MINUTES OF THE ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Hermosa Beach, California, held on Tuesday, February 29, 2000, at the hour of 7:20 P.M.

 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - Betty Ryan

 

ROLL CALL :

Present: Bowler, Dunbabin, Edgerton, Reviczky, Mayor Oakes
Absent: None

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS : Mayor Oakes announced that the next Friends of the Library Book Sale would take place Saturday, March 25, 2000, from 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. at its usual location in front of the Library and also on the west side of Bard Street next to the antique store, due to the current renovation of the Library and the group's storage of books and tables in a City warehouse on Bard Street.

Councilmember Edgerton announced the Hermosa Beach Little League opening ceremonies at Clark Field at 6:15 P.M. on Friday, March 3, 2000, noting that Mayor Oakes would throw out the first pitch at 7 P.M.

Councilmember Dunbabin announced a Project Touch fundraiser Sunday, March 12, 2000, at the Jackson Village Bistro, with brunch from 9:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. and special raffles between 11 A.M. and 2 P.M.

Councilmember Bowler announced that he would have to leave the meeting at 9 P.M. in order to catch the last flight to San Francisco to attend a conference.

 

1. CONSIDERATION OF TEXT AMENDMENTS TO SINGLE-FAMILY AND MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR SINGLE-FAMILY PROJECTS AND EXPANSIONS TO NONCONFORMING BUILDINGS; OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS AND SETBACKS IN R-2, R-2B, AND R-3 ZONES; ELIMINATION OF NUMBER OF STORIES REQUIREMENT IN R-1, R-1A, R-2, AND R-2B ZONES; LOT COVERAGE DEFINITION; AND ADOPTION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL NEGATIVE DECLARATION . Memorandum from Community Development Director Sol Blumenfeld dated February 22, 2000. Supplemental information from the Community Development Department received February 29, 2000. Supplemental letter from Nancy Schwappach dated February 29, 2000.

 

Mayor Oakes said this workshop meeting was scheduled for the sole purpose of discussing proposed amendments to the City's residential development standards. Mayor Pro Tempore Reviczky said the Council was looking at the standards because people continually come forward to object to individual projects with concerns about issues such as parking, bulk, open space and setbacks.

It was the consensus of the Council to handle the issues separately. It was noted that any changes approved this evening would have to come back for final action.

Community Development Director Blumenfeld presented the staff report and responded to Council questions on the proposed elimination of the single family guest parking requirement, noting that the parking requirements were based on use (single family) rather than zone (R-1).

 

Coming forward to address the Council on this issue were:

Shirley Cassell - 611 Monterey Boulevard, said to save time, the Council should let people speak once rather than on each issue;

Roger Creighton - 1070 Third Street, questioned what effect the change would have on the 25-foot wide, 2200-square-foot lots that dominate the area and if the 17-foot required setback would be reduced to 9 feet (Mayor Oakes said the 17-foot garage setback was not in question, and the 9-foot setback applied only to alleys);

Betty Ryan - 588 - 20th Street, spoke against the proposed change; said parking was a problem in the majority of residential areas;

Paul Brennan - 309 26th Street, said he had a single family home in an R-2 zone with a street to alley lot and expressed concern about the proposed change (Councilmember Reviczky said the standards would not affect existing structures, only new structures or remodels greater than 50 percent);

George Shweiri - 304 Manhattan Avenue, said he had a single family home in an R-3 zone; thought the proposed change should be considered due to the less restrictive standards that currently exist for the surrounding multi-family structures;

Edith Pfeifer - 843 Loma Drive, spoke against the proposed change; said there were usually a lot of drivers in single family homes, i.e. parents and their children when they reach driving age;

Mike Watson - 661 25th Street, said it was ironic that the Council was considering taking parking away from single family and adding it to multi family; cited parking problems near the beach and said standards should be consistent; said small lots could be granted variances;

Pete Tucker - 235 34th Street, said the 17-foot setback was meant to eliminate or mitigate the parking problems; suggested that the Council also keep the alley setback at nine feet;

Troy Pliska - 1348 Palm Drive, asked if all items would be voted on at the same time, as his opinion on some issues would depend on the outcome of others (Mayor Oakes said this item affected only single family parking, and that multi-family issues would be discussed together);

Nancy Schwappach - 3124 Hermosa Avenue, supported the proposed change; said her lot was on a narrow alley in the Shakespeare tract and must meet the minimum turning radius; supported reducing single family parking in R-3 zones;

Jill Hewes - 126 Monterey Boulevard, spoke in favor of the change; said she had a small home in an R-3 zone with a single-car garage and a parking space in the 17-foot setback; said she would need additional parking in order to remodel;

Park Lee - 1250 Eighth Street, spoke in favor of the change; said he had a one-car garage and one space in the driveway; said he could not add to his house because of the additional parking currently required; and

Jo Hollingsworth - 607 Gould Terrace, opposed reducing the guest parking requirement because parking was such a premium in the City.

 

Action: To maintain the existing single family parking standards rather than lessen them as proposed.
Motion Edgerton, second Reviczky. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.

Community Development Director Blumenfeld presented the staff report and responded to Council questions on the proposal to eliminate the limitation on the number of stories in all residential zones, keeping only the height limit standard.

 

Coming forward to address the Council on this issue were:

Shirley Cassell - 611 Monterey Boulevard, said this was a public hearing and the Council should not consider continuing any portion of it and should stop wasting time; and

Bill Lyle - 715 First Street, expressed concern about neighboring construction (City Manager Burrell said the height limit was measured before the start of construction; Mayor Oakes suggested Mr. Lyle meet with staff).

 

Action: To eliminate the story limitation from the Zoning Code and maintain only the height limit standard.
Motion Mayor Oakes, second Bowler. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.

Community Development Director Blumenfeld presented the staff reports and responded to Council questions on the following proposals relating to multi-family projects: increasing guest parking; no longer allowing roof decks to count towards open space requirements; requiring greater front and rear setbacks on upper floors; and requiring 200 square feet of open space per unit to be on the ground open to the sky.

 

Action: By consensus, the Council expressed no interest in the proposal to require greater front and rear setbacks on the upper floors in multi-family zones.

 

Before leaving the meeting at 9 P.M., Councilmember Bowler expressed his interest in increasing the multi-family parking requirements, but said he had no interest in changing standards on the issues pertaining to roof deck open space and open space on the ground.

 

Coming forward to address the Council on the issues of multi-family guest parking, roof deck open space, and open space on the ground were:

Jerry Compton - architect, 1200 Artesia Boulevard #300, did not oppose increasing the guest parking to one space per condominium unit, noting he tries when possible to provide two per unit, but expressed concern about adding displaced parking spaces as well, because in many areas, such as walk streets, the parking could not be provided without going tandem;

Roger Creighton - 1070 Third Street, suggested increasing the parking requirements but allowing exemptions in certain areas of the city; said a big problem in town was the use of garages for purposes other than parking;

George Shweir - 304 Manhattan Avenue, said he had a home on a half lot in the R-3 zone; compared the small lot sizes in Hermosa Beach to the larger lots in other cities; suggested making open space a percentage of the lot size (Councilmember Reviczky said the City already had a small lot exemption at 2100 square feet);

Mike Watson - 661 25th Street, said most of the City's parking problems were caused by the older rentals rather than new condominiums; was opposed to a parking increase for condominiums;

Gary Skardina - 625 30th Street, said he bought his property in 1987 and was planning to develop it soon; expressed concern about the issues of open space, roof decks and additional setbacks on upper floors; wanted the rules to maintain a level playing field;

Rob Seaman - 1120 Loma Drive, said parking was the hardest component of planning his condominium project; cited problems with turning radius, setback and raised grade requirements; said increasing guest spaces would make many sites single family lots; suggested if parking is increased that other restrictions be lessened;

Charlie Cheatum - 548 Seventh Street, supported adopting increased parking standards; said there was a need in the City for more greenery in front of structures and suggested requiring increased open space on the ground in front to eliminate the concrete jungle look;

Bernie Talmas - 1649 Monterey Boulevard, was opposed to all of the changes being considered; said he lived in an older structure built in the 1930s, and the changes would prohibit him from changing or upgrading his building because he could not meet the parking requirements for his two units; said his ocean view is now blocked by new boxy structures but he could not meet the requirements to add a second story;

Bruce Robles - 2138 Loma Drive, objected to the new boxy single-family homes being built, citing one across the street from him that looked like a loaf of bread; said most of the nonconforming R-2 structures on his block provide ample parking, while people in single-family homes use their garages for storage rather than for parking their cars; objected to increasing multi-family parking;

Lee Grant - 1011 16th Street, said he had a small R-1 lot with two tall homes on the lot behind him; said more open space was needed to avoid the appearance of a concrete jungle; said more open space meant greater value;

Edith Pfeifer - 843 Loma Drive, said she had a 1920s beach bungalow that would be her children's inheritance; expressed concern about a decrease in property value with the proposed changes;

Jo Hollingsworth - 607 Gould Terrace, said buildings with more open space would increase ambience and would eventually increase property values; supported increasing guest parking;

Pete Tucker - 235 34th Street, asked if upper floor setbacks would be needed to accomplish some of the remaining proposed changes;

Nancy Schwappach - 3124 Hermosa Avenue; objected to using a 15-percent figure for roof decks because a usable deck would have to be much larger;

Jerry Compton - architect, 1200 Artesia Boulevard #300, said Hermosa was known for roof decks; said 65-percent lot coverage was very tight; thought 15-percent for a roof deck was too strict and suggested that 40 to 50 percent might be more reasonable;

Jonathan Schwartz - 259 31st Street, said he had a 30-by-70-foot lot on a walk street and could not count his front yard as open space; said he had a 400 square foot roof deck that was well used and did not know how he would otherwise meet the open space requirement;

David Olin - 1243 Palm Drive, said everyone wants a roof deck; said Manhattan Beach had consistent lot sizes while Hermosa's lot sizes varied; did not oppose increasing the guest parking but suggested keeping the existing roof deck requirement, or making it at least 50 percent or 65 percent if it is changed;

Name indistinct - 1144 Cypress, said the proposed changes would eliminate the ability to build three units in the City, that Council would eliminate that whole market if the proposed open space requirements are adopted.

Unidentified speaker - said he bought his property solely for future development, and the price was based on current requirements; said changes could destroy the value of his property and he was against anything that would diminish the value of his property;

George Brown - 2006 Hillcrest Drive, said reducing the bulk and mass of buildings and increasing open space would actually enhance property values; and

Sandy Fister - 903 Eighth Street, said change was good but everyone did not want a single family home with a lawn to mow; asked the Council to keep the quality of life.

 

Proposed Action: To require the greater of either three parking spaces per condominium unit or the existing two and one-half spaces plus the replacement of displaced on-street parking spaces.
Motion Edgerton, second Reviczky. The motion was subsequently restated in the following motion.

 

Proposed Action: To require three parking spaces per condominium unit (two spaces plus one guest space).
Motion Edgerton, second Reviczky. The motion failed due to the dissenting votes of Dunbabin and Mayor Oakes and the absence of Bowler.

 

Proposed Action: To require three parking spaces per condominium unit and no more than two replacement spaces per project.
Motion Edgerton. The motion died for lack of a second.

 

City Manager Burrell suggested continuing the public hearing to a date certain, again as a separate meeting, and said staff could look at some scenarios and come back in about eight weeks with more information and some drawings for consideration by the full Council. He invited the public to submit within the next two weeks written comments for evaluation, and asked the press to help bring this to the attention of the public. He said the issues to be considered at the next meeting include multi-family parking, roof top open space, and open space on the ground, as well as two issues not discussed this evening--parking requirements for buildings nonconforming to parking and clarification of lot coverage definition.

 

Action: Mayor Oakes directed, with the consensus of the Council, that the public hearing on residential development standards be continued to Tuesday, May 2, 2000, at 7:10 P.M.

 

ADJOURNMENT - The Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Hermosa Beach adjourned on Tuesday, February 29, 2000, at the hour of 11:40 P.M. to the Regular Meeting of Tuesday, March 14, 2000, at the hour of 7:10 P.M.

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