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Home My WebLink AboutCC 2025-01-14_10b Amendments to AGMC Regarding ARC F PRROYO ° C11 '1 tN CORPORATED -5 * JULY 10, 1911 * C44IFORJ MEMORANDUM TO: City Council FROM: Brian Pedrotti, Director of Community Development BY: Andrew Perez, Planning Manager SUBJECT: Amendments to Title 2 of the Arroyo Grande Municipal Code Regarding the Architectural Review Committee DATE: January 14, 2025 RECOMMENDATION: 1) Introduce an Ordinance amending Section 2.19.070 of the Arroyo Grande Municipal Code relating to the Architectural Review Committee; and 2) Find that the Ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines section 15060, subd. (c)(2); 15061(b)(3)). IMPACT ON FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES: No financial impact is projected. BACKGROUND: Arroyo Grande Municipal Code (AGMC) Section 2.19.070 establishes the rules, functions, and responsibilities of the City's Architectural Review Committee (ARC). The proposed Ordinance amendments would change the location and specify the timing of the regular meetings of the ARC. ANALYSIS OF ISSUES: The proposed Ordinance would relocate the regular meetings of the ARC from the City Hall Conference Room to the City Council Chamber. It would also specify that meetings occur on the first and third Mondays of each month. AGMC Section 2.19.070 currently states: The committee shall hold at least one regular meeting each month, during a time established in its bylaws; additional meetings may be scheduled as needed. All the committee meetings shall be held in public at city hall, unless otherwise noticed. Item 10.b. Page 184 of 190 City Council Amendments to Title 2 of the Arroyo Grande Municipal Code Regarding the Architectural Review Committee January 14, 2025 Page 2 The proposed changes to this Municipal Code section are provided below with changes indicated by strikethrough and underlined text: The committee shall hold at least one regular meeting each month, Regular meetings of the architectural review committee shall be held the first and third Mondays of each month at the City Council Chamber located at 215 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande, during a time established in its bylaws; additional meetings may be scheduled as needed. All the committee meetings shall be held in public at city hall, unlcss otherwise noticed. Relocation of regular meetings to the Council Chamber from the conference room at City Hall makes these meetings more accessible for the public and applicants. Meeting at the Council Chambers also provides much more seating for attendees, which is quite limited in the conference room. ALTERNATIVES: The following alternatives are provided for the Council's consideration: 1. Introduce the Ordinance amendments; or 2. Modify as necessary and introduce the Ordinance; or 3. Provide other direction to staff. ADVANTAGES: Relocating the regular meetings of the ARC increases accessibility and transparency to the development review process. DISADVANTAGES: The Council Chamber can be used by other City users at varying times of the year, which may create scheduling conflicts. However, in the event of a conflict, the timing and location of ARC meetings can be changed with appropriate notice, as allowed by the Brown Act. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The proposed Ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines sections 15060(c)(2) and 15061(b)(3) because it will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable physical change in the environment; and the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. The code amendments would only establish a new location for regular meetings of the ARC, which is not an authorization for any development or construction. Thus, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Item 10.b. Page 185 of 190 City Council Amendments to Title 2 of the Arroyo Grande Municipal Code Regarding the Architectural Review Committee January 14, 2025 Page 3 PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENTS: The Agenda was posted at City Hall and on the City's website in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2. A public hearing notice was published in the New Times on January 2, 2025. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Proposed Ordinance Item 10.b. Page 186 of 190 ATTACHMENT 1 ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE AMENDING SECTION 2.19.070 OF THE ARROYO GRANDE MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND FINDING THE ORDINANCE EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT WHEREAS, on October 28, 2003, the City Council adopted Ordinance 547 establishing Section 2.19.070 of the Arroyo Grande Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, AGMC Section 2.19.070 establishes that regular meetings of the ARC shall be held at City Hall; and WHEREAS, this ordinance amends AGMC Section 2.19.070 to change the location of the regular meetings of the ARC to Council Chambers, located at 215 E. Branch Street; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Arroyo Grande, at its regularly scheduled public meeting on January 14, 2025 introduced this Ordinance to amend Section 2.19.070; and WHEREAS, on January 14, 2025, the City Council conducted a duly noticed public hearing to consider the ordinance, including: (1) the public testimony and agenda reports prepared in connection with the ordinance; and (2) the policy considerations discussed therein; and WHEREAS, all legal prerequisites to the adoption of the ordinance have occurred. NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Incorporation. The above recitals are true and correct and are incorporated herein by this reference. SECTION 2. Environmental. The City Council finds that this ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines sections 15060(c)(2) and 15061(b)(3) because it will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable physical change in the environment; and the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. The code amendments would only establish a new location for regular meetings of the ARC, which is not an authorization for any development or construction. Thus, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Page 187 of 190 ORDINANCE NO. PAGE 2 SECTION 3. Code Amendment. Section 2.19.070 is hereby amended, to read in its entirety as follows: "2.19.070 — Meetings Regular meetings of the architectural review committee shall be held the first and third Mondays of each month at the City Council Chamber located at 215 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande, during a time established in its bylaws; additional meetings may be scheduled as needed." SECTION 4. Publication. A summary of this ordinance shall be published in a newspaper published and circulated in the City of Arroyo Grande at least five days prior to the City Council meeting at which the proposed ordinance is to be adopted. A certified copy of the full text of the proposed ordinance shall be posted in the office of the City Clerk. Within 15 days after adoption of the ordinance, the summary with the names of those City Council members voting for and against the ordinance shall be published again, and the City Clerk shall post a certified copy of the full text of such adopted ordinance. SECTION 5. Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective 30 days after adoption. SECTION 6. Severability. Should any provision of this ordinance, or its application to any person or circumstance, be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unlawful, unenforceable or otherwise void, that determination shall have no effect on any other provision of this ordinance or the application of this ordinance to any other person or circumstance, and, to that end, the provisions hereof are severable. The City Council declares that it would have adopted all the provisions of this ordinance that remain valid if any provisions of this ordinance are declared invalid. SECTION 7. Records. The documents and materials associated with this ordinance that constitute the record of proceedings on which the City Council's findings and determinations are based are located at 300 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420. The City Clerk is the custodian of the record of proceedings. On motion by Council Member , seconded by Council Member , and by the following roll call vote to wit: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: the foregoing Ordinance was adopted this day of , 2025 Page 188 of 190 ORDINANCE NO. PAGE 3 CAREN RAY RUSSOM, MAYOR ATTEST: JESSICA MATSON, CITY CLERK APPROVED AS TO CONTENT: MATTHEW DOWNING, CITY MANAGER APPROVED AS TO FORM: ISAAC ROSEN, CITY ATTORNEY Page 189 of 190