City Council

C.2.\nZONE TEXT AMENDMENT TO ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE THE\nCONVERSION OF EXISTING COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS TO\nRESIDENTIAL USES [N. MARICICH, J. ALKIRE, F. CONTRERAS, J.\nPARRISH]:\nSUBJECT: The City Council will consider a Zone Text Amendment (ZTA)\nto encourage and facilitate the conversion of existing commercial buildings\nto multi-family residential uses by establishing a ministerial approval\nprocess for qualifying projects. In response to Planning Commission\ndiscussion and community feedback, staff is presenting two options of the\nproposed ordinance for City Council consideration. The primary difference\nbetween the two ordinances is the treatment of hotels and motels,\nreflecting the policy considerations and community feedback regarding\npotential economic and employment impacts discussed by the Planning\nCommission and subsequently received by staff. Both versions otherwise\nmaintain the same proposed standards intended to streamline conversion\nprojects, support Housing Element implementation, and advance City\nclimate and land use goals. The proposed Ordinances are not subject to\nsubsequent review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)\npursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 and are additionally\ncategorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA, pursuant to Section\n15183 and Section 15061(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines.\nRECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council review the\ntwo ordinance options presented for consideration and, after selecting its\npreferred approach, introduce on first reading the chosen ordinance: 1)\nOption 1 – Ordinance No. 25-_____: “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF\nWEST HOLLYWOOD ADOPTING AN AMENDMENT TO TITLE 19 OF\nTHE WEST HOLLYWOOD MUNICIPAL CODE TO ENCOURAGE AND\nFACILITATE THE CONVERSION\nOF EXISTING COMMERCIAL\nDEVELOPMENTS TO RESIDENTIAL USES THROUGH A MINISTERIAL\nAPPROVAL PROCESS, AND FINDING THE ACTION EXEMPT FROM\nCEQA” (This is the ordinance as recommended by the Planning\nCommission on September 4, 2025, which allows qualifying hotel and\nmotel conversions to proceed ministerially when all other eligibility criteria\nare met.) 2) Option 2 – Alternative Ordinance No. 25-______: “AN\nORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD ADOPTING AN\nAMENDMENT TO TITLE 19 OF THE WEST HOLLYWOOD MUNICIPAL\nCODE TO ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE THE CONVERSION OF\nEXISTING COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS TO RESIDENTIAL USES\nTHROUGH A MINISTERIAL APPROVAL PROCESS, EXCLUDING\nHOTELS AND MOTELS FROM MINISTERIAL ELIGIBILITY, AND\nFINDING THE ACTION EXEMPT FROM CEQA” (This alternative\nordinance is identical to Option 1 except that it excludes hotels and motels\nfrom eligibility for the ministerial approval pathway, unless otherwise\nrequired by State law.)