The Seal Beach Planning Commission advised the City Council to change the city’s zoning map at the agency’s Wednesday, June 2 meeting.
“This zone change was basically to make the maps conform to zoning,” said Senior Planner Jerry Olivera.
According to the staff report by Director of Development Services Mark Persico, “The only major difference in the regulations between the current RMD (residential medium density), District 1 and the proposed RHD-20 (residential high density district) is the base density, which currently is 17.43 units per acre and is proposed to be 20 units per acre.”
The minimum lot size for the district would not change.
“Effectively only one unit per lot can be developed and with the minimum lot size of 2,500 square feet, the density within this area could not increase unless a contiguous area of at least 17,500 square feet, or at least seven continuous 2,500 square foot lots, were to be developed concurrently with new development,” Persico wrote.
The comission doesn’t have the legal authority to change the zoning map. However, the commission can make a recommendation to the City Council. The council will take up the matter at a future date.
In other business
That same night, the commission approved a minor plan review for a proposed outdoor deck over the garage of a duplex on 7th Street.
According to the staff report signed by Olivera, the property is non-conforming: it exceeds density rules, has a non-conforming front yard set back and a third story on a 25-foot wide lot—even though the third story stands below the city-wide 25-foot height limit on residences.
“Interior access to the deck will be through a new door located at the rear of the existing second floor unit,” the staff report said.
“This particular type of rooftop deck is a somewhat common feature of many properties within the Old Town area and is allowed for certain non-conforming properties through the Minor Plan Review process, if certain development standards are met,” the report said.
Staff received one letter in opposition to the project. “Our concern is noise, partying and music at night,” wrote William and Sadorus Lower.
The Lower letter compared having the rooftop deck on a neighboring home to being on stage.
The Planning Commission also approved another Minor Plan Review to add an uncovered, second-floor balcony at the front of a Seal Way duplex.
