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STAFF REPORT PLANNING DIVISION CITY OF DOWNEY, CALIFORNIA DATE: MAY 18, 2011 TO: PLANNING COMMISSION FROM: BRIAN SAEKI, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT KEVIN NGUYEN, ASSISTANT PLANNER
SUBJECT: 2010 GENERAL PLAN ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT CEQA Staff has reviewed the General Plan Annual Progress Report for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Upon completion of this review, staff determined that this request is categorically exempt from CEQA, pursuant to Guideline Section No. 15306 (Class 6, Information Collection). Categorical
Exemptions are projects, which have been determined not to have a significant effect on the environment and which have been exempted from the requirements of the California Environmental
Quality Act. Class 6 consists of projects which solely encompass information collecting and reporting, such as the annual report. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Planning Commission
approve and forward the 2010 General Plan Annual Progress Report to the City Council. DISCUSSION The 2010 General Plan Annual Progress Report has been prepared in compliance with California
Government Code Section 65400(a)(2), which mandates that the Planning Commission submit to the City Council, State Office of Planning and Research, and the Department of Housing and
Community Development the status of the General Plan and the progress the City has made on implementing the goals and policies of the General Plan. The report summarizes the City’s progress
with regards to implementation of the goals, policies and programs of the City’s General Plan. It also summarizes the activities of the Planning Commission and the Community Development
Department from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010. Monthly Counter Activity 2010 554 594 701 637 541 613 520 679 579 524 482 457 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 J F M A M J
J A S O N D Month Counter Visits
2010 General Plan Annual Report May 18, 2010 -Page 2 In 2010, the City saw the continuation of the downturn in the national economy. As a result, counter activity in the Planning Division
decreased by 8.12% from the previous year with 6,881 people assisted at the public counter (in 2009 there were 7,489 people assisted at the counter). During the year, the Planning Division
accepted and processed 193 Administrative and Planning Commission applications. The Planning Commission conducted 22 meetings and considered 75 items in 2010. A majority of the items
considered by the Planning Commission were Conditional Use Permits. Additionally, the Planning Commission conducted one joint workshop with the City Council. Some of the larger projects
that the Planning Commission considered in 2010 include: Zoning Code clean-up Downtown Specific Plan Downey Gateway (formerly Gourmet Café) The View Housing Project The Building
and Safety Division also saw a decrease in plan checks and permits issued during 2010. The The Building Division issued 1,976 permits (an 11% decrease from 2009). Conversely, there is
an increase in permits issued for minor repairs and improvements (i.e. electrical, re-roof, plumping, window change out), which do not require plan check process. However, the Economic
Development Division saw a productive year that included work on several key projects including the Downtown Downey Specific Plan, the first annual “Taste of Downey” event, the “Downey
Gateway” project, “The View” Housing project, development of the City’s new website, and the grand opening of Porto’s Bakery. Using State and Federal funds, the Housing Division continues
to implement a variety of programs that include housing rehabilitation, senior fixed-up improvements, housing related upgrades, and affordable housing programs. In addition, several
non-profit property owners received extensive exterior upgrades including new façades, energy efficient windows and doors, new landscaping and hardscape. A copy of the 2010 General Plan
Annual Progress Report is attached hereto for the Planning Commission’s consideration. The report is broken into three major sections, an introduction, a review of the department activities,
and a review of the General Plan policies that have been implemented in 2010. Should the Planning Commission concur with the report, Staff will forward a copy to the City Council for
adoption. H:\PLANNING\KEVIN\GP Annual Report\2010 Annual Report\Staff Report to PC.doc Permit Issued (2000-2010) 1866 2021 2281 2586 2916 3169 3171 2756 2179 2204 1976 0 500 1000 1500
2000 2500 3000 3500 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 Year Amount of Permits Issued