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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes-10-07-63-Regular MeetingCITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF GENERAL PLAN STUDY MEETING COUNCIL CHAMBERS CONFERENCE ROOM MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1963 The City Council of the City of Downey held a study meeting on r--. the proposed General Plan on Monday, October 7, 1963, at 4:30 P.M., in the Council Chambers Conference Room, City Hall, Downey, California. PRESENT: Councilmen: Corbin, Skinner, Morton, Temple, Dickerson ALSO PRESENT: Oren L. King, City Manager Sherman Griselle, Director of Planning Jack E. Gilliam, Principal Planner Don Robison, Administrative Assistant Mayor Corbin opened the study meeting and called upon Mr. Griselle to summarize the General Plan program. Mr. Griselle stated that the General Plan consisted of a General Plan Map and General Plan Report and that the General Plan was prepared by the Planning Department and Gordon Whitnall, Consultant, and had been thoroughly studied by the Planning Commission. He said the Planning Com- mission held two public hearings and again thoroughly reviewed the General Plan before adopting it by resolution and transmitting it to the City Council. He stated the Council public hearing was held and concluded on August 12, 1963, and when the Council concludes its study the General Plan will be ready for adopting by resolution of the City Council. Mr. Griselle stated that all the procedures set forth in the State Planning law had been followed in preparation of the General Plan and in procedures necessary to adoption. Mayor Corbin stated that there were thirteen areas for which testimony was received at the Council public hearing concerning the General Plan Map and these would be reviewed first, followed by a review of the General Plan Report. He called upon Mr. Griselle to explain the General Plan Map and areas for which testimony was received. Mr. Griselle complied with this request, and stated each Councilman had a booklet containing the pertinent data presented at the Council General Plan public hearing and showing all the areas discussed during the public hearings and individual maps showing these areas were contained in the booklet. He explained a large map displayed upon an easel, showing the thirteen areas to be reviewed. He stated that Area #1 is bounded by Telegraph Road on the north; approximately 150' east of Tweedy Lane on the east; the rear lot lines of the properties on the north side of Birchcrest Road on the south; and the rear lot lines of the properties on the east side of Rives Avenue on the west. He said the General Plan recommends medium density residential with a parking and buffer area, and the testi- mony requested the area continued to be denoted as general commercial. There followed a discussion, and no restudy of this area was deemed necessary. Mr. Griselle stated Area #2 is bounded by Birchdale Avenue on the east; the rear lot lines of the properties on both sides of Eleventh .-. Street; and includes the large property on the southwest corner of Florence Avenue and Brookshire Avenue. He said the General Plan recom- mends that both sides of Eleventh Street remain as a low density residential area, and that the Florence Avenue frontage on the southeast corner of Brookshire and Florence be designated professional office and medical with the frontage on the north side of Lexington Road remaining as low density residential. He said the testimony requested the north side of Eleventh to be designated professional office and medical; the south side of Eleventh be designated medium density residential; the southwest corner of Brookshire and Florence to be designated in some commercial and apartment type category. There followed a discussion and a restudy of the north side of Eleventh Street was requested to determine if these lots could feasibly be shown in a parking category to serve as parking for the proposed professional office and medical uses fronting on Florence Avenue to the north of these properties in question, with no restudy being deemed nec- essary on the other properties. Mr. Griselle stated Area #3 concerns both sides of Dinwiddie and Pellet Streets, west of Old River School Road to the west City limits. He said the General Plan proposes the south side of Dinwiddie as medium density residential and the remainder of the area as low density residential. He said testimony requested the entire area to be shown as medium density residential. There followed a discussion and a restudy of the north side of Dinwiddie was requested to determine if these lots could feasibly be shown in a medium density residential category, and whether a standard 20' alley could be planned on the north side of these lots and also at the rear of the lots on the south side of Dinwiddie, and no restudy was deemed necessary on the other properties. Mr. Griselle stated Area #4 was bounded by the west city limits; the rear lot lines of the properties on the north side of Adwen Street; Old River School Road on the east; and the rear lot lines of the properties on the south side of Luxor Street. He said the General Plan proposes this area to remain low density residential as it is subdivided for and developed as a single family area. He said the testimony request was for medium density residential, There followed a discussion, and no restudy of this area was deemed necessary. Mr. Griselle stated Area #5 was bounded by Stewart and Gray Road on the north; the rear property lines of the properties west of Susan Street on the east; the proposed County golf course on the south; and the city limits on the west. He said the recommendation of the General Plan is low density residential. He said the future of the area is not certain as it contains the property the hospital was going to use and properties where zone exceptions had previously been given for professional and medical uses. He said the testimony request was for high density residential. There followed a discussion and a restudy of this area was requested to determine if medium density residential would be feasible. Mr. Griselle stated Area #6 is bounded by properties on both sides of Fifth and Sixth Streets between Birchdale Avenue and the rear lot lines of properties fronting onto Downey Avenue. He said the General Plan proposes both sides of Sixth Street to remain in a low density category, and both sides of Fifth Street to be in a medium density category. He said the testimony request was for medium density residential. He also stated that a petition objecting to medium density residential on the north side of Fifth Street between Birchdale and Brookshire had been received. 18� There followed a discussion, and no restudy of this area was deemed necessary. Mr. Griselle stated Area #7 was bounded by Firestone Boulevard; Cecilia Street (excluding the residential area on the south side of Cecilia between Chaney and Woodruff); Woodruff Avenue; and Firestone Boulevard. He said the testimony request was that the area remain in a general commercial category, and the General Plan showed the general commercial category. He said the requesters apparently were not aware that the Planning Commission had made this change to general commercial. A discussion followed and no action was deemed necessary. Mr. Griselle stated Area #8 was bounded by Firestone Boulevard on the north; by Woodruff Avenue on the east; by the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks on the south; and the west boundary was approximately 700' east of Lakewood Boulevard. He said the testimony request was that the area remain in a light industry category, and the General Plan showed the light industry category. He said the requesters apparently were not aware that the Planning Commission had made this change to light industry. A discussion followed and no action was deemed necessary. Mr. Griselle stated Area #9 was bounded by Downey Avenue on the west; Iowa Street on the north; the rear lot lines of the properties on the east side of Downey Avenue on the east; and the alley south of Texas Street on the south. He stated the General Plan proposed medium density residential, and the testimony request was for retail commercial. A discussion followed, and no restudy was deemed necessary. ^ Mr. Griselle stated Area #10 was bounded by Iowa Street on the north; Dolan Avenue on the east; the rear lot lines of the properties on the south side of Texas Street on the south; and the rear lot lines of the properties on the east side of Downey Avenue on the west. He said the General Plan proposed a medium density residential category, and the testimony request was for high density. A discussion followed, and a restudy of this area was requested to determine if a high density residential category would be feasible. Mayor Corbin declared a one -hour recess at 5:45 P.M. Mayor Corbin reconvened the meeting at 6:45 P.M. Mr. Griselle stated Area #11 was bounded by Stewart and Gray Road on the south; an existing apartment building on the west; the rear lot lines of properties on the north side of Stewart and Gray Road; the commercial development at the northwest corner of Downey Avenue and Stewart and Gray on the east. He said the General Plan proposes low density residential, and the testimony request was for medium density residential. A discussion followed, and a restudy of this area was requested to determine property lines and whether a medium density residential category would be feasible. Mr. Griselle stated Area #12 was bounded by Imperial Boulevard on the south; the rear of the properties facing Bellder on the west; the rear of the properties facing Meadow Road on the north; and approxi- mately 500' west of Lakewood Boulevard on the east. He said the General Plan proposed a medium density category, and the owners of the Blue Star Nursery requested their property remain in a general commercial category. 11-41 tS15 A discussion followed, and it was deemed feasible to show the nursery property in a general commercial category with no restudy necessary for the remainder of the area. Mr. Griselle stated Area #13 was on both sides of Imperial Boulevard and was bounded on the east by the San Gabriel Flood Control Channel; on the south by the rear lot lines of properties on the north side of Adoree Street; on the west by approximately 500' east of Woodruff Avenue and by the Woodruff Junior High School; and on the north about 700' north of Imperial Highway. He said the General Plan proposes low density residential, and testimony request was for high density residential. A discussion followed and it was deemed feasible to show this area in a medium density residential category. Mayor Corbin stated that the General Plan Report would be discussed next, and called upon Mr. Griselle for any comments he had. Mr. Griselle stated there were matters in the General Plan Report which might require additional study. He said a testimony objection etas given to principle 2 on page 103. A discussion followed and a change was not deemed necessary. Mr. Griselle stated that the broad standard 2 on page 115 referred to height limits in industrial zones. A discussion followed and it was deemed necessary to change broad standard 2 to say: "No height limits shall be required." Councilman Morton stated that a definite period for review of the General Plan should be set forth. A discussion followed and it was deemed necessary to change the beginning of the last paragraph on page 2 to say: "To remain reliable, the General Plan must be reviewed every five years or less to determine modifications that may be needed. . ." Councilman Morton stated that one of the objectives of residential planning was to retain good residential areas. A discussion followed and it was deemed necessary to dhange the beginning of the last paragraph on page 57 to say: "To create and retain residential areas ." Councilman Skinner stated that Dennis the Menace Park should be added to the parks mentioned in the second full paragraph on page 86. A discussion followed and it was deemed necessary to add Dennis the Menace Park to the list of parks in the second full paragraph on page 86. Councilman Skinner requested an opinion in the future, althvt3gh..it was not a part of the General Plan proceedings, on whether or not a special zone could be adopted for public park sites and public parking lots. Mr. Griselle stated he would request such an opinion from the City Attorney. Mayor Corbin stated that another General Plan study meeting would be called in the near future, so the Council could go over the five areas recommended for restudy. He stated that any changes finally adopted by the Council must go to the Planning Commission for a report from the Commission to the Council, in conformance with State Planning Law, before the Council can adopt the General Plan by resolution. There being no further business to come before the Council the Mayor declared the meeting adjourned at 9:00 P.M. AI) City Clerk WAIIMIIW Mayor / / -J- 18iG