Westminster City Council
SUBJECT
Title
Consideration of Modifications to the Mixed-Use Zoning Districts Identified in the 2016 General Plan Update.
End
From: Christine Cordon, City Manager
Requested by: Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen
Prepared by: Ryan Salz, Senior Management Analyst
*Staff reports prepared by staff on behalf of members of the City Council do not reflect the opinions of staff and are generated in collaboration with the requesting council member(s).
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommendation
Consider the request to modify the Mixed-Use Zoning Districts and provide direction to adopt a Resolution entitled “A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WESTMINSTER, CALIFORNIA, TO DIRECT STAFF TO IMPLEMENT THE REZONING OF MOBILE HOME PARKS LOCATED IN THE MIXED-USE ZONING DISTRICTS, AS IDENTIFIED IN THE GENERAL PLAN, FOLLOWING ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF THE MODIFICATIONS AND FINDING THAT THIS DIRECTION TO IMPLEMENT THE MODIFICATIONS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT.”
BACKGROUND
On October 24, 2024, Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen requested that an item be placed on the City Council Meeting Agenda to address community concerns regarding false eviction notices that were distributed to mobile home park residents. Mayor Nguyen indicated that due to the apparent emotional distress that this has caused Westminster mobile home park residents, he would like to evaluate options to modify the Land Use Element in the 2016 General Plan Update to rezone mobile home parks currently located in the mixed-use zoning districts throughout the City.
On September 11, 2024, the City Council approved a Resolution that directed staff to implement recommendations made in the Mixed-Use Zoning Analysis Report (“Report”) (Attachment 1). Following the City Council meeting, there was an abundance of misinformation relayed to the Westminster community, and specifically vulnerable communities. The most notable and tangible piece of misinformation distributed to city mobile home park residents was an unauthorized “Eviction Notice” that falsely portrayed the City Council’s action on September 11, 2024 as an enactment of substantial zoning changes. However, the action only directed staff to pursue implementation of the recommendations made in the report following further analysis and refinement. Following the analysis, environmental studies, and community outreach necessary to implement the recommendations, the City Council will ultimately consider the approval of any mixed-use zoning changes at a later date.
The proposed modification of the General Plan, to remove mobile home parks from the City’s mixed-use zoning districts, could be further analyzed and considered in conjunction with the other potential changes to the City’s mixed-use zoning districts. One of the recommendations described in the Report was the expansion of existing boundaries in the mixed-use zoning districts to include adjacent areas that would benefit from the additional development opportunities. Additional direction to separate mobile home parks from mixed-use zoning districts could be considered concurrently with the recommended expansion.
Approval of the Resolution (Attachment 2) would direct staff to analyze the effect of the rezoning of mobile home parks located in the mixed-use zoning districts. Following the analysis, the Council would consider the adoption of a General Plan Amendment and Zoning Amendment to enact the modifications at a City Council meeting public hearing. Based on the timeline shared in the Report, the studies and amendment preparation could take up to two years to complete.
FISCAL IMPACT
Studying the effect of modifications to the mixed-use zoning district boundaries may expand the scope of the analysis that staff has already been directed to initiate and complete. The expansion of the scope may result in some additional cost. The cost has yet to be determined but is not expected to be substantial.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed as to form.
CONCLUSION
In response to the concern and apparent emotional distress shared by mobile home park residents following the spread of misinformation in the City, the Mayor requested an item to be placed on the City Council agenda to consider modifications to existing mixed-use zoning district boundaries that were previously approved as part of the 2016 General Plan Update. Approval of the Resolution would direct staff to facilitate the rezoning of mobile home parks located in the mixed-use zoning districts following further analysis of the proposed change. This action would be performed concurrently with the previously defined recommendations detailed in the Report. Once the necessary studies are completed for all of the recommendations, the City Council would consider approval of a General Plan Amendment and Zoning Amendment.
ATTACHMENTS
1. City Council September 11, 2024 Staff Report
2. Resolution
REVIEWED BY
Erin Backs, Finance Director
Christian Bettenhausen, City Attorney
Christine Cordon, City Manager