Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

All right, it's six o'clock. Go ahead and call this meeting to order. Uh, can we get a roll call? Commissioner Johnson here. Commissioner Perez here. Vice Chair Jamu here. Chair Condit here.

Um, all right. Can you join me in the pledge of allegiance? All right. Moving on to citizens communication. Uh while adopted while the planning commission welcomes and encourages participation in the planning commission meetings, adopted rules allow no more than five minutes for expression of non-aggenda items. Matters under the jurisdiction of the planning commission and not on the posted agenda may be addressed by the general public. However, California law prohibits the planning commission from taking action on any matter which is not on the posted agenda unless it is determined to be an emergency uh by the planning commission. Citizens are entitled to address the planning commission on any agenda item subject to the five-minute provision. Is there anybody uh tonight that would like to make public comment? Anybody on Zoom, emails, anything?

There are no hands raised and there were no emails received. Okay, go ahead and close citizens communication. Moving on to the consent calendar. All matters listed on the consent calendar considered routine in nature and will be enacted by a single motion unless otherwise requested by an individual commissioner or the public for special con consideration. Otherwise, the recommendation of staff will be to accept accepted and acted upon by roll call vote. Uh anybody from the commission that would like to pull an item? No. Any anybody from the public? Seeing none, bring it back for a motion on consent calendar.

Uh, chair condict FME. Um, can you uh ask if there's any conflict of interest that anyone needs to declare? Sorry about that. Any conflict of interest on the agenda? See none. Okay. For consent calendar, looking for a motion. Motion to approve the consent calendar. Second. We got a first and a second. We got a roll call. Commissioner Johnson. I. Commissioner Perez. I chair M. I vice chair Jamu. I chair condict. Hi. Motion carries 40.

All right, moving on to public hearings. We'll start with item number five. your mic is muted. Tom, there we go. Good evening. Can you guys hear me? All right. We still can't hear you.

Still nothing. We can't hear you. Can you hear us? Give us a thumbs up if you can. Yeah, I I can hear you. Yeah. Let's see. Just one moment here.

Try now. Unmute your mic. How's that? Still can't hear you. Nothing. Uh, let's see. I'm going to just log in. I'm going to remove you as a panelist and add you back and see if that makes a difference.

I'll I'll just uh log out and log back in here. Is that any better? Can't hear you.

Nothing. Oh no. Let's see. You're you'll have to give me a second to troubleshoot this. I'm not sure what's going on. Let's see. Uh if you want to maybe go to a break for a few moments. Yeah, we'll go and take a five 10 minute recess.

Thank you. Okay. Hello. Can you hear me now? Tom, go ahead and try talking again, please.

Can you hear me now? Hello. We're still not able to hear you. We're told that they can hear you on Zoom, but we can't hear you in the council chambers.

Okay. Um, so I think my audio should be going through, but it looks like you guys uh it's on the it's with the speakers. Hello. Oh, hey. Sorry about this. I'm not sure what's going on. Okay.

Oh, can you hear me now? Anything? No. Oh, no. I guess it it. So, it seems like my audio is getting picked up. It just there's a disconnection on your end.

Can you hear me? No. No. Okay, this is going to

test. Test.

That's better. Can you hear me? Can you guys hear me on Zoom now? Okay. Okay. Thank you.

Good evening. Oh, um, sorry for the delay here. I wanted to be in person and This is what happens when it's not. Okay, that's not going to work. We're going to try powering the system and see if we can't get the Zoom and the audio to work correctly. Okay, sounds good.

You guys, you guys came around. We are all good. We'll get your presentation up in just a moment and we can go ahead and start the presentation. Thank you so much. All right. All right.

You guys You guys get quite quite a bit of interference.

I'm not sure why. Let us look at a few things. It it's it's just let me know. Go ahead and try again, Tom.

Oh, it's all right. It's all right.

I can I can work. Um so after this we're going to get with um the agenda it's a recommendation to the city council zoning zoning text amendment and because this is a zoning zoning ordinance must go through um so once once we have that presentation pulled up started So this this is going to be a component of the comprehensive update the city going to cannabis regulation. Um next next slide please. So,

so the city middle of updating it cannabis business regulations after numerous public decisions in the city council um ask staff if they can take the following three steps. The first the first is going to be business tax rate. The second the second is going to be updating 5.2 which is the current business pilot program to structure and and the third one is going to be adding chapter 8.43 43 cannabis permit and third focusing on the other two haven't been drafted but haven't gone to the city yet are not in front of me tonight but some of some of those components are going to be to theitional use permits so next please

so so with this change um the following three entitlements are what the city proposed to use to regulate businesses. The city license is going to be a tie into taxes agreements are current requirement are still going to be used but but then currently municipal code is not required conditionally used permits or use permits for cannabis businesses and and almost to within the city. So this is going to give the municipal code um

the ability to address those things when it comes to zoning.

Please use the city main operation development agreement supplements. This is where the goal of this cannabis cannabis is going to be housed as you can see in the um the zoning zoning ordinances. So you so you'll see all of those sort of certifications on businesses and and so these permits can be broken buckets individually application conditions of approval enforcement zones that impacted.

Next next slide please. And so applications are going to be a bit of a hybrid between the conditional current condition procedure and um sort of the current development agreement applications. So they're they're going to take the traditional use procedure which you guys know well the public hearing county commission by the planable to the county council but it's going to use information that is develop the major is going to be back environment so currently requirement um in the current drafted business. The Indian demonstration agreements are are going to allow applicant to payments. The only difference with the development agreement in this application the addition of the applicants a little more flexible whatever they deem next next slide please. So, so really what main thing that these permits are doing are conditioning and the use of as business and and so one of the big drivers for this is enforcement and uh enforcement option straightforward and and successful when and these these conditions might obvious but the city

really that I can say you're you're violating this grounds for action and so they take effective um one reason why you'll see in the conditions a lot of it is sort of stems from state law requirements some of it is identical to state law requirements and that's because city needs to have that in code enforce law without determination state. So the way the way they're code determination and then rapidly having like the department of issue some sort of notice or something like that. So, so these are the straight general ones obtain all state licenses and city entitlements including that development agreement you're going to have to comply with regational requirements every be required to next next slide please and and so a little bit more nuance is conditioning specific these businesses. So these so these businesses are unique in that they have they have there's there's there's quite quite a few different types of them and and each one of them has um need way city needs to address it. So, so the the scheme that we're using is partly derived from law and um so the state law requires that business

have what they call security plan and they use those security plans which are submitted by the businesses and and they incorporate them into their permits. So those standards that those plans set forth become the requirements permit. We've kind of taken that and just expanded it to these

different different types of different portions of so it won't apply to every business for example manufacturing this style of business you're operating but this gives the city some flexibility in allowing come up come up with um require requirements that are reasonable meet And so what happen plan and the staff staff will make sure it's planning the condition change the standards in there um remove things add and then that is turns turns into the traditional approval. So you can you can kind of see that and because these businesses are so unique and the regulations changing the best way to broad conditions to inundate with you know lengthy to cover every circumstances. So um next next slide please. Okay. Okay. And moving moving on to enforcement uh uh with you know kind of black and white as you know we know revocation that's that real to identify along with violation conditional

so with that city wanted to set up something that address violation and allow to stay an opportunity. So, so this is this isn't in front of me now, but

in section22 violations permits are going to be violations of chapter and they'll be eligible forations with their own schedule by $5,000. This way the city can issue fines by allowing to stay open for more minor things. And the second enforcement option is going to be the development agreements and that's going to allow the city to temporary temporarily business operations violations permit. It'll give them kind of a enforcement. Next, next slide please. And then and then so these are going to be conditional use the zones that we will be allowed as these are these are zones that were appropriate current businesses in the city are in zone and industrial zone zone industrial button zone in the road specific plan. But but cannabis may be cited permit.

And then then this final slide and these are going to be some things that you may consider changing just different portion of condition. the application if you want you want to see if you want you want to change you want to change so so there's a lot of information in the this ordinance chapter so everything is new so I didn't have any specific questions I'm to answer them for you and so that's general over the cannabis com.

All right. Thank you, Tom. Um, public hearing is now open. Is there anyone in the chambers that would like to make public comment? Uh, Dave Pratt of Series. Um, are you are you looking at getting more dispensaries here in series or are you just changing the rules on the dispensaries you already have here?

Kind the um city council has thinking about putting a cap on the number. They haven't yet but it didn't quite you understand that Mr. Brad, did you hear that? You know that the way neither one of us understood anything he said through the pain by reading through this stuff uh the dispensaries that you have here that I thought we were limited how many was going to be here but you're changing the rules it looks like um that you may be trying to get some more dispensaries here in series.

So, we're changing the rules on the dispensaries we already have here. the currenties each have those ones.

I'm sorry. Sorry for Yeah. Basically, I think you should have had in house on this instead because you're getting not too good a reception. It sounds like you're yelling and and it's coming in that really only go by the words on on the screen because what you're saying nobody understands. My my apologies. Yeah. Okay. So maybe we're looking at more dispensaries. Based on the answer from the attorney, the city council is considering capping the number of dispensaries.

Mr. Warren, John Warren, City of Series. Good evening, commissioners um and staff. I couldn't understand a word that gentleman said. You could catch one or two here or there. Um, I did kind of go through the staff report, which is kind of what he was referring to, I do believe. I I don't think this is going to qualify for a public hearing. Um, I don't know if anybody goes on YouTube can understand this any better than we can here. So, I just think what happened here was just a waste of your time and my time and the rest of the citizens that aren't here's time that might be interested in this. I understand that they want to change the ordinance from the pilot program and establish guidelines going into the future, but doing it in in in this fashion uh I don't think is acceptable and meets the requirements of having a public hearing where the public can understand what that gentleman said and ask an intelligent question because Mr. Pratt asked him what the plan was and I couldn't understand his answer and neither did Mr. Pratt and I don't know if you folks up there did so I don't know how you could vote on this tonight. I don't think you can. I think this needs to be done in a manner where the general public can understand what's being presented. Thank you very much.

Thank you Mr. Warren. Anybody on Zoom or any public other public comment? City clerk, there were no emails received and we don't have any hands raised on Zoom. Okay, go ahead and close um the public hearing and bring it back to the commission for comments, questions, action. Yeah, I I agree that I think we should push it out to where we could understand what was being said on the call. I would concur with that.

Yeah, I I agree as well. Um Tom, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Um I think it would be beneficial if we had the Zoom figured out for the next meeting or you're in person. I think this is a very important topic um that may require some additional questions. Um and I would kind of echo what Mr. Warren said. Parts of your presentation you could hear, parts of you uh parts of it we couldn't. Um, so I I apologize for the inconvenience, but I would agree with uh my fellow commissioners. Dory, I don't know if you have anything. Yeah, that sounds reasonable. Um, what is our next step? Do we um push it to the next?

Is there any sort of um time frame that this needs to be approved by the first of the year? I mean, where are we looking on that? Is there any sort of guidelines that we have to hit? No. No timing requirements. Okay, then. Yeah, I would motion to um hear this item at our next planning commission meeting. If I may ask clarification, Tom, do we need to would this be a continuation of the public hearing or do we need to renotice it as a new public hearing? Let's continue it. So So we don't have to It's a 20-day Okay.

Yeah, I'm I'm fine with motioning to continue the item at our next meeting. Okay. So, we'll motion to continue it to the next planning commission meeting, which is scheduled for when, Julian?

January 5th is what the agenda says. So on January 5th, I don't know if we'll have a quorum. So we could push it to the first February uh planning commission meeting because the second one is a holiday and then also in February, I believe there's another holiday. So we can push for the first one in February. So, we would push it to February 2nd, 2026 or continue the public hearing to February 2nd, 2026. Correct. Sounds good. Can we get a motion or I I motion you get a second?

I'll second it. Okay. Roll call it. Commissioner John Jamu. Hi, Commissioner Johnson. Hi, Commissioner Perez. I chairperson condict. Hi. Motion carries 40.

All righty. We will move on to item six. I'm not sure who has the presentation on this one. Good evening, chair and commission. Um this evening uh we request is for a site approval for the East Whitmore Avenue um duplex and ADU project. The proposal includes a duplex with an attached ADU on a 5,449 square foot parcel located at 2436 East Whitmore Avenue within the series downtown specific plan boundary. Next slide. Uh this project site is currently vacant and surrounded by existing residential development. The application proposes a twostory dwelling unit units and an attached ADU for a total of three residential units within one structure. Next slide. I'm okay with it.

Do you guys just want to come sit closer so you can hear the microphone? You still can't hear up here. Well, I I think we can make a motion because I think that's the only way we're going to be able to proceed. Why don't you gentlemen just grab a chair? Okay. But are the speakers working on that one? Sometimes. John, come take my seat. You guys can come closer or we will make a motion. Well, we we hear you. Okay. It was just the the online guy.

Yeah, we're I don't think we're doing any more Zoom comments, so All right. Project details. We'll start here. So, uh, the project site is currently vacant and surrounded by existing residential development with application. The application proposes a twostory dwelling unit with an attached ADU for a total of three residential units within one structure. Next slide. Uh the site is on the southwest corner of East Whitmore Avenue and Sixth Street in the downtown specific plan. The surrounding neighborhood is predominantly residential. Next slide. Uh the downtown residential designation allows attached single family and multifamily housing types. Based on density standards, the duplex components fit squarely within the allotted residential density range and the ADU is not counted toward density per state ADU law. Slide. The Eastern District supports both attached single family units and multif family units. A duplex is permitted. Uh principal use and ADUs are permitted by right. Site plan approval is a discretionary action required for this application. Slide. Uh the project features a single building footprint that contains both primary units and the attached ADU.

Parking spaces are accessed from Sixth Street and all circulation allows for forward vehicle movement onto the roadway. Next slide. These renderings shows the completed structure as viewed from all four sides. Uh the design features clean, modern residential architecture with a two-story massing that stays compatible with the scale of the surrounding neighborhood. The primary the primary building materials consist of natural siding with contrasting trim which helps keep what helps breaks up the building form and provide visual interest. This is a component info residential project that supports increased housing opportunities in the downtown area and aligns with the walkable character envision in the specific plan. Next slide. The project provides market rate infill housing that expands residential options in downtown while reinforcing the small town urban from the city aims to strengthen. The project meets or exceeds all development standards in the downtown specific plan including setbacks, building height and parking. Staff recommends approval. Oh, next slide. Sorry. staff recommends approval of uh the specific plan 2527. And that concludes my presentation this evening. Thank you, Julian. Uh go ahead and open the public hearing. Uh anybody in the chambers that would like to comment on this item. Good evening, John Warren, city of Series. I had a chance to kind of look at this from the staff notes, but on the

blueprint or whatever diagram was kind of hard to tell if there's going to be any garages where you can park a car inside a garage like you do at a normal residence. I didn't see that. And I saw basically parking for five vehicles when you probably need a minimum of at least six. Two for each habitable space I would think would be normal on a normal residential home. You have two in the garage and two in the driveway for a minimum of four is what is required. I don't know if a duplex is different, but I would think that uh uh each unit there would have at least two parking spots. And I don't know any if any of these are indoor parking or under a cover or any carport or anything like that. I didn't hear anything and I couldn't really see anything on the diagram earlier. Thank you. Thank you. Anybody else for public comment?

There are no hands raised and there were no emails received. Okay, we'll go ahead and close uh the public comment period. Bring it back to the commission. Julian, can you kind of just touch on Mr. Warren's question as far as the parking spots go?

Yes, there is two carports that are covered underneath as you can see. I'm trying to see which slide it was. You could go to the architecture renderings. I think it's slide seven right there. Back back one. So there's uh to the top left there. Those are it's a going to be a covered parking area for two vehicles. And the parking I believe calls for 1.5 for each unit and one for the ADU. So they have five. So they have um enough parking for that site.

There's there's three additional there's three additional parkings on the uncovered. Yeah, there's three uncovered parking and then two underneath the Yeah. the roof.

So is that considered a carport? It doesn't have to be because the they just have to have one car that's uh covered. So, one like garage type for one vehicle. So, that's those two car two cars that are underneath the carport for the units themselves. And then the ADU does not have to have a covered parking. It just has to have a parking. And then the two additional parkings that are there to the bottom right hand corner would be the two additional parkings for the units. So each unit will have one covered, one uncovered, and then the ADU will have just that one uncovered parking. Any questions from commissioners? and this current design doesn't um interfere with our municipal code as far as carports and that sort of design. Can you kind of state why? Cuz I'm kind of curious.

So the carport itself is I believe on top is going to be the ADU unit. So it's all one building. It's not actually a carport separate. So it's it's all Yeah, it's a it's a unit in itself. So, it's not a separate carport as it's not a detached one. Okay, that makes sense. Okay. Any other questions from commission? And I would say, and I would apologize. It's not a car port. It's just a covered parking. Okay. So, yeah, I think the carport that kind of Yes, it gets confusing. This would be covered parking under the ADU that would be on that particular site.

Okay. All right. Well, if there's no other questions of staff, I'll go ahead and look for a motion. A motion to approve. Second. Got a first and a second. Can we get a roll call? Commissioner Johnson. I. Commissioner Perez. I. Vice Chair Jamu. I. Chair Condict. I. Motion carries 40.

All right. Moving on to unfinished business. None. New business. None. Matters initiated by the planning commission staff. None. Reports. Um I would just like to This is Commissioner Johnson's last planning commission meeting. Um he's been on the commission since 2017. Um got to serve with two cond now. So it's been an honor uh to work alongside you, Dave. I know you love series and uh you've been a great mentor of mine for a number of years. Um and in in this line of work when you're an appointed commissioner, elected official, you have to have the courage to vote no sometimes. And you've done that on numerous occasions. Uh what you feel is best for series and I respect that about you and I will carry that um along with me as I stick here on the planning commission. So thank you for your service. Gary, thank you very much. I've uh had the pleasure of meeting some great people, working with Bob, Gary, Lori, Cooper, you know, a number of different people coming through these doors. Um, interesting me stepping away, but it is what it is. Um, I'm an old guy. I'm set in my ways and it's frustrating sometimes, but I expect good things to happen with this group. Um, I wish everybody the best of luck. The two gentlemen over here that monthly put a smile on my face. Um, I appreciate Dave and John. Thank you guys very much for being here all the time. And I just want to thank everybody so much.

Thank you, Dave. Anybody else? All right, staff. Any reports? Anything? I just want to introduce the new planning tech for the planning department, Miss Stephanie Davis. And so, she's it started this week and she came back. So, we thank you and we welcome her to the planning. Welcome to the team. All righty. We'll go ahead and adjourn to the next uh regularly scheduled planning commission meeting on January 5th, 2026. You all have a happy merry Christmas and a happy New Year's. Thank you.