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CC MINS 19770606 JNT • M I N UTE S RANCHO PALOS VERDES JOINT CITY COUNCIL - PLANNING COMMISSION WORK SESSION JUNE 6 , 1977 The meeting was called to order at 7 :40 p.m. by Mayor Ryan at 30942 Hawthorne Boulevard. PRESENT: SHAW, DYDA, BUERK AND MAYOR RYAN HUGHES, MC TAGGART, BACHARACH AND ROSENBERG Also present were .City Manager Leonard Wood, Director of Planning Sharon Hightower and Administrative Assistant Trish Hanelin. UNSTABLE LAND Chairman McTaggart requested policy direction from the City Council regarding whether a developer may count unstable land in the area to be held in common by the residents, even though the developer may not take density credit for it. Several Councilmembers expressed concern about requiring residents to bear the burden of unstable land. The concensus was for the Planning Commission to establish a rule and let the developers appeal to the City Council if they so desired. TIME SCHEDULE: Councilman Buerk indicated his feeling that the process for approving major projects -- such as the grading and tree trimmin g ordinances -- needs to be speeded up. He suggested. that J pro 'ects be better prepared for presentation to the Planning Commission projects and that the Commission spend less time on details and instead use their best judgment on what is and is not important in an application. Councilman i Dyda said that the Commission could not be faulted for its y concern with detail but that the real problem is one of determining priorities -- how important one project is compared with another and how many people will be impacted. g suggested Commissioner Rosenber su ested that the Planning Commission be able to refer matters directly to other committees without Council approval. After considerable discussion, it was the Council' s concensus that referrals from one committee or commission to another should continue to come through the Council for approval. Councilmen Dyda and Buerk suggested that the Commission rely more heavily on expert staff opinion. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORTS: Commissioner Bacharach expressed her opinion that EIRs are of little value to the Planning Commission because the IIproject ect is often changed substantially between the EIR and final ap-- ] P y roval by the Commission and because the EIR does not address enough issues . She suggested that the Planning Commission meet with the Environmental Committee to discuss the EIR process. yam. Councilman Buerk suggested that the Commission also meet with the Planning Director to discuss what additional information could be required in the EIR or the application. 7/1-5-1"?/44.44°--g- ROADS ON UNSTABLE LAND: Commissioner McTag a stated that the county geologist requires a stability factor of 1.5 to - or more to consider land "buildable" in terms of structures. However, the applicant's' geologist will 'allow roads to be built on lands that do not meet the stability requirements. The Planning Commission feels that the stability factor should also apply to roads. It was the Council concensus that roads should have to meet the same stability factor requirements as structures. The Commission should deny the requests and let the developer. appeal to the Council. 632(a) - PLANNING COMMISSION Commissioner McTaggart inquired as RESPONSIBILITY: to the Commission's responsibility for reviewing the City's Capital Improve- ments Program. Planning Director Hightower indicated that it is laid out as a responsibility. The City Manager agreed to provide further guidance on what is required. WORK SESSIONS PRIOR TO Commissioner Hughes suggested that the PUBLIC HEARINGS: Commission hold a work session to review major projects prior to a public hearing to identify areas where more information is needed. Planning Director Hightower cautioned that the Commission would have to be careful not to express approval or disapproval of a project prior to the public hearing. The Mayor asked her to check with the City Attorney about the amount of latitude that the Commission has in discussing projects prior to a public hearing. CITY ATTORNEY INVOLVEMENT: -Commissioner McTaggart indicated that it had been helpful to have the City Attorney present at a previous meeting and requested that the attorney be present at future meetings where delicate legal matters are involved. Councilman Buerk suggested that ordinances be sent to the attorney prior to review by the City Council rather than having the attorney at work sessions . Planning Director Hightower suggested that requests for legal opinions from the attorney be expanded to include more background .information. Commissioner McTaggart suggested that final Commission work sessions be held the same night as Council meetings so that the attorney could attend both. It was agreed that this was a good idea. Councilman Buerk also suggested that the Council and Commission not try to draft ordinances themselves, but rather put them in common language and have the City Attorney draft the legal version. POSTING AGENDAS: Commissioner Hughes suggested that copies of the complete agenda packets for Council and Commission meetings be posted in the lobby of the meeting room. It was. agreed that the agenda and reports regarding major planning items would be posted. AGENDA ORDER: Commissioner Hughes pointed out that the current procedure in presenting Commission items to the Council is to have the Commission report and then public testimony. He suggested y gg that the order be reversed so that the Commission report could be more responsive to citizen testimony. It was agreed to try the new order. STAFF/COMMISSION REPORTS: Commissioner Rosenberg pointed out that at a recent Council meeting, staff had made a recommendation to the Council that was contrary to the recommendation made by the majority of the Planning Commission. He asked if that was appropriate. It was agreed that differences of opinion are legitimate and that both points of view should be expressed to the Council. SETTING PLANNING COMMISSION Councilman Buerk inquired as to whether, PRIORITIES: when referring a new item to the Plan- ning Commission, it would be helpful for the Council to establish a suggested deadline for its completion. It was agreed that this might be tried if the Planning Director were first consulted regarding reasonableness of the date set, and if it were recognized as a target date that might not always be met. Council 632 (b) June 6, 1977 EXCUSED ABSENCES : Commissioner McTaggart requested direction as to what would be con- sidered an excused absence from a Commission meeting. Mayor Ryan indicated that notice to either staff or the Chairman before a meeting will constitute an excused absence. In emergency situations , contact may be made after the meeting and be considered by the Commission at the next meeting. TAPE RECORDINGS OF Councilman Dyda inquired as to whether MEETINGS: the City can or must keep tape recordinc of public hearings after the minutes of the meeting are approved, and what provision could be made for members of Council or Commissions who are sick and unable to attend a public hearing. The Council directed the City Manager to seek an opinion from the Attorney on whether a member absent from a hearing had to listen to the tapes in order to be allowed to vote on the issue. ADJOURNMENT: At 10 :22 p.m. , on motion of Councilman Dyda, seconded by Councilwoman Shaw, and carried, the meeting was adjourned to June 7 , 1977 at 7 : 30 p.m. / //k •R LEONARD G. WOOD, CITY CLERK & EX OFFICIO CLERK OF THE COUNCIL BY Ale lOr / AO Council 632 (c) June 6, 1977