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Record of Proceedings

Monterey Planning Commission Meeting - March 11, 2025: Zoning Clearance Permit and General Plan Annual Report

Boards and Commissions — Tuesday, March 11, 2025
BodyMonterey, California
SessionBoards and Commissions
DateTuesday, March 11, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
1:03

Planning commission meeting um thanks.

1:12

Um, let's start this planning commission meeting for the 11th of March.

1:19

At four o'clock, yes, the clock needs to be changed.

1:22

Um so for the consent agenda, it just looks like the notes from February 25th.

1:29

Any comments on those notes?

1:33

No.

1:34

Oh, wait, I'm sorry.

1:36

Um Erica, could you do a roll call vote?

1:39

Sure.

1:39

Thank you.

1:40

Um, as uh our planning manager Levi Hill mentioned, Commissioner Dawson will be absent as well as Commissioner Fletcher.

1:47

So today we have our Chair Bluth.

1:50

Here, Vice Chair Silva here, Commissioner Freeman here, and Commissioner Latasa here.

1:55

And Commissioner Brassfield is also absent as of right now.

1:58

Um, staff members present, we have our planning manager Levi Hill, and we have myself recording secretary Eric Cabrera.

2:04

I can go ahead and let the public know how to participate.

2:06

Information on participating in this meeting and providing public comment, including remotely by Zoom or telephone, is on this meeting's agenda, which is online at monary.gov forward slash agendas.

2:16

Remote commenters will be muted until it is their turn to speak, and a timer will be shown on the screen.

2:20

If you're connected on Zoom, the timer is accurate with no delay.

2:24

In the chamber, we recommend keeping phones and devices muted to prevent audio interference with the meeting.

2:30

Thank you for participating in your city government.

2:33

Thanks, Jerica.

2:33

You're welcome.

2:34

Um so back to um the consent agenda.

2:38

Any comments on the minutes?

2:40

I I guess I'll recuse because I wasn't here.

2:43

Um should we postpone that then till we next meeting?

2:47

We can still take a vote as long as we have a simple majority from those present.

2:51

So we have four, so if it's still got it approved on a three out of the four, it would still pass.

2:57

But if two if two were two, then we should probably just wait till the next meeting.

3:02

Yeah, let's wait for the next meeting.

3:04

Okay.

3:05

Well, I'll I'll make a motion to continue this item.

3:08

Uh the um approval of the minutes uh until a further meeting.

3:13

Before we do that, let's go ahead and just check for public comment on the consent agenda.

3:17

Any comment um in the um chambers for minutes.

3:23

No, anybody online?

3:25

Uh there are no hands raised.

3:27

Um we have a motion from Commissioner Latasa.

3:29

Do we have a second?

3:31

Second.

3:32

Okay.

3:33

Um Erika, could you a roll call vote for that?

3:36

Sure, Chair Blut.

3:37

Yes.

3:37

Vice Chair Silva.

3:39

Uh yes.

3:40

Commissioner Freeman?

3:41

Yes.

3:41

And Commissioner Latasa.

3:43

Yes.

3:43

Great.

3:44

That's been approved.

3:45

Thank you.

3:46

Um, any comments from people in chambers for anything that's not on our agenda.

4:04

Uh-huh.

4:05

Julie Gorman and Planning Commission.

4:08

I own the property at 1099 Delmonte Avenue, which is the road arroder property.

4:13

And you may have noticed that it's been vacant for over three years.

4:16

And here's the reason why.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████56%
Procedural██████████13%
Affordable Housing████████10%
Public Engagement██████7%
Public Safety█████6%
Water And Wastewater Management██3%
Historic Preservation██2%
Public Transportation██2%
Active Transportation█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Monterey Planning Commission Meeting - March 11, 2025

The Monterey Planning Commission met on March 11, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 5:31 PM. Commissioners absent: Dawson, Fletcher, and Brassfield. Chair Bluth presided, with Vice Chair Silva, Commissioner Freeman, and Commissioner Latasa present. Staff included Planning Manager Levi Hill and Recording Secretary Eric Cabrera. The agenda included a consent calendar item (minutes from February 25), a public hearing on a proposed zoning clearance permit, and acceptance of the 2024 General Plan Annual Report.

Consent Calendar

  • The approval of the February 25 meeting minutes was postponed to the next meeting due to Commissioner Freeman’s absence. The motion to continue passed unanimously (4-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Julie Gorman (owner of 1099 Delmonte Avenue) commented on the first agenda item, criticizing the proposed zoning clearance permit. She argued that the city’s business license serves a regulatory purpose, citing a 2013 court ruling in the city’s favor. She claimed the ordinance would not apply equally to properties in specific plan areas (Downtown, Lighthouse, North Fremont) and lacked an appeal process, making it unfair to properties like hers.
  • No other public comments were made in chambers or online.

Discussion Items

  1. Recommended City Council Amend the Zoning Code to Require a Zoning Clearance Permit for New Businesses or Changes in Use/Location

    • Planning Manager Levi Hill presented the item: the current business license is for revenue only, creating a gap where businesses can unknowingly establish unpermitted uses. The new permit would be ministerial, checking zoning compliance for principally permitted uses. It would not replace use permits or business licenses.
    • Commissioners discussed the scope (only for uses not requiring a discretionary permit), the lack of a clear appeal process, fees, and applicability to specific plan areas. Concerns were raised about potential confusion with business licenses and impacts on non-conforming uses.
    • Julie Gorman testified again, opposing the ordinance and stating it would override a court decision.
    • A motion to continue the item to clarify the appeal process failed 2-2 (Chair Bluth and Vice Chair Silva against; Commissioners Freeman and Latasa for). A subsequent motion to recommend approval with language for an appeal process passed 4-0.

  2. Accept the 2024 General Plan Annual Report for Review and Comment

    • Levi Hill summarized the 145-page report. The general plan was updated in July 2024. Key data: the housing element requires 3,654 new units (2024-2031); in 2024, only 43 units were completed, but 74 were approved (mostly ADUs). About 45% of housing programs are completed or ongoing; 29 programs have not started. Other elements (circulation, conservation, safety, historic preservation) were also discussed.
    • Commissioners asked about the discrepancy between entitled and completed units, water availability for new projects, and the no-net-loss policy. Staff noted that many previously entitled projects are in the pipeline and that new water from Pure Water Monterey may become available in the next year.
    • A motion to adopt the resolution accepting the report passed 4-0.

Key Outcomes

  • The Planning Commission recommended that the City Council adopt the zoning clearance permit ordinance, with a clear appeal process included (4-0 vote).
  • The Commission adopted Resolution PC-2025-03 accepting the 2024 General Plan Annual Report (4-0 vote).
  • Approval of the February 25 meeting minutes was postponed to the next meeting.
  • Commissioners discussed concerns about electric bike safety on the recreation trail; staff advised that this falls outside the Planning Commission’s purview and should be brought to the City Council.
  • The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for March 25, pending completion of an SB9 ordinance draft.

Meeting Transcript

Planning commission meeting um thanks. Um, let's start this planning commission meeting for the 11th of March. At four o'clock, yes, the clock needs to be changed. Um so for the consent agenda, it just looks like the notes from February 25th. Any comments on those notes? No. Oh, wait, I'm sorry. Um Erica, could you do a roll call vote? Sure. Thank you. Um, as uh our planning manager Levi Hill mentioned, Commissioner Dawson will be absent as well as Commissioner Fletcher. So today we have our Chair Bluth. Here, Vice Chair Silva here, Commissioner Freeman here, and Commissioner Latasa here. And Commissioner Brassfield is also absent as of right now. Um, staff members present, we have our planning manager Levi Hill, and we have myself recording secretary Eric Cabrera. I can go ahead and let the public know how to participate. Information on participating in this meeting and providing public comment, including remotely by Zoom or telephone, is on this meeting's agenda, which is online at monary.gov forward slash agendas. Remote commenters will be muted until it is their turn to speak, and a timer will be shown on the screen. If you're connected on Zoom, the timer is accurate with no delay. In the chamber, we recommend keeping phones and devices muted to prevent audio interference with the meeting. Thank you for participating in your city government. Thanks, Jerica. You're welcome. Um so back to um the consent agenda. Any comments on the minutes? I I guess I'll recuse because I wasn't here. Um should we postpone that then till we next meeting? We can still take a vote as long as we have a simple majority from those present. So we have four, so if it's still got it approved on a three out of the four, it would still pass. But if two if two were two, then we should probably just wait till the next meeting. Yeah, let's wait for the next meeting. Okay. Well, I'll I'll make a motion to continue this item. Uh the um approval of the minutes uh until a further meeting. Before we do that, let's go ahead and just check for public comment on the consent agenda. Any comment um in the um chambers for minutes. No, anybody online? Uh there are no hands raised. Um we have a motion from Commissioner Latasa. Do we have a second? Second. Okay. Um Erika, could you a roll call vote for that? Sure, Chair Blut. Yes. Vice Chair Silva. Uh yes. Commissioner Freeman? Yes. And Commissioner Latasa.

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