Huntington Beach Planning Commission Study Session - September 13, 2022

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission held a study session on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, at 4:30 PM in the Civic Center Council Chambers. The meeting covered two major agenda items: the Bella Terra Residential Project and the 2021-2029 Housing Element Update. The study session was for introductory overviews and commissioner questions, with no formal votes taken. The consent calendar items (approval of minutes from March 8, March 22, April 12, and April 26, 2022) were continued to the regular meeting on September 27, 2022.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ida Bernschwig, a professional union carpenter and 12-year resident of Huntington Beach, spoke in support of the Bella Terra Residential Project. She requested the city require a local hire component and a skilled and trained workforce, arguing that using reliable contractors would give the city the best value and allow residents to work where they live, reducing gas emissions and traffic.

Discussion Items

1. General Plan Amendment No. 21-001, Zoning Text Amendment No. 21-003, Site Plan Review No. 21-002, Addendum Environmental Impact Report No. 21-002 (Bella Terra Residential Project)

• Staff presented the project scope: a seven-story mixed-use infill project on a 63-acre site at the existing Bella Terra shopping center (north of Edinger Avenue, east of Beach Boulevard). The project would demolish a 149,000-square-foot Burlington Coat Factory and 30,000 square feet of adjacent retail, constructing 300 apartment units (mix of studio, one-, two-, and two-bedroom-plus-den), 40,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial (25,000 new, 15,000 existing), and a three-level podium parking garage with 404 spaces. The project includes 15% affordable units (low and moderate income). Entitlements require a General Plan Amendment (revising planning area boundaries and land use designations), a Zoning Text Amendment (modifying the Bella Terra Specific Plan), Site Plan Review, and an Addendum to the 2007 EIR.
• Applicant Presentation: Christopher Golder (DJM Capital, Bellaterra Associates) and architect Jaron (TCA) presented the design, emphasizing integration with the existing mall, improved pedestrian circulation, and a new drive aisle to alleviate traffic from the Costco gas station. They noted the project would reduce vehicle trips by replacing intensive retail with residential use; the Burlington Coat Factory generated 4,664 daily trips (at half occupancy) and required 912 parking spaces, while the new project would require only 755 spaces, resulting in a net gain of 561 parking spaces. Construction is projected to start in Q4 2022, with occupancy by 2026.
• Commissioner Questions and Concerns:
  • Commissioner Ray questioned the existing parking structure's usage (stated as underutilized by the applicant) and noted the new building height (75 feet, with architectural features up to 91 feet) exceeds the existing four-story residences (61 feet).
  • Commissioner Rodriguez asked about development standards (residential density reduced from 45 to 41 units per acre, commercial FAR increased from 0.7 to 0.9) and whether community amenities similar to the existing Bellaterra residences would be provided. The applicant cited leasing center and mail room but no specific conference rooms yet.
  • Commissioner Scandura raised numerous issues: parking calculations based on full occupancy vs. actual use (Burlington is currently half-occupied); pedestrian connectivity; the need for a clear walkway from the parking garage to Edinger Avenue businesses; the condition of escalators and elevators; and specific corrections to the Specific Plan document (e.g., outdated telephone and trash providers, highlighted questions from consultant that should be removed, and need for updated exhibits). He expressed support for more housing but concern about parking conflicts and circulation.
  • The public hearing for this project is scheduled for September 27, 2022.

2. General Plan Amendment No. 2021-003 (2021-2029 Housing Element Update)

• Staff (Nicole Obey, Senior Housing Analyst) and consultant Dave Barquist (Kimley Horn) presented the Housing Element Update. The city must accommodate 13,368 Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) units for the 2021-2029 planning period, including 5,013 very low- and low-income, 2,327 moderate-income, and 6,028 above-moderate-income units. The draft element was submitted to HCD in December 2021 and has undergone four rounds of review; staff expects substantial compliance soon.
• Key components: Community profile (42% of households include seniors; 8% live in poverty; 44% of housing stock built before 1970); constraints analysis; affirmatively furthering fair housing (AFFH) analysis (identifying Oakview as low-resource area); and a housing plan with nine goals and programs.
• Site identification: To accommodate the RHNA, the city proposes expanding the affordable housing overlay in the Beach Edinger Specific Plan, applying a new citywide affordable housing overlay on industrial properties along Gothard and at the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan, rezoning three properties to RMH (Chuck E. Cheese, Frontier Yard, Reliable Lumber), and three Project Home Key motel-to-housing conversions.
• Program highlights: Preservation of 10 deed-restricted affordable projects with expiring covenants; ADU promotion (permit-ready plans); two zoning code maintenance amendments; homelessness programs (navigation center, healing center); improvements to Oakview (using a $5 million Caltrans grant for safe routes to school, park and library upgrades); and fair housing information in English and Spanish.
• Commissioner Questions and Concerns:
  • Commissioner Scandura requested a copy of the presentation and confirmation of the timeline for public hearings (September 27 study session, October 11 public hearing). He noted the document's length (1,100 pages) and redundancy.
  • Commissioner Rodriguez asked about homeownership opportunities; staff explained that affordable ownership programs typically target moderate-income households because lower-income households cannot qualify for loans.
  • Commissioner Ray asked about the impact of rezoning commercial/industrial sites on city revenue and small businesses; staff replied that such analysis is outside the housing element's scope.
  • Commissioner Adam inquired about ADU affordability assumptions and the Beach Edinger overlay's 20% affordable component; staff clarified that HCD pre-approved assumptions based on ADU size, and the overlay assumes 30% very low- and low-income.
  • Commissioner Perkins asked about penalties for non-compliance; staff and consultant outlined potential loss of land use authority and other state enforcement actions, but exact penalties were not specified in the meeting.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken during this study session.
• The consent calendar items (minutes from March 8, March 22, April 12, and April 26, 2022) were continued to the regular meeting on September 27, 2022.
• The public hearing for the Bella Terra Residential Project is scheduled for the September 27, 2022 Planning Commission meeting.
• Additional study sessions and public hearings for the Housing Element Update will occur on September 27 (study session) and October 11, 2022 (public hearing on the Housing Element, subsequent EIR, and rezoning/overlay actions).
• Staff will provide corrected versions of the Bella Terra Specific Plan and additional documents (traffic study, shared parking study) to commissioners before the next meeting.