TITLE
Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Use District Map of the City of Long Beach as said Map has been established and amended by amending portions of Part 10 of said Map from Community Commercial Automobile-Oriented (CCA) to Community R-4-N (CCN), read and adopted as read. (District 2)
DISCUSSION
On January 21, 2021, the Planning Commission held a public hearing and recommended that City Council approve a zone change for parcels located at 2200-2212 East 7th Street and 600-620 Dawson Avenue from the current Community Commercial Automobile-Oriented (CCA) zoning district to the Community R-4-N (CCN) zoning district (Attachment A - Planning Commission Report). Per the City’s Zoning Code, the Planning Commission acts in an advisory capacity on the zone change and makes a recommendation to the City Council.
At that time, the Planning Commission also conducted a public hearing and, after considering public testimony, approved by a vote of 7-0, a Site Plan Review, Vesting Tentative Tract Map, and Administrative Use Permit in association with a proposal to construct 23, three-story for-sale townhomes that would be 36-feet in height (Application No. 2004-04). The Planning Commission is the decision-making body on the Site Plan Review, Vesting Tentative Tract Map, and Administrative Use Permit. The final approval of the project is contingent on the zone change. As described in greater detail below, the proposed zone change is consistent with the 2019 General Plan Land Use Element (GPLUE) Update and is necessary to facilitate development of the townhome project.
The subject parcels are located in the Rose Park Neighborhood, on the south side of East 7th Street and the east side of Dawson Avenue (Attachment B - Location Map). There is a combination of retail, commercial, and higher density residential uses along the corridor. The proposed zone change area encompasses four parcels (2200-2212 East 7th Street and 600-620 Dawson Avenue), currently zoned Community Commercial Automobile-Oriented (CCA), totaling 0.78 acres (approximately 33,976-square-feet). The Community Commercial Automobile-Oriented (CCA) permits retail and service uses only; residential uses are not permitted. However, the GPLUE, adopted in December 2019, designates the project site as Neighborhood Serving Center or Corridor - Moderate Density (NSC-M). This NSC-M PlaceType is a mixed-use land use designation that allows neighborhood-serving, moderate-intensity commercial uses and moderate-density apartment and condominium buildings on larger parcels.
The current zoning is inconsistent with the NSC-M PlaceType. Pursuant to State law, the City is required to rezone property to bring zoning into alignment with the General Plan. The City is currently undertaking a systematic rezoning program to bring zoning into consistency with the General Plan throughout Long Beach. In a city as large as Long Beach, it is not feasible to rezone every parcel at once due to the size, the variety of contexts, and the need to engage the public in the process. As a result, the rezoning program will phase the development of new zones necessary to implement the 2019 GPLUE and rezoning of all properties in the City, consistent with State law, which provides that a city must update its zoning ordinance to be consistent with its updated General Plan within a “reasonable time” (California Government Code Section 65860). At this time, the applicant seeks the proposed zone change to develop the subject parcels in a manner that is consistent with the General Plan. An aerial of the project site and surrounding uses is provided in Attachment C - Project Site and Zoning. This is the second project, considered by the City Council, utilizing new PlaceTypes established under the GPLUE.
Project Proposal
The applicant seeks to construct 23, three-story, townhomes that would be 36-feet in height to the rooftop deck railing each with a two-car attached garage. A rooftop stairwell and other minor roof projections extend to 39’2” in height but are exempt from the maximum height per LBMC 21.31.220.B.5 in the City’s Zoning Code. Six guest parking stalls are provided, two stalls would be onsite, and the remaining four guest stalls, guaranteed in perpetuity, would be located across the street at 621 Dawson Avenue. The site would include four buildings, one ‘U’ shaped building with ten units, and three linear-shaped buildings with six, three, and four units. Each of the townhomes range between 1,351 square feet (sf) and 1,902 sf in floor area with 2 bedrooms/2.5 baths to 3 bedrooms/2.5 baths plus a first-floor office. The total amount of private open space in the project totals 5,294 sf and includes private open space rooftop decks for each unit ranging between 168 sf to 308 sf and balconies that are 66 sf. Common open space in the project totals 3,755 sf and includes a tot lot, shade structure, tables/benches and BBQ area. Total project open space area equals 9,049 sf and exceeds the minimum required open space. The proposal requires a zone change from CCA to Community R-4-N (CCN) to facilitate development of the townhomes (Attachment D - Zone Change Map). This project is one of the first to seek a zone change that is consistent with and utilizes the Land Use Element (LUE) adopted in 2019. The project is also among a small number of projects located outside of Downtown and a smaller group of projects proposing new ownership units in Long Beach and thus diversifies the City’s housing stock while offering ownership opportunities.
Zone Change
The site is currently zoned Community Commercial Automobile-Oriented (CCA), which permits retail and service uses; residential uses are not permitted. However, the GPLUE, adopted in December 2019, designates the project site as Neighborhood Serving Center or Corridor - Moderate Density (NSC-M). This NSC-M PlaceType is a mixed-use land use designation that allows neighborhood-serving, moderate-intensity commercial uses, and moderate-density apartment and condominium buildings on larger parcels of land.
This PlaceType benefits the surrounding community by promoting or reinforcing a neighborhood’s unique identity, accommodating daily retail and service needs, enhancing pedestrian and bicycle connections to neighborhoods, and providing convenient access to transit. This subject location is within the major areas of change established in the 2019 Land Use Element for the purpose of promoting infill and redevelopment to support transit in the form of residential and mixed-use development. Additionally, the subject site is within one-half mile of a High-Quality Transit Corridor or Major Transit Stop as shown in the City’s CEQA Transportation Thresholds of Significance Guide (Attachment E - Long Beach Transit Priority Areas Map).
The NSC-M designation allows up to five stories in height at the subject location and is characterized by average residential densities of 54 dwelling units per acre (du/acre), depending on lot size. The proposed CCN (R-4-N) zoning designation is consistent with the NSC-M PlaceType despite having height limits (three stories) and densities (maximum 44 du/acre) below what is allowed by the General Plan PlaceType designation. Nevertheless, based on the project, the CCN zoning district is the most suitable of the City’s existing zoning tools and accommodates the height (three stories) and density of the proposed project.
The townhome project complies with the CCN (R-4-N) development standards, which as previously noted, is consistent with the NSC-M PlaceType (Neighborhood Serving Center or Corridor - Moderate Density).This area along East 7th Street has a combination of not only neighborhood-serving commercial uses, but also moderate to higher density residential uses. The rezoning of the project site will be consistent with the Neighborhood Commercial and Residential (CNR) zoning district, which is found along East 7th Street, and allows for commercial and moderate density residential uses, as well as existing land uses and development patterns. The action is also consistent with LUE and Housing Element policies promoting the development of a variety of new housing types to update and diversify the City’s housing stock, including through townhome ownership units. The zone change will promote additional housing to help address the local and statewide housing shortage and fulfill demand for new housing units at all income levels.
The zone change will support the redevelopment of an underused site that, in the past, has served as parking for a church that is no longer in operation for critically needed housing in the form of for-sale two- and three-bedroom units, for which there has been an expressed need to satisfy a local shortage of units for larger families. The proposed townhome development is appropriate in design and scale to the neighborhood and site conditions and will make a positive contribution to the 7th Street corridor. The Planning Commission made positive findings for all of the requested entitlements and recommends that the City Council approve the zone change (Attachment F - Findings).
Public Noticing and Environmental Compliance
Public hearing notices were distributed on March 22, 2021, in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 21.21 of the Long Beach Municipal Code. Any written testimony received following the preparation of this report will be provided to the City Council prior to the hearing. A notice of the zone change was also published in the Long Beach Press-Telegram on March 22, 2021.
One comment letter on the project was received after the Planning Commission meeting on the project. All public comment letters are saved in Attachment G - Public Comment Letters Received.
An Environmental Compliance Checklist to the Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for the General Plan Land Use and Urban Design Elements (LUE/UDE) was prepared to ensure the project is consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the State CEQA Guidelines. The document finds that the proposed project could not have a significant effect on the environment, because all potentially significant effects (a) have been analyzed adequately in an earlier EIR pursuant to applicable standards, and (b) have been avoided or mitigated pursuant to that earlier EIR, including revisions or mitigation measures that are imposed upon the project. As such no further action is required (Attachment H - Environmental Checklist).
The matter was reviewed by Assistant City Attorney Michael J. Mais and Budget Management Officer Rhutu Amin Gharib on March 15, 2021.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on April 6, 2021. Pursuant to §21.25.103 of the Zoning Code, the Planning Commission’s recommendations on this matter must be transmitted to the City Council within 60 days of positive action by the Planning Commission on January 21, 2021. The April 6, 2021 meeting of the City Council was the first available hearing date.
FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. There is no fiscal or local job impact associated with this recommendation.
BODY
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AMENDING THE USE DISTRICT MAP OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AS SAID MAP HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND AMENDED BY AMENDING PORTIONS OF PART 10 OF SAID MAP FROM COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL AUTOMOBILE-ORIENTED (CCA)TO COMMUNITY R-4-N (CCN)
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
OSCAR W. ORCI
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
CITY MANAGER