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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC_2017-01-11_Minutes Joint PC MeetingMINUTES — JANUARY 11, 2017 JOINT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION MORRO BAY VETERAN'S HALL 209 SURF STREET — 5:30 P.M. PRESENT: Jamie Irons Robert Davis John Headding Matt Makowetski Marlys McPherson Robert Tefft Michael Lucas Joseph Ingraffia Richard Sadowski ABSENT: Gerald Luhr STAFF: David Buckingham Joe Pannone Dana Swanson Scot Graham Cindy Jacinth AGENDA NO: A-1 MEETING DATE: February 14, 2017 Mayor Councilmember Councilmember Councilmember Councilmember Planning Commission Chair Planning Commissioner Planning Commissioner Planning Commissioner Planning Commissioner City Manager City Attorney City Clerk Community Development Director Associate Planner ESTABLISH QUORUM AND CALL TO ORDER A quorum was established by the City Council with all members present. A quorum was established by the Planning Commission with all but Commissioner Luhr present. (Note: Due to technical difficulties, only audio recording is available for the beginning of the meeting.] IAL MEETING AGENDA ITEM: REVIEW AND STATUS UPDATE OF THE ONGOING GENERAL PLAN/LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM UPDATE https://youtu.be/uVB1 C6vwgz4?t=1 s Community Development Director Graham introduced Jeff Henderson and Amy Sinsheimer of Michael Baker International, who provided a project update and overview of 16 Key Issues and Policies. (The slide presentation can be found here.) Project update: A public workshop will be held on February 2, 2017, at the Morro Bay Community Center to review concepts developed to date for the Downtown Waterfront Strategic Plan, and begin a public dialogue regarding land use alternatives. Another City Council / Planning Commission Joint Meeting will be held in late March to bring preferred land use plan alternatives to the Council and Planning Commission, Kev Issues and Policies: Staff presented potential policies covered in the selected key staff recommendations for individual Council 1. Population Growth 2. Water Supply 3. Planning Area 4. Economic Development 5. Neighborhood Compatibility 6. Multigenerational Community 7. Coastal Access 8. Lower -Cost Overnight Visitor Accommodations 9. Downtown and Waterfront Connections 10. Sea Level Rise Resilience 11. Commercial Fishing Industry and Measure D 12, Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas 13, Transportation Metrics 14, Historic Resource Management 15. Parking 16. Viewsheds and Viewpoints Mayor Irons announced the meeting subject, quorum of both boards and returned to the consultant. ittps://voutu.be/uVBlC6vwqz4?t=3m4Os (Note: Audio/visual was restored.] 1. Population Growth • Plan should consider potential service requirements (infrastructure capacities) for future growth outside our area. • Population growth is a derivative of jobs. Commercial development and small manufacturing are necessary for sustainable growth. • Community vision and values statement is overly broad, would like it to be more specific. • Item 1.A. - Why specify "green" jobs? • Item 1.13. — Jobs/housing ratio — currently more jobs than housing, but not significantly more. • Need to determine what scale is required to meet economic needs to be a viable city. • Take into account current non-resident homeowners who intend to retire in Morro Bay. 2. Water Supply • If the intention is to remove us from State Water, that should be clearly stated. • Diversity of water supply is good and desal plant should be addressed immediately. • Would be opposed to having a water reduction goal built into the General Plan. Prefers a mechanism by which the City evaluates the water situation on a regular basis to enact necessary restrictions. • Difficult to establish a flexible water reduction goal in a tourist community. • Suggest more systematic restriction across the board and capturing water, where possible. • Why the need to exceed State standard, and by what amount? • As a tourist community, need to balance water use (restrictions) with need to maintain landscaping and natural topography. • Issue of whether or not to go off State water has not been decided. 2 MINUTES -JOINT CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING — JANUARY 11, 2017 • Too much emphasis on conservation could result in need to further increase rates to pay for infrastructure. 3. Establishing the Planning Area • Support for broadening study area. • Cautious about annexation. • Section 3.13. covers a broad area. Need a clear understanding of the level of planning for each alternative. • Would like to see specific plan for annexations. • Prohibit leapfrog development to the extent possible. • Support for broadening study area to include area 1 and get a sense of the potential infrastructure costs. Exclude areas 2 & 4 but keep them on the radar screen. • Likes the idea of incorporating economic development considerations in the land use plan. • Section 4.C, supports solar energy • Section 4.C. some opposition or concern about cell phone towers. • Some of the information and tone make it look like Morro Bay is a low-income community. Disagrees with head of household Jobs statistics. Per capita income is accurate, but consideration should be made for smaller families. • Need to address homelessness. • Expressed interest in community financing districts or Enhanced Infrastructure Finance Districts (EIFDs) • Designating areas to attract certain businesses can be implemented through Economic Development Strategic Plan. • More office space is needed. 5. Neighborhood Compatibility • Likes idea of creating districts and neighborhood boundaries • Design standards may have some overarching principals that are citywide. • Would like to see language that considers neighboring view sharing. • Not in favor of prohibiting all chain stores, but would not want them on the Embarcadero or downtown. • Concern about increasing height in downtown area. • Suggest striking bullet point, "limit or prohibit new buildings that are clearly inconsistent with Morro Bay." • Need to consider small or portable homes. • Visual examples in guidelines are helpful. • Interested in mixing retail / residential areas or courtyards intermingling with retail areas (cottage like) • Affordable housing is a key issue. Design guidelines should address smaller tiny homes. 6. Multigenerational Community • Support for this section. Looks forward to seeing how it plays out. • Suggest need for medical support be included in this section. MINUTES -JOINT CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING — JANUARY 11, 2017 • Assisted living facilities function well close to the downtown area. Provides social setting and promotes quality of life. 7. Coastal Access • Need to develop design guidelines for improved coastal access • Dynegy property provides opportunity for additional beach access • Needs to include discussion of parking • Morro Bay Bike Committee has identified gaps. The report will be brought to Council as part of unmet bike needs. ® Include discussion of parking issues and access along linear route • Wayfinding for coastal access and California trail system • Need for accessible trails and parking • Add "enhance horizontal access" 8. Lower -cost ®vernight Visitor Accommodations. • Potential impact of vacation rentals should be addressed. • Concern about the effect varying short-term rental regulations by areas of the City may have on property values. • Concern with acceptability of lower -cost accommodations. • Consider development of alternative units, such as yurts or outdoor condos on the beach • An alternative to the in -lieu fee might be increasing transient occupancy tax rates with extra 1 % to mitigate for lower -cost development. The Council and Planning Commission took a brief recess at 8:40 p.m. and reconvened at 8:49 p.m. 9. Downtown and Waterfront Connections • Likes multi modal strategy in 9.D. • Wants to address imbalance of making pedestrian areas appealing • Would like additional access to Embarcadero through PG&E property • Would like stronger language regarding underutilized parcels, landscaping requirements • Develop and promote vision of Morro Bay as a walkable community • Supports multimodal downtown and waterfront • Downtown and waterfront connectors must draw people both ways. • Downtown Waterfront Strategic Plan should be sensitive to weather. 10. Sea Level Rise Resilience perhaps include • Idea of requiring new development to implement design criteria isn't going to work. Consider removing this language. If we elect to go with protective design, need careful provisions to protect City from liability. • Would like recommendations regarding public outreach. 11. Commercial Fishing Industry and Measure D • Support for Item 11.D. -prioritize needed commercial fishing industry infrastructure and facilities. EA MINUTES -JOINT CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING - JANUARY 11, 2017 • Opposes trying to achieve clarification on Measure D by putting it on the ballot. • The power plant property is a good area for marine storage facility and maritime museum. • Measure D needs to be clarified. Suggests Harbor Advisory Board and Planning Commission work together on issues in 11.A. and 11.D. to provide input moving forward. • Suggest adding working waterfront (Embarcadero) and economic development aspects of a working waterfront to Item 11.D. • Suggests removing Item 11.C. "Assist the commercial fishing industry to adapt to climate and economic change." Unfair to other business sectors. 12. Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas • Suggests adding another section to talk about restorative and regenerative strategies, not just preservation. • Include section related to eelgrass mediation — designate some area in the bay where eelgrass would thrive. • ESHA map should be updated more frequently than the General Plan. • In Item 12.B., consider adding development of further partnerships with Cal Poly or other educational organizations studying the issue of run off and natural habitat changes. • Consider studying the impact of hunting on the bay. • Address effects of fireworks and athletic events on ESH. 13. Transportation Metrics • Concern about financial burden of establishing these standards • What results from standards not being met? • Strongly urge we develop multimodal LOS standards. • Ask SLOCOG staff to weigh in on the technical part of this 14. Historic Resource Management G for. • Concerned about staff resources, encourage volunteer support. Do not duplicate work being done at the State level. • Concerned about staff resources, must be prioritized with other work. • Supports Historical Society involvement. 15. Parking • Suggest metered parking on Embarcadero with passes issued to those who work there. • Concept of onsite parking doesn't make sense in all areas. • Support for establishing parking districts. • Supports discussion of paid parking. • Opposes in -lieu program. 5 MINUTES -JOINT CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING - JANUARY 11, 2017 • Supports parking benefit districts to gain revenue to support neighborhood goals. • Supports parking recommendations • Suggests adding a parking plan that includes flow pattern to support bike and pedestrian usage. • Include economic fund analysis that would anticipate City's ability to fund parking structures in the future. • Need community input on paid parking. 16. Viewsheds and Viewpoints • Viewshed protection codifies values of those who want to stay here. • Downtown linear streetscapes should have some designation. • 2nd stories in residential areas could be implemented here. • Likes idea of viewshed protection area. • Overhead utilities is a safety issue. • Regarding lighting, night sky ordinance should be respected. Blue street lights are offensive. • Protecting small views essential to neighborhood character. • Precious and most valued view is the harbor. Concerned 2-story and bulky buildings on water side degrade that view. • Agrees with viewshed protection at the sand spit. • Signage important. • Viewshed toward Cayucos is gorgeous. PUBLIC COMMENT Glenn Silloway, Morro Bay, expressed appreciation for everyone's hard work. The public comment period was closed. No formal action was taken by the Planning Commission or City Council. ADJOURNMENT The joint meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission concluded at 8:52 p.m. Recorded by: r%t*nson City Clerk C� MINUTES -JOINT CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING - JANUARY 11, 2017