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Record of Proceedings

Monterey Planning Commission Meeting - September 11, 2025

Boards and Commissions — Thursday, September 11, 2025
BodyMonterey, California
SessionBoards and Commissions
DateThursday, September 11, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:02:28

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
2:50

Okay.

3:07

Okay.

3:18

Um, call the meeting to order.

3:22

Erica, would you mind?

3:24

Um doing a roll call and uh instructing online participants how they can call in.

3:32

Sure.

3:33

Thank you.

3:34

Um, I'll go ahead and announce the commissioner's present.

3:36

Chair Silva.

3:38

Here.

3:38

Vice Chair Latasa?

3:40

Here.

3:41

Commissioner Bluuth.

3:42

Rosa.

3:43

Commissioner Brassfield.

3:44

Present.

3:45

Commissioner Dawson is absent, and Commissioner Freeman here.

3:50

And our staff members present today.

3:52

We have our planning manager Levi Hill, Principal Planner Fernando Rovari, Principal Planner Christy Sabdo, Senior Associate Planner Chris Schmidt, and myself, recording Secretary Eric Cabrera.

4:04

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 Monterey.gov forward slash agendas.

4:13

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

4:18

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

4:21

Is there anybody in the chamber, we recommend keeping phones and devices muted to prevent audio interference with the consent agenda?

4:42

I'm sorry.

4:44

Very good.

4:45

But we're doing the consent right now.

4:46

We'll do the public comments after the consent.

4:49

Anybody online, Erica?

4:51

There are no hands raised.

4:52

Very good.

4:52

We'll take the consent back to the to the commission.

4:56

What I would like to do is to separate out the various items for deliberation and a separate vote.

5:01

We can begin by uh doing uh item number two, which is uh recommend the city council amend chapter 38, section 38-11.5 of the Monterey City Code to establish local density incentives for qualifying housing projects and uh so this has been uh uh a continuance uh until September 23rd.

5:27

Uh any comments from commissioners on this?

5:31

Can I get a motion?

5:32

I'll move that we move this item to the September 23rd agenda.

5:38

Second.

5:39

So we have a motion to continue by uh Commissioner Latassa, second by Commissioner Bluth to uh continue this to September 23rd.

5:49

Uh all in favor, aye.

5:53

Aye, unanimous.

5:55

Okay.

5:56

Thank you.

5:57

Item number three.

5:59

Uh under full disclosure, I must recuse myself from voting on this item.

6:03

I did advise, I received advice from staff prior to today's meeting that uh I would not need to step out of the chambers because there's not going to be a um a discussion regarding this.

6:15

So we'll go ahead and uh bring this back to the commission.

6:19

Uh any uh any comments?

6:24

No, um I move to uh continue this item 2,400 garden road to is it September?

6:31

Is it a date certain?

6:32

September 23rd to September 23rd.

6:36

So we have a uh a motion by Commissioner Freeman and uh seconded by uh Commissioner Brassfield to continue this to September 23rd.

6:46

Uh this time we'll do a roll call, Erica.

6:49

Chair Silva recuse.

6:52

Vice Chair Latassa?

6:53

Yes, Commissioner Bluth.

6:55

Yes, Commissioner Brassfield, and Commissioner Freeman, yes.

6:58

Okay, that item's been continued to the September 23rd planning commission meeting.

7:02

Thank you, uh Erica.

7:03

We'll combine items four and five together.

7:06

Any uh comments by commissioners on the minutes.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████25%
Affordable Housing████████████████████20%
Procedural██████████████████18%
Technology and Innovation████████████12%
Animal Welfare█████████9%
Public Safety████████8%
Meeting Procedures█████5%
Historic Preservation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Monterey Planning Commission Meeting - September 11, 2025

The Monterey Planning Commission convened on September 11, 2025, to address consent calendar items, hear public comments on rooster regulations, and deliberate on two use permit applications for residential conversion and a wireless facility.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 2: Recommendation to amend city code for local density incentives was continued to the September 23, 2025, meeting. Motion passed unanimously.
  • Item 3: Use permit application for 2,400 Garden Road was continued to September 23, 2025. Motion passed with Chair Silva recused; roll call vote was affirmative.
  • Minutes from August 12, 2025, and August 26, 2025, were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Marcia Renzulo, a Monterey resident, expressed opposition to roosters, citing excessive noise, public health risks, and disturbance. She proposed updating the municipal code to ban roosters while allowing egg-laying hens, following examples from Marina and Salinas.
  • Marilyn McDonald, also a resident, expressed opposition to roosters, describing them as annoying and disruptive to neighborhood peace.

Discussion Items

  • Item 6: 1173 9th Street Use Permit
    • Staff, represented by Chris Schmidt, recommended approval for converting an existing commercial office building to a single-family dwelling with an addition. Staff found the project consistent with zoning and general plan objectives.
    • Applicant Jeff Edmonds presented, stating the owners' personal intent to use the property as a retirement home and for family stability.
    • Commissioners discussed housing accountability act applicability, with staff clarifying that objective standards do not apply to single-family projects like this one.
    • Commissioner Freeman expressed full support, noting the project's consistency with policies.
  • Item 7: 750 Cannery Row Wireless Permit
    • Staff, represented by Jerry Hittleman, recommended approval for a T-Mobile wireless facility on the hotel rooftop, with conditions including RF safety measures and post-installation compliance reports.
    • Commissioners raised questions on safety, aesthetics, and training for public safety personnel. Staff addressed concerns, confirming RF compliance and noise levels within standards.
    • Commissioner Brassfield commented on aesthetics fitting the industrial look of Cannery Row.
    • Commissioner Bluth expressed concern about multiple wireless companies but did not oppose the project.
    • The applicant, Samantha Alpha, experienced technical difficulties and could not present.

Key Outcomes

  • Votes:
    • Item 6: Use permit for 1173 9th Street was approved unanimously via roll call vote.
    • Item 7: Wireless permit for 750 Cannery Row was approved unanimously via roll call vote, with an added condition to rescind the previous approval (Resolution P24-006).
  • Directives and Next Steps:
    • Items 2 and 3 were continued to the September 23, 2025, Planning Commission meeting.
    • Staff noted updates on city council actions and future agenda items.
    • Public comments on rooster regulations were acknowledged as outside planning commission purview, directed to city council.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. Okay. Um, call the meeting to order. Erica, would you mind? Um doing a roll call and uh instructing online participants how they can call in. Sure. Thank you. Um, I'll go ahead and announce the commissioner's present. Chair Silva. Here. Vice Chair Latasa? Here. Commissioner Bluuth. Rosa. Commissioner Brassfield. Present. Commissioner Dawson is absent, and Commissioner Freeman here. And our staff members present today. We have our planning manager Levi Hill, Principal Planner Fernando Rovari, Principal Planner Christy Sabdo, Senior Associate Planner Chris Schmidt, and myself, recording Secretary Eric Cabrera. 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 Monterey.gov forward slash agendas. Remote commenters will be muted until it's 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. Is there anybody in the chamber, we recommend keeping phones and devices muted to prevent audio interference with the consent agenda? I'm sorry. Very good. But we're doing the consent right now. We'll do the public comments after the consent. Anybody online, Erica? There are no hands raised. Very good. We'll take the consent back to the to the commission. What I would like to do is to separate out the various items for deliberation and a separate vote. We can begin by uh doing uh item number two, which is uh recommend the city council amend chapter 38, section 38-11.5 of the Monterey City Code to establish local density incentives for qualifying housing projects and uh so this has been uh uh a continuance uh until September 23rd. Uh any comments from commissioners on this? Can I get a motion? I'll move that we move this item to the September 23rd agenda. Second. So we have a motion to continue by uh Commissioner Latassa, second by Commissioner Bluth to uh continue this to September 23rd. Uh all in favor, aye. Aye, unanimous. Okay. Thank you. Item number three. Uh under full disclosure, I must recuse myself from voting on this item. I did advise, I received advice from staff prior to today's meeting that uh I would not need to step out of the chambers because there's not going to be a um a discussion regarding this. So we'll go ahead and uh bring this back to the commission. Uh any uh any comments? No, um I move to uh continue this item 2,400 garden road to is it September? Is it a date certain? September 23rd to September 23rd.

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