HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission 2020-11-12 Minutes
MINUTES
San Rafael Planning Commission
Regular Meeting
Thursday, November 12, 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 through
YouTube Live at www.youtube.com/cityofsanrafael. Comments submitted via YouTube Live
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 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 Hill
Commissioner Lubamersky
Commissioner Previtali
Commissioner Samudzi
Commissioner Saude
Absent: Commissioner Davidson
Also Present: Raffi Boloyan, Planning Manager
Alicia Giudice, Principal Planner
Barry Miller, Project Planner
Paul Jensen, Community Development Director
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Mercado called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. and invited Principal Planner Alicia
Giudice to call the roll. All commissioners were present, except for Commissioner Davidson.
APPROVAL OR REVISION OF ORDER OF AGENDA ITEMS
None.
Page 2 of 3
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.
URGENT COMMUNICATION
None.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Chair Mercado invited public comment; however, there was none.
Commissioner Hill moved and Commissioner Samudzi seconded to approve the Consent
Calendar.
1. Approval of the Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of October 27, 2020
Approved as submitted
AYES: Commissioners: Hill, Previtali, Saude, Samudzi & Chair Mercado
NOES: Commissioners: None
ABSENT: Commissioners: Davidson
ABSTAIN: Commissioners: Lubamersky
Motion carried 5-0
PUBLIC HEARING
2. Public Hearing on Chapters 10-14 of Draft San Rafael General Plan 2040 (Continued
from 10/27/20)
The Planning Commission will conduct its second public hearing on the Draft General
Plan 2040 on November 12. The November 12 hearing will cover Chapters 10-14 of the
Draft Plan (now available for review at www.sanrafael2040.org). A prior hearing on
Chapters 1-9 took place on October 27. The purpose of each hearing is to receive initial
public comments on the Draft Plan chapters. Opportunities for public comment will
continue at future hearings to be convened in December 2020 and early 2021,
concurrently with review of the Downtown Precise Plan and a Draft Environmental Impact
Report covering both projects. The Commission is tentatively scheduled to take action
on the 2040 General Plan in March 2021. Case Nos.: GPA16-001 & P16-013
Case Nos. GPA16-001 & P16-013.
Project Planner: Barry Miller
Barry Miller, Project Planner presented the staff report.
Staff responded to comments and questions from the Commissioners.
Chair Mercado declared the public hearing opened.
Speakers: Rich Storek, Canal Arts Initiative, Barbara Salzman, Marin Audubon
Society, Phil Hallstein, Responsible Growth Marin, Bill Carney, Sustainable San Rafael,
Page 3 of 3
Elizabeth Benton, Exec Director of Art Works, Kate Powers, MCL, Grace Geraghty,
Responsible Growth Marin, Shirley Fischer, Responsible Growth Marin, Pam Reaves,
Responsible Growth Marin, David Smith, Responsible Growth Marin, Scott Frerich,
Responsible Growth Marin
Staff responded to public comments.
Com missioners provided comments.
Commissioner Lubamersky moved and Commissioner Previtali seconded to accept the
report, provide their comments as discussed throughout the meeting, and continue the
hearing to Decem ber 15, 2020 for the remaining chapters.
AYES: Commissioners: Hill, Lubamersky, Previtali, Samudzi, Saude & Chair
Mercado
NOES: Commissioners: None
ABSENT: Commissioners: Davidson
Motion carried 6-0-1
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Principal Planner Alicia Giudice reported:
• November 24th Planning Commission meeting rescheduled to Tuesday, November
17, 2020
• Planning and building opened for walk-in services Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30-
12:30 p.m. Virtual Counter still encouraged.
COMMISSION COMMUNICATION
None.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Mercado adjourned the meeting at 9:41 p.m.
______________________
LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk
APPROVED THIS _____DAY OF____________, 2020
_____________________________________
ALDO MERCADO, Chair