TITLE
Adopt resolution authorizing the Director of Development Services to submit amendments of the Long Beach Zoning Regulations, and supporting materials, to the California Coastal Commission for approval and certification. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
A Conditional Use Permit (CUP) is a discretionary application required for certain land uses that, due to their nature, 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. A similar process is an Administrative Use Permit (AUP) for projects with lesser potential impacts than uses that require a CUP, that is reviewed by the Zoning Administrator. Some of the uses requiring a CUP or AUP include laundromats, daycares, thrift stores, trucking uses, social service offices, special group residences, and the sale of alcohol.
Consideration of a CUP application involves a multi-departmental City review, public notification to occupants and property owners, a public hearing, and conditions of approval that govern the use in perpetuity. Unlike business licenses, which are issued annually, CUPs “run with the land” and is a right that is transferred to any and all successive business or property owners. The City has hundreds of “use permits” that are well over 60 years old and still valid. The City reviews about 30 to 35 CUPs annually.
On December 20, 2016, the City Council requested that the City Manager work with the City Attorney, the Economic Development Commission, and the Planning Commission to review and make recommendations regarding the City’s CUP and public notification processes to improve predictability, transparency, and cost-effectiveness. In March 2017, the City hosted a Small Business Roundtable, initiating the effort.
The City hired a consultant, Dyett & Bhatia (Consultant), who performed a thorough assessment of the ...
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