City of Gardena Land Use and Zoning Amendments
Summary
SCH Number
2023020416
Public Agency
City of Gardena
Document Title
City of Gardena Land Use and Zoning Amendments
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
2/16/2023
Document Description
The project consists of updates to the City’s land use plan, zoning code, zoning map, and adoption of a palette of colors to be used in multi-family residential projects. The primary purpose of the changes is to implement the rezoning/overlay zones required by the City’s Housing Element in accordance with a program reviewed and approved by HCD to provide for immediate implementation of the zoning to make the Inventory Sites available and approve affordable projects ministerially.
Both the land use plan and zoning, and related land use map and zoning map are amended to include new land use designations and zoning for the four overlay zones and very high residential zone that were identified in the Housing Element. Additionally, a new land use zone was created for the already developed mixed-use area of the Artesia Corridor Specific Plan area.
In addition to revising the Land Use Plan and map to include new land use designations, the Land Use Plan was also updated to reflect changed circumstances and statistical updates. Changes were also made to land use designations as to the maximum amount of density allowed so there would be correlation between the zoning and land use in accordance with what was originally intended.
In addition to amending the zoning code and zoning map to include the new zoning, additional changes to the zoning code including:
• Eliminate unit size requirements, except to retain a 400 sf minimum.
• Add new chapters for R-6, Overlay, and Artesia Mixed Use zones with development standards
• Revise chapter on Site Plan Review to modify required findings.
• Add new chapter creating ministerial design review process that will apply to affordable housing projects and 2-unit developments.
• Revise chapter on General Provisions to create objective standards and add additional provisions relating to residential design criteria that will apply to all housing development of 2 or more units. The design criteria include a color palette to be adopted by resolution.
• Eliminate the possibility of single-family homes in the R-3 zone and set a minimum density of 12 du/acre.
• Eliminate the mid-range density in the R-4 and MUO zones so that all properties in these zones with a minimum size of 0.5 acre will be allowed to develop at up to 30 units per acre.
• Reduce the minimum lot size to develop an MUO designated property with residential to 0.5 acre rather than 1 acre.
The approvals also include rescission of the Artesia Corridor Specific Plan and a change of land use and zoning designations for the 6 areas within the plan.
Contact Information
Name
Amanda Acuna
Agency Name
City of Gardena Planning Division
Job Title
Senior Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Gardena
Counties
Los Angeles
Regions
Citywide
Other Location Info
City of Gardena
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15308
Reasons for Exemption
Section 15308 provides for an exemption for projects that protect the environment. Under recent changes to state law which went into effect while the City was updating its Housing Element, if a city missed the deadline for adoption of its housing element, it will no longer be considered to have a compliant housing element until the city completes the rezoning required by the housing element. Among other penalties, failure to have a compliant housing element deprives the City to reject or condition any project that meets the affordability requirements of Government Code § 65589.5 except for very limited purposes. This leaves the City without the ability to impose standard conditions for the protection of the environment or to apply any development standards. Because the zoning must be consistent with the General Plan, it is necessary to adopt both the General Plan and zoning updates to protect the environment.
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
Section 15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
Additionally, it is clear that except for changing the land use designations, zoning and density of the Identified Sites parcel, the other changes are subject to the common sense exemption of Section 15061(b)(3).
Most of the amendments to the Land Use Plan are text amendments to provide technical updates and references including a reference to the current RTP/SCS and statistical updates. The zoning code changes also will not have impacts on the environment. The major changes include: a reorganization of references to the general provisions chapter; a rewrite of general provisions to be objective in nature; addition of the Artesia Mixed-Use chapter which covers the existing conditions that have already been developed; minimum standards and residential design criteria for development in the overlay and very high density residential zones which protect the environment; adoption of a new Design Review procedure to protect the environment; elimination of square footage size requirements for units except for a 400 sf minimum; addition of minimum conditions and submittal requirements for ministerial projects which will further protect the environment.
Other than redesignating Area 2 for Very High Density Residential, which is an inventory site and covered by the above exemption, the rescission of the Artesia Corridor Specific Plan does not create any new impacts as the Area to become 1450 Artesia Specific Plan cannot be developed until a Specific Plan is adopted. (See attached document for table).
County Clerk
Los Angeles
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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