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Record of Proceedings

Huntington Beach Planning Commission Meeting – July 11, 2023

Planning Commission — Tuesday, July 11, 2023
BodyHuntington Beach, California
SessionPlanning Commission
DateTuesday, July 11, 2023
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 25:48

Original source
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0:31

Meeting to order.

0:33

And welcome to the July 11th, 2023.

0:37

Huntington Beach Planning Commission meeting.

0:39

Well, the Planning Commission welcomes public input, uh involvement, and free speech.

0:44

It rejects comments from anyone that is discriminatory, defamatory, or otherwise not protected speech.

0:52

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

1:00

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

1:09

And thank you.

1:10

And um at this point, I'd like to call on Commissioner Twining to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:24

Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

1:31

One nation under God invisible with liberty and justice for all and just one comment.

1:41

If everybody could silence their phones, I have to silence mine.

1:44

I remembered thank you.

2:00

Okay, where were we?

2:03

Um may we please have roll call.

2:08

Yes, Commissioner Adam.

2:10

Here, Commissioner Costa Govern.

2:13

Vice Chair Twining?

2:14

Here.

2:15

Chair Pellman.

2:16

Here.

2:17

Chair Kennedy.

2:18

I'm sorry, Commissioner Kennedy?

2:19

Here.

2:20

Commissioner Rodriguez?

2:21

Here.

2:22

And Commissioner Wood.

2:23

Here.

2:24

We have a quorum.

2:25

Thank you.

2:26

Thank you so much.

2:28

At this point, um now it's time for public comments for items that are not on the agenda this evening.

2:34

And I would like to ask if there's any public comments.

2:37

We do have one public comment.

2:38

It's Ryan Messick.

2:40

Okay.

2:41

Mr.

2:41

Messik, can you please come down to the podium and either one?

3:02

How much time do I have?

3:04

Two minutes, one minute.

3:06

Three minutes.

3:07

Okay.

3:07

Cool.

3:08

So thank you for your time.

3:10

I appreciate you guys' attendance today.

3:13

Um I'll take it back to December around Christmas time.

3:18

Um I have a property up on South in uh right above Costa Mesa and South Coast Springs is what the community's called.

3:26

It's on Bear Street.

3:28

It's across the street from uh South Coast Plaza.

3:31

Um I own a condo there, but I don't own the property.

3:35

Uh it was owned by the Bear family at one time.

3:38

Um I'm not sure who owns it at this time, but since then, um my neighbor, uh a young lady named Laura.

3:49

Uh she said she's great, she's a descendant from the Talbert and Ward family.

3:55

Um she told us, me and my wife, that her family was going to be moving into town and going into business in Huntington Beach.

4:06

Um, I I am aware of the Talbert and Ward Corporation, and I do know that they are in town and they're setting up business and they're buying and selling properties all over town.

4:19

Um they're selling a church right now that's supposed to be in litigation.

4:23

I saw it on their website the other day.

4:26

It's on this on the market for 28 million dollars.

4:29

Um I know they're they have lots of um connections like the Irvine families because the pioneers from out here when they had their farms and they donate the land and the city was built and all that.

4:43

I understand the history of the city, right?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████████████████48%
Procedural████████████████████████████30%
Public Health███████████12%
Free Speech█████5%
Planning and Zoning█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Huntington Beach Planning Commission Meeting – July 11, 2023

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission met on July 11, 2023, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers, Civic Center, 2000 Main Street. The meeting included a consent calendar (approval of minutes), public comments, and two non-public hearing items regarding reasonable accommodation requests for sober living homes. The Commission voted to deny both administrative permits, citing city code requirements and staff recommendations. Commissioner Kayla Acosta-Galvan was absent.

Consent Calendar

  • 23-556 – Approval of Planning Commission Minutes dated June 13, 2023: Approved unanimously (6-0, Commissioner Wood abstained, Commissioner Acosta-Galvan absent).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Ryan Messick: Spoke about alleged misconduct by the Talbert and Ward family, claiming they operate like a “mafia,” that his family is being held hostage, and that his civil rights have been violated. He urged the Commission to hold parties accountable. His comments were not related to specific agenda items. (Time expired after 3 minutes.)

Discussion Items

Administrative Permit No. 22-016 (Legacy Living LLC Sober Living Reasonable Accommodation) – 501 16th Street

  • Staff Presentation: Senior Planner Hayden Beckman explained that the applicant requested a reasonable accommodation to operate a sober living home within 288 linear feet of an existing residential care facility, violating the required 1,000-foot buffer. The city has issued six special use permits that comply with the buffer, and multiple sober living beds are available. Staff recommended denial because the request did not meet two of four required findings (Finding 2: necessity to make housing available; Finding 4: no fundamental alteration to city zoning).
  • Commissioner Adam asked to clarify the two findings; staff read them into the record.
  • Late Communication: The Commission received a 116-page letter from the applicant’s representative.
  • Motion and Vote: Commissioner Twining moved to deny the application; Commissioner Kennedy seconded. The Commission voted 6-0 to deny (Acosta-Galvan absent).

Administrative Permit No. 22-015 (Legacy Living LLC Sober Living Reasonable Accommodation) – 9452 Castlegate Drive

  • Staff Presentation: Similar request for a property 60 linear feet from an elderly group home, violating the 1,000-foot buffer. Staff again recommended denial because the request did not meet Findings 2 and 4.
  • Commissioner Wood asked legal counsel whether changing the code requires a separate application to the Planning Commission or City Council; counsel confirmed it would require a code amendment.
  • Commissioner Wood commented before the vote, stating that the city code (Sections 230.28 and 17.77) is clear and that the denial does not prevent the applicant from operating elsewhere in the city.
  • Motion and Vote: Commissioner Wood moved to deny the permit; Vice-Chair Twining seconded. The Commission voted 6-0 to deny.

Key Outcomes

  • Administrative Permit No. 22-016 (501 16th Street): Denied 6-0. The decision is appealable to the City Council within 10 calendar days.
  • Administrative Permit No. 22-015 (9452 Castlegate Drive): Denied 6-0. The decision is appealable to the City Council within 10 calendar days.
  • Next Meeting: The Commission adjourned to its next regular meeting on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at 6:00 PM. Staff noted two items are anticipated for that meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Meeting to order. And welcome to the July 11th, 2023. Huntington Beach Planning Commission meeting. Well, the Planning Commission welcomes public input, uh involvement, and free speech. It rejects comments from anyone that is discriminatory, defamatory, or otherwise not protected speech. Those comments will not inform nor be considered by the planning commission and may cause for the chair to interrupt the speaker. Such comments will not be consented to or otherwise adopted by the planning commission in its discussions and findings for any matter tonight. And thank you. And um at this point, I'd like to call on Commissioner Twining to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God invisible with liberty and justice for all and just one comment. If everybody could silence their phones, I have to silence mine. I remembered thank you. Okay, where were we? Um may we please have roll call. Yes, Commissioner Adam. Here, Commissioner Costa Govern. Vice Chair Twining? Here. Chair Pellman. Here. Chair Kennedy. I'm sorry, Commissioner Kennedy? Here. Commissioner Rodriguez? Here. And Commissioner Wood. Here. We have a quorum. Thank you. Thank you so much. At this point, um now it's time for public comments for items that are not on the agenda this evening. And I would like to ask if there's any public comments. We do have one public comment. It's Ryan Messick. Okay. Mr. Messik, can you please come down to the podium and either one? How much time do I have? Two minutes, one minute. Three minutes. Okay. Cool. So thank you for your time. I appreciate you guys' attendance today. Um I'll take it back to December around Christmas time. Um I have a property up on South in uh right above Costa Mesa and South Coast Springs is what the community's called. It's on Bear Street. It's across the street from uh South Coast Plaza. Um I own a condo there, but I don't own the property.

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