Planning Commission Meeting Update

January 18, 2006                        Wednesday                                7:00 p.m.

CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

ROLL CALL:      Commissioners Carlyn Christianson, Alice Loh, Andrea Miller, Andrew Carter, Jason McCoy, Vice-Chair Orval Osborne, and Chairperson Michael Boswell  

Commissioner Loh was absent. 

ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA: Commissioners or staff may modify the order of items. 

PUBLIC COMMENT:  There were no public comments. 

PUBLIC HEARINGS: 

1.  Citywide.  GPA and ER 149-98;  Review of the October 2005 draft Conservation and Open Space Element of the General Plan to update and consolidate resource conservation policies, including amendments to the Conservation, Open Space, Land Use, Energy Conservation, Circulation, and Water and Wastewater Management Elements; City of San Luis Obispo, applicant. (Continued from December 14, 2005)  (Jeff Hook) 

Commissioners took public testimony and resumed their discussion from December 14, 2005 on proposed changes to the October 2005 Draft Conservation and Open Space Element (COSE) and on proposed General Plan amendments, with particular emphasis on changes to the Land Use Element.  The Commission reviewed changes to COSE made since last meeting in response to Commission direction, and began reviewing proposed amendments to the Land Use Element starting at section 6.1.2.  The Commission made several changes to ensure that open space and conservation policies in the Land Use Element were either carried forward in the new element or preserved in the existing LUE.  The Commission then reviewed the proposed amendments to the Parks and Recreation, Safety, Water and Wastewater and approved the minor amendments as recommended.  They then reviewed the proposed Open Space Element changes in detail to ensure that its policies and programs were addressed in the COSE, and made several changes accordingly.  The Commission completed its review of the October 2005 Draft COSE and proposed General Plan amendments and continued the item to the February 8, 2006 meeting for Commission action, with staff to incorporate the Commission’s changes in a final draft.

COMMENT AND DISCUSSION: 

2   Staff 

A.    Agenda Forecast 

Deputy Director Draze provided a forecast of projects expected on the February 2006 meeting agendas. 

3   Commission 

Chairperson Boswell announced that he had submitted his resignation from the Planning Commission and that this would be his last meeting.  Although his term was expiring in March, he resigned early due to professional commitments out of town that would have made attending the remaining meetings difficult.  He thanked the Council, Commission and staff and complemented them on the quality and integrity of their work; particularly the Commission’s ability to work in a positive and courteous manner. 

The Commission agreed that Commissioner Osborne would now serve as Chair and that the Commission would elect an “interim Vice-Chair” at its next meeting, both to serve until the Commission’s upcoming regular elections in April.

ADJOURN to the regular meeting of the Planning Commission scheduled for Wednesday, February 8, 2006, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber of City Hall, 990 Palm Street.