented.
The City Council requested corrections to the Land use map involving Whittier Hospital and zoning from Colima to Painter.
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MOTION
Council Member Dutra moved and Council Member Pacheco seconded a motion to continue the public hearing to September 10, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. or soon thereafter. The motion carried 3-0-2, Mayor Vinatieri and Council Member Martinez absent.
13. COUNCIL MEMBER I DIRECTOR COMMENTS AND CONFERENCE REPORTS Council Member Martinez entered the meeting.
Council Member Pacheco thanked City Staff and the consultant for their hard work on the zoning code amendments and commended them on their patience and expertise.
Council Member Martinez and Council Member Pacheco attended a groundbreaking event for City National Bank.
Council Member Dutra thanked City Staff for their hard work on the zoning code amendments.
Mayor Pro Tern Warner indicated she and Mayor Vinatieri attended the WAYS soccer organization opening day on Saturday, August 24, 2024; visited the new pool at La Serna High School; and attended a neighborhood meeting.
14. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Pro Tern Warner adjourned the meeting at 9:29 p.m. [1