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Record of Proceedings

Planning Commission Meeting – March 28, 2023: Brandywine Townhomes Approved

Planning Commission — Tuesday, March 28, 2023
BodyHuntington Beach, California
SessionPlanning Commission
DateTuesday, March 28, 2023
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:26

I would like to call the uh planning commission meeting to order.

0:30

And um I'm gonna read um this off.

0:34

Uh welcome to March 28, 2023 Huntington Beach Planning Commission meeting.

0:39

While the planning commission welcomes uh public involvement and free speech, it rejects comments from anyone that anyone that are discriminatory, defaminatory, or otherwise not protected speech.

0:52

Those comments will not inform nor be considered by the planning commission and maybe cause for the chair to interrupt the speaker.

1:00

Such comments will not uh be consented to or otherwise adopted by the planning commission in its discussions and findings for any matter tonight.

1:11

Thank you.

1:12

And at this point, I would like to call on Commissioner Kennedy to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:17

Will you all please stand?

1:46

Thank you, Commissioner Kennedy.

1:49

And at this point, it's um roll call.

1:53

Good evening.

1:54

Uh Commissioner Adam here.

1:57

Finally.

1:58

Sorry.

1:59

Commissioner Acosta Govern.

2:01

Here.

2:02

Vice Chair Twining.

2:04

Here.

2:04

Chair Pellman.

2:05

Here.

2:06

Commissioner Kennedy.

2:07

Commissioner Rodriguez.

2:09

Here.

2:09

Commissioner Wood.

2:10

Here.

2:11

We have a quorum.

2:12

Thank you.

2:13

Thank you.

2:15

Um is the time for public comments for items that are not on the agenda this evening.

2:20

Do we have any public comments?

2:22

We have no one signed up to speak on items that are not on the agenda.

2:26

Thank you.

2:28

Okay.

2:29

Public hearing items.

2:31

Next we have a public hearing item.

2:33

It is tentative track map TTM number 1917 4 and conditional use permit.

2:41

CUP number 22-021, Brandywine Townhomes.

2:47

And at this point, before I gabble for the public hearing, I would like to ask the commissioners to state your disclosures regarding this item.

2:57

And we'll start with Commissioner Adams.

3:02

Thank you.

3:03

Yeah, I met with the applicant with Commissioner Wood, and I also visited the site.

3:10

I did visit the site.

3:15

I too uh met with the developer and visited the site.

3:22

I visited the site and I had a meeting with uh the applicant and Commissioner Adam.

3:29

Uh no disclosures on my end.

3:32

I visited the site and I spoke with staff um previously when it was before us.

3:38

I had sent in questions and I re-upped those.

3:42

And I um visited the site and I also spoke with the developer in a Zoom meeting.

3:49

And I think that's it.

3:51

Okay.

3:59

Okay, staff.

4:00

Do we have a presentation at this time?

4:02

Uh yes.

4:03

Uh principal planner Ricky Ramos will be giving the presentation this evening.

4:07

Perfect.

4:10

Thank you.

4:11

I want to first begin by uh mentioning that there is lit communication for this item in the form of a couple of letters as well as the staff slideshow and the applicant slideshow.

4:21

And they've been uploaded online for access.

4:29

So the project site uh in this case is located at 7225 Edinger Avenue.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Planning and Zoning█████████████████████████████████████████████64%
Public Comments██████████14%
Procedural████████11%
Public Engagement██████9%
Affordable Housing█1%
Public Works█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Planning Commission Meeting – March 28, 2023

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission met on March 28, 2023, at 6:00 PM. The main agenda item was a public hearing on Tentative Tract Map No. 19174 and Conditional Use Permit No. 22-021 for the Brandywine Townhomes project, involving 129 townhomes on a 5.6-acre site. After deliberation, the Commission approved the project with an added condition requiring coordination and payment for off-site improvements on the adjacent car wash property. The Commission also approved the February 14, 2023 meeting minutes.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the February 14, 2023 Planning Commission minutes (6-0-1, Commissioner Adam abstained).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Lindsay Ortega (Applicant representative): Presented project details, including a family-owned builder, 85 communities built, and a commitment to quality. Highlighted 13 moderate-income units (10%) and over $4.5 million in impact fees.
  • Eric Lechelle (Resident and business owner): Opposed high-density housing, citing loss of commercial space such as his hatchet-throwing business and nearby entertainment venues.
  • Brent Blanchard (Partner, Gothard Express Partners): Expressed concerns about losing reciprocal access from Edinger Avenue, removal of business signage, and lack of prior notification (learned via staff report only a few days earlier). Asked for coordination and mitigation.
  • Jeff Bergsma (Architect for adjacent car wash property): Supported the project but noted no communication between the applicant and his property owners. Urged a condition for best efforts in coordination.
  • Carissa De Stefano (Building Industry Association): Urged approval, citing California's housing crisis and the project's compatibility with the community.
  • David Trotter (Executive VP, Freeway Industrial Park): Strongly supported the project. Argued the city reserved the right to modify or rescind the reciprocal access easement per the car wash's original CUP condition. Recommended formally rescinding the easement to avoid ambiguity. Confirmed Brandywine would pay for improvements.

Discussion Items

  • Staff presentation (Ricky Ramos): Explained the project: 129 three-story townhomes (reduced from 130), 40 feet tall, with a transfer of 129 units from Beach Boulevard to Edinger Avenue. The project complies with the specific plan, state density bonus law (one concession to reduce building separation to 14.75 feet), and provides 314 parking spaces (exceeding the 277 required). CEQA exemption per Section 15182 applies due to prior program EIR. A minor modification was noted in Condition 6B of the CUP.
  • Commissioner questions: Covered CEQA exemption duration, coordination with Golden West College (resolved via blackout windows and 30-foot green screen hedge), tree species (Indian laurel), reciprocal access agreement, and relocation benefits for commercial tenants (none required). Staff clarified that the existing reciprocal easement encompasses both old and new circulation patterns, so rescission may not be necessary.
  • Reciprocal access issue: The applicant agreed to pay for all off-site improvements, including the “classic boulevard” extension and new fire lane, which would eliminate two parking spaces at the car wash. Commissioner Kennedy moved to add a condition memorializing this responsibility and requiring coordination with the car wash owner, subject to city staff oversight. The motion was seconded and carried.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved Tentative Tract Map No. 19174 and Conditional Use Permit No. 22-021 for the Brandywine Townhomes (129 units), with a finding of CEQA exemption per Section 15182 and Government Code 65457. Vote: unanimous (7-0).
  • Added condition: The applicant must coordinate with the adjacent car wash property owner on off-site improvements (classic boulevard, fire lane) and pay for all such improvements, with city staff oversight prior to building permit issuance.
  • The decision is appealable to the City Council within 10 calendar days (appeal fee varies: $2,353 for single-family owner, $3,778 for other parties).
  • The next regular meeting is scheduled for April 11, 2023, but may be canceled due to lack of items.

Meeting Transcript

I would like to call the uh planning commission meeting to order. And um I'm gonna read um this off. Uh welcome to March 28, 2023 Huntington Beach Planning Commission meeting. While the planning commission welcomes uh public involvement and free speech, it rejects comments from anyone that anyone that are discriminatory, defaminatory, or otherwise not protected speech. Those comments will not inform nor be considered by the planning commission and maybe cause for the chair to interrupt the speaker. Such comments will not uh be consented to or otherwise adopted by the planning commission in its discussions and findings for any matter tonight. Thank you. And at this point, I would like to call on Commissioner Kennedy to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Will you all please stand? Thank you, Commissioner Kennedy. And at this point, it's um roll call. Good evening. Uh Commissioner Adam here. Finally. Sorry. Commissioner Acosta Govern. Here. Vice Chair Twining. Here. Chair Pellman. Here. Commissioner Kennedy. Commissioner Rodriguez. Here. Commissioner Wood. Here. We have a quorum. Thank you. Thank you. Um is the time for public comments for items that are not on the agenda this evening. Do we have any public comments? We have no one signed up to speak on items that are not on the agenda. Thank you. Okay. Public hearing items. Next we have a public hearing item. It is tentative track map TTM number 1917 4 and conditional use permit. CUP number 22-021, Brandywine Townhomes. And at this point, before I gabble for the public hearing, I would like to ask the commissioners to state your disclosures regarding this item. And we'll start with Commissioner Adams. Thank you. Yeah, I met with the applicant with Commissioner Wood, and I also visited the site. I did visit the site. I too uh met with the developer and visited the site. I visited the site and I had a meeting with uh the applicant and Commissioner Adam. Uh no disclosures on my end. I visited the site and I spoke with staff um previously when it was before us. I had sent in questions and I re-upped those. And I um visited the site and I also spoke with the developer in a Zoom meeting. And I think that's it.

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