TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to work with the City Attorney, the Economic Development Commission and the Planning Commission to review and make recommendations regarding Section 21.52 of the Long Beach Municipal Code pertaining to Conditional Use Permits (CUP). Such review would include a written report reviewing the following:
· Uses which require a CUP.
· Efforts to make the CUP process more cost effective.
· Streamlining the public noticing process related to CUPs.
· Expediting CUP modifications for existing businesses.
· Creating a simplified CUP process for existing businesses opening another location.
DISCUSSION
Section 21.52 of the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC), recognizes that certain land uses, due to the nature of the use, require individual review by the Planning Commission to determine whether the type of use proposed, or the location of that use, is compatible with, or through the imposition of reasonable conditions, can be made compatible with surrounding uses. The Planning Commission may also impose additional conditions that are deemed reasonable and necessary. Since a CUP is a zoning exception which allows a property owner to use the property in a way that is not otherwise permitted by right in a specific zoning district, particular care must be given when granting a CUP. Once issued, the CUP approval is tied to the property indefinitely and subsequent tenants or businesses can rely on the benefits of the CUP. In Long Beach, CUPs are required for certain land uses, including the offsite sale of alcohol, bars/taverns, restaurants with alcohol sales at a fixed bar, bail bonds, check cashing businesses, commercial storage, thrift shops and tattoo parlors, among other uses.
The CUP process can be lengthy, and requires extensive staff support and public input. For a new business or an existing business wishing to expand, the CUP process can b(l daunting and costly, without an assured outcome. This uncerta...
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