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HomeMy Public PortalAboutMinutes - 1967/09/26 - Regular (2)1 • 1 • PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES CITY OF TEMPLE CITY SEPTEMBER 26, 1967 1. The regular meeting of the Planning Commission of the City of Temple City was called to order by Chairman Beckman at 7:35 P.M. 2. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was led by Chairman Beckman. 3 ROLL CALL: PRESENT: Commissioners: Garvin, Lawson, Millham, Oakley, Beckman. ABSENT: Commissioners: None ALSO PRESENT: City Manager Koski, City. Attorney Neher, and Planning Director Dragicevich. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Regular Meeting of September 12, 1967, Commissioner Oakley called attention to page three, first paragraph, that it should read "it was made clear by vote of the Commissioners present that a coin operated car wash ." There being no further corrections Commis- sioner Millham moved the minutes be approved as corrected, and it was seconded by Commissioner Oakley and so moved. Minutes of Regular Adjourned Meeting of September 12, 1967. There being no corrections Commissioner Garvin moved the minutes be approved and Commissioner Oakley seconded and the motion was unani- mously carried. 5 CONT'D PUBLIC HEARING: ZONE VARIANCE CASE No. 67 -232 Gulf Oil Co., Owner Jerry Zernickow and Robert Nelson, Applicants 9503 E. Las Tunas Drive, Temple City Request to conduct motorcycle sales, display and minor tune -up in a C -2 zone. Planning Director Dragicevich informed the Commission that no letter had been received from Gulf Oil Co., but that on September 26, 1967, the applicants had presented him with a letter which he read and which is on file in the Planning Department, stating that the appTi- cants were not going to pursue the zoning variance for this location because they were moving to 5663 Rosemead Boulevard, which is in the appropriate zone for conducting motorcycle sales, display and minor tune -up. Commissioner Beckman asked about refunding the fee, and Assistant City Attorney Neher stated that the Planning Commission cannot spend money, that the fee is set by ordinance, and even the City Council cannot waive portions of ordinances. Planning Director Dragicevich read Section 9204 of Zoning Ordinance which specifically states that no refund of the filing fee shall be permitted in case of withdrawal. Chairman Beckman suggested that the letter of with- drawal be accepted and, for good public relations, a letter be sent to the applicants stating the reason why a refund cannot be made, and the City Manager said this would be done. OLD BUSINESS: "Honda of Temple City" The Planning Director informed the Commission that, in addition to commercial structures, the subject property contains a residential dwelling. He stressed that, according to the information received, existing uses are classified legal non - conforming since they were in existence prior to April 8, 1964, the effective date of the City Zoning Ordinance. Commissioner Oakley asked if this residence is used as part of the operation, and was informed that it was not - it is a separate residence with a fence between it and the commercial structures. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES SEPTEMBER 26, 1967 - PAGE TWO. Commissioner Garvin stated that he felt that the information which had been gathered had been satisfactory and answered the question raised by a member of the audience at a previous meeting, and moved that the matter be closed andCommissioner Oakley seconded. it carried unanimously. Commissioner Garvin further suggested that a letter of thanks be sent to the owners and operators for their cooperation. The owners and operators were both present in the audience at the meeting and accepted the Commission's thanks stating that no letter was neces- sary. 7 COMMUNICATIONS Planning Director Dragicevich stated that the City Council passed Interim Ordinance No. 67 -251 at their regular meeting of September 19, 1967. The Planning Commission is required to set public hear- ing on this ammendment to the Zoning Ordinance. He recommended 3 that the public hearing be set for October 10, 1967 meeting. Com- missioner Garvin moved that the public hearing be set for October 10, 1967, and Commissioner Millham seconded, and it was so moved-. TIME FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISH TO SPEAK; There was no one. 9. MATTERS FROM CITY OFFICIALS:. The Planning Director stated that the new zoning ordinance was at the printers and should be ready at any time. Chairman Beckman stated he had been following the City of Los Angeles program of incorporating a citizens' committee on a master plan -for that city - citizens from all areas of the community, who were trans- ported by bus and were made aware of the problems in Los Angeles that many of them were not aware of before. He suggested recommending to the City Council a similar program for Temple City, that a citizens' committee from various areas of the community look at the problems that must be faced. The staff could prepare a list of objectives to guide the committee. There would be no expense to the city. It would bring the lay people into what is being done, and they would feel they had a voice in the community. The committee would consist of 10 to 12 people. It could prepare a report and submit it to the Planning staff, and this report could be used as a guideline of what the people want. Commissioner Oakley felt the committee, composed of people with no planning background, would be disenchanted if their ideas were not adopted, and would become resentful. Chairman Beckman felt that with a General Plan of objectives prepared by the staff this could be avoided. He stated as one objective recreational areas and parks in the City. He stated a plan of this type had been used by the Board of Education in planning goals and objectives prior to voting on the last bond issue, and it had worked very well. He had been a member of the committee at the time. Commissioner Oakley referred to the suggested work schedule for the Planning Commission, and felt that this type of thing should have been started long ago, and that the Commission would get bogged down with a program of this type now. Chairman Beckman stated that he was thinking of the Master Plan. The Planning Director stated at the time Mr,.Whitnall prepared the text and zoning for the City the citizens worked by the neighborhood,, they were informed about place and time of meetings and they parti- cipated. City Manager Koski explained that the upgrading of the General Plan does not encompass anything of the zoning map, but has to do with density and population and those subjects, but until you have a:. General Plan zoning is necessary, but fundamentally zoning is just a tool. He went on to say that a great deal could be done building understanding of this. Almost every community has a citizens' ad- visory committee. Otherwise we would be developing something no one understands. 1 1 1 • PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES SEPTEMBER 26, 1967 - PAGE THREE Chairman Beckman added that it might be something no one wants, too, The Commission is here to do what the people of the community wart, and the best way is to give a voice to them. Commissioner Oakley wanted to know how this would relate to the work schedule. City Manager Koski said there would be prepared various "pieces" of the General Plan, and this would be presented to the Committee at the City Hall. Everyone is welcome to come. And go to work on that. In the meantime other pieces would be developed and would all be put together, piecemeal, between now and next summer. First get the committee together, have two or three ses- sions to acquaint them of what we are attempting to do. Commissioner Oakley expressed concern over the fact that the Plann- ing Director already had a full workload, and no assistant. The City, Manager said the City had been recruiting for over three months and had no applicants with suitable qualifications for the job, but that this was not peculiar to Temple City, that other cities had en- countered the same difficulty in trying to hire an assistant planner. The solution may be to hire a consultant. Commissioner Garvin stated two problems: First, the Commission would have to find twelve people to represent the City; and second, if you can find 12 people interested in doing this, will they be representa- tive of the community as a whole. Chairman Beckman suggested divid- ing the City into four quadrants and selecting four people from each quadrant. The City Manager explained that the Planning Commission sits at the meeting but most of the discussion is between the Planning Director who acts as moderator, the consultant presents what they have - in graphic form - passes out statistics, charts, etc., and the citizens' committee asks questions. The Planning Commission doesn't participate a great deal in these sessions - just listens, and are in a much more flexible position to hear what people are talking about without hav-. ing to come back with an answer and defend something. Then you get down to reconciliate philosophies and design a plan. There are open meetings and closed sessions. Chairman Beckman said we were not to decide one way or another on this suggestion but to present it to the City Council to give this consideration. They would appoint the committee, set down rules and regulations. The City Manager suggested the staff come up with'a little more positive program. Commissioner Oakley suggested putting it off for a study session and a chance to program it a little, some- thing more concrete. Commissioner Garvin asked if it would be poss- ible to get a factual report from the City of Inglewood, where there had been such a program with no consultant - have a study session to talk to someone else. The City Manager said it would be good to have a report on 1) how to accomplish the General Plan and 2) the pros and cons of having a citizens' committee. The staff could get data on both of these and bring the report back to the Commission. Commissioner Garvin asked if the new Zoning Ordinance would be tabbed and was informed that it was indexed but that tabs could be provided for the Commissioners. In answer to a question by Commissioner Garvin City Manager Koski stated there had been only an occasional complaint on the parking ordinance covering campers and trailers. Chairman Beckman called attention to the southwest corner of Las Tunas and Rosemead, that there is parked there a car that looks as if it hadn't been moved for years. Commissioner Oakley recalled reporting dismantled cars on the corner property of Hallwood and Golden West, and the Planning Director stated this had been taken care of. 1 • 1 • 1 • PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES SEPTEMBER 26, 1967 - PAGE FOUR. Commissioner Garvin asked in what zone a service station with a coin operated car wash that does not require a coin, located in the rear for servicing their customers, would be, and it was deter- mined that if it were an accessory use it could be installed along with the service station in the same zone. There being no further business Commissioner Oakley moved that the meeting adjourn to the regular adjourned meeting in the North Meet- ing Room, and Commissioner Millham seconded, and it was so moved. The meeting adjourned at 8:30..