Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Hold on. We're going to hold off till the staff gets here. Staff gets here.

uh through the chair. Just wanted to inform the public that we will be getting started hopefully within the next 5 minutes. There's just some um loose ends that are being tied up at as we speak. Great. Thank you for the update.

The veil the Valo planning commission meeting uh will start on Monday, October 6, 2025 at the time at 7:16 p.m. Uh the first agenda item is to uh call to order and if we can start with the pledge of allegiance. Maderas. Commissioner Madis, could you assist? Thank you.

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. Thank you. So, we're going to go to the next agenda item. Uh it's the oath of office for our newly appointed commissioner, uh Chris White. Congratulations. Uh as of right now, from my understanding, he is on a Zoom meeting. He's going to be part of the public. Uh he is out sick, but he is um participating as another member uh viewing in

through the chair. He's not he's not participating yet because he has not been sworn in yet. So he's watching from home. Watching from home. Yes. Thank you. So Chris White, congratulations. Hope we see you in the next planning commission. I mean next meeting uh for your swearing in I hope you a speedy recovery getting well. Uh so again congratulations. Uh so we will move on to the next agenda item uh the roll call. Thank you chair. Um Commissioner Bellena here. Commissioner Maderos present. Comm Vice Chair Taylor. Vice Chair. Uh Commissioner Douglas present.

Um Chair Blind, Commissioner Billy Stanberry absent tonight. And we have a quorum. Great. Thank you. So we're going to move to the next agenda item. Uh is consent calendars and approval of the agenda. So moved. Second. Do I have a second? Thank you.

Second through the chair. We're going to do a voice vote tonight. So, uh, Commissioner Balaba, I, Commissioner Maderos,

I, Vice Chair Taylor, I, Commissioner Douglas, I. We have four eyes and the motion carries. Great. Thank you. So, agenda item 5B, approval of the minutes. I would like to motion. However, I do have one uh small followup under uh 9 Ca um actually two things individuals misspelled and then B um

uh I'm just wondering if we're going to have any followup to the the prior meeting with city council. I believe we only um addressed one of the items that was on that agenda.

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just responding to be which was from uh um Commissioner Stan uh Beasley Stansbury where she thanked um both staff and uh council for the joint meeting. We had that joint meeting and that joint meeting was not not finished because we didn't um deal with one of the items that was on that agenda. Does anybody else remember that on the board? No.

I I think in this particular situation I think it's a approval of the minutes unless there's a something is missed in the meeting minutes that has not been added. Well, I believe a followup to that meeting was that we would finish the meeting and that has not been captured. Yeah. So, through the chair later on during the secretar's report, I was going to announce that we are going to be scheduling the second part of that joint meeting within the planning commissioners and city council to go over the second topic that wasn't covered that evening. So, okay. Based on that report, thank you. Then I will move to approve the meeting minutes for July 7th.

Second. Okay. Let's see if this is working now. Okay. There we go. Um, so through the chair, the Titan system's working now. So, great. Thank you. I need two one more vote. Where's Yes. Yes. Okay. Good. We have four eyes and the motion carries.

Great. Thank you. So, we're going to move to the next agenda item. Uh, uh, report of the city council leaison, uh, commissioner, I mean, council member Matullik. Thank you.

Um, good evening, Vice Chair, uh, Taylor. Um, Commissioners Douglas, Maderos, and Balina and staff. Um, thank you for being here tonight. Um, no true report um, from council liaison, but I just want to as a friendly reminder of the fact that we will be swearing in a new commissioner soon as a just a friendly reminder that we do have a work plan that you guys can talk about and and figure out how do you utilize the budget that's been allocated for you um, to see how you can advance a lot of the any thoughts or ideas that you guys have as planning commissioners. So kind of put that together that can deal with professional development and um ways to promote a lot of things you guys are doing out in the community whether it's going to the farmers market or things of that nature. So just kind of once again just as a reminder to to this commission and all commissions and boards that you do have a work plan that you can put together with an with an allocated budget and I think this budget is a little bit higher than what the other boards and commissions have because just because of the circumstances you guys work under. So, um, from that, I would also, um, just ask that, um, if you haven't looked at the general plan or the specific plans lately, I would kind of take a look at that because from some of the emails and a lot of the inquiries I've had from out in the public, especially from developers, um, there's been quite a bit of um, inquiries that have been happening. So, there may be a rush of projects coming up. So, if you haven't um um dusted off the general plan for a while or those specific plans, take a look at that and and re do a refresher course on the zoning and things of that nature. So, um here to answer any questions anyone may have. Seeing none, have a great meeting. Thank you.

Great. Thank you. Thank you for the update. Okay, so we're going to move to the next agenda agenda item. It's a community form. uh and the committee form is for anyone who wish to address the commission on any matter in which another opportunity I mean any other opportunity to speak is not provided on the agenda. So this is an opportunity to present anything to the planning commission uh and we're going to add uh start the timer. We're going to give each member two minutes uh to speak. Is it three minutes?

Uh thank you chair. Uh currently we do have one member of the public signed up for the community forum and I have a timer for interested parties to sign up uh displayed on the top left corner of our screens. Uh first speaker David B, please approach the podium. Uh before we start the timer, it it was my understanding we were doing three minutes. That's what it's listed in the uh agenda and all that. But um am I incorrect in that? Yes. Thank thank you for the correction. My apology. Yes.

Appreciate it. Uh thank you. Thank you very much. Let's see if I can get this thing to turn. There we go. Um, commissioners, staff, thank you very much. My name is David Bellof. U speaking a resident here for 25 plus years and I'm speaking as a private citizen, not as a representative of any group or other commission or committee just to be clear. Okay? So, I'm speaking for myself. Um, council member, I wasn't going to say this, but since council member Matulik brought it up beautifully, uh, the general plan is always on my mind, continually on my mind because I was a part of that current uh, general plan 20 240 and other people up here on the dis have been as well as some may or may not be familiar with it. So yes, please uh, take his advice. Um, take a good look at it. Um, later I'll address it again. Community forum is what this is called right here. Um, community, that's what you all represent. Um, community is what we want to enhance and the quality of life for now and especially going forward. I'm asking all the commissioners, not just for any project that's on tonight's agenda, but any in the past, but especially the future, have you actually walked each and every one of the properties? physically walked, not just Google mapped it, got out there, walked around, and then walked in the adjoining neighborhoods and the surrounding areas. And if walking is too slow, biking is a great way to get there. Um, I ask you that uh because that really gives you a a feel for what you are actually about to approve. And I I also recommend knocking on some doors in the neighborhood. Why not do it like you were um you were canvasing for votes or something? That would be a nice thing and get what some of the input is directly. Um, are you familiar with Benicia, American Canyon, Napa, Walnut Creek, Fairfield, Green Valley, um, Berkeley, PaloAlto, Stanford, some of these other

communities. I've been spending a lot of time walking and biking these. And one of the things they have in common, class one trails. Um, if you're not familiar with that, class one is a separated from the roadway, bikable, walkable, ADA, um, acceptable approved pathway. Our waterfront is one, the Vine Trail of which you're all familiar with now, Bay Trail in certain sections. So, um, coming up before you soon will be the Blue Rock Springs Golf Course development. It's not on tonight's agenda. It probably won't be on a couple more, but here is a chance for you guys to fix a problem. And that problem was selling it. So, at least you can remediate it by making certain there's an easement from the creek. There already is the Hans Park Trail all the way through that property to Columbus Parkway. Not around the steep hill that requires stairs. There should be a way to get through. There is a way to get through. The thing that's stopping it is the fence. So, please when that comes before you, look into that and don't approve anything that doesn't include that kind of access. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thank you for what you do. Thank you for sharing with the community. Uh do we have any other um committee members who wants to share in their forum?

Uh through the chair, no other speakers signed up for this particular item on the agenda.

Okay, great. Thank you. Well, considering uh we can move to the next agenda item which is the public hearing and we will hear um public I mean agenda item uh 8A uh which is uh a project for consists of a subdivision of two parcels into 140 parcels including two constructions of 130. Uh this is for the locations at 201 uh Rywood Drive and the APN parcel number is 0072-1700 050 and 06. Uh we do have a member from the planning department who's going to provide a presentation

um through the chair. If I could actually jump in. Um I wanted to let you all know that we have actually received a request to continue this item from the applicant. um they would like additional time to um work out some of the conditions related to water supply at the site. So they have requested a continuence to a date certain which would be October 20th um which is a regular meeting night. Right. Thank you for the update. Uh uh so uh I will open this up for a motion to continue this item for October 20th. Oh, excuse me.

It it's discontinued. Discontinued. Okay, great. Thank you. I appreciate it. So, as was stated, this uh agenda item has been uh continued for October 20th. Right. Thank you. We're going to move to the next agenda item uh for written communications. Thank you, chair. Um this evening we did receive a total of three written communications regarding the item that was continued to the October 20th date. Um all three of those have been provided to each of the members of the planning commission as well as provided in a hard copy.

Excuse me. I just want to thank everybody for coming out tonight from the public. Sorry to have uh wasted your time. Excuse me. Yeah. Um thank you. The Yeah, the three written communications were regarding the action hearing item that was continued to October 20th. Um all three of those letters have been posted online on the city's website as well as provided to each member of the commission tonight and as well as provided in the binder in the back.

Okay, great. Thank you. Do we have any updates uh under this agenda item or Yeah. Okay. Great. Thank you. Well, we're going to move to the next agenda item which is the reports of the presiding officer and members of the planning uh commission. Uh we're going to go with agenda 10A. Uh secretar's report.

Thank you, chair. Um once again, thank you to the members of the community for making it out to e this evening. I know it's been some time since we had the last planning commission meeting, but I do want to just add a couple of updates of upcoming public hearing meetings, which will be the October 20th where we will hear the action item for the two uh 201 Rollingwood KB subdivision, which is 130 unit uh u single family detached residential development. And then as well as a request for major use permit for late night hours of operations, so 24-hour operations for the new Planet Planet Fitness off of Springs Road, which was has been built um where the former 99 cent store was previously located before they closed. Um, and then we do have another potential uh meeting in November 3rd, which is a major use permit um to establish an event center that has on-site alcohol sales and reduction in parking at 823 Marin Street, which is the previous federal building. Um, so yeah, so that's an application that'll be coming before this uh commission in the near future, as well as one of the items that um Commissioner Madero's brought up. It's the second portion of the joint meeting that happened between planning commission, city council. Um it looks like uh now we have that meeting tenatively scheduled for November 17th, which is a regular planning commission meeting. Uh we're still gathering to see if members of the city council are available that evening. Um and if they are, then we we will go ahead and continue and schedule that joint meeting there. Um, other than that, as um, council member Matulk did mention, just kind of everyone briefing up and touching on the general plan, the zoning code, and the specific plans. I did take a note down just to send I'll send an email to all the members of this commission with direct links to the specific plans and the general plan. So, you do have so you

will have access to those directly. So, I will I'll send an email out tomorrow with those links directly to those plans. And that concludes my report. through the chair, wouldn't it be uh helpful if if you guys were to kind of go over and highlight some things about the major changes or where you kind of want us to what you think we really ought to know that kind of thing. I mean, I guess everything, but at the same time, it would be nice to see some highlights or hear some for for like the general plan. Okay. So, the general plan, the last um update that has happened to the general plan was the recent adoption of the housing element, which is another element that's part of the general plan.

Um, just as a reminder, the general plan was adopted by city council back in 2017. Um,

and then the zoning code, the last update was the few cleanups that came before this commission and recommended at city council, uh, which made some changes to both the commercial zoning districts, um, the hillside development standards and I can provide that ordinance as well with the links that I provide you um, with spec regarding the specific plans. Um, currently we are working on reviewing the Maryland specific plan that's being handled by the second plane manager, Hector Rojos. Um, so he's um, they've brought on a SQL consultant to work on the environmental review for that project. Um, I know that we recently got the requests for proposals to RFP approved by MTC for the grant that we received for the updates uh, for the downtown specific plan and the waterfront specific plan. So, that's still in motion. Um, I don't know exactly when those RFPs are going to be sent out, but they are going to be sent out in the near future to bring on consulting to assist on um preparing those updates, the community outreach, and of course doing the environmental review for those specific plans.

Thank you.

Yeah. And then I just want to add if any of the commissioners ever have any questions or anything regarding where things are at or if any updates specific plans, general plans goes, don't hesitate to reach out then we can definitely provide an update. Can I ask that I know I believe it's on your uh the planning division's part of the website about um projects that are in Q and also projects that have been um uh directed or decided on by management. I believe there's two different spreadsheets, but what I would like is for um you know, whenever those are um updated to provide the the sitting uh commission with a report every I don't know, every quarter. That would be really helpful for us, I believe. And especially with, you know, new people coming on here and there. Um they're they're kind of lost and fla flailing out there. So

yes, that's my request. So by the end of this week, the current development pro this called the value list of below land use entitlements. Um it's my goal to get it updated by the end of this week. Uh or I'm going to get it updated by the end of this week. So once it's updated and posted online, I'll share that and forward it to the members of the commission as well. So that goes over any of the major projects in the city of like the different stages where they're at um when they were acted on by the planning commission or the director and then what stages there currently are.

Can you please rep uh provide that in a report a physical report to each of our our commissioners please? That's my request. Yeah. Yeah. So I'll provide a link to the value list and then uh by the end of next week I'll get a report to kind of give a highlight overview of where projects are and which ones are you know tenally scheduled or when they will be which kind of projects will be coming before the planning commission in the future. Right. You have any other questions?

Um yes I do have one more question. Uh um Councilman Matulac brought up the the budget that this department or this uh commission has. I would like to know what that budget is

through the chair. I'll find out and I'll get back to you guys. Uh our analyst is currently out of the office on vacation and when he returns I'll I'll ask him and provide me the numbers. Um, I do know that there is a training in March 7th to the 10th or March 8th through the 10th in Los Angeles through the League of All Cities. I've been monitoring it closely to see when they open enrollment. Um, they're still hasn't opened yet. So, once that open enrollment does happen, um, I'll be reaching out to I'll be reaching out to the members of the commission just to see who's interested of attending that that training so we can get signed up and get hotels and everything reserved. All right, great. Thank you for the update. Any other questions before we move to the next agenda item? All right, great. We'll move to agenda item 10 C, report of the chairperson and members of the commission. As of right now, I don't have I don't have any updates. The chair,

anyone in the from the miss planning commission has any updates?

I just have a kindly a kind request. Um, as you know, this package was huge and I asked for a physical copy, which I always will. And you can see the ream and a half of paper that I have here. But, um, this went out, I believe, on Friday. And, um, I don't know if you folks just don't like us or what, but that was a heck of a lot to get through. Um, I know you do like this, but I'm just just punting it back as a friendly request to give us as much time as possible. I know that you were probably getting blasted at the last minute yourself from the developer or the applicant, but um, that's just my request. Thank you.

All right. Well, thank you for the update. Uh, so we're going to move to the next item, agenda item 10D, which is report of the ad hoc subcommittees. At this moment, we do not have any ad hoc subcommittees. So, I believe we can skip that agenda item and we can move to agenda item 11, which is other uh we have a uh our the chair. Yes. Grant me just one comment regarding uh the California League of Cities and training in general. Um I want to make certain that the entire commission is aware of the free trainings available and I'm happy to have wonderful trainings.

All right. Well, let me uh ask the city attorney if um we can use this agenda item other for that or um can I jump in? Why don't we just connect after the meeting and I can get the information from you and pass it along? Okay, great. Thank you for sharing information. Thank you. Appreciate that. So, we can move to the last agenda item which is the dormant. So, we can uh conclude the planning commission meeting today at uh 7:40 on October uh 6, 2025. Thank you.elcome