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Home My WebLink AboutPlanning Commission 2020-08-11 Minutes San Rafael Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 7:00 P.M. Virtual Meeting (669) 900-9128 Meeting ID: 872-0645-4435# CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) ADVISORY NOTICE In response to Executive Order N-29-20, the City of San Rafael will no longer offer an in-person meeting location for the public to attend. This meeting will be streamed live throughYouTube. Comments submitted via YouTube must be submitted according to the directions located on the YouTube video description. The City is not responsible for any interrupted service. To ensure the Planning Commission receives your comments, submit written comments to the Alicia Giudice, Principal Planner (alicia.giudice@cityofsanrafael.org), prior to the meeting. For more information regarding real-time public comments, please visit our Live Commenting Pilot page at https://www.cityofsanrafael.org/live-commenting-pilot/. Want to listen to the meeting and comment in real-time over the phone? Call the telephone number listed on this agenda and dial the Meeting ID when prompted. Feel free to contact the City Clerk’s office at 415-485-3066 or by email to lindsay.lara@cityofsanrafael.org if you have any questions. Any member of the public who needs accommodations should contact the City Clerk (email lindsay.lara@cityofsanrafael.org or phone at 415-485-3066) who will use their best efforts to provide reasonable accommodations to provide as much accessibility as possible while also maintaining public safety in accordance with the City procedure for resolving reasonable accommodation requests. Present: Chair Mercado Commissioner Davidson Commissioner Hill Commissioner Lubamersky Commissioner Previtali Commissioner Samudzi Commissioner Saude Absent: None Also Present: Raffi Boloyan, Planning Manager Alicia Giudice, Principal Planner Ethan Guy, Principal Analyst CALL TO ORDER Chair Mercado called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m., invited Principal Planner Alicia Giudice to call the roll and welcomed one new Commissioner Hill to his first meeting as Planning Commissioner. APPROVAL OR REVISION OF ORDER OF AGENDA ITEMS None. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF MEETING PROCEDURES Chair Mercado invited Planning Manager Raffi Boloyan who informed the community the meeting would be streamed live to YouTube and members of the public would provide public comment either on the telephone or through YouTube live chat. He explained the process for community participation through the telephone and on YouTube. Chair Mercado reviewed the procedures for the meeting. URGENT COMMUNICATION None. CONSENT CALENDAR Commissioner Lubamersky moved and Commissioner Davidson seconded to approve the Consent Calendar. Chair Mercado invited public comment; however, there was none. 1. Approval of the Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of July 28, 2020 Minutes approved as submitted AYES: Commissioners: Davidson, Lubamersky, Previtali, Samudzi, Saude & Chair Mercado NOES: Commissioners: None ABSENT: Commissioners: None ABSTAIN: Commissioners: Hill Motion carried 6-0 PUBLIC HEARING 2. Informational Report on Changes to Housing Regulations and Processes Informational Report Outlining Potential Changes to the City of San Rafael’s Municipal Code related to Inclusionary Housing Requirements, Density Bonus, Appeals process, and Other Amendments to Encourage Development and Streamline Approvals, Including Changes Related to the Design Review Board Membership and Procedures. File No.: P18-010/ZA20- 001. Ethan Guy, Principal Analyst and Alicia Giudice, Principal Planner presented the staff report. Staff responded to questions from the Commissioners. Chair Mercado declared the public hearing opened. Speakers: Bill Carney, Sustainable San Rafael, Joanne Webster, San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Staff outlined the different topic areas for feedback. Commissioners provided comments. Staff responded to questions from the Commissioners. The Planning Commission provided feedback that included general support for updated the density bonus regulations to align with State Density Bonus Law, general support for the proposed Zoning Amendments related to hillside exceptions, small lots, height bonus, and appeals. Feedback was provided related to inclusionary housing supporting staff’s recommendations allowing an in-lieu fee and any policy changes necessary to encourage housing development, policy designs that provide flexibility to the developer to meet inclusionary requirements, recommended further information related to the equity implications and how the Trust Fund supports those goals. The Commissioners expressed the understanding that the fees provide necessary funding to create and maintain affordable housing and expressed the importance of adequately funding rental and ownership affordable housing, and to the options report on inclusionary housing. Regarding the proposed changes to the structure of the Design Review Board (DRB), the Commissioners provided feedback expressing concerns regarding taking away the public process with a transition to a DRB subcommittee and not having a full board for larger projects. Some commissioners recommended the option of tiering the DRB with reviews by a full board for larger projects, reviews by the subcommittee for smaller project and making certain smaller projects staff level review, and all Commissioners agreed that a less formal process was a good approach as long as there was opportunity for public input as part of the process Commissioner Previtali moved and Commissioner Davidson seconded to accept the report as provided. AYES: Commissioners: Davidson, Hill, Lubamersky, Previtali, Samudzi, Saude & Chair Mercado NOES: Commissioners: None ABSENT: Commissioners: None ABSTAIN: Commissioners: None Motion carried 7-0 DIRECTOR’S REPORT Planning Manager Boloyan provided updates on the following items: • Future Planning Commission agenda items • Public Safety Center • Retirement of Anne Derrick, Administrative Assistant • Small cell antenna facilities COMMISSION COMMUNICATION Staff responded to request for an update on the Seagate Housing Project. Commissioner Hill recused himself from participating in the future agenda item regarding 38 Upper Fremont. Chair Mercado welcomed new Commissioner Hill to the Planning Commission. Commissioner Hill expressed his gratitude for his welcome. Commissioner Previtali spoke on 5G cell towers. ADJOURNMENT Chair Mercado adjourned the meeting at 9:59 p.m. ___________________________ LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk APPROVED THIS _____DAY OF____________, 2020 _____________________________________ ALDO MERCADO, Chair