CONO REPORT TWO:
Long Beach neighborhood group releases transcripts of the controversial 8/17 Planning Commission meeting on high density
The Council of Neighborhood Organizations (CONO), the city-wide coalition of neighborhood organizations, released the first two reports on the transcripts of the controversial August 17th Long Beach Planning Commission meeting on the Land Use Element (LUE) place-type maps.
All the reports will only cover the staff comments of the over five hour long meeting that included hours of public testimony from neighborhood leaders representing neighborhoods across Long Beach.
The first two reports were released last week to the CONO member neighborhoods and have caused a stir across the city on social media platforms.
CONO has called a meeting for next week for its members devoted entirely to the LUE issue and the upcoming four new outreach public meetings.
The LUE issue and its high density maps that envision high density "urban" (apartments and condos) for 20,000 new residents has galvanized citizens across the city in opposition to the proposed high density especially in conjunction with new and proposed state laws that could trump local zoning and "super size" new developments far beyond local zoning. Those state laws can strip away local parking and setback criteria.
A social media driven protest of Assemblyman Patrick O'Donnell's upcoming Community Meetings were abandoned last week after O"Donnell publicly announced his opposition to one of the most controversial new state laws encroaching on local control: SB 35.
Below is CONO Report One on the Long Beach Department of Development Services (LBDS) staff statements to the Planning Commission. LBDS Director Amy Bodek's comments to the Planning Commissioners on her plans to ignore the commissioners are planned for Report Four.
Released Report One can be accessed at this link:
Council of Neighborhood Organizations (CONO)
Community Report on the transcripts of the Long Beach Department of Development Services staff's public testimony to the Long Beach
CONO Report Two: Possible Implications and Benefits presentation
At the August 17, 2017 Long Beach Planning Commission meeting, staff from the Long Beach Department of Development Services (LBDS) under the direction of the department's Director Amy Bodek made two presentations to the Planning Commission, answered questions from the commissioners and reacted to the Planning Commissioners motions for more public outreach following extensive public testimony from neighborhood organization leaders and residents from across Long Beach.
This is Report Two on the transcripts of those LBDS staff reports and interactions taken from the public video and audio on the City of Long Beach website:
In Report Two CONO transcribes portions of the audio of the online video concerning the 2nd staff report the LBSD Staff made to the Planning Commission for:
Agenda Item 5 17-051PL Recommendation to recommend that the City Council approve the selected alternative for the Place Type and Height Map, superseding the existing adopted Land Use Element and Scenic Routes Element. (Citywide) (Application No. 1701-01)
CONO's Report Two quotes are transcribed from the Planning Commission Video link above ( go to Agenda 5section and click on Agenda 5). The report includes video Time Stamps as indicated by the (TS) followed by the nearest time down to the second of the quote taken from the city provided video.
CONO Report Two
(TS) 2:19:21 - Low cost motel replacement with fictional "Jessica"
"walks to job instead of commuting to Torrance
(TS) 2:20:00 - Council District 2 (CD2)
CSULB staff and students - current residents will not miss the late night noise from Que Sera- 7th Street is greatest bus route- easy access to CSULB
(TS) 2:21:30 Council District 3 (CD3)
Jack-in-the-Box on Ocean - now multi-family housing giving people the dream of living near the ocean. Liquor store relocated inside a new higher quality building so that those amenities are still available for the community.
(TS) 2:22:27 - Council District 4 (CD4)
" The thing about the neighbors around the Traffic Circle you are able to accommodate quite a bit of additional height and density without the single family issues we have in some other locations".
"The building being 3,4,5 or 6 stories is not what is relevant. What is relevant is the improvements to the street. The addition of street trees, the inviting retail [bottom floor of buildings] and it turns out it does not displace any single family homes."
(TS) 2:23:35 Council District 5 (CD5) Spring Street shopping center
Former Hagen's retail site is transformed into mixed use residential with retail on the bottom floor occupied by an Apple Store with the oldest popular employee an older gentleman who is able to visit his grandchildren on his way home.
(TS) 2:24:23 Council District 6 (CD6) Port workers new home is a dream come true
(TS) 2:25:07 Council District 7 (CD7) Nurses live together and own cars, but choose to car pool
(TS) 2:26:05 Council District 8 (CD8) Mixed use buildings provide greater safety because buildings have lights and businesses have security so people are not afraid to walk at night.
(TS) 2:26:40 Council District 9 (CD9) run down industrial sites revitalized now provide new jobs
(TS) 2:27:28 Council District 5 (CD5)
" This site is in CD5 although these sites exist all over the city, this is on Studebaker. We have a number of religious and institutional uses that are vacant or near vacant most of the time"
" You have the opportunity to create ownership style housing, individually owned row houses, because it turns out that some people want this type of housing."
"It does so without replacing or removing any existing single family stock in the neighborhood, but rather utilizing underutilized site of a vacant church".
(TS) 2:28:22 Council District 4 (CD4) Junipero/10th
" I don't think it is one of the most scenic sights in the city"
"In 10 years, 15 years your able to see not everyone is comfortable riding their bike everywhere, but it turns out a couple of residents of this low density, but multi-family housing project are. They are road warriors. They ride that bike everywhere."
(TS) 2:23:35 Council District 7 (CD7) Even single family neighborhoods change
Change will be subtle over time-not noticeable
(TS) 2:29:46 Council District 5 (CD5) Spring Street by LB Airport "low quality" industrial buildings
Remade into upgraded large industrial so LB start-ups will have a place to move to from their garages and provide jobs to the residents.
(TS) 2:30:50 Summary of Possible Implications and Benefits presentation
" In closing, I just want to remind you this is a plan for all 470,000 people living in Long Beach and also about the 20,000 that will be coming to Long Beach
"We brought you a good plan in February of this year, but you pushed us to make it a great plan. I think actually that is where we are today. I know I expressed my moments of frustration and I know we are going to get a different perspective from some of the speakers this evening. I know your job is a difficult one, but here at the staff table we are very proud of the outcome. We feel it provides a bold and positive vision of moving the city forward and meeting the mandates of not only the law, but the mandates we have received from all of you and the City Council to enhance the city's economic position, to think about all members of society and all of our residents. and to provide them with enhanced housing and living choices and to embrace the future in a sustainable way"
(TS) 2:33:10 Chair asked staff for clarification on the process
"We are here to basically define the project description so we can recalculate the Environmental Impact Report. We brought you a project in February that was not perfect and the Commission understandably wanted changes to that. Recognizing the use of resources, what we would like to do is finalize with you and finalize with the City Council what it is we are reticulating in that environmental document before we do the work. After tonight we will have a hearing at the City Council in October. They will over see the maps, district by district, make any changes they feel is appropriate and we will begin the process of updating the CEQA document. That will be released for public review likely in the fall or winter. The public will have an opportunity to comment on that document. All comments will be responded to. At the conclusion of that CEQA process the environmental document will return to you for a certification vote. That's a Public Hearing and the public will have an opportunity to comment again. that will then be scheduled for the City Council. They'll take a final vote on Certification of the EIR and a final vote on the plan itself. Not just the map we are discussion this evening, but also the text and all matters that go with the plan. We hope that will happen early next calendar year. That sounds like an end to the process but it is not actually. This is a General Plan. We will then begin a 5 year process of updating the Zoning Code to conform with the plan. The pubic is involved in that process. Then as you know individual projects have a public process and the public gets the opportunity to weigh in at that stage.?
No comments:
Post a Comment