TITLE
Adopt resolution approving a General Plan Amendment designating all property within the Downtown Plan project area to Land Use Designation (LUD) #7, Mixed Uses;
DISCUSSION
Downtown has long been the center for civic, commercial, cultural, and entertainment activity in Long Beach, and the City Council has adopted and implemented several plans over the years to further the Downtown’s position in this respect. Most recently, the Downtown Planned Development District (PD-30) was adopted in 2000, and provided a regulatory framework for continued development of Downtown. The development boom in the early to mid 2000’s resulted in several projects that, although consistent with the overall vision for Downtown, were in conflict with the specific development standards. As a result, several amendments to PD-30 were approved to make way for the various projects. Although facilitating these projects was important to the continued development of Downtown, the ad hoc nature of the amendments resulted in a lack of a cohesive approach on the part of the City, as well as uncertainty on the part of the development, residential and business communities, with respect to the timeline and overall certainty in the City processes. Recognizing the need for a cohesive vision for future development, as well as the need to create a fair, clear and predictable process, the City began the process of updating the plan for Downtown.
To assist in facilitating a cohesive vision that represented the needs and desires of the community, the two Downtown City Councilmembers formed the Downtown Visioning Committee (Committee) consisting of various Downtown stakeholders. The Committee was tasked with creating a comprehensive set of principles to guide the future development of the Downtown area. After a one-year process that included extensive community outreach, the Committee completed the “Vision Statement for Downtown,” which was subsequently presented to the City Council on May 20, 2008. ...
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