The Seal Beach Planning Commission reorganized this week. The nominee for vice chair voted against himself, which was followed by a unanimous vote in favor of the other nominee.
The three new commissioners were sworn in by City Clerk Gloria Harper before the meeting began.
The new commissioners are District One’s Calvin Mingione, District Three’s Richard Coles, and District Five’s Margo Wheeler. Each was appointed by the council member for their district. (For information about the new planners, see “City Council appoints new commissioners and board members for Districts One, Three, and Five” at sunnews.org.)
With no sitting chair or vice chair, it was Community Development Director Alexa Smittle who called the meeting to order.
Smittle advised the commissioners that there was an error on the agenda that was corrected. The names of the applicants had been switched for the two agenda items. Fortunately, the names were correct in the staff reports.
The commissioners unanimously approved the agenda.
Only one person spoke during the public comment segment of the meeting. District One Councilman Joe Kalmick welcomed his new Planning Commissioner as well as the others. He wished them all a successful term. “We have a lot of very important things coming up and we wish you the best of luck,” Kalmick said.
City Clerk Harper took over the meeting to call for nominations for the planning chair.
District Two Commissioner Dominic Massetti raised his hand. “I would like to nominate Commissioner Campbell for chair,” he said.
He was referring to District Four Commissioner Patty Campbell.
District Five Commissioner Wheeler said: “I would like to nominate Richard Coles.”
Harper asked for a yes or no vote when she asked for the commissioners’ votes on the nominees. She called on each commissioner in turn and asked for a vote.
She started with Massetti, asking for his vote for or against Campbell.
District Two Commissioner Massetti said: “Yes.”
District One Commissioner Mingione said: “Yes.”
District Three Commissioner Coles said: “Yes.”
District Five Commissioner Wheeler said: “No.”
District Four Commissioner Campbell said: “Yes.”
Harper said: “OK, so we have four votes for Commissioner Campbell to be the chairperson of the Planning Commission. Congratulations.”
Planners next voted on the vice chair of the commission.
Campbell said: “I’d like to nominate Dominic Massetti.”
Wheeler said: “I’d like to nominate Richard Coles.”
Harper stared by calling for yes or no votes on the nomination of Massetti for vice chair.
She started with vice nominee Massetti. He voted: “No.”
Mingione said: “No.”
Coles said: “No.”
Harper said they had three votes “no” for Massetti, so she moved to call for votes for or against Coles.
Massetti said: “Yes.”
Mingione said: “Yes.
Coles said: “Yes.”
Wheeler said: “Yes.”
Campbell said: “Yes.”
Harper congratulated Coles.
The planners then attended to the two applications on the agenda.
Following a public hearing, the planners unanimously approved a conditional use permit for an interior remodel and the addition of a second story on 11th Street.
“Steven Sennikoff (“the applicant”) on behalf of the owner Michael Dow, filed an application for Conditional Use Permit 23-01 requesting approval to allow an interior remodel and the addition/reconstruction of a second story to an existing single-family residence that is nonconforming due to setbacks,” according to the staff report by Associate Planner Marco Cuevas Jr.
The project includes a two-bedroom accessory dwelling unit above the existing garage. “Since the proposed ADU is allowed by right, it does not require approval through this Minor Use Permit application,” Cuevas wrote.
The commission also voted unanimously to approve a minor use permit that will allow the construction a covered roof access structure that is 5 feet 6 inches above the height limit in Surfside.
According to the Cuevas report, the Seal Beach Municipal Code allows non-habitable features up to 7 feet above the height limit, provided a minor use permit is approved.
An email from Michael Gioan opposed the application. Gioan argued that “We have rules for a single reason: that they are adhered to. If the rules should be changed, let’s vote on them.” Gioan did not understand how increasing the height of a structure could qualify as a “minor use” permit. Gioan argued that the owner could easily install a skylight-based system for roof access. “This would cause no height increase and served the desired purpose,” Gioan wrote.
The commission also received and filed the minutes of the previous Planning Commission meeting. Smittle said they did not have quorum to approve the minutes.
It was a short meeting. The video of the meeting is only 39 minutes 47 seconds long. The swearing in of the commissions was not broadcast.
