Planning Commission Meeting - April 23, 2024: Zoning Map Consistency Cleanup and Public Comments

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission held a regular meeting on April 23, 2024, at 6:00 PM. Chair Twining presided. A quorum was present with Commissioners Adam, Kennedy, Wood, Acosta-Galvan, and Chair Twining. Commissioners Bellman and Rodriguez were absent. The meeting began with a moment of silence for former Mayor and Planning Commissioner Shirley Detloff. The commission took public comments on non-agenda items, heard and approved the Zoning Map Amendment No. 24-001 and Local Coastal Program Amendment No. 24-001 (Mapping Consistency Cleanup Project – Coastal Zone), and voted 5-0 to forward the action to the City Council.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar items.

Public Comments & Testimony (Non-Agenda Items)

• Mary Joe Baritic (resident of 41 years, concerned about Newland Street parcel): Expressed concerns that the seven-acre site along Newland Street was historically a restorable wetlands and that the AES facility parking lot overrode Coastal Commission objections. She questioned future parking for AES decommissioning and whether the city is interfacing with the Coastal Commission. She also noted a discrepancy in a 2016 zoning map that showed incorrect zoning for a mobile home park and wetlands. She requested clarification.
• John Costello (homeowner board member, Cabrillo Beachfront Village): Raised concerns about a 2016 zoning map showing an incorrect designation for a strip in front of Cabrillo (CV instead of CC) and urged that the 2022 map be retained. He also inquired about the city's response to SB 423, which may loosen coastal development restrictions starting next year.

Discussion Items

• Zoning Map Amendment No. 24-001 / Local Coastal Program Amendment No. 24-001 (Mapping Consistency Cleanup Project – Coastal Zone)
  • Staff Presentation: Madeline Willich presented the item. Staff identified 23 parcels within the coastal zone with zoning inconsistent with the General Plan. The amendment would change zoning to match General Plan designations, including a temporary parking lot on Newland Street (from industrial limited to medium density residential), the Orange County Sanitation District site (to public semi-public), a driveway portion (to high density residential), a shopping center on PCH and Warner (from general commercial to commercial visitor), Fire Station #7 (to public semi-public), and a harbor parking lot (to open space). 2,612 notices were sent; two property owners responded, both supportive. Staff recommended approval based on consistency with the General Plan, necessity for state law compliance, and categorical CEQA exemption.
  • Commissioner Questions and Deliberation:
    • Commissioner Kennedy: Questioned the delay of seven years between the General Plan update (2017) and this cleanup. He also asked about the Local Coastal Program certification date (1985). He expressed concern about the power of the General Plan to force zoning changes on property owners, but acknowledged the shopping center owner was supportive. He suggested better notification for future General Plan updates.
    • Commissioner Adam (Ian): Emphasized that the General Plan is the overriding land use authority and that state law requires zoning consistency by June 2024. He noted that the term "housekeeping" is appropriate as no policy is being set. He reviewed public comments from the 2015-2017 EIR process and found no opposition to any of the parcels involved. He supported separating the six residential units (future item) for scrutiny but deemed the current items procedural.
    • Commissioner Wood: Asked about the Newland parcel's parking use (temporary construction parking, now a seasonal lot with a CUP). No further concerns.
  • Public Hearing: No additional speakers signed up.
  • Vote: Motion by Commissioner Kennedy to approve the zoning map amendment and local coastal program amendment with findings. Seconded. Approved 5-0 (Commissioners Adam, Kennedy, Twining, Wood, Acosta-Galvan in favor; Bellman and Rodriguez absent).

Key Outcomes

• Approved Zoning Map Amendment No. 24-001 and Local Coastal Program Amendment No. 24-001, bringing 23 coastal zone parcels into conformance with the General Plan.
• The action will be forwarded to the Huntington Beach City Council for final adoption.
• The commission noted the introduction of Jill Arabe/Jill Boss as the new Deputy Director of Community Development.