City Council

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