Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Okay. Are we are we all good? Okay. So, the May 7th, 2025 regular meeting of the Downey uh uh police department planning commission, boy, that sure went off rack early. Will come to order and it's now 6:33 p.m. Uh please rise and um would you lead us in the five salute, please? I'll be my everyone please face our beautiful flag. Put your hand your right hand over your heart. Ready? Begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Uh we can be seated, but if you guys don't mind if I do a a quick invocation on there. Um, good and gracious God, as always, we want to thank you for the blessings you give us each and every day of our life, our gift of our faith, family, and of our friends. And tonight, as the planning commission and as a city staff and and our residents, uh, please give us the guidance to do what's right by them. Uh, for the wisdom and the fortitude to uh, follow our laws and and be fair and justice in our decisions. and um for our police and fires. Uh please guide them and protect them as they serve us. In your name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Okay, great. Um may I please have our planning secretary Ria please call the role. Commissioner Luhan, present. Commissioner Sakali, present. Commissioner Legospi, present. Vice Chair Uba, present. And chair Gara here. Um, so this is the time set aside for oral communications from the planning commission. Does any commissioner want to make an announcement, report on a conference meeting or request items for a future item, agenda item? Anybody?

Nothing for me. None for me. Okay, great. Uh, presentations. I believe there's no presentations right now. So, does the community development director have a report on a city council action or any other general updates? Uh, as it relates to the city council, uh, just as a a gentle reminder, I think I might have mentioned it last meeting that we have a vacant lot property ordinance that's being considered by the city council at the next meeting. And this relates to ensuring that we have a a structured framework for um enforcing uh property maintenance standards on vacant lots and vacant buildings. So u more details to come. That was a discussion item at the city council and that's going to be heard by the uh city council at more than likely at the next meeting. And then the other item I wanted to share is that the uh buffer zone discussion and recommendation by the planning commission is also um tenatively scheduled to be on the city council's agenda for next week as well. And um staff has been um working on ensuring that the commission's recommendation is and comments are well represented in the staff report. So, more details to come on the following planning commission meeting, but I'm sure most of you will stay tuned to the city council meeting on on those items. Thank you. Okay, great. Thank you. Um, you know, I just mentioned we were just talking before, but would you mention it to our city manager andor our city council, we were talking about the city seal. U, it's missing this one here. It's only about three or four years old. It's missing the cross on the church. Our official city seal is right there underneath the carrying and it's got the the city seal that's on our police officer's patch and it was it has a cross. So I I think it was probably inadvertently when they did that but a couple our fire trucks are also missing it the seal. So anyway, I don't know how we mentioned it to them but our city seal is kind of important here where we're sitting behind it. So uh thank

thank you for letting me know that Chair Garrett and I will make sure that I pass that message along. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. So, okay, public hearings. Now is the time set aside for the public hearing for PLN2400129, the plan sign program. Does the planning commission uh secretary Ria have proof of publication? Yes, I do. Okay. Will the community development director introduce staff uh making the presentation? Yes. Uh to this evening, we'll have Marissa Montero, our assistant planner, presenting this item. Good evening, Chair Gara, planning commissioners, and members of the audience. My name is Marissa Monttero, and I'll be presenting uh [Music] PLN-24-00129, the plan sign program for 7375 to 7399 Stewart and Grey Road. [Music] The item before you is a request for a planned sign program to establish the size, location, number, and appearance of signs within an existing multi-tenant commercial building. The DMC requires that a planned sign program be heard and considered by the planning commission. The slide shows an aerial image of the subject site which again is located at 7375 to 7399 Stewart and Grey Road on the northwest corner of Stewart and Grey Road and Old River School Road. The lot is approximately 1 acre and is developed with a multi-tenant commercial building with 11 tenant spaces. In 2024, the facade of the existing multi-tenant commercial building was remodeled and the improvement resulted in the need to replace all of the existing signs which prompted this

application for a PSP. And again, PSP is plan sign program. This slide shows the site's current conditions with the facade improvement which includes new paint and awnings. I'll pause here for a moment. The subject property is zone neighborhood commercial shown on the map as C1 and has a general plan land use designation as neighborhood commercial. The surrounding land use designations include medium density residential to the north, neighborhood commercial to the east and south, and lowdensity residential to the west. A planned sign program is required for a site having three or more non-residential tenants. The subject property has 11 tenants. Therefore, the property is required to establish a PSP. The proposal includes design criteria for 12 tenant wall signs, one wall sign um each for 10 tenants and two wall signs for one tenant. The PSP requires the following wall sign criteria. So signs shall be internal internally illuminated channel letters with an acrylic face and the lighting has been conditioned to comply with DMC section 9624 lighting and design standards which regulates the illumination of all wall signs. The maximum allowed height uh for each wall sign is 36 in for one or two lines of copy. The pre-approved fonts and colors are aerial and black or white. There are exceptions for corporate brand

logos, colors, and fonts subject to the landlord's approval. Um, and specific limitations, locations, and maintenance requirements for each wall sign are provided within the PSP. So, this slide shows the proposed locations for tenants 1 2 3 7 8 9 and 10. The applicant proposes one wall sign above each tenant's main entrance and each tenant will have a maximum sign area of one square foot per lineal foot of building frontage. Tenants four, five, and six are situated in the corner of the building and are accessed through a small courtyard. Above that courtyard is a shared building facade where the applicant will proposes three wall signs, one for each tenant. The building frontage for tenants four, five, and six has a combined width of 20 ft. The combined proposed sign area for these tenants is 44 square ft, which exceeds the permitted maximum sign area of 30 square ft. Uh, I'd like to note that a PSP can deviate from the sign standards in the DMC provided that the total sign area for all signage does not exceed the maximum combined total sign area. For tenant 11, the applicant proposes two wall signs, one over the tenants's main entrance and one facing Old River Skull Road. The primary wall sign over the tenants's main entrance will have a maximum sign area of one square foot per lineal foot of building frontage. Uh the secondary wall sign facing Old River School Road is proposed to be 55 square ft which exceeds the maximum permissible sign area of 39.75 ft. And again I just would like to note

that a PSP is allowed to deviate from the sign standards in the DMC. Um again provided that the total sign area for all signage does not exceed the maximum combined total sign area. So as previously mentioned the applicant is requesting two deviations from the sign standards in the DMC but DM uh but deviations are permitted within a PSP again as long as the total sign area for all signage on the site does not exceed the maximum. The total allowable sign area for all signs is a maximum of 351.75 square ft and the proposed total sign area is 287 square ft. Uh I'd like to acknowledge a slight discrepancy between the staff report and this presentation. There were a few typological errors in the table in the report. However, with staff's research and field verification, the numbers have been corrected on this slide. Uh the errors in the report have no impact on staff's analysis. The proposed plan side pro program remains compliant. Therefore, because the proposed sign area does not exceed the allowed maximum sign area, this PSP complies with DMC section 9610.04, the regulations for a plan sign program. Environmental analysis. The plan side program is categorically exempt from further review under SQA guideline section 15311. This section consists of the construction or placement of minor structures accessory to existing commercial, industrial or institutional facilities including but not limited to on-remise signs. Um, on April 24, 2025, the notice of the pending public hearing before the planning commission was published in the

Downey Patriot and mailed to all tenants and property owners within 500 ft of the subject site. Staff has received no correspondence in uh in response to the public hearing notice. Therefore, staff recommends that the planning commission adopt resolution number 24 25. I'm sorry, I'll restate it. Therefore, staff recommends that the planning commission adopt resolution number 25-450 approving a planned sign program to establish the size, location, number, and appearance of signs for a multi-tenant commercial building located at 7375 to 7399 Stewart and Grey Road. This concludes staff's presentation. I'm available for any questions. Thank you. Thank you so much. Does the planning commissioner have any questions of staff at this time? I have I have I think one or two. I have them in my notes here if that's okay. Sure. Um everything seems straightforward and fine. It's just a little thing I noticed in reading our package. On page three of our package, it uh the second paragraph refers to um the the PSP requires that within 15 days of a tenants's lease expiring or termination that the tenant wall sign will be removed and the sign area will be returned to the original condition. Um, I don't see that language and maybe it's not required or maybe I missed it and that's totally fine, but I don't see that language in either the um the conditions of approval or in the resolution. I see that a portion of that paragraph under exhibit A conditions of approval number five where it talks about the maintaining maintaining the assign and its provision and electrical provisions. So, I don't know maybe it's not required. Maybe it is in there and I just missed it. I don't know. I'm just bringing it up because I noticed that. Yes, thank you for that question by

um Commissioner Uva. Okay, no problem. Um the in the plan sign program that was provided to us by the applicant um on the agenda page 17. Okay. Under D general conditions uh number four um that is something that the applicant has provided to us. that is not um something in the code or in the resolution. Okay, perfect. Thank you. And then my second question is just something I just want to know cuz I don't know what this is. On our package page 12, um the $75 check made payable to the county recorders office. Um and that city will use this to file a notice of exemption. What is the notice? What are they exempt from? For the uh SQUA uh determination. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Got it. Just clarification because I didn't know. That's all. Thank you. Mhm. You know, to piggyback on that, I had a couple I'll let the commissioners ask. I'm curious though, is that a reasonable time that 15 days to get it removed? So, tenant just moves out. So, is that what we normally do on all our other PSP plans or is that I'm just saying my tenant just moved out today. I now have two weeks. my sign guy can't get out here and now I'm in violation. What happens? Yes, that's a great question. I uh I have to double check, but in our code it I believe it says 30 days. Um that's our standard. Um but again, I think the language that's included in the PSP, the responsible party for removing the sign is the tenant. So, if they know that they're leaving, um, they should be the ones removing the sign, which they're never going to do, right? Cuz they're leaving. And again, this was provided by the applicant, so and the landlord. So, I think uh that's something that they can

work out with their tenants, but they can also uh answer that question when they come up. Okay. Let's make sure to ask them. I just wondered if I mean the 30-day sounds normal. It's just Yeah. And so, I'm sorry. Anybody else had any other questions? No. No, very straightforward. Um I I do then I'll come back to it. So what is what are they under today? Before this PSP plan, what what program? They they had a new tenant 6 months ago. They put up a sign. So what's the regulations that they're under today before this? And and I don't have a problem with it. I'm just kind of curious looking at other businesses in Downey and so forth. Right. Yes. If if a uh multi-tenant commercial building or uh center does not have a planned sign program, then they comply with the overall sign regulations. Um it's typically when we uh when something like this occurs, when there's a major facade improvement that results in the removal of all the signs. So, we then have them apply for a plan sign program. Okay. All right. And then like because I because I've seen it, we approved one on Lakewood Boulevard, too. And so for and it's great. They all, you know, it's looking better. The city looks better for that. So, and and you said they can change the fonts. This particular one, the the applicant chose, you know, the Ario font on there. They can change to whatever they wanted to as long as it's the applicant's it's the landlord's discretion. Yes. So, the standard fonts should be aerial. The color should be black and white. Um, we do have an allowance in the plan program for landlord approval if there is a a nationally trademark brand or company. Um, so I think it's safe to assume that all of the signs are going to be aerial, black or white, but again that catch all of uh the landlord

approval is there. Is that the same requirement we have for all the other ones in the city or is that just specific to this one? Um, when you say all other plan sign programs or Yeah. I mean, I guess I don't remember what the signs look like on the one in Lakewood. I was just had lunch there yesterday. But, um, anyways, yeah. Is that or is just this one is And I guess my question is this. The owner of the property, he chose this and wanted to do this and it's great there. So, but could he have chosen something else? Yeah. Yes, of course. Yeah, he could have. He definitely could have provided more fonts. I think we see that sometimes in other plan sign programs. Sure. Um and then it is typical to have landlord approval just on any sign permit application that we receive whether it's part of a plan sign program or not. Okay. And is this set precedence on other ones? So another shopping center on you know Firestone Boulevard. Do they do they have to kind of follow this? I mean they're going to work with the city but another little shopping center like this. Does this set precedence that they have to use the same thing another new one or fonts and everything else on there or is just each one is separate? Each one is individual. Each one is individual and analyzed separately. Okay. Thank you. I'm sorry. I've got I've got one. Yeah, if I may just as a followup to Chair Gara, um I just also want to point out that uh condition of approval number 16 allows for a minor modifications to the appliance sign program. So in the future if the landlord finds that there's the fonts is very limiting um you know I can see where your comments are what if they want other fonts or what if it makes sense in 10 years to do something else uh that could be submitted to the city as a minor modification to the signed program and that would be reviewed and processed administratively under director review. So I think that provides a flexibility for for that change in the future should it be needed.

We've we've come a long ways. That in that in the strip center that was where the corner went over there where the donuts were. That's where my VHS uh rental place used to be 40 years ago, 35 years ago, whatever. I'm dating myself. Go ahead, sir. I'm sorry. Thank you, Chair. Uh Miss Montero, quick question. Um, so I've never seen a tenant relocate and or leave a um commercial space and take their sign with them. I've never seen it. Um, if they're if they only have 15 days to do it and they don't comply, what is the recourse? Um, as a city, who's who's going to who can we hold responsible for that to happen if months go by, it's cracked? um it looks, you know, old and dated and and it just sits there. Um do we have any recourse against the property owner now with with this uh proposed uh PSP and or what about pre the previous um arrangement? Has has anyone ever been held responsible for maintaining it if it prolongs months and months without being maintained? Yes, that's a good question. Um so in our code I I believe they have 30 days to remove the sign and I think if that is not removed then that's something that code enforcement can um you know go look at and analyze and potentially issue a a citation to the property owner if there is no tenant in that space anymore. Got it. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. Okay. No further questions on there. Um, so before I open the public hearing, call the applicant or the representative. This would be a good time for the planning commissioners disclose any prehering uh visit sites or prehering discussion that the

commissioners may have had about this project this week. Um, I'll start with my left. I I have none, sir. Okay. I have none. Okay. Nothing. I have none either. No, I just I I went to the property and looked at it the other day and just walked around. So, didn't speak to anybody. Okay. So the public hearing will now be open. Will the applicant or the representative please come forward and give any testimony that you may want to Hello. Good evening. Alexis Coleman. I'm the applicant for this project. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you. Um I wanted to touch base on Mr. Legsy's question. Um so typically like you see sometime most of the time tenants do leave their signs behind. Um obviously that what's in the sign program is set there to kind of just have something in writing and hopefully you know it's followed. Um this will obviously be given to a tenant when they first move in. So they'll have it from the beginning of you know their you know their contract with the property owner. Um, but typically what happens in my expertise is the new people who go end up taking it down and that could be an extra cost for the new person or you know sometimes they get lucky and we just remove it you know just as a courtesy and we put up the new sign. Um that's probably 80% of the time that happens. Um I don't really see it ever going to great lengths where we have to do code enforcement and stuff like that. um we typically would take care of it for the new tenant and just you know patch up the walls and and all that you know we we hope that you have 100% occupancy in the shopping center that's you know that's that's everyone's goal um there are a lot more for lease signs in commercial retail space nowadays for

many reasons we all know um the concern is if it just sits there right and and someone um throws something at it and it's cracked and it's it there's kids or people passing by uh from one retail location to the other. Um do we have uh you know a mechanism just to hold someone responsible if it's made out of material that might hurt someone as months go by and it sits there vacant, right? Um, well, I mean, just speaking on the property owner's behalf, I'm sure he would take care of it cuz he was really nice enough to um, you know, do this whole sign program for his tenants and help them out and update everything. Um, so I mean, I he's here today, so I'm sure he's hearing this and I'm sure he'll take care of it no problem at all, especially if it, you know, it's a safety issue. Thank you. Okay. Is there um any further anything else you'd like to add to it? Uh no, that's all. Okay. Hopefully it gets approved. Okay. Well, thank you and thank you for thank you for being good community people with uh I know you guys rent your space there too, the little leafy for the fireworks every for the last 40 years too. So Oh yes, definitely. That's always a that's always a nice thing for the community. So thank you very much. Perfect. Anytime. Thank you. Okay. Um, so is there um can staff confir first first of all, do we want to close the public hearing now or does anybody else want to speak on behalf uh in favor or opposition to this? Okay. All right. See no one on there, I will now close the public hearing. Okay. And may staff confirm. Are there um been any correspondence in favor opposition to this? No correspondence. Okay, great. So, um, we already talked about the, uh, uh, we closed the public hearing. Uh, so now

it's a time for the public pl the planning commission. I'm sorry, I'm having problems tonight. The planning commission uh, to deliberate or uh, any thoughts on this? I'll start with Vice Chair Uba. Um, I think this is a great project. I commend the owner for taking this on and improving his property and making the facade of his building look um, a million times better. So, thank you for doing that. Um, I have no other comments. Okay. No comments for me. Commissioner Hector. Uh, not for me either. Okay. No, I'm good. Okay. Good. Good. So, uh, may I have a motion? And for, but the same thing. I I appreciate it. I drive by that that spot every day. I only live a couple blocks away. I I'd live more than What's the rules? A thousand thousand feet. So, you guys already looked at it. I'm far enough away. Yeah. about a mile and a half. What? 500. Okay. Well, I'm about a mile. Okay. But it's close enough that I can, you know, go by it every day, but not on there. So, um I'll entertain a motion now to approve this. And I, by the way, I also want to say thank you for um for taking care of the property. It makes a big difference. Um I can move that we approve PLN24-00129 29, the planned sign program. And I'll second it. Okay. Um, one last thing before before we vote. Uh, I'd like to ask staff, whatever happened with the antenna, the the cellular antenna that we were talking about that we didn't like the ugliness cuz this is beautiful. I had a very uh same question of staff. Um, they've updated me that the applicant has essentially abandoned that project. um they have not come in to pursue uh the changes that the feedback to address the feedback that they received at the planning commission meeting which was to um make the uh screening for their proposed antennas um a little bit more uniform. So um if they wanted to pursue

that project in the future, they would have to uh resubmit essentially a new package. So for now we we've um tried to touch base with them, but they haven't pursued that. So we're just waiting for them if they wanted to pursue it, they can reach out to us. Thank you. We think this is a great project. That antenna was really really ugly facing that side. So that's why we we wanted you to go back to the drawing board. But thank you. Okay. At this time, let us vote. Motion passes with a vote of 5. Great. Great. So, the action of the planning commission will now be final unless it is appealed to the city council with the uh appropriate fees within the next 15-day period as set forth in the Downey Municipal Code. Okay, great. Uh non-aggenda public comment. I can only see back there. I don't see any numbers taken. Uh so I don't believe is anybody would like to speak on non-aggenda public comments. Okay, I see nobody jumping up on there. Uh, can I get a motion to approve the consent calendar minutes uh from uh August 21st, 2024? Anybody want to make a motion? So moved. Okay. Is there a second? I'll second it. Okay. All right. All those in favor vote yes. We we establish you can vote on it, right? Because you read it. Okay. All right. So, okay. Motion passes with the vote of 5-0. Okay. Great. Being no other business, does the community development director have any additional comments for us? I I do. I have some uh happy and sad news to share. Uh happy in that um happy to share that Alonso Hernandez uh is um moving on up uh in his career. He has accepted a position at another jurisdiction. I don't want to steal his thunder. Um sad news is today's his last

meeting with us at planning commission. So, I wanted to congratulate Alfonso on being an amazing team member at the city of Downey before I came here and the time that I've worked with him has been a great experience for me. I've learned a lot from him. He has a great passion for what he does in urban planning and public administration. He's an amazing mentor to a lot of staff members. He's very patient, very professional, and accurate. And I've u congratulations to you, Alfonso. and I wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors. Great. You want to tell us where you're going or is this a big secret? We're not going to call your employer and say bad things. We like you. But we will follow you. Got it. No, I'm I'm not moving too far away on Bell Gardens. Oh, great. Yeah. Good. Yeah. And if I could, thank you very much, Irma, for for the kind words and on it's been a pleasure to work with you and past commissioners as well. if I could share the the experiences I've had in this room and the work that happens behind the scenes has helped me develop into the professional I am today and the professional I hope to be and um the city's working on some great things. So I'd like to say good luck to you in your future meetings and deliberations. Um for me the the sad part about leaving is I won't have a part in that in the future. So but good luck to you and thank you very much. Well, I've always enjoyed dealing with you. I've asked you tough questions and you're always very professional and uh and you take your time, especially with folks like me. So, I appreciate you very much. So, God bless you. I wish you the best. I'm sorry to to see you go. So, okay. Anything else, ma'am? Nothing else. Thank you, Mr. City Attorney. Anything you want to not further from me, but thank you. Okay, great. All right. Having done that, I will now adjourn the planning commission. Look at that. 704. Great. Ria, here you