CC - Item 7A - Minutes 09-22-09Minutes of the Joint
CITY COUNCIL
AND
PLANNING COMMISSION
SPECIAL MEETING
September 22, 2009
OFFICIALS PRESENT: Mayor Margaret Clark, Mayor Pro Tern Gary Taylor, Council Member Sandra
Armenta, Council Member Polly Low, and Council Member Steven Ly.
OFFICIALS PRESENT: Chairwoman Diana Herrera, Vice-Chairman Willi am¢Alarcon , Commissioner Nancy
Eng, Commissioner Joan Hunter and Commissioner Victor Ruiz
OFFICIALS PRESENT: City Manager Allred, Assistant City Manager'Hawkesworth, Gity Attorney Montes,
Community Development Director Saeki, Director of Finance,l3risco, Director of Parks and Recreation
Montgomery-Scott, Economic Development Administrator=Ramirez, Deputy Public Works Director Marcarel
and City Clerk Molleda. 'a,
1. PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM THE
None
2. GENERAL PLAN UPDATE STUDY
Community Devel
Member Low and
Principal Planner Bermejo p
Bermejo reviewed!niajor--top
Analysis~Mized-u ed berief
amendments to the General
Brian Lewin-expressed cc
living in the cit'yty2025. Mr
staff for the propos4height
plan.
Mayor Pro Tem Taylor
of the presentation.
that involved Mayor Clark, Council
er.,point preseri6tion with the Sub-committee's findings. Ms.
hicAn"c'liaded, what is Mixed Use Development, Sub-Committee's
concerns, Sub-Committee's recommendations and proposed
for
ow%the staff.report stated, it projected approximately 61,700 people
ed that he projected about 80,000 people by 2025. Also, commended
because he, felt they are inappropriately too high under the current
about a wall at a 45 degree angle figure starting for a property line on page 13
Principal Planner Bermejo replied that the slide of the presentation on the figure was not reflecting the
municipal code of the city but it provided an example of what a variable height would look like. Also, added
that the City currently uses a 20 degree set back.
Mayor Pro Tem Taylor stated that it would be a 6 ft wall at a 20 degree angle on a property.
Rosemead City Council and Planning Commission Joint Meeting
Minutes of September 22, 2009
Page 1 of4 ITEM NO.
Brian Lewin - suggested an idea to deal with parking issues by taking the current mixed-used standards and
decreasing the square footage requirement resulting in additional parking spaces.
Mayor Clark and Planning Commissioner Eng asked what the zoning designations from the nodes 1 through
4 shown on the map of the presentation.
Principal Planner replied that they were all R2 zoning.
Council Member Low stated that the zoning does riot change even though the plan changes.
Mayor Clark clarified that the current General Plan stated 45 units per acrefi, a d the Sub-Committee is
proposing 60. Ms Clark added that some of the areas, there are project/ thatsare proposed or have already
z N- 1\
been approved but are not built yet, so the city cannot change the designation on some of them.
Mayor Pro Tem Taylor asked for clarifications on page 2 of the staff uAder mixed used, there are three
locations on the north and south side of Garvey Avenue between, Charlotte Avenue and'Walnp, t Grove that is
considered mixed-use. However, the map shows it as commercial and Willard Avenue would°lie,the break off
point.
Community Development Director Saeki
the map was showing accurate.
Mayor Pro Tem Taylor inquired about page 25
front, why a section in between the purple and
Community Development
Mayor Pro Tem Taylor
Community Development
shows how theipropgsed,
city would,,ha'Ve"totirirtg,tF
Major,Clarrk'added that the
home oarks orovide low in(
Council M
the same.
replied
any zones were going
has 3 % miles of business
area.
a mobile home park.
in the zoning code.
:ooing had not changed and that the presentation
land use designation; within a two year period, the
with the General Plan.
a buffer zone for the 60 units neighboring. Plus mobile
zone change has happened for that mobile home park, it has remained
Planning Commissioner
agreed on Mr. Lewin's previous comments about the parking issues.
Council MemberLy asked about the senior housing on Garvey Avenue, on what are the dwelling units on that
location.
Community Development Director Saeki stated that he was not sure about the exact number at the moment
but assumed it was about 72 units.
Rosemead City Council and Planning Commission Joint Meeting
Minutes of September 22, 2009
Page 2 of 4
Council Member Armenia commented that zoning had to be hand in hand with the General Plan to be able to
work.
Planning Commissioner Eng reiterated that parking is an issue that should be addressed as well as traffic
congestion issues.
Mayor Clark asked staff to research how other surrounding cities are dealing with parking and traffic
congestion issues.
Mayor Pro Tem Taylor asked if Mr. Lewin was talking about changing the squate footage requirements on the
commercial parking or the residential parking. j '
~n
Brian Lewin - stated it was mainly commercial parking require ent
Mayor Pro Tem Taylor stated that a developer could have three ezc ptions, such as parking exceptions and
choose two other.
Planning Commissioner Ruiz asked if the architect designs itssdevelopment4here either less commercial and
more residential they would still meet those requirements.
Council Member Low thanked Mr. Ly for appo nting-Mayor Clark and'h'e If.on the Sub-Committee. Ms. Low
explained that it gave both of them an opportunity tow~rk-together and share"their vision.
Council Member Ly thanked the Sub-Committee and,staff for dealing'withAe General Plan issues.
Mayor Clark proposed a field trip for Council and Planning Commissioners around the city to observe how the
new proposed General.Plan will fit the city. '4~.
Council Member Low asked staff to see how'other cities,compare and operate in relation to development.
Mayor Pro -Tem Taylor reiterated that.he had not received any compliments on the building on Mission and
Rosemead_ Boulevard. Also„added that he was leery that a developer may come to the city and want to raise
the heights of a project.
City Attorney Montes stated that'a developer would have to meet the requirements for the applicable
percentage of affordable housing and then would have to seek as one of your variations the height. But as
you will see when you move forward with this process and development standards are brought forward and if
you are going to go that high~,you are going to need deviation on a lot of the city's standards and you are
limited to three. , Y, ,
Council Member Low commented that she had learned on the project on Mission and Rosemead Boulevard
was that you need to put your project in the right place, hot just because the location is on mixed-used
designation it will work.
Council MemberArmenta stated that it was important to know that two people who had two different ideas
can come together.
Rosemead City Council and Planning Commission Joint Meeting
Minutes of September 22, 2009
Page 3 of 4
3. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m. The next regular City Council meeting is scheduled to take place on
September 22, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
ATTEST:
Gloria Molleda, City Clerk
Rosemead City Council and Planning Commission Joint Meeting
Minutes of September 22, 2009
Page 4 of 4