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HomeMy WebLinkAboutpcm_08232017 - Final CITY OF UKIAH PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES Regular Meeting CIVIC CENTER COUNCIL CHAMBERS 300 Seminary Avenue Ukiah, CA 95482 August 23, 2017 6:00 p.m. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT COMMISSIONERS ABSENT Mike Whetzel, Chair Christopher Watt Laura Christensen Mark Hilliker Linda Sanders STAFF PRESENT OTHERS PRESENT Craig Schlatter, Community Development Listed below, Respectively and Planning Director Kevin Thompson, Planning Manager Cathy Elawadly, Recording Secretary 1. CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the City of Ukiah Planning Commission was called to order by Chair Whetzel at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Ukiah Civic Center, 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, California. CHAIR WHETZEL PRESIDING. 2. ROLL CALL Roll call was taken with attendance as listed above. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Everyone recited. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion/Second Hilliker/Christensen to approve the Minutes of July 26, 2017 as submitted. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: AYES: Sanders, Watt, Christensen, Hilliker, and Whetzel. NOES: None. ABSENT: None. ABSTAIN: None 5. COMMENTS FROM AUDIENCE ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS 6. APPEALPROCESS 7. SITE VISIT VERIFICATION 8. VERIFICATION OF NOTICE 9. PUBLIC WORKSHOP a. Housing Workshop ❑Towards the Development of a Housing Strategy for Ukiah. Page 1 of 4 Minutes of the Planning Commission, August 23, 2017, Continued: Presenters: Craig Schlatter, Community Development and Planning Director and Kevin Thompson, Planning Manager. (Housing Workshop PowerPoint presentation given by Craig Schlatter, Community Development and Planning Director). Public Comment: Alan Nicholson and Mary Anne Miller. Planning Commission comments: • Would like information on the number of City employees that commute to work from other areas. • Provide for more information concerning developing a Ukiah Housing Trust Fund and/or Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to more effectively stimulate affordable housing development. • Further consider whether or not an Inclusionary Ordinance would be an advantageous tool to have for Ukiah, as a rural community in terms of homeownership possibilities and affordability opportunities. • Related to the strategy for middle income/residential housing production and potential ideas thereof for revising LID and/or stormwater requirements for treatment of stormwater that could restrict/impede development such that it may be an opportunity to look at modeling after the wetland mitigation banking/offset credits idea. Adaptive use of this model would allow for some development flexibility, rather than a developer having to make rigorous stormwater improvements for a particular project, he/she could put money towards a mitigation bank such that stormwater improvements could be done for a project somewhere else so that the project does not become cost prohibitive. • Would support consideration given to reducing barriers to development, particularly for middle income housing production that may include amendment to the zoning ordinance to allow by-right residential uses in certain zoning districts, reduce setback and parking requirements, and possibly review and/or possibly modify land use regulations that focus on impacts. Related to the issue of development barriers, it may be important to work with such partners as the Mendocino County Airport Land Use Commission and County of Mendocino and/or other organizations/agencies to look at some of these potential development barriers. • / F�1B RIW��hi�[�u�NDK��XVLQJ �DXVHIF�.�RC�F-�4� It may be that people cannot afford housing in this community such that job wages are low and non-competitive. Is it the lack of housing stock or is it the pay scale? • Look more closely at vacant and underutilized parcels and make an assessment of possible housing opportunities even though this inventory has essentially been completed/addressed in the General Plan Housing Element; could include an appraisal of wetland areas the City has that can be a potential component/element of the wetland mitigation bank. • Related to economics and housing affordability, it may be Ukiah has a reputation for EHL�J�DML�M/��ki�L�14�N-E�PQFi�C�f jobs is an issue and as such, people cannot afford housing in this community. Important to create an incentive for SH�S�I�DQ��NDK�KI-�1H IH�E�P�19�1J�NDK❑ other than the housing situation. This community needs to look at how to attract new Page 2 of 4 Minutes of the Planning Commission, August 23, 2017, Continued: businesses to come to Ukiah that are good paying so people can afford to live here. People grow up in Ukiah and move away because it has a limited job market. • Related to the stakeholder comments: 3714-�1H[1�/[ID[ffII�D�h4�lV�IJ H�XVLQJ�1�4-I[1�/VXFi�Y[�SQ�D�PoK3DQQ�LVXC�� E�`QFiCJ I��XE��RWJ�Q�1Y�1�'.SLQJ�I�RIDJS�J C�l9ZJ lIDP �1A�U�L(427 help the community have a better perception about affordable/middle income housing market needs/programs and possible housing opportunities based on the different income groups that are available or could potentially be available. Land and all the accompanying necessary improvement infrastructure must be available and in place so that housing development can occur. The City needs to look at innovative ways to make land available for housing development purposes because there is a shortage of land in this regard. Ukiah does have plenty of space to do infill projects. Can consider looking at existing City General Plan policies and goals, zoning ordinance regulations and possibly make changes accordingly so that there are effective housing incentives/opportunities in place for people, and also consider possible ways to more or less streamline land use restrictions. Municipal land use policies directly have an influence on the community from an economic perspective such that developers, for instance, looking to build in the community can make a return on their investment. It may be that housing development outside the City limit is more economically feasible because the rules are more permissive and the fees are less. 37 Iq-L1H��SF�QQVSd�RI�P�RZ�FZYFi�CS1119�P C�Z I�Rv1�1Gf��J� KRXVI�.I��ZX�LQI�DIIt�M�dIC�eople should have the opportunity to be able to move up from lower cost housing to more expensive housing. Consider why this not necessarily occurring. • Finds the City Connection Fee Deferral agreement and/or other programs that defer or promote developments to be a benefit. • If Ukiah has an abundance of affordable housing where there is no incentive to earn more income this scenario can become a detraction and/or an unintended consequence that needs to be addressed relative to businesses looking for people having a desire/incentive to grow, expand, and improve their lives. If a person wants to make more money to change his/her living situation to a better situation there should be an incentive in place to assist in this regard. • There are homes for sale in Ukiah in the price range of $300,000-$400,000 that would be on the market for a lot more in other communities. • Local businesses want to recruit people to work for them, but it is difficult because there is limited housing stock. • There is a definite connection between having good paying jobs and houses people can afford. • HUD and/or Section 8 housing opportunities are limited in this community because many landlords do not accept Section 8 recipients. As such, it may be beneficial to better educate landlords about the benefit of allowing persons with Section 8 vouchers to rent from them. • Related to land availability, the City likely has more land for multiple-unit housing/low income development opportunities than for single-family residential. Again, there are Page 3 of 4 Minutes of the Planning Commission, August 23, 2017, Continued: professionals that want to live and work in Ukiah and find the housing stock limited in Ukiah. • Understands it is often problematic for contractors/developers to meet all the building code standards the State of California forces the City to enforce. It would be beneficial to be able to ease up on some of those regulations, but does not know how this can be effectively accomplished and/or if this is even possible. The City has been known to put SFi�S�I��Ql9ZXJ K❑1,PQHCIIC.�J F�IDZ 14iQ it comes to local development and with getting projects through the process. • Referenced a magazine from the August 2017 edition, �XLC��J�hat talks about when the millennials start to purchase homes, which many are now doing later in life than most generations before them,they do not want big homes but rather smaller homes. The idea is to think about building homes more compactly. • There are people that are very busy in their lives and do not want to have a large house or yard to care for, but rather a smaller home that is modern and comfortable. • ❑I-I�PaIC�NDK�B LC�BI[I�FRP H�ZXVLQI[�DlW-Iu�1Afi�PoU�ok at the possibility to restrict parking and reduce setbacks by moving houses closer to the street in order to provide space for such housing. • Related to the topic of land availability, the City has not annexed any land from the County for many years. • Look at ways to formulate a housing program strategy to create levels of subsidizing whereby if someone wanted to improve their housing situation who might not necessarily be eligible for low income housing opportunities, and may be ready to consider buying a house or upgrading his/her rental status ��Q�I-I�I+K� area to get assistance to be able to go to the next housing level. 10. 3/ ❑1 1 ,1 ❑�,5❑�72 5 C6 C�❑32 57 Presenters: Craig Schlatter, Community Development and Planning Director and Kevin Thompson, Planning Manager. 11. 3/ ❑1 1 ,1 ❑�2 0 0 ,66,21 �56�❑32 57 Presenters: Commissioner Hilliker and Chair Whetzel. 12. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:26 p.m. Cathy Elawadly, Recording Secretary Page 4 of 4