Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

All right. Good evening. This is the regular Planning Commission meeting for October, August the 12th, 2026. I'll call the meeting to order at 6 o'clock p.m. Can I get a roll call, please?

Commissioner Southard? Commissioner Copeland?

Here.

Vice Chair Cueva? Present. Chairman Smith?

Here. Do we have any requests for excused absences?

Yes, Commissioner Cooley requested a excused absence this evening.

Okay, thank you. If you'll join me in the Pledge of Allegiance, please. Commissioner Copeland. Do we have any adjustments to the agenda tonight?

No adjustments.

And any conflicts of interest to disclose? All right. Seeing none. Move to the public comment period for items not on the agenda. Any one person may address the committee on any matter not on this agenda. If you wish to speak, please fill out a public comment form provided at the back table and give it to the committee chair or secretary. There is a three-minute limit on public comments. There will be no sharing or passing of time to another person. State law prohibits the committee from discussing or taking actions brought up by your comments. Are there any requests to speak at this time?

I have no written requests. Andrea, do we have any callers on the line? No callers.

Moving into our action items. Item C1 is approval of the minutes. If everybody has a chance to review, I would entertain a motion.

Move there be a motion. I'm sorry, move there be approved. Second.

Okay.

We have a motion and a second.

Commissioner Copeland?

Yes.

Vice Chair Cueva?

Yes.

Chairman Smith?

Yes. Item C2, plan 2026-0138, action item to consider a static billboard conversion to a digital billboard for outdoor advertising. Avogadro staff report, please.

Good evening, Chairman and Commissioners, Katie Jensen, planning staff. Before you tonight is an application to reauthorize the sign program for the relocation and conversion of the City of Beaumont electronic billboard. The original authorization of the billboard was approved by City Council on December 17, 2024. These entitlements have one year from approval to pull permits for construction, and due to delays in shipping materials and other unforeseen delays encountered by the applicant, the entitlement did expire, prompting the reauthorization of the City of Beaumont electronic billboard. The applicant submitted an at-risk hold harmless letter for the retroactive approval of the billboard, and City Council approved that relocation agreement on July 21, 2026. The existing billboard is located at 501 Highland Springs Avenue and is relocating to the westerly adjacent parcel located at 1691 East 6th Street. The parcel is located in the local commercial zone, which is the same zone designation that it currently resides in. The proposed V-shaped style electronic billboard sign face dimensions would be 23 feet by 48 feet with screen dimensions of 18 feet by 48 and an overall height of 120 feet. The staff report indicates an overall height of 95 feet, but the rendering in front of you and on the PowerPoint is the correct elevations and dimensions proposed for the billboard. Any digital display and lighting are subject to the outdoor lighting sections of the Beaumont Municipal Code and will require a Caltrans review where applicable. The project is exempt from CEQA under Class II replacement and reconstruction categorical exemption. At this time, staff recommends the Planning Commission to approve Plan 2026-0138 and direct staff to file a notice of exemption with the Riverside County Clerk Recorder. This concludes my presentation and myself and the Community Development Director happy to answer any questions.

Thank you. Questions for staff?

We talked a little bit about this, but I just want to confirm that everyone hears this, that on the conditions of approval, item 10B, page 19 of 68, that there is going to be a light sensing device that will adjust given the ambient light that's there. Where the device goes down, it's the code enforcement that would have the developer replace that, correct?

That is correct. Code enforcement would be the ones to enforce that. But staff has proposed a condition to add in there that would state the property owner shall be responsible for maintaining the electronic billboard in proper working conditions at all times in the event that any or all of the billboard lights or electronic display components become inoperable. The property owner shall promptly repair or replace the affected components and restore the billboard to full operational condition. And you would be able to make the motion to add that into the conditions of approval.

Yes, I'd like to see that. My second question is on page 23 of 68. I know you gave us what they're projecting or what they anticipate putting in. I want to make sure, are they going to try to add any of those company names on any portion of that billboard, or is it the way we're seeing it?

No, they're not proposing any of the other company names on the billboard. The rendering that's in front of you is how it will look.

Okay. That's all mine. Go ahead.

So I know that this application predates the consideration of the amendments to the billboard conversion, so on and so forth. But is this generally conforming with the requirements that are being set forth as far as billboard height? You made the comment about the adjustments for compliance with the outdoor lighting requirements. Are we generally in conformance with what we are considering? Or is this going to be a significant outlier?

It's consistent with trending and what's anticipated in our new billboard ordinance should it go before you and get approved. And it's a lot better than what's there. But yes, it is consistent with what we would consider appropriate.

You know, I understand the application predates that, so we can't hold it to that standard.

Right. Yeah, understood. Okay, thank you.

Do we have any requests to speak on this item?

I have no written requests. Andrea, do we have any callers on the line? No callers.

Okay. Any other discussion amongst the commissioners? Okay. I entertain a motion.

So I motion, including the language that was provided by staff. I'll second that.

Commissioner Copeland?

Yes.

Vice Chair Cueva?

Yes.

Chairman Smith?

Yes. All right. Item C3 is a public hearing for Plan 2026-0135 and Plan 2026-0136 to regulate digital billboard outdoor advertising amending Title 17 zoning of the Beaumont Municipal Code and amending the Beaumont official zoning map. This item is a public hearing. We did have a request that was given to staff to consider continuation of this item. You know to a future date You know as it's to our prerogative if we want to move it to a specific date in the future or You know that the next meeting is scheduled for September the 9th And staff has indicated that the matters that were brought up you just want to verify Before bringing the matter forward would be addressed by that date and time as it is a public hearing we would need to Go to a date certain so it would not need to be We notice at this time So we have that I think before you know is there anybody on? Online or here there was present to speak on the matter tonight because I would like to hear from them And if there is we'll go ahead and do a staff report, but if there's no Nobody who's wishing to speak on the item will just continue the entire I would recommend we continue the entire matter to the future meeting

I do have an emailed comment that was submitted on the item. I did respond stating that there was a recommendation from staff to continue. And I stated that I wasn't sure if the public hearing would be open this evening, that we would forward the public comment to the future meeting. But in any case, I would email it to the commission. So it's up to you if you would like to hear the letter now or if you would like to hear it at the future meeting, and we will note it.

Do we have any requests to speak?

I have no in-person. Andrea, do we have anyone on the line? No callers.

So my recommendation would be we just move the entire matter to a future meeting. But, you know, I'd take discussion amongst the commission and staff if they feel that's appropriate action.

Yes, we're recommending it be continued to September 9th. I think the next meeting available would be August 26th, but a little more time would be necessary. So September 9th is our preferred date. And we'll have updates for you at that time.

So we don't have to open the public hearing and just continue it, or we can just move the whole thing? You can just move the whole thing. Okay. Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. So with that, I'll go ahead and make the motion to continue the item to the September 9th Planning Commission meeting. Second.

Commissioner Copeland?

Yes.

Vice Chair Cueva?

Yes.

Chairman Smith?

Yes. All right. With that, do we have any staff comments tonight? I have none. We have none. Okay. Any commissioner comments?

No.

No.

All right.

We'll keep this one short and sweet tonight. So we will adjourn to the next regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting on September the 9th, 2026 at 6 o'clock p.m. We'll adjourn tonight at 6.10. Thank you.