CC SR 20220301 K - Zoning Code Amendment to Title 13 and Title 17
RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 03/01/2022
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA DESCRIPTION:
Consideration and possible action to initiate code amendment proceedings to Title 13
(Public Services) and Title 17 (Zoning) of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Initiate code amendment proceedings for a comprehensive update to Title 13
(Public Services) and Title 17 (Zoning) of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal
Code.
FISCAL IMPACT: The code amendments will be completed in-house by staff and will
have no fiscal impact.
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Steven Giang, Associate Planner
Octavio Silva, Deputy Director of Community Development
REVIEWED BY: Ken Rukavina, Director of Community Development
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
BACKGROUND:
In 2018, the City Council initiated the most recent comprehensive code update to the Title
17 (Zoning) of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code (RPVMC). The focus of the
update was to address outdated regulations and ambiguous text, as well as to ensure
consistency with the City’s updated General Plan and Zoning Map. Code sections
highlighted in this effort included, but were not limited to, Grading Permits, Special Use
Permits and Home Occupation. Since then, the Community Development Department
has successfully completed comprehensive updates to the City’s Sign Code and antenna
regulations. Staff has also processed periodic code amendments, on an as -needed basis,
related to accessory dwelling units, treehouse regulations and coastal sage scrub
protection.
The RPVMC is intended to be a user-friendly, fluid document that is updated regularly to
reflect current laws and trends in the community. As such, Staff continues to process
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code amendments as part of the City Council’s 2018 authorization. However, in the
administration and interpretation of the existing RPVMC, Staff has identified additional
code sections that warrant updating due to state requirements, code inconsistencies and
to foster a more concise and user-friendly document.
DISCUSSION:
Staff has outlined a list of proposed code amendments in the table below along with a
summary of the proposed text updates.
Proposed Amendments
Code Section Description
13.10 (Storm Water and Urban Runoff
Pollution Control)
Update text to address requirements set forth in
the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) Permit R4-2021-0105.
17.50 (Nonresidential Parking and
Loading Standards)
Update the applicable development standards
cited in Section 17.50 pertaining to adequate off-
street parking requirements. Re-evaluate the
parking requirements and update the code to
broaden the definition of uses and less onerous
parking requirements within non-residential
zoning districts (i.e. commercial shopping
centers).
17.56.040 (Outdoor Lightning for
Nonresidential Uses)
Update the applicable development standards
cited in Section 17.56.040(A)(4) pertaining to
fixture height to raise the height of light poles from
10 feet.
17.60 (Conditional Use Permits)
Amend text to update the Planning Commission’s
role to an advisory body to the City Council in the
processing of improvements to public (City-
owned) facilities.
Staff believes the proposed code amendments will alleviate outdated lighting and parking
development standards in non-commercial areas, allow the document to be more user-
friendly, and remedy inconsistencies with state requirements.
Next Steps
If the City Council initiates the code amendment proceedings, Staff will begin to prepare
draft code amendment text to Title 17 (Zoning) in order to present to the City’s Planning
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Commission for consideration. The Planning Commission will then forward all
recommendations on the proposed code amendments to the City Council for review and
adoption. Updates to Title 13 (Public Services) will be prepared and presented directly to
the City Council, as revisions to this section of the RPVMC are not under the purview of
the Planning Commission as they are not related to zoning. Staff anticipates completion
of these code amendments before the fall of 2022.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative s are available for the
City Council’s consideration:
1. Identify additional sections and topics to include in the comprehensive
Zoning Code update.
2. Direct Staff to take no action at this time.
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