Westminster City Council
SUBJECT
Title
Strategic Plan Goal #2 - Implement and Support Effective Land Use Policies that Encourage Quality Development.
Strategic Plan Objectives: “Provide a report to the City Council on the state of mixed-use districts in the City, the key characteristics of a specific plan and review feedback from the City Council on their priorities for potential mixed-use districts and prioritize areas that may be subject to a specific plan” and “Provide the City Council a bus tour of areas in Orange County and/or Southern California that have been redeveloped to successful mixed-use projects.”
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From: Christine Cordon, City Manager
Requested by: Administration
Prepared by: Steven Mendoza, Interim Community Development Director; Ken Fichtelman, Principal Planner
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommendation
Receive and file.
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BACKGROUND
On April 28, 2025, the City Council held a strategic planning workshop to develop the City’s second three-year strategic plan and identify priorities for the City. These include:
• Goal #1 - Achieve Financial Stability
• Goal #2 - Implement and Support Effective Land-Use Policies that Encourage Quality Development
• Goal #3 - Attract, Develop, and Retain Well-Qualified Staff Members
• Goal #4 - Improve Customer Service to the Community
• Goal #5 - Enhance Quality of Life and Beautification Throughout the City
The new goals stem from the first set of goals adopted in 2022, which included:
• Goal #1 - Achieve Financial Stability
• Goal #2 - Develop and Implement Specific Plans for Little Saigon, the Downton District, and the Westside
• Goal #3 - Attract, Develop, and Retain Well-Qualified Staff Members
• Goal #4 - Improve Customer Service Delivery to the Community
The April 28, 2025 strategic planning workshop was an opportunity for the City Council to discuss the previous three-year strategic plan goals and objectives, reflect on lessons learned, and consider new priorities, concerns, and needs in establishing a new set of goals and objectives. The new three-year strategic plan includes previous goals that are being continued due to ongoing implementation of objectives, as well as new opportunities that have presented themselves since the previous planning period.
A follow-up strategic planning workshop was held on October 6, 2025 to evaluate the City’s progress in achieving goals through the strategic plan.
Two of the objectives under Strategic Plan Goal #2 - Implement and Support Effective Land-Use Policies that Encourage Quality Development are to provide a report to the City Council on the state of mixed-use districts in the City, the key characteristics of a specific plan and review feedback from the City Council on their priorities for potential mixed-use districts and prioritize areas that may be subject to a specific plan and to provide the City Council a bus tour of areas in Orange County and/or Southern California that have been redeveloped to successful mixed-use projects.
On September 11, 2024, the City Council directed staff to initiate changes to the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance to increase the density in the Mixed-Use districts from 30/40 du/acre, per the findings of the Mixed-Use Economic Analysis that was presented to the City Council on September 11, 2024. This work has been completed and has been scheduled for a public hearing before the City Council on March 25, 2026.
These proposed changes could have a significant impact on the types and scale of development that the City realizes in its Mixed-Use zones. The proposed amendments would allow for density of up to 90 units per acre in the Mixed-Use zone and allow for various types of mixed-use and residential projects, including wraps and podium projects that could reach 95 feet in height. These types of projects are not currently feasible with the current density limitations. Per the Mixed-Use Economic Analysis, this limitation on density has affected the redevelopment of the Mixed-Use zoned areas in the City.
To help the City Council visualize what the amended development standards could achieve, the City Council was provided with a bus tour of mixed-use and residential projects. On August 20, 2025, the City Council held a special, noticed meeting that toured three mixed-use developments: Cloud House in Stanton, Shoreline Gateway in Downtown Long Beach, and The Magnolia in Downtown Long Beach. At each location, the Council was given a tour of the site and given a chance to ask the developers or property management representative questions regarding the project.
After opening the meeting in Room A/B of the Community Services building, the Council and staff boarded a Westminster WOW bus to begin the tour. Although the meeting was noticed and open to the public, no members of the public were present for the tour. The tour started at Cloud House, a five-story apartment complex, where the contingent was given a tour of the property, including an apartment, the pool area, and other resident amenity areas. The tour continued to Shoreline Gateway in Long Beach, a 40 plus story mixed-use development with ground floor commercial tenant spaces. The contingent was given a tour of an apartment, one of the penthouses, the pool and clubhouse area and some of the tenant amenities, such as a pet washing area and bike storage area. The tour concluded at The Magnolia in Downtown Long Beach, a six-story mixed-use complex with ground floor commercial tenant spaces. A tour was given of an apartment, the pool area and resident common areas, and one of the vacant commercial spaces. A fourth stop at Bolsa Row was agendized and planned but was not toured due to time constraints.
Staff recommends that the City Council schedule a study session with staff following adoption of the new mixed-use standards to determine if the revised standards will achieve the Council’s goals for the various areas that are currently envisioned to be covered by a Specific Plan. At that time, the Mayor and City Council members can articulate their goals for each area. With that information, staff can identify the benefits and drawbacks of various zoning tools that can be employed to achieve the goals of the City Council with respect to land use and infrastructure. If the existing zoning and related development standards will not be adequate to achieve the Council’s goals, the areas can be prioritized for the creation of specialized standards.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact for the City at this time.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed as to form.
CONCLUSION
This report provides the City Council an update on the Mixed-Use Code update that may affect the application of Specific Plans in the City and reports that the City has fulfilled the objective “Provide the City Council a bus tour of areas in Orange County and/or Southern California that have been redeveloped to successful mixed-use projects.”
ATTACHMENTS
1. Strategic Plan Goal #2 - Update, June 11, 2025
2. Strategic Plan Goal #2 - Update, September 11, 2024
3. Strategic Plan Goal #2 - Update, March 22, 2023
4. Strategic Plan Goal #2 - Update, February 22, 2022
REVIEWED BY
Erin Backs, Finance Director
City Attorney’s Office
Christine Cordon, City Manager