City Council — 2023-04-18

General Plan Update Overview

• Staff presented the status of five primary elements including Land Use, Circulation, Safety, Environmental Justice, and Housing.
• The Housing Element was adopted first to meet state deadlines but may require revision as other elements develop.
• Non-focused elements like Noise will be adjusted based on update outcomes rather than being completely rewritten.

Montgomery Street Corridor Policy

• Staff proposed changing the designation from General Commercial to Village Mixed Use to align with existing residential units.
• Community feedback showed approximately 50% of respondents favored no change due to traffic and water supply concerns.
• The Council directed staff to proceed with drafting documents for the zoning shift north of Aliso Street.

Bryant Industrial Area Policy

• Discussion centered on maintaining current zoning versus permitting new non-residential uses or conditionally allowing live-work housing.
• Approximately two-thirds of respondents opposed outright residential use, though support existed for conditional live-work units.
• The Council deferred final policy decisions on this area pending results from an additional public workshop.

Ojai Avenue Corridor Policy

• An option was presented to create a housing overlay for General Commercial portions of the corridor, excluding the downtown arcade.
• Feedback was split between supporting increased housing supply and concerns regarding traffic and parking impacts.
• Final adoption of land use policies for this corridor was deferred to a future workshop.

Climate Action Strategy

• Council members discussed whether to revisit the decision to weave climate considerations into all elements rather than creating a standalone element.
• A motion passed directing staff to return with options and cost estimates for a separate Climate Change Resiliency Element.
• Staff was instructed to ensure the plan is either interwoven into all land use elements or maintained as a standalone referenced document.

Public Engagement Improvements

• Concerns were raised regarding a lack of diversity in previous workshops, which featured disproportionate numbers of recurring and older attendees.
• A motion passed to organize an additional Saturday workshop to gather input from youth, business owners, and younger residents.

Tourism and Resident Harmony

• Discussion included the need to address the balance between residents and tourists, with suggestions to prioritize residents.
• A motion passed directing staff and consultants to prepare policy options for achieving better harmony between these groups.

Vacant Property Investigation

• Council members noted the need to investigate why vacant and derelict buildings remain empty in the industrial zone.
• Staff was directed to contact owners to determine reasons for vacancy and report findings in the future.

Remote Participation Authorization

• A motion was made to allow a Council member to participate remotely under emergency circumstances provisions.
• The motion passed, authorizing remote attendance for the specified member.

Agenda Item: General Plan Update – Policy Options, Land Use Changes, and Public Engagement

Discussion

• The meeting addressed the update of the General Plan, focusing on five primary elements: Land Use, Circulation, Safety, Environmental Justice, and Housing. Staff and consultants presented the status of the project, noting that the Housing Element was adopted first to meet state deadlines but may require revision as other elements develop. Other elements, such as Noise, will be adjusted based on the outcomes of the focused updates rather than being completely rewritten.
• Specific land use policy options were discussed for three corridors:
• Montgomery Street Corridor: Staff proposed changing the designation from "General Commercial" to "Village Mixed Use" (VMU) to align zoning with existing conditions, which include residential units. This change would allow for a mix of residential, retail, and office uses. Community feedback indicated approximately 50% of respondents favored no change, though concerns regarding traffic and water supply were noted.
• Bryant Industrial Area (Commercial Manufacturing): Discussion centered on maintaining current zoning, permitting new non-residential uses (such as art galleries and live-work units), or conditionally allowing live-work housing. Concerns were raised regarding the compatibility of residential uses with industrial activities and the potential loss of limited industrial space. Approximately two-thirds of community respondents opposed allowing residential use outright, though support existed for conditionally permitting live-work units. Staff noted that current zoning allows certain uses conditionally while prohibiting others, and that existing residential units in commercial zones are legal non-conforming uses at risk of losing status if abandoned for six months.
• Ojai Avenue Corridor: An option was presented to create a housing overlay for General Commercial portions of the corridor, excluding the downtown arcade. Feedback was split between supporting residential uses to increase housing supply and concerns regarding traffic and parking. Supported housing types included live-work, affordable, senior, and small-scale multifamily units. Three geographic extents for the overlay were considered: the entire corridor, a half-mile radius from downtown, or an extension further east.
• Additional topics included:
• Climate Action: Staff reported that a previous decision opted to weave climate considerations into all elements rather than creating a standalone Climate Element. Council members discussed whether to revisit this decision, weighing the potential weight of a separate element against additional costs and scope changes.
• Public Engagement: Concerns were raised regarding the lack of diversity in previous public workshops, which were noted to have a disproportionate number of recurring attendees and older residents. Requests were made to include youth perspectives, business owners in the industrial area, and younger residents through focus groups or additional workshops.
• Vacant Properties: Council members discussed the status of vacant and derelict buildings in the industrial zone, noting the need to investigate why these properties remain vacant in light of the housing shortage.
• Tourism: Discussion included the need to address the harmony between residents and tourists, with suggestions to prioritize residents and potentially increase taxes on tourism to support infrastructure.

Motions and Decisions

• Several motions were made, seconded, amended, and voted upon regarding the General Plan update process and specific policy directions.
• Motion to Delay Voting on General Plan Direction: A motion was made to delay voting on the direction for the General Plan update until after the consultant presentation and discussion of all sections were completed. The motion was amended to separate voting on specific components and to proceed with the presentation before revisiting the vote.
• Outcome: Passed.
• Motion to Hold Additional Public Workshop: A motion was made to direct staff to organize an additional public workshop, specifically on a Saturday, to gather more diverse community input on policy questions, including the Bryant Street area and land use options.
• Outcome: Passed.
• Motion Regarding Climate Action Plan: A motion was made to direct staff to return with options and cost estimates for adding a separate Climate Change Resiliency Element or Climate Action Plan, either as an additive item or a replacement for other work. An amendment was proposed to ensure the plan is interwoven into all land use elements or maintained as a standalone document referenced in context.
• Outcome: Passed.
• Motion Regarding Tourism: A motion was made to direct staff and consultants to prepare policy options or sections addressing the goal of achieving better harmony between residents and tourists.
• Outcome: Passed.
• Motion Regarding Specific Land Use Policies (Montgomery Street, Bryant Street, Ojai Avenue): A motion was made to take no further action on specific land use policy questions regarding Ojai Avenue and the remainder of Bryant Street, deferring these decisions to a future workshop. The motion clarified that previous directions to draft documents for shifting Montgomery Street (north of Aliso) to VMU and shifting residences east of Fulton Street from Commercial/Manufacturing to VMU would stand.
• Outcome: Passed.
• Motion Regarding Vacant Building Investigation: While no formal motion was recorded for a specific investigation, a consensus was reached to direct staff to investigate the status of vacant and derelict properties in the industrial zone and contact owners to determine reasons for vacancy.
• Outcome: Directed to staff for future reporting.
• Motion Regarding Remote Participation: A motion was made to allow a Council member to participate remotely under emergency circumstances provisions.
• Outcome: Passed.

Final Decisions

• No final policy decisions regarding the specific land use changes for the Montgomery Street corridor, the Bryant Industrial Area, or the Ojai Avenue corridor were adopted at this time. The Council decided to defer final adoption of these specific land use policies pending the results of the additional workshop and further staff analysis. The direction to proceed with drafting documents for the Montgomery Street and Fulton Street zoning shifts remains in effect.