City Council

13. SECOND READING AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NOS. 2492, 2493, 2494, AND 2497, AMENDING PROVISIONS OF TITLE 17 (ZONING) OF THE CITY OF MONTEBELLO MUNICIPAL CODE, RELATED TO ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT (ADU) AND JUNIOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT (JADU) DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE'S UPDATED MODEL WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE (MWELO), ESTABLISHMENT OF A CITYWIDE PROHIBITION ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) DATA CENTERS, AND REVISIONS TO ZONING DEFINITIONS RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council: 1. Waive second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 2493, amending Chapter 17.10 titled Residential Zones Generally of the Montebello Municipal Code (“MMC”) to update the development standards for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs) in all single family and multi-family residential zones, consistent with State law; and 2. Waive second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 2494, amending Chapter 17.65 titled Water Conservation in Landscaping Regulations, to incorporate and implement the updated provisions and standards of the State’s Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (“MWELO”), consistent with State regulations; and 3. Waive second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 2497, amending Appendix A - Index of Primary Uses within Title 17 - Zoning of the MMC to establish a classification for Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) Data Centers, prohibit AI Data Centers within all zoning districts, and correct minor typographical errors in the footnotes to Appendix A; and 4. Waive second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 2492, amending Chapter 17.08 titled Definitions of the MMC to establish new or amend the existing definitions for Accessory Dwelling Unit, Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centers; and 5. Determine and find that the proposed Text Code Amendments to Title 17 of the MMC do not constitute a “project” under CEQA Guidelines Section 15378 in that there is no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. The Text Code Amendments would also be exempt under the commonsense exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3). The CEQA commonsense exemption section states that “CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment” and also states that “where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA; and 6. Take such additional, related, action that may be desirable.