Oakland Planning Commission Hearing on CUP Streamlining Amendments - November 5, 2025
Oakland Planning Commission Hearing on CUP Streamlining Amendments - November 5, 2025
The Oakland Planning Commission met on November 5, 2025, to consider a major package of citywide planning code amendments aimed at streamlining conditional use permit (CUP) requirements for commercial, civic, and low-impact industrial activities. The meeting began with the selection of a chair pro tem due to the absence of the vice chair, followed by a director's report, commission matters, and a public hearing on the proposed amendments. The commission voted unanimously to recommend the ordinance to the City Council.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were presented.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during the public hearing.
Discussion Items
- Selection of Chair Pro Tem: Commissioner Josie Aaron's nominated herself and was unanimously elected as chair pro tem for the meeting.
- Director's Report: Deputy Director Ed Manassey acknowledged the commission's concerns about alcohol license buffering regulations near schools and committed to researching flexibility, but noted that revisiting alcohol regulations is not feasible in the near term due to workload from the General Plan update and other priorities.
- Commission Matters: Strategic Planning Manager Laura Kaminski reported that the Housing Department cannot currently differentiate vacancy rates by affordability level due to software limitations. She also noted ongoing research into how other cities report non-deed-restricted units. Commissioner Aaron's requested data on rents by affordability level for deed-restricted units, which staff agreed to follow up on offline.
- Public Hearing – Citywide Planning Code Amendments (CUP Streamlining): Planner Timothy Green presented the proposal, which reduces the number of activities requiring a CUP, raises square footage thresholds by 20–50%, and introduces performance standards (e.g., operational noise plans for group assembly uses). Key changes include permitting artisan production, arcades, and medical services by right in many zones, streamlining park improvements (e.g., benches, restrooms, concessions), and adding design review provisions for noise plans. Staff noted that the amendments were refined based on the Zoning Update Committee's October 22 meeting, including retaining transient habitation commercial as a major CUP. Commissioners expressed strong support, highlighting benefits for small businesses, activation of commercial corridors, and park amenities. Commissioner Randolph raised concerns about equitable outreach to underserved communities and requested periodic data collection to track impacts. Staff committed to working with the Public Information Office on outreach and exploring dashboards.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Accept Minor Modifications: Unanimously approved (4-0) to accept staff's late modifications to the staff report.
- Motion to Recommend Ordinance to City Council: Commissioner Randolph moved, seconded by Commissioner Rob, to recommend that the City Council adopt the ordinance with the revision to Section 17.136.30 (small project design review) adding provisions for community education, civic activities, and group assembly commercial activities as presented. The motion passed unanimously (4-0).
- Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the October 15, 2025 meeting were approved unanimously.
- Next Steps: The item will be heard by the Community and Economic Development Committee on November 18, 2025, and by the full City Council in December 2025. Implementation is planned for mid-February 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. Uh, and welcome to the November fifth fifth planning commission hearing. My name is Christopher Tan. I'll be acting secretary for Catherine Payne as she's out today. Um we also to note, um, don't have Commissioner uh Vice Chair Sandoval present. So we will need to um select a chair pro tem for to run this meeting. So is there a motion on the floor for anyone to volunteer as chair pro tem? I move to nominate myself, Josie Aaron's as chair pro tem for the this meeting. Awesome. Do we have a second? Second. All right, Commissioner Lee Owen Lee. Commissioner Alex Randolph. Yes. Commissioner Maurice Rob. Yes. Yes. Okay, great. Um, next on the agenda, I guess is roll call. So I know it's kind of awkward, but could we get a roll call again on EFA? All right. Uh Commissioner Owen Lee. Here. Commissioner Alex Randolph. Yeah. Commissioner Morris Rob. The Chair Pro Tam Josie Aaron's here. Wonderful. Thank you so much. So we will move into commission business. Is there any agenda discussion? Yeah, I just have a maybe point of order information on whatever the correct wording is. I know we're still waiting for two appointments to the commission, and we don't have a chair currently. We only have a vice chair, and when the vice chair is in here, we have to be joining. I think it would might be making sense for us to think about voting for a chair and a vice chair. Maybe we can revisit it once we have new members joining. But I think just procedurally, at least for the next couple months, it seems like we're going to be operating under this system. So I think it would be good for us to actually have a vice chair and vice chair, if that makes sense. I don't know. Maybe the team has a different thing. Well, I just want to give you an update. I'm sorry, can you state your full name for record, please? Edmanasseum, the deputy director of planning. Um it's my understanding that uh reappointment of council member rank is on the rules committee uh tomorrow on this Thursday. Uh and if and if forwarded it would go to uh council for reappointment. So that would still leave one vacancy, but um we would at least have uh, you know, potentially the the chair that used to be uh I mean the council member that used to have the commissioner that used to have that role back on the commission. So uh that's the that's the latest I know. I haven't heard we haven't heard uh whether there's uh um a pipeline um nominee for the one full vacancy, um, but we at least have six members with reappointment of councilmer rank, council member, excuse me. Planning commissioner. Thank you.
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