Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

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big. Okay, hold on. I've got to get my kicks. Just let me know when you're ready. Just take your time. Breathe. Breathe. It's okay. Okay. Okay. Give me one second to start all the press all the buttons and make sure we're going. Come on.

Are you ready to begin, Vice Chair Goss? Yes. Okay. Yes, we're ready. So, if you call the meeting to order. Um, I'd like to call this meeting to order of the planning commission on April 23rd at 6:32 p.m. And first, okay. Um, and if you all stand for the pledge of

allegiance. To the flag of the United States of America to the stands nation for all role. Roll call. Uh, roll call. Yes. Um, let's see. Youth Commissioner Abbisona Belvin is absent. Youth Commissioner Royce Hall is absent. Commissioner Marilyn Abalon, present. Commissioner Eric Alman, present.

Commissioner Dvet Muhammad, present. Chair Charles Plamer is absent. Vice Chair Shelby Goss, present. Okay. Public comment on items not on the agenda. Um, open the floor for public comment. And this would be for any items not on the agenda. Is there anyone in the room that would like to speak? Okay. And hold on, let me just check Zoom. There's no one on Zoom, so there's no public comment. Um, okay. Okay. So, we'll close public comment then.

Vice Chair Goss, if I can take a moment. Yes.

Um, I just, as you all know, I've been on the planning commission for God only knows how long, but uh it's it's well over a decade. I think it's over 15 years at this point. Um, and there's someone missing tonight who unfortunately passed away recently, and that's our beloved friend Fran Limos. And I just want to take a moment um, as the longest standing member of the planning commission to just express my appreciation and love for Fran. uh to extend my condolences and our condolences to her family because she was something else. And um as a community we were blessed to have her in our presence for as long as she was here, which was 96 years um of of a wonderfully lived life. Um, so I just wanted to take a moment and express that acknowledgement. So, thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Alman. Um, I would like to second that. She'll be greatly missed. Um, okay. Um, are there other any agenda changes? Vice Chair Goss, there are no other agenda changes tonight. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Cooper. Um, so then we have the consent calendar. um to adopt the minutes from the February 20 26th meeting. Um since we missed last month, um does someone want to I'd like to approve the minutes of February 26, 2026. I will second that. Okay. Uh can we get a vote?

Yes. Just one moment, please. Okay. Um Commissioner Marilyn Abalon, I. Commissioner Eric Alman, I. Commissioner Devet Muhammad, I. Vice Chair Shelby Goss. I Okay. And then we have a hearing tonight, a public hearing presentation from Mr. Cooper,

Vice Chair Goss, Commission, and our audience tonight. Brett Cooper, community director, and wanted to really celebrate the moment that having an update to the uh update to the density bonus and inclusionary ordinance update. Um, the density bonus ordinance um is based upon state law and as I've mentioned before, you don't need to be an English major to be elected to state legislature. And as a consequence, it's very very hard to understand the legislation they adopt and then condense it into um an ordinance. And and to that regard, I really want to give a lot of thanks to our now city attorney, Matt Summers, um and for his firm and his support and and efforts to help bring tonight um a very credible and condensed and understandable um ordinance for your consideration. Um so why update the ordinances that we have? Um, as we may be aware, the state has uh uh adopted many housing laws of all manner of purposes to help with the state's housing crisis and many of them speak to the issue of density bonus. Uh, which was recently a part of um the Coffford town home project that we that we just um uh reviewed recently for subdivision map and then last May for this design permit. So, um it is a way of being able to increase housing availability on the site and um as a bonus. Who doesn't want a bonus? Um therefore, you know, help to make projects more feasible. Um in addition, we have uh something called an

inclusionary ordinance which requires affordable housing as part of a a development project and it needs to be balanced because inclusionary housing means it's affordable to the people who live there. That means it's less affordable to the people who make who build it because oftentimes it requires a subsidy. And so there are very complicated state laws to juggle this this tension. And uh so we have a minor update to the inclusionary housing ordinance which I'll get to later on. Uh when the city doesn't remain in compliance with state law then that does subject to the city to legal vulnerability for not following state legislation. So it is important to stay up to date with it. Um even though it it can be hard to do, we all try very hard. Um so I mentioned it's my introduction that density bonus really is is something that people are entitled to receive. It's not something that we have discretion to decide if they can or can't have it. Um it's very prescriptive. If you meet certain qualifications, then it's a buy right property right. They get to have it. Uh and so what that means is it's very hard for the planning commission that that hears a lot of residential projects and and others but mainly residential in this case um to deny a project because you might like one feature or another. um the state is really uh making it difficult for cities to have discretion. And so um the more that we stay within the bounds of standards and and objective uh criteria, the safer we are for remaining um uh uh with decisions that don't get appealed successfully. So what's changing from our current ordinance? Um there are is expanded opportunities

for developers to get density bonuses. Um there are also incentives and con and concessions. This has been around for a while, but now it's expanded. There are more opportunities to vary on height and setbacks and and other features that developers can find that constrain how they build on a parcel. Um the state law already has reduced parking requirements for projects that have affordable housing. Uh and this has been continued near transit and um the thresholds here are largely for larger cities. We don't have major transit stops so it might not apply here. Nevertheless, it needs to be in our ordinance to be um one that's that meets state law. Uh the same perhaps is true for mixed use. Uh we unfortunately don't have a lot of mixeduse projects. Uh we wish we did. Um and I think there's you know a lot of agreement on that. The zoning does allow it. Uh but if and but if there is mixed use then they're also entitled to bonuses which perhaps is an enducement to do it. Uh there are a number of administrative provisions definitions and such that's incorporated into the update. Um so some of the changes would be that I mentioned greater density bonus. There are now up to 50% additional units on a site uh from 35% that's a pretty big percentage increase and um the provide the extra density if a project provides more affordability than required then they get a greater uh density bonus for it. It's kind of a sliding scale. Um there are now five incentives that allow a variety of changes to the site. Um and so the zoning and our standards for zoning matter less because many of

those can be varied through an incentive um option for um affordable housing. I mentioned parking before uh and a reduction of that. And we've seen that in projects and and so I think we're we're familiar with it. It's been around a while. The mixeduse projects also has has density bonuses tied to that floor area ratio and uh so we're we're hoping that we get some. Maybe this will help. U in terms of the inclusionary ordinance, not too many changes. Mercifully, there haven't been a lot of changes to state law that we have to keep up with. But we have found in using the inclusionary ordinance having been written a number of years ago that the the the language could be clearer. And this is on us. We could we can clarify some things. Um and so this change is mostly one of of having the ordinance just easy to understand and and that just helps everybody. Um the inclusionary ordinance, although this isn't a change, just for those that might not be familiar with the way it works, u if there is an ownership project, then 10% should be affordable to lower income families. U these all need to be projects that are five units or greater. uh rental projects have 15% and it's a little higher. Although the the 5% it mentions in the ordinance is moderate income which um at least a couple of years ago would be market rate. I'm not sure that's still true but um that was why the council added the extra 5% for moderate rate. The other the other reason too is an inducement to perhaps build more ownership startup housing which is something that we really need. Um for projects where it's infeasible to provide the affordable housing on site there are a number of of options. Among them is the city has adopted what's called a nexus fee. We have an ordinance that would say if you can't afford if if

it's infeasible for your project to provide housing, one of the options is is the square footage of your project um is multiplied at a rate commensurate with the type of home it is single family or town home or stack flats there. There is a different rate for each of those. Uh and so that's that goes into a pool then helps to pay for affordable housing projects elsewhere. Uh one other thing feature uh that may not be too well known is the warehouses and non-commercial or the commercial development. There is a um affordable housing fee, a modest one but affordable housing fee that they pay into as well. And the principle behind that is that is that businesses bring in employees. employees are then in the market hopefully for housing in the neighborhood and it it's expensive. And so this has helped to offset some of that impact so that we can help further more affordable housing that people who work here can afford to live and that's good for the business community and and for the people who live near their jobs. Um, and so when houses are provided on within a project, uh, it's it's good to disperse them throughout the the area that's being built so that there's no stigma that this that's sort of like the poor area. Um, you want to filter them through so people just blend in seamlessly. Um, when they are affordable on site, the the term of affordability is 55 years. And that also coincides with a lot of federal tax credit funding and other other uh forms of grants and things that developers use to help subsidize the cost of affordable housing. Um, and so I mentioned that sometimes it's it's not feasible to provide it on site. And so the ordinance allows for a variety of options. Off-site, land

dedication, rehabilitate, and extend the term of other units. There's a lot of there's a lot of options available. So, as a planning commissioner, you might be wondering, so what do I get to do if everything is prescribed by the state? Um, there there is still um value in having the planning commission review projects. I really like to tout that by doing so and informing the public about what's happening here, it gives a forum for everyone to come and and see how decisions are made. And I recently had um a class on citizens academy at the high school and I talked about you know when you're when you take a test math test in particular you don't just give the answer you show your work like in many cases that's more important than even the answer if you understand the principles and said it's no different here when we bring things to the planning commission we're not giving people necessarily the opportunity to veto if they all vote that way or or give a lot of bad um comments. It's it's here to come and see how the project was evaluated. Uh what were the standards that are there when they're varied? Why are they being varied? How do they get to do that? It's people understanding how a project that's built in our city is there and it's being done that way in con in consistent with the ordinances and the laws that we have. Not something that's done without a hearing, without any notice. it just arrives and then you're left to wonder why it's that way. So, it's really an opportunity to help vet some of that. And apart from that, with the planning commission, there are many ways to help a project knit into the neighborhood that's there. Um, I've seen in my time here, um, adding value with planning commission and and also in our review with staff, we look for these

things where you get a cookie cutter. they you get a a building that sort of has just sat on the ground there and by consultants somewhere in the Midwest maybe uh for a national chain and they're really not taking a look at the site and there's some easy things to move a sidewalk, move a wall a little bit, add some landscaping, screen things. These are not highcost items, but they can make a very big difference to the way that it works and looks and that's also a value and that hasn't been taken away yet by the state. Hope they don't. But um these are things that are objective. They're not large cost items. They're in my mind in the common sense category that if we're all being cooperative and you move things around a little bit, it all going to function better. And so, um, those are, uh, planning commission, um, still plays a very valuable role in making sure that that that projects, um, are built to the best they can be. Um, there's a term that's really important in land development called ministerial. So ministerial is is um a type of um permission that the city gives that doesn't ex exercise discretion and the typical example would be a building permit. So we don't have public hearings on building permits. They come in, they apply, you apply the building code and the other codes that are that are applicable. There may be conditions of approval that that was placed on the property before they came along. So all of these things are are just formulaic and you follow along and so there doesn't there isn't any discretion that's expressed and so as we move more towards that concept of object objectivity in the way we review our projects um they do start to come under

the umbrella of ministerial which um is gives developers greater certainty that they will be able to be successful in navigating a development review process because the city they know that the city is going to be applying standards that I can point to explain and and where there are sight specific things that that we mentioned that are sort of common sense modifications that's okay or it should be. So that's um really an important principle and and it also helps uh the more we move to that direction it does give greater certainty and that's what we want in our city. We want people to be able to have confidence that they can get through a process efficiently and that we can explain the rules. So with that, um the ordinances uh are um they're exempt from from the California Environmental Quality Act because we are here to fulfill state law which is already in place for us. It's something we have to do. We just need to have rules that enable us to efficiently execute them. And so staff's recommending that the planning commission forward this ordinance on to the city council. And I'm glad to answer any questions you have. Open it up for questions from the commissioners.

Mr. Cooper, I just wanted to make a comment at how um succinct and how thorough the document is. Um I noticed the revisions and the wording changes, so thank you to both of you. Um you're right. It's a lot of um language there and thank you for making it so um readable and easy for us to understand and comprehend. Thank you. Thank you. I do want to say that I appreciated the definitions so that a lay person can understand it and the revisions are so that a lay person can understand the wording. So appreciate it.

Right. And that's where it matters, right? people people who live in town, the select few that choose to read an ordinance um should have should have the capacity to be able to understand it without having to go through a lot of hoops and word lookups. I think it's just the right way to do it.

Are there any public comments? Is there We we've got time for you to workshop it if you need to. about what is the oldest project that we have here in town that um go back to the percentages like 10% what was it was 10% has to be what are the oldest projects that we have that would had had affordable requirements to it that would be now coming to them

oh um well the lodge apartments um they it had a 10-year affordable term and it expired gosh Gosh. Um about six years ago I think. Um so right. So now the terms are 55 years. So it's really changed in the last 20 years. There's been a lot of there's no one online so no additional public comment.

Okay. Then we will close the comment period. Um, and ready for a vote. Someone wants to make a motion. I'd like to make a motion that we approve the density board ordinance and inclusionary ordinance update to approve and replace chapters 19.27 and chapters 19.28 28 of the American Canyon Municipal Code in consent with state law to be consistent with state law. I second. Okay. Can we get a vote? Yes. Commissioner Marilyn Abalon. I. Commissioner Eric Alman

I. Commissioner Dvet Muhammad I. Vice Chair Shelby Goss I. Well, thank you again for the presentation, Mr. Cooper. Um and then we have business. Business is next. Okay. Um I think the next thing is active planning projects also from Mr. Cooper.

Yes. I'll just stay here. Um we h I have a number of updates for that, but I wanted to also mention that the city council last Tuesday, just a couple days ago, um issued a proclamation um celebrating May as uh National Building Safety Month. So, we're all very happy for that and and aware of the important role that um not only um our own staff but our consultant staff and our business community and development community play in the role in making sure that buildings are safe. So that was um it's it's a very important time and and it's good to recognize that and all the players that have a role in safe buildings and for all intents and purposes that buildings here seem to be seem to manage pretty well. So I think we're getting something right. Um for the active projects we have an interesting one called the flavor yard. It's a design permit and this would be every weekend beginning June through pumpkin season. Um over here on the on the pumpkin lot wood and the pump and the tree lot. Um so this is um outdoor music on the weekends with beer garden and food trucks. How fun, right? Um and so this is an administrative staff level review. Uh most of the requirements that we have for that have already been ironed out through a temporary outdoor permit. You could do the same thing for a weekend, but the term of it, it's longer than the temporary outdoor ordinance allows, but the same requirements are there. And so, um we had a staff meeting with all of our different departments yesterday to kind of review this and get everyone uh in tune. And uh so we're looking forward to seeing this happen. Um, let's see. The Enclave at Canyon

Estates. Um, the model home is coming along very well and and we have several uh homes that they have under construction. They've building permits um that have been approved for several several homes. So, it's nice to see that project moving forward. On uh we have the Hampton Inn Hotel. Um we approved a demolition permit. So the Hampton in hotel is just south of of uh Donaldson Way, not the build of homes on Donaldson Way on the south side, but just beyond that. It's the the windmill site. So all those structures are going to be demolished fairly soon and the site graded in preparation for the hotel. Um there is a requirement that at least one I think there's two oil mills on there, but at least one of them is um going to be incorporated into the front of the hotel and kept, which is kind of nice. Um the Napa River E Ecological Center for those that haven't heard yet. Um um the permit renovation for that is is approved and there'll be a groundbreaking ceremony on May 6. So that's very nice. Um our Sun our friends at Sunsquare um project that was approved over there in Napa Junction Road, our first genuine mixeduse project. um they want to come in and and apply for a modification and uh they've mentioned a couple of times, but I think this time they mean it and um so uh we're expecting to see a modification to their design permit. Um and so that would come back to the planning commission because the changes at least that they've described so far meet the thresholds for coming back to you. They're a very very worthwhile as we know very American Canyon nonprofit. This is great work. Um, this might not be a might not be aware, but the chicken guy

just got his final certificate of occupancy. They finally finished everything. So, they get a round of applause. They're very happy for them. Sure. They're I'm sure they're happier, but we're happy, too. Um and then right on the heels of that, the home to suites project received a certificate of occupancy today.

I know. I know. It was I got to take some deep breath. You do. I know. I Otherwise, you might have to medical assist. That's right. I know. I know. It was shocking. I know. It was on Tuesday, you know, we just had a couple of days left and we could we could just taste it as much as anyone can imagine tasting a hotel.

Let's see. What about six years in the making? It took longer than the general plan update. There you go. Which is my standard for a long a project that takes a long time. That's

so like you say, you can't rush quality. Um and then on on major city initiative projects, the Poliol Watson Lane annexation took a leap forward on a couple of very important milestones at the council meeting last Tuesday. Um, and this would be uh a property tax sharing agreement with the county um for the pale Watson property as well as the Hesair property which is the uh vacant property immediately to the north of that. And so it's it's not easy getting property tax sharing agreements with the county and that that was done and that is to the credit of our city attorney office and our city manager. Um in addition to that in return there's also um a regional housing needs assessment allocation. So in return for this has been our formula with working with the county to annex land. We take on a portion of their future housing needs from housing element. Um and so this also includes uh a commitment to take on some of the county's um housing allocations through its housing element. you specify both how much housing we're taking on and what the split on the um property tax share is.

Um unfortunat I wish I was prepared to answer that question but I can follow up with the commission

and I can um share a link to the uh resolution which would spell everything out. I could also provide a brief update on it as if you'd like having negotiated agreements together with the city manager of course. Uh 15% of the county's reallocation would come to the city and 155 15 uh and then over the next several housing element cycles. Uh, and the tax share is the standard county fire tax share goes to the American Canyon Fire Protection District fire to fire and then we would split the county's remaining share 50/50 um with a small provision for an additional tax share coming. So it' be 75 um 7525 of the county portion 75 to the city if the reena transfer is approved. So it's a default 50/50 among the county share and then if the reena transfer because that requires approval by Abag and HCD so we know it's not solely within our control but if the state approves the arena transfer then an additional share comes to the city and it's all per the agenda packet on Tuesday. Thank you.

Thank you. All right, and that concludes my update. Thank you so much, Mr. Cooper. That's very informative. Lots of good news. Okay, so um next on the agenda is any comments from the planning commissioners and commissioner Avalon, believe you have a comment.

Yeah, thank you. I just wanted to um let everybody know that I was able to attend the Donald's way ribbon cutting ceremony back in March. Our meeting was cancelled in April, so I couldn't share it with all of you. And it's just such fabulous work that's happened to all five of our schools here in American Can. There's only five schools, and I try to encourage the public to just see um the work that was done, the the capital improvements done. And again, thank you to the voters of A2 to make sure that our schools are modernized, that we have safe places for children to eat, learn, play, and it also acknowledges the hard work of our educators in our city. And then I just wanted to just acknowledge the wonderful work at American Can High School. Their choir and music program continue to excel. They were at Disneyland last weekend and just walked away with incredible awards. So, we've got a fantastic group of young people um at our schools and I encourage our community to you to to visit to support our leaders and our teachers and acknowledge the fine parents of our community and family members that really um place an importance in education our city in American Canyon.

Thank you. Those are great updates. Um are there any more comments from the commissioners? Nothing from me. Nothing. Okay, then I think we're ready to adjourn this meeting. Um, so this the April 2026 planning commission meeting is adjourned at 7:05 p.m. Awesome. to think that.