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 Planning Commission on August 17, 2017
CONO Report Four: Planning Commissioners Vote
The Council of Neighborhood Organizations (CONO), the city-wide coalition of neighborhood organizations, released the first three reports on the transcripts of the controversial August 17th Long Beach Planning Commission meeting on the Land Use Element (LUE) place-type maps. This is the final report on the transcripts from that meeting.
This final report covers the Planning Commissioners trying to vote to send the Land Use Element maps back to staff for further community engagement, specifically with the neighborhood associations after dozen's of association leaders from across Long Beach showed up at the August 17, 2017 Planning Commission meeting.
At that 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 Four 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 Four CONO transcribes
portions of the audio of the online video concerning the Planning Commissioners
attempt to send the Land Use Element (LUE) Maps back to the LBSD Staff for
further community outreach after the hours of public comment on:
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)
Long Beach Development Services
Director Amy Bodek interrupts and tells the Planning Commissioners that despite
their wishes (and ultimately their vote) to
not send the LUE Maps to the City
Council- she was bringing the maps to the City Council regardless.
CONO's Report Four 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.
For the first Three Transcribed
reports Click on:
CONO Report Two
CONO Report Four: Planning Commissioners Vote
(TS) 4:31:52 Chair Van Horik
recognizes Commissioner Cruz
(TS) 4:31:57-4:32:23 Commissioner Cruz
"Just a quick comment. Because this is a document that is going to
be in place for decades. I'm just not comfortable moving it forward yet
without more buy-in, from the,
particularly with some of the communities on the west-side. That they're
complaining of possible ten-story
developments up against residential. I know this has gone back-and-forth, but
based on these comments about lack of
outreach, and you know, and inadequate community meetings I just would
like to see some more outreach."
(TS)
4:32:23-4:32:30 Loud Audience applause
and cheers
(TS) 4:32:32 Chair Van Horik recognizes Commissioner
Templin
(TS) 4:32:40 4:33:19
Commissioner Templin asks about questions from audience
regarding
communications to the commission
(TS) 4:33:19-4:33:55
Staff responds to question noting procedures to forward communications
(TS) 4:34:01 Chair
Van Horik recognizes Commissioner Lewis
(TS) 4:34:06
Commissioner Lewis asks a question to staff about the Mid-Town Plan and
reducing density outside the Mid Town Plan and the "Land Use Plan is affected" if there was a reduction in certain heights
outside the Mid Town Plan.
(TS) 4:34:36-4:35:26 Staff replies that the commissioners could make
adjustment to areas outside the Mid Town Plan the commissioners "would just make". Staff stated that it was possible to move the
10 story boundary back that is "consistent
with the plan, we would just make that change". Staff said the more complicated change is
"the change adjacent to the
park".
(TS) 4:35:00 4:35:24 The Staff
continued answering Commissioner Lewis' question about the Mid Town and the
LUE
" I mentioned in a previous
answer to a different question that the zoning can be more restrictive,
but it can not be more permissive. So we'd be in a situation were the General
Plan was more restrictive than the Mid Town Plan, so we would have to amend
their Mid Town Plan in that case".
(TS) 4:35:31- 4:35:41
Commissioner Lewis asks how those changes could be made when they are
complicated to do verbally.
(TS) 4:35:31 -4:35:51 Staff replied to verbalize the intention and the
Staff would "do their best to communicate that to the City Council".
(TS) 4:35:51-4:36:18 Commissioner Lewis states:
"I guess my fellow commissioners,
I'm just looking at the Mid Town Plan, and the work the went into that.
I am seeing that we added on these five and ten story areas that go multiple
blocks in either direction. It seemed to be the large majority of concerns that
we had and I'm wondering that if we go back down to that thoughtful Mid Town
Plan , if that addresses a lot of the issues and still keeps this corridor, this
transit corridor functioning"
(TS) 4:36:18 -4:36:27 Chair Van Horik asks for clarification from staff
if the Mid Town Plan was ten stories
(TS) 4:36:27-4:37:15 Staff explains that by Earl and Pacific they moved
the ten story line, but the staff would be glad to move the line back adding
that in the Mid Town Plan it is 5 stories- in the LUE it was changed to 10
stories. Staff added that the areas outside the Mid Town Plan could be changed
by the commission.
(TS) 4:37:15 Chair Van Horik states she is willing to make that change
(TS) 4:37:30 - 4:38:01 Chair Van Horik asks Commissioner Perez if she
has a motion to make
(TS) 4:37:34- 4:38;03 Commissioner Perez makes the following motion
"Sure I agree with Commissioner Cruz's earlier comments, we heard
from the neighbors loud and clear. My motion is that we send this back to staff
for further stakeholder engagement, with the neighborhood organizations, [audience
applause starts Perez pauses]. Recommend
that we send this back to the staff for further extensive stakeholder
engagement with the neighborhood organizations to improve the Land Use document
and to preserve the integrity of the neighborhoods and communities"
(TS) 4:38:03 Audience applause
(TS) 4:38:08 Chair Van Horik calls on Commissioner Templin. Templin
replies
" I do recommend that. Second it."
(TS) 4:38:10 Chair Van Horik asks staff if a friendly amendment has to
be made for the changes discussed for the Mid Town Plan. She receives an answer
off microphone.
(TS) 4:38:33 Chair Van Horik states the commission has a motion and a
second on the floor and calls for discussion
(TS) 4:38:40 Video goes blank
(TS) 4:38:44-4:39:28 Video
resumes -unidentified male Planning Commissioner
"I do feel comfortable when I look through the pages, I mean we
have made an incredible amount of progress on this plan. I feel comfortable
where most of the density is lying even in some of the areas, where density has
been added in the Fifth. Its in very punctual areas and I know, people are
concerned about that, as well they should be, and they are expressing there
opinions, but, I feel that the document
over all is very good. I'm a little concerned about the, a little bit of the
over reach in I think in the Mid Town Plan and if we were moving for it I would
have made a motion to reduce the five and the ten stories to only been within
what had previously been approved in the
Mid Town, but it sounds like there is a majority on the commission that is
looking to push this off, push this off,
so I'm comfortable with that as well."
(TS) 4:39:28 4:40:57 Staff asks chairman for clarification and specific
direction about the Land Use item and more specific intent from the commission
about the outreach request and the motion and land use changes
(TS) 4:40:57- 4:41:09 Commissioner Cruz
"So I agree with Commissioner Lewis' comments about Mid Town, but
I also want to make sure these neighbors are all happy and try to reach
consensus and at least do a better job. There is room for improvement. So that
is what I am looking for, and I think [ interrupted by staff]..."
(TS) 4:41:09-4:41:11 Staff interrupts to question
"So no specific direction, but just working with the
neighborhoods?"
(TS) 4:41:12-4:41:22 Inaudible comment from the audience-staff asks for
quiet
(TS) 4:41:36-4:41:43 LBDS Director Amy Bodek
"...So, If I may just jump in here.
Ahh, were going to the City Council October 3rd.
That has been set and scheduled.
So we can present these maps to them October 3rd as scheduled and make
the recommendation to them that you are asking us to do additional community
outreach."
(TS) 4:41:47 Commissioner Cruz
"Agreed and I am sure you'll let them know all the neighbors that
came out here tonight."
TS) 4:41:48 LBDS Director Amy Bodek
"Of course".
(TS) 4:41:49-4:42:52 Chair Van Horik
"I think, I am comfortable with the plan. But I am not comfortable
with the reaction from the community. And I specifically, I think that, Wrigley
has had, an opportunity, to, if were going to talk about specific areas,
Wrigley's had a very rich opportunity to
provide input. They may have not like all the results of that have come out of
the input, but they have defiantly had a process. The two districts that I
think, the districts that I think have a right to feel that they haven't been
involved are the ones that got changed as a result of our, as a result of our,
request in the last two or three months.
And that would be district 5 for sure, and ahh, four, five, seven, well
seven is part of two. And eight as well. So I think that the ones [interrupted
by Amy Bodek] ..."
(TS) 4:42:52-4:42:04 Director Amy Bodek interrupting
"...We. We don't have significant changes in seven or eight. So I
don't know if their have been any changes made in seven and eight. I am hearing
four yes and five yes."
(TS) 4:43:05-4:43:14 Chair Van Horik responding to Bodek
"Well eight has had a lot of density changes in existing
multi-family housing as a result of some of our suggestions [interrupted by Amy
Bodek]..."
(TS) 4:43:14 - 4:43:26 Director Amy Bodek interrupting
"...So. In the interest of time, cuz I know we are about to loose
a commissioner. Might I suggest that your recommendation be to the city council
that additional community outreach occurs?"
(TS) 4:43:26 -4:43:29 Pause from Chair Van Horik, then she responds
"Yes. that is the motion
that is on the table. I want to hear what Commissioner Templin has to
say."
(TS) 4:38:10 - 4:43:38 Chair Van Horik
"Yes that is the motion that is on the table. I want to hear from
Commissioner Templin".
(TS) 4:43:38-4:44:31 Commissioner Templin agrees with Commissioner
Lewis abut Mid Town and continues
"In agreeing with Commissioner Lewis on Mid town, I think that's
understood, I think a lot of information we've been being given by, that I've
gotten better answers on, those better answers need to be brought back out to
the community. So they understand what we as a city are dealing with. And what
our restrictions and limitations are. And why were prompting what were
promoting. I also would like very much
to see better outreach, that, that if there are bounced emails and there are no
longer associations that are viable, they are taken off the list, and the ones
that are viable, that they are included in that outreach is brought up to
current standards, so that there is more, or better outreach [interrupted
by Amy Bodek]..." "
(TS) 4:44:31-4:44:39 Director
Amy Bodek interrupting
"...I do just want to point out that we do not rely exclusively on
defined neighborhood organizations".
(TS) 4:44:40 Commissioner
Templin " I appreciate
that"
(TS) 4:44:41-4:45:04 Director
Amy Bodek
"So as I understand it, you going to make a motion tonight, there
will be a motion for additional community outreach. We will be going to city
council on October 3rd with these land use maps. And we will be including in
that discussion your request for additional community outreach."
(TS) 4:45:04-4:45:09 Silence
from the commission then chatter in the audience
(TS) 4:45:09-4:45:19 Chair Van Horik asks Bodek if she would like the
motion read again and Van Horik states she will call the question
(TS) 4:45:33- 4:45:56 Commissioner Perez speaking
"Thank you guys for being patient here tonight. So I make a
recommendation that we send this back to staff for further extensive
stakeholder engagement with the neighborhood organizations. To include
Commissioner Lewis' Mid Town plans to improve the Land Use document with the
goal of preserving the integrity of the neighborhoods and communities."
(TS) 4:46:02-4:46:07 Chair Van
Horik asks Commissioner Templin if she still seconds who acknowledges yes and the chair asks the
commissioners if they have any more discussion.
(TS) 4:46:07-4:46:21 An unidentified male commissioner asks for
clarification
"So just to clarify, were making some modifications. to the plan.
And where making a recommendation it go on to City Council with the caveat that
we think there should be some additional community output [sic]...[interrupted
by Amy Bodek]..."
(TS) 4:46:21-4:46:38 Director Amy Bodek interrupting
"I have not heard you make a recommendation that this goes to City Council. I am telling you. That I am taking it to City Council...[a Planning
Commissioner tries to continue to speak] Excuse me. I am telling you, I am, we
are taking this to city council October 3rd. with or without your
recommendation of the Land Use Maps itself."
(TS) 4:46:38-4:46:50 unidentified male commissioner resumes speaking
"So right now the only recommendation, in the motion that we have
to you is to make the modification and go out for additional community output
[sic]"
(TS) 4:46:38-4:46:50 Director
Amy Bodek
"That is correct"
(TS) 4:46:50-4:46:57
Silence. Then shocked audience
starts to talk.
(TS) 4:46:57 Chair Van Horik
speaking to audience
"Excuse me. lets just, we
are behind the rail here."
(TS) 4:47:00-4:47:06 Chair Van
Horik
"Is it? Ahh. Does it? Do we
need to approve the map at some point? I assume we do."
(TS) 4:47:06 -4:47:47 Director Amy Bodek
"Tonight's action for you was to make a recommendation on the map.
Your technical reasonability is to make a recommendation of the map and the EIR.
And that combination will come back to you. As Christopher elaborated early on
in his presentation, several hours ago, this is a process where we are trying
to nail the map down as a project description for the purposes of conducting
and completing our CEQA analysis. So if you are not making a recommendation
tonight, we understand that on the land use maps."
(TS) 4:47:47 -4:47:57 Chair Van Horik
" OK, Commissioners are any of you ready to approve the land use
maps at this point or do you want to wait for the community outreach?"
(TS) 4:47:57-4:48:01 Commissioner Lewis
"I think there already is a motion on the table right now."
(TS) 4:48:01-4:48:11 Chair Van Horik
"There is...but...There is, absolutely there's a motion on the
table. I just trying to understand if you want to talk about the motion before
you go forward?"
(TS) 4:48:11-4:48:35 Commissioner Perez
"Let me ask this. I'm not ready to send this
to council. I don't think its ready yet. Right? I mean... (Audience
applause) ...and that's not why I'm doing
this I care about the neighbors. Let me
be clear on this, Amy and staff and our attorney, it is very rare we do this
but I'm not comfortable sending this its not done. In my mind its not an end product, its not done"
(TS) 4:48:35-4:48:36 Director Amy Bodek
"We understand that."
(TS) 4:48:36 Chair Van Horik Calls for a vote and the motion carries 4
-1.
Yes: Lewis, Perez, Templin, van Horik
No: Cruz
Other Whaley developments include the neighborhood of
Country Club Manor in North Long Beach and the 
