City Council

13.A. Proposed Amendments to the Whittier Municipal Code (WMC) and Zoning Map Recommendation: Conduct a public hearing and introduce the first reading of Ordinance No. 3159, approving Amendments to Title 18 – Zoning and Title 17- Subdivisions (ZCA22-0001) and adopting an Updated Zoning Map (ZCG24-0001). Environmental Review The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires public agencies and local governments to measure the environmental impacts of development projects or other major land use decisions, and to limit or avoid those impacts if possible. The amendments to Title 18 – Zoning and Title 17 – Subdivisions, together with the adoption of an official zoning map are considered a project under CEQA. In accordance with CEQA, a program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared for the Envision Whittier General Plan that included within its scope, amendments to the Whittier Zoning and Subdivision Regulations, and Zoning Map. The City of Whittier certified Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) State Clearinghouse (SCH) No. 2021040762 for the 2021-2040 Envision Whittier General Plan on October 12, 2021. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines 15168 (c), Use with Later Activities - subsequent activities in the program must be examined in light of the program EIR to determine whether an additional environmental document must be prepared. City Staff finds that pursuant to Section 15162, no new effects could occur and no new mitigation measures would be required; therefore, no new environmental document is required, and the activities proposed to be enacted by Zoning Code Amendment ZCA22-0001 and Zone Change ZCG24-0001 are within the scope of the certified program EIR and said program EIR adequately described the activity for the purposes of CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15168 (e). To the limited extent that there may be additional and related changes included herein to the Whittier Municipal Code (WMC) that were not analyzed in the program EIR, City Staff has determined such changes are categorically exempt from CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines 15061 (c)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that such changes may have a significant effect on the environment.