La Palma debates zone changes and revitalization efforts

By Larry Caballero

La Palma Councilmembers at the Jul. 20 meeting considered adopting a Resolution approving a General Plan Amendment and amendments to Chapter 26 of the City Code adding provisions for the creation of a new Zoning District entitled “Planned Neighborhood Development (PND)” and changing the Land Use Designation for certain properties.
La Palma’s Economic Development Program adopted by the City Council in early 2009 included an action item to change the zoning on six key corner sites that are suitable for redevelopment. The six sites are small, generally one-half acre corner parcels located at arterial intersections.
Some are vacant while others may not represent the highest and best use of the property. Their proximity to residential parcels, their size, and the current development standards had hindered redevelopment opportunities.

The six study sites are:

• Southeast corner of Moody Street and Orangethorpe Avenue
• Northeast corner of Walker Street and Orangethorpe Avenue
• Northeast corner of Moody Street and La Palma Avenue
• Southeast corner of La Palma Avenue and Walker Street
• Southwest corner of La Palma Avenue and Valley View Street
• Northwest corner of Crescent Avenue and Walker Street

The objective of the new zoning designation is to limit undesirable uses and encourage those uses that foster quality development and optimize the City’s tax base. Further, the new zoning is proposed to provide for more flexibility in the City’s development standards that allow modern design concepts that will be an incentive for private capital investment in the community.
Civic Solutions, Inc., a land-planning firm, has been retained by the Community Development Commission to prepare the proposed zoning district designation and accompanying development design guidelines to foster redevelopment opportunities.
The addition of the new zoning designation is anticipated to preclude underproductive development and limit non-sales tax generating uses while establishing the conditions under which retail and dining uses can be encouraged.
The standards and guidelines will limit the uses to those that will fulfill the economic objectives of the General Plan. The objectives, standards and guidelines are to identify land uses desired by the community, prioritize desired uses that increase the City’s tax base, and provide incentives to encourage responsible development with desired uses.
Community outreach meetings were held earlier to solicit input and ideas from property owners, adjacent residents, and interested parties regarding the subject properties. Participants identified preferred uses that included fabric stores, pet grooming, entertainment, pizza and jewelry stores. Non-preferred uses included a car wash, liquor store, tattoo or massage parlor, palm reader and gas stations.
Alternate actions to be considered include applying PND zoning to all six of the study parcels that would ensure equitable treatment of the land owners or to apply the PND zoning to all six study parcels, but specifically grandfather multi-tenant commercial buildings until the properties redevelop or subsequently remodel. The thought process behind the latter approach is that multi-tenant commercial buildings (especially 2-stories) are not suited for retail businesses.
Community Development Director Douglas Dumhart said this approach “would merely kick the can down the street, and taking no action is also an alternative, but it would be the action of the lowest denominator, and it does nothing to foster economic development and revitalization efforts.”
Councilmembers Waldman and Charoen agreed that the latter alternatives give no incentive for businesses to remodel, but Mayor Pro-Tem Rodriguez, Councilmember Herman and Mayor Shanahan were willing to give the businesses a certain amount of time to conform.
In order to prevent development that would be inconsistent with the City’s goals before the new zoning could be written and adopted, the City Council adopted an urgency Ordinance temporarily prohibiting certain types of land uses on the six corner sites (banks or financial institutions, check cashing services, pawn shops, car washes or liquor stores). The moratorium is due to expire Oct. 15.
After much discussion at the Jul. 20 meeting, the Council agreed that the first alternative action should apply to vacant properties and asked staff to go back and bring language to the body that would consider the needs of current business owners.