CITY OF LA HABRA HEIGHTS
MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE LA HABRA HEIGHTS
CITY COUNCIL
OPENING CEREMONIES
1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
Mayor Stan Carroll called the Special Meeting of the La Habra Heights City Council to order at 7:00 p. m. at the Community Center, 1245 N. Hacienda Road, La Habra Heights, California.
2. ROLL CALL
Those present: Mayor Stan Carroll, Mayor Pro Tem Ed Borrowe, Councilmember Bruce Douglas, Councilmember Fred Klein and Councilmember Tela Millsap. Also present City Manager John Hendrickson, Interim Community Development Director Sandra Massa-Lavitt, Planning Technician Barbara Doppieri, City Attorney Michael Colantuono and Consultant Marc Blodgett.
3. FLAG SALUTE
Carol Keith led the flag salute.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON MATTERS ON THE AGENDA
Elizabeth Karman, Encanada – spoke regarding the rural country atmosphere; privacy and property rights; Policy 6 is a positive step to preserve the City.
Kent Roberts, Dorothea – spoke regarding subjective policies; need definitive ordinances; house sizes; who will define these things.
Mike Douglass, Long Beach – spoke regarding cubic content and grading impacts.
Margarita McCoy, Kashlan – asked the Council to adopt the General Plan as it is now; we need a General Plan to protect us from litigation.
John Smith, Shawnan Lane – spoke regarding the financial impacts of Land Use Policy 6; he felt it was a taking by the City.
John Beau, Casalero – spoke regarding Tom Higgs statement regarding Land Use Policy 6; Tom was correct; asked for a definition of cubic content.
Ann Eaton, Hacienda – spoke regarding Land Use 6; asked the Council to consolidate the Land Use Plan; spoke regarding Cubic Content.
Carlos Galvan, East Road – stated he objected to Land Use Policy 6.
Norm Zezula, Canonita – stated the General Plan should be general; the rural nature of the City had declined over the years.
Judy Ennis, Virazon – spoke regarding the history of the CityÕs General Plan.
Carol Engelhardt, Avocado Crest – states she values La Habra Heights; complimented the Council on their work.
Alan Boege, Cypress – asked the Council to approve the whole thing tonight; spoke regarding Land Use Policy 39; suggested it be applicable to other structures in the City.
Katie Martin, Reposado – stated the Council is restricting the little house and taking peoples dreams away.
Mary Ferrero, Casalero - spoke regarding Land Use Policy 6; asked the Council not to hinder the residents and maintain the open space.
Lette Ferrero, Casalero- applauded the Council for their work; stated the General Plan is more specific than what is necessary.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
4. CONTINUE COUNCIL DISCUSSION REGARDING THE GENERAL PLAN
Ms. Massa-Lavitt stated there was an e-mail that was circulated and staff felt it required a response; the e-mail talks specifically about Policy 6 and the impact on the community; the Council is developing policies that the ordinances will be built around; there arenÕt limits in this policy; the limits will come from the ordinances; encouraged people to keep those two separate; when people come in to the counter they do not asked to see the General Plan, they asked to see the ordinance; what ever policy decisions the Council will make the ordinances will be built around those policies; keep it general and then you will be able to finite that in your ordinances.
Mr. Blodgett stated there had been great evolution of Land Use Policy 6; stated he is make good process on the maps; hopes to have most of the maps completed by tomorrow; discussed the Issues Matrix.
Councilmember Klein asked to make a few comments on what the public had discussed. Stated he pushed pretty hard on getting the wording in Land Use 6; it wasnÕt idly done; the intent is to scale the house to the lot and that is what we are doing now; we donÕt want the house to overwhelm the neighborhood; you will have to make the house fit in more; community character has been removed from the policy.
Land Use Policies 24, 25 and 26
Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe moved to delete Òwhen necessaryÓ from Policy 26. Motion died for lack of a second.
Councilmember Klein moved for Policy 24 to read, ÒRequire that permits for teardown/rebuild or significant remodeling projects for non-conforming residential properties be subject to the same requirements as other structural remodeling permits, including adequate fire flow, cesspool or septic tank inspection, fire retarding sprinkler systems, etc.Ó Seconded by Mayor Carroll. Ayes: 5-0
Councilmember Klein moved for Policy 25 to read, ÒWhen a development proposal fails to meet any performance standard, a standards modification or a variance shall be required so that adjoining property owners can work with the applicant, planning officials and staff, to ensure that the proposed structure is compatible with community character, privacy, view preservation, and other amenities valued by residents.Ó Seconded by Councilmember Douglas. Vote 5-0
Councilmember Klein moved for Policy 26 to read, ÒTeardown/rebuild or significant remodeling projects shall when necessary, include landscaping to soften the visual impacts of the altered structures.Ó Seconded by Mayor Carroll. Vote 5-0
Corollary for Policy 6
Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe moved to amend Policy 6 to add a footnote to say Òsee corollary in Implementation.Ó Motion died for lack of a second.
Councilmember Klein asked for an explanation of cubic content.
Councilmember Klein moved for the Corollary to read, ÒThe fill suite of conventional and unique planning tools may be considered in ordinances implementing Land Use Policy 6 and 6A. These tools may include but are not limited to proportional interrelationships between structural and site characteristics such as lot size, house size, floor area rations, cubic content ratios, setback ratios, graded area and volume ratios and impervious coverage ratios.Ó Councilmember Millsap seconded the motion.
After further discussion Councilmember Klein amended his motion for the policy to read, ÒÉmay be considered in the development of ordinances implementingÉÓ Councilmember Millsap amended her second to include the change. Vote 4-1 Borrowe
Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe stated he wanted to change Goal 3 to read, ÒPreserve scenic views to include distance city lights, ocean, canyons, valleys and hills.Ó Stated he will have a plan for the next meeting.
It was the consensus of the Council to meet again on February 19, 2004 at 7:30 p.m.
Mr. Blodgett stated staff will take the leap and finalize the Environmental Impact Report for adoption of the General Plan; suggested the meeting of February 19th be the last meeting for changes.
Mayor Carroll suggested the final meeting of the General Plan on March 4, 2004 at 7:00 p.m.; this meeting will be for the adoption of the General Plan.
Mr. Colantuono explained the Council will have one more meeting on February 19th; the last meeting for public comment will be on March 4, 2004; there will be a public hearing that night with 3 resolutions before the City Council; one certifying the EIR, one adopting the General Plan and one adopting the Implementation Plan.
Land Use Policy 4
Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe moved to amend the policy as follows, Ò Éany single vertical plane or 25 feetÉÓ Motion died for lack of a second.
Land Use Policy 15
Councilmember Douglas moved to amend to policy to read, ÒGrading should result in gradual topographic transitions, utilizing contour gradingÉÓ Motion died for lack of a second.
Land Use Policy 17
Councilmember Douglas moved to amend the policy to read, ÒÉof hillside areas solely to provide off-site views.Ó Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe seconded the motion. Vote 4-1 Klein
Land Use Policy 19
Councilmember Douglas
moved to move this policy to become Land
Use 1A. Seconded by Councilmember Millsap. Vote 5-0
Land Use Policy 21
Councilmember Douglas moved to amend the policy to read ÒÉ the natural infiltration of water.Ó. Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe. Vote 4-1 Klein
Land Use Policy 28
Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe moved to replace the word ÒshouldÓ to ÒwillÓ. Councilmember Douglas seconded the motion. After discussion Councilmember Douglas withdrew his second. Motion died for lack of a second.
Land Use Policy 39
It was the consensus of the City Council to change the word ÒtheirÓ to ÒtheÓ. Councilmember Millsap moved to change ÒappropriateÓ to ÒapplicableÓ and ÒtheirÓ to ÒtheÓ. Seconded by Councilmember Douglas. Vote 5-0
Land Use Policy 23
Councilmember Douglas moved to amend the policy to read, ÒÉperformance standard is not significantly exacerbatedÉÓ Seconded by Councilmember Klein. Vote 5-0
Issue- Significant Remodeling of Existing Structures
Councilmember Douglas moved to strike the last sentence. Seconded by Mayor Carroll.
Vote 5-0
Issue – Open Space for Recreation
Councilmember Douglas moved for the first paragraph to read, ÒÉwhich are member-supported recreational facilities, Powder Canyon and the City Park.Ó Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Borrowe. Vote 4-1 Klein
Mayor Carroll stated the City Council would start with Land Use Policy 34 on February 19, 2004.
CONTINUED PUBLIC COMMENTS ON MATTERS ON THE AGENDA
Katie Martin, Reposado – stated she was pleased with what the Council did this evening; spoke regarding disclosure forms; material affect; scaled to the lot.
ADJOURNMENT
Councilmember Klein moved at 10:00 p.m. to adjourn this special meeting to the special meeting of February 19, 2004 at 7:30. Councilmember Millsap seconded the motion. Vote: All Ayes.
ATTEST: