City Council

2. PUBLIC HEARING TO ADOPT ORDINANCE O2M23-4823 APPROVING ZONING TEXT\nAMENDMENT AMD-23-10 (THE COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE TO THE CITY OF\nALHAMBRA ZONING CODE [TITLE 23 OF THE ALHAMBRA MUNICIPAL CODE])\nAND ZONING MAP AMENDMENT AMD-23-09 (AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY OF\nALHAMBRA OFFICIAL ZONING MAP); AND A RESOLUTION APPROVING GENERAL\nPLAN TEXT AMENDMENT AMD-23-08 (AN AMENDMENT TO THE LAND USE AND\nCOMMUNITY DESIGN CHAPTER OF THE CITY OF ALHAMBRA GENERAL PLAN,\nVISION 2040), GENERAL PLAN MAP AMENDMENT AMD-23-07 (AN AMENDMENT\nTO THE CITY OF ALHAMBRA GENERAL PLAN LAND USE MAP), AND INITIAL\nSTUDY/NEGATIVE DECLARATION – F2M20-24, N2M23-127, O2M23-4823, R2M23-54\nThis is the time and place set by Notice No. N2M23-127 for the City Council to hold a\npublic hearing to consider a General Plan Map Amendment, General Plan Text\nAmendment, Zoning Map Amendment and Zoning Text Amendment adopting the\ncomprehensive update to the City of Alhambra Zoning Code (Title 23 of the Alhambra\nMunicipal Code), an Amendment to the City of Alhambra Official Zoning Map, an\nAmendment to the Land Use and Community Design Chapter of the City of Alhambra\nGeneral Plan, Vision 2040, and an Amendment to the City of Alhambra General Plan Land\nUse Map (the “Project”); and to adopt the Initial Study/Negative Declaration for the Project\npursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). On August 10, 2020, the\nCity Council was provided an introduction to the comprehensive Zoning Code update\nproject known as CODEALHAMBRA (www.alhambracodeupdate.com). The goal of the\nproject being to update the City of Alhambra’s 37-year-old Zoning Code with a state of-\nthe-art, flexible, user-friendly Zoning Code that serves as an effective tool to implement\nthe community’s vision for the future. The project was then introduced to the Planning\nCommission on December 7, 2020. The public was given opportunity to participate in the\nproject in two community workshops held on January 21 and 23, 2021.\nBetween August 1, 2022, and December 5, 2022, an overview of the draft Zoning Code\nwas presented to the Planning Commission over the course of seven meetings, which\nwere open to the public and promoted through several methods, including social media in\nmultiple languages. The presentations covered the chapters of the draft Zoning Code,\nsuch as permit processes, permitted uses, development standards, parking standards,\nand nonconformities. Following these initial presentations on the draft Zoning Code, 42\nareas of the proposed Zoning Code were identified for further discussion. These became\nknown as “The 42 Comments.” Discussions of these comments spanned nine meetings\nbetween December 19, 2022 and May 1, 2023. The next four presentations between May\n15, 2023 and July 10, 2023 focused on zone changes and in particular, the rezoning of all\nof the P (Parking) zone lots to another zoning classification. Over the course of these 20\nmeetings, members of the public attended regularly and provided comments on the\npresentations. Additionally, each meeting was also recorded through Zoom and made\navailable to view on the City website and the CODEALHAMBRA project website.\nThe Planning Commission’s public hearing on the Zoning Code was originally scheduled\nfor August 7, 2023 and was continued for the next several meetings (August 21st,\nSeptember 5th, September 18th, October 2nd, and October 16th). Following a presentation\non September 18, 2023, the Planning Commission received public comment and began\ntheir deliberations, which continued to October 2nd and October 16, 2023. At the October\n16, 2023 meeting, by a vote of 9-0 with one absence, the Planning Commission adopted\n3\n11-13-23\nResolution No. 23-20 recommending the City Council approve the comprehensive Zoning\nCode update and associated Zoning and General Plan amendment applications with the\nincorporation of the Planning Commission’s recommended changes. The Planning\nCommission’s recommended revisions to the Zoning Code include changes to: use\nallowances; residential setbacks; maximum building stories and heights; minimum\nresidential open space; maximum density; minimum affordable housing requirements;\npublic noticing and review authority for Minor Administrative Reviews; time limits for\nappeal periods; as well as incorporation of the existing Residential Planned Development\nPermit process. Staff will present the Planning Commission’s recommended revisions to\nthe City Council for consideration. Certain language in the draft Ordinance and Resolution\nrequires direction from the Council; specifically, as to whether or not to accept or modify\nthe Planning Commission’s recommendations, or to adopt without further revision the draft\ndocuments as recommended by staff.\nRecommended Action: City Council:\n1. Conduct a public hearing to receive public testimony;\n2. Determine which of the highlighted Planning Commission’s recommendations to\ninclude and direct the City Attorney to introduce and give first reading by title only,\nwaiving further reading to the following ordinance entitled:\nOrdinance No. O2M23-4823: AN ORDINANCE OF THE ALHAMBRA CITY COUNCIL\nADOPTING ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT AMD-23-10, THE COMPREHENSIVE\nUPDATE TO THE CITY OF ALHAMBRA ZONING CODE (TITLE 23 OF THE\nALHAMBRA MUNICIPAL CODE), AND ZONING MAP AMENDMENT AMD-23-09, AN\nAMENDMENT TO THE CITY OF ALHAMBRA OFFICIAL ZONING MAP\nwhich ordinance shall return for a second reading and adoption at the next City\nCouncil meeting; and,