Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission 2024-06-18 Agenda Packet Kate Colin, Mayor • Eli Hill, Vice Mayor • Maribeth Bushey, Councilmember • Rachel Kertz, Councilmember • Maika Llorens Gulati, Councilmember Planning Commission Special Meeting Tuesday June 18, 2024, 7:00 P.M. AGENDA Participate In-Person: San Rafael City Council Chambers 1400 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901 Watch Online: Watch on Zoom Webinar: http://tinyurl.com/Planning-Commision-24 Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/cityofsanrafael Listen by phone: 1 (669) 444-9171 ID: 840 9897 7308# One Tap Mobile: US: +16694449171, 84098977308# This meeting will be held in-person. This meeting is being streamed to YouTube at www.youtube.com/cityofsanrafael. How to participate in the meeting: 1. You are welcome to come to the meeting and provide public comment in person. Each speaker will have 3-minutes to provide public comment unless otherwise specified by the Chair at the meetng. 2. Submit your comments by email to PlanningPublicComment@cityofsanrafael.org by 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. If you experience technical difficulties during the meeting, please contact PlanningPublicComment@cityofsanrafael.org. 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. RECORDING OF MEMBERS PRESENT AND ABSENT 3. APPROVAL OR REVISION OF ORDER OF AGENDA ITEMS 4. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF MEETING PROCEDURES 5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC Remarks are limited to three minutes per person and may be on anything within the subject matter jurisdiction of the body. Remarks on non-agenda items will be heard first, remarks on agenda items will be heard at the time the item is discussed. Kate Colin, Mayor • Eli Hill, Vice Mayor • Maribeth Bushey, Councilmember • Rachel Kertz, Councilmember • Maika Llorens Gulati, Councilmember 6. CONSENT CALENDAR The Consent Calendar allows the Commission to take action without discussion on items that no member of the Commission or the public wish to discuss. a. NONE 7. ACTION ITEMS a. Continued Action Item: The San Rafael Planning Commission will meet to consider an ordinance amending Titles 2, 14 and 15 of the San Rafael Municipal Code to eliminate the Design Review Board and transfer existing duties of the Design Review Board to other decisionmakers. The Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council regarding the ordinance. Environmental Review: Staff finds that this project is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the adoption of this Ordinance may have a significant effect on the environment, and pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) because the dissolution of the Design Review Board and reassignment of its responsibilities to the Planning Commission or Director is an organizational/administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. Project Planner: Margaret Kavanaugh-Lynch margaret.kavanaugh- lynch@cityofsanrafael.org Recommended Action - It is recommended that the Planning Commission: (1) Continue deliberation and ask questions of the staff, as needed. (2) Approve the Resolution to recommend that the City Council: a. Modify Title 2 to add design professionals to the Planning Commission. b. Amend other municipal code references to the Design Review Board as described in this staff report and draft resolution. 8. DIRECTOR’S REPORT 9. COMMISSION COMMUNICATION 10. ADJOURNMENT Any records relating to an agenda item, received by a majority or more of the Commission less than 72 hours before the meeting, shall be available for inspection online. Sign Language interpreters may be requested by calling (415) 485-3066 (voice), emailing city.clerk@cityofsanrafael.org or using the California Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing “711”, at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. Copies of documents are available in accessible formats upon request. Kate Colin, Mayor • Eli Hill, Vice Mayor • Maribeth Bushey, Councilmember • Rachel Kertz, Councilmember • Maika Llorens Gulati, Councilmember The Planning Commission will take up no new business after 11:00 p.m. at regularly scheduled meetings. This shall be interpreted to mean that no agenda item or other business will be discussed or acted upon after the agenda item under consideration at 11:00 p.m. The Commission may suspend this rule to discuss and/or act upon any additional agenda item(s) deemed appropriate by a unanimous vote of the members present. Appeal rights: any person may file an appeal of the Planning Commission's action on agenda items within five business days (normally 5:00 p.m. on the following Tuesday) and within 10 calendar days of an action on a subdivision. An appeal letter shall be filed with the City Clerk, along with an appeal fee of $350 (for non-applicants) or a $4,476 deposit (for applicants) made payable to the City of San Rafael and shall set forth the basis for appeal. There is a $50.00 additional charge for request for continuation of an appeal by appellant. 1 Community Development Department – Planning Division Meeting Date: June 18, 2024 Agenda Item: 7.a Project Planner: Margaret Kavanaugh- Lynch, Planning Manager REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION SUBJECT: Continued Action Item: The San Rafael Planning Commission will meet to consider an ordinance amending Titles 2, 14 and 15 of the San Rafael Municipal Code to eliminate the Design Review Board and transfer existing duties of the Design Review Board to other decisionmakers. The Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council regarding the ordinance. BACKGROUND At the June 11, 2024 regular Planning Commission meeting, staff presented an overview of this item. The Commission asked questions of staff at the conclusion of the presentation. Then, the Chair opened the public hearing and the Commission received testimony from the community present. After the testimony concluded, the Chair closed the public hearing, returning the item for deliberation by the Commission. After an extended discussion between the members of the Commission and clarifying comments from staff, this item was continued to June 18, 2024 at 7pm. Several members of the Commission noted the purpose of the continuance was to provide additional time so that they could fully consider their recommendation. The purpose of tonight’s special meeting is to allow the Planning Commission to complete their deliberations and render their recommendation to the City Council on this item. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Planning Commission: (1) Discuss and consider the Staff report, prior testimony and ask questions of the Staff, as needed. (2) Approve the Resolution to recommend that the City Council: a. Modify Title 2 to add design professionals to the Planning Commission. b. Amend other municipal code references to the Design Review Board as described in this staff report and draft resolution. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW Staff finds that this project is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, because it can be seen 2 with certainty that there is no possibility the adoption of this Ordinance may have a significant effect on the environment, and pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) because the dissolution of the Design Review Board and reassignment of its responsibilities to the Planning Commission or Director is an organizational/administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. CORRESPONDENCE No further correspondence has been received by staff as of the date of the creation of this Staff report.