2025-023 - Addendum to Transit Zoning Code Environmental Impact Report

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Analysis of the Amendments The proposed amendments to the Sections of the TZC under the topic headings of Application of Article, Organization, Application for Discretionary Approvals, and Definitions are largely to ensure internal consistency related to the more substantive changes being proposed for the TZC to address irreconcilable land use conflicts, described as follows: • Nonconforming Structures and Uses - Section 41-2002 regulates the nonconforming building, structure or use specifically within the TZC. The regulations are unique to the TZC and do not apply citywide. The regulations determine under certain circumstances when a nonconforming structure or use can rehabilitate both structural or nonstructural; or expand conditions that would allow expansion. Due to the concerns enumerated within this report related to nonconforming industrial uses within the TZC, the amendments to this section increasingly limit rehabilitation of structures to those types of improvements that address compliance with the new Section 41-2009 operational standards for nonconforming industrial uses; and disallow the expansion of any nonconforming industrial use. This Section also includes new provisions to establish a process for the discontinuance of nonconforming uses, specifically noxious uses, and the elimination of those uses or structures through an amortization hearing process. The tools that these new regulations provide are necessary to address the environmental impacts that lead to the adoption of the Moratorium, provide the framework to initiate the process to eliminate noxious industrial land uses from the TZC, and align with the adopted EJ policies of the General Plan. • The Industrial Overlay (I-OZ) Zone — Section 41-2004 created an "exception" zone for properties within the TZC that contained M1 or M2 industrial zoning, uses and structures, when the TZC was adopted in 2010. In order to be both consistent and to promulgate the General Plan land use designations within the TZC, the removal of this overlay zone is necessary. The zone currently gives deference to the property owner of these parcels with an industrial overlay to decide when and whether to redevelop their properties in a manner that would remove the industrial structure and use, replacing it with an allowable use and conforming to the design standards of the TZC. Eliminating the I-OZ Zone will cause these properties to become nonconforming as to use and structure, subjecting them to the regulations as amended and added to Section 41- 2002, including discontinuance of nonconforming use or structure though amortization. With the deletion of the entirety of the text of Section 41-2004, Section 41-2005 Application for Discretionary Approvals is renumbered as Section 41-2004. • Zones Established and Uses Permitted — Amendments to Sections 41-2006 and 41- 2007, respectively, include parallel deletion of the I-OZ Zone affecting the Regulating Plan (TZC zoning map) and the corresponding Use Standards tables regulating the land use and permit types for each of the remaining zones of the TZC. Table 2A categorizes land uses into broad subheadings for both residential and nonresidential land uses. The nonresidential land uses are further categorized into commercial- oriented versus industrial-oriented types of uses. The amendments will eliminate the Small-Scale Industry sub-category altogether, since the majority of these uses are industrial uses incompatible with residential uses. The purpose of the TZC is to promote transit-oriented mixed-use development, which pairs residential and nonresidential land uses either horizontally or vertically on a site or within a building. Compatibility of allowable land use types is critical, particularly given the history of the negative impacts from industrial uses remaining in the area and in close proximity to existing and new residential areas. Amending this Section also replaces the TZC zoning map figure to January 2025 10 Environmental Analysis Resolution No. 2025-023 Page 18 of 65