Land Use and Housing Committee Meeting - March 21, 2024
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Land Use and Housing Committee Meeting - March 21, 2024
The Land Use and Housing Committee met on March 21, 2024, to consider a broad agenda including consent items, a departmental performance update, planning group recognitions, and several real estate transactions. The committee unanimously approved all action items, often with amendments, and forwarded them to the full City Council. Key highlights included the recognition of community planning groups (with contested decisions in La Jolla and Uptown), the sale of a surplus property for affordable housing, and approval of lease amendments for Development Services Department relocation.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1: Approved a 20-year lease agreement with the United States of America Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
- Item 2: Approved the First Amendment to the lease at 9444 Balboa Avenue for the San Diego Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children division.
- Item 3: Approved the Asuna segment of the Coast to Crest Trail Project license agreement with the San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority.
- All consent items were approved unanimously (4-0) with a motion by Councilmember Whitburn and a second by Councilmember Moreno.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Consent Agenda: A speaker expressed opposition to the FAA lease, linking it to climate change and geoengineering concerns. Another speaker, Blair Beekman, commented on the need for unleaded fuel at airports, concerns about city finances (citing the Ash Street project), and suggested reviewing technology accountability on trails (citing the Davis model).
- Non-Agenda Public Comment: Speakers raised issues including cannabis social equity program delays, homelessness and philanthropic funding, and concerns about immigration and nonprofit funding. One speaker thanked the city for maintaining Zoom meeting access.
- Item 9 (DSD Performance): Public comment included praise for DSD's improvements (from MEA representative Kathleen Higgins), criticism of code enforcement inconsistency (from David Modi and Jeff Hoyder), concerns about flood recovery permit usage (from a speaker), and requests for better outreach to communities like Lincoln Park (from Sally Small).
- Items 4 & 5 (Leases): Commenters expressed general support for the leases, with one speaker noting the downtown building's condition and another raising concerns about one landlord's nonprofit status and the other's customer service ratings.
- Item 6 (Planning Groups): Numerous speakers testified, with many supporting Vibrant Uptown and the new La Jolla Community Planning Group, citing diversity and outreach concerns. Opponents, including members of the existing groups, argued for retaining the current groups, emphasizing democratic processes and historical experience.
- Item 7 (Casa Familiar Sale): Speakers from Casa Familiar spoke in support, highlighting the need for transitional housing and the property's rehabilitation. One speaker suggested exploring Reconnecting Communities grants for the area.
- Item 8 (Mission Bay Sports Center): Representatives from Tower Paddle Boards and Mission Bay Sports Center spoke in favor, emphasizing the importance of the amendment for business viability. Chris Wall, likely a leaseholder, voiced a different perspective on unauthorized use but committed to resolution.
Discussion Items
- Item 9 - DSD Performance Update: Director Elise Lowe presented an overview of the Development Services Department (DSD), highlighting increased staffing (vacancy rate reduced to 6.8%), reduced permit times (60% issued in 7 days or less), and the expedited processing of affordable housing projects (21 projects permitted in first year of executive order, averaging 9 days). Innovations like the professional certification for office tenant improvements and Small Business Express were noted. Committee members praised the progress and asked about recruitment challenges and tenant improvement successes.
- Items 4 & 5 - DSD Relocation Leases: Staff proposed moving DSD to two new locations: a sublease at 7650 Mission Valley Road (73,970 sq ft, 4-year 4-month term) and a lease at 550 West C Street (43,460 sq ft, 5-year 7-month term). The IBA cautioned about potential budget needs for tenant improvements and moving costs. The committee approved both, with a note to ensure the Mission Valley site's transit access.
- Item 6 - Planning Group Recognition and Amendments: Staff presented recommendations to amend Council Policy 600-24 and recognize 39 planning groups. The committee split the item into multiple motions: 1) adopting amendments and recognizing groups (including 2 groups with more than 20 members), 2) selecting the La Jolla Community Planning Association as the official group, and 3) selecting the Vibrant Uptown (Uptown Community Planning Group) as the official group. Amidst public debate, the committee approved all motions, with some noting the need for future clarification on Brown Act language.
- Item 7 - Sale of 123 East Seaward Avenue: Staff proposed selling a surplus historic property to Casa Familiar for $60,000 (appraised at $465,000) to be used for affordable housing (transitional housing) with a 55-year deed restriction. The committee added amendments for a right of first refusal and a waiver of Council Policy 700-10.
- Item 8 - Mission Bay Sports Center Lease Amendment: Staff and the IBA discussed the first amendment to address unauthorized uses and establish a 10% city share of gross revenue from non-aquatic events. The IBA noted the city is owed $1.2 million. The committee approved the amendment, with a note that staff will work to include language on the city's sustainable building policy (ZEMBOP) before full council.
Key Outcomes
- Approved consent calendar items 1-3 unanimously (4-0).
- Approved DSD relocation leases (items 4 and 5) unanimously (4-0), forwarding to full council.
- Approved planning group amendments and recognition motions (item 6) unanimously (4-0) with recognition of 39 groups, and selection of La Jolla CPA and Vibrant Uptown as the official planning groups for their communities.
- Approved the sale of 123 East Seaward Avenue to Casa Familiar (item 7) unanimously (4-0) with added requirements for a right of first refusal and waiver of policy 700-10.
- Approved the Mission Bay Sports Center lease amendment (item 8) unanimously (4-0), with staff to work on including the city's sustainable building policy before full council.
- Next regularly scheduled committee meeting: April 18, 2024, at 1:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. Welcome to the Land Use and Housing Committee meeting of March 21st, 2024. Our committee liaison Natalie Kessler will go over instructions for today's meeting. Thank you, Chair. While members of the public are able to attend the meetings in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and the council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using this Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the queue closes. The queue will close when the last virtual speak speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first. Additionally, during the consent portion of the agenda, speakers will have one minute per item up to a maximum of three minutes if there are three or more items in that portion of the agenda. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. Councilmember Whitburn? Here. Council Member Moreno. Present. And Chair Councilmember Lee? Here. Also attending the meeting today is Chris Ackerman of Vila with the mayor's office. Noah Brazier with the City Attorney's Office. Raisheen Chen with the independent budget analyst office. And as a reminder, if you are attending in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it on top of the box indicated at the speaker's lecture and at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. In-person testimony will conclude before virtual testimony begins. Members of the public can also join the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link which is listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage. To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please dial 1669 2545252. Webinar ID is 161-286-5933 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Please note that if you are watching via City Twitch City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay. Chair, we do not have any speaker slips from individuals in chambers who wish to speak on the past committee minutes, but we do have one hand raised in the virtual queue. The original, please provide your comments. You will have one minute. Yeah, on the minutes uh from two one or whatnot. Um I was talking about the recent storms, um, which is the geoengineering in the cloud seating. In fact, um, Tennessee has just banned uh the geoengineering above their skies. So it is something that people are recognizing. You guys just refuse to do that. And then providing homes for the homeless community. We could do that in a um, you know, more significant and faster manner. We just choose not to because it's very lucrative, just like storms and any kind of destruction. It's their lucrative businesses, just like the border crisis, which I also mentioned that everything is being facilitated through a lot of these nonprofit NGOs that you guys are giving money to, and it's something that we need to be um, you know, really paying attention to because of the increase in people in our communities, and once the funding runs out, they're gonna be on the streets. Um, you know, bringing uh, you know, wanting change, whatever. Thank you. And Chair, that concludes public comment on the past committee minutes. Great. We will now vote on the approval of the committee actions of February 1st, 2024. Do we have a motion to approve the committee actions? We have a motion by committee member Whitburn. Do we have a second? When we have a second second by committee member Moreno. Um, with that, let's go and call the roll. And that passes unanimously. Um and so thank you.
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