At its regular meeting Thursday, the Planning Commission considered an appeal of staff’s decision to deny a First Street business sign permit, and a proposed zoning amendment pertaining to affordable housing density requirements, among other actions.
Principal Planner Amy Million presented the staff report pertaining to the zoning amendment. The summary of the amendment states that it would bring Benicia into compliance with state law regarding the issue of affordable housing density, and create an outreach program “to ensure its successful implementation.”
Million explained that staff had considered two options, one being to make specific changes to the existing codes and the other to simply adopt the updated state requirements “by reference.” The latter option would save staff a considerable amount of time and expense, especially since state law changes so frequently, but on the other hand, applicants would in that event be required to access the state requirements separately from the city’s.
Commissioners posed several questions regarding the amendment. Commissioner Steve Young asked about the amendment’s “outreach program” language, which Million explained meant the process of making the intended change public through the city’s Planning Commission and City Council meetings. Young also asked about the timing of the request, since it pertains to a 1979 law, and asked how many applicants had used it since its inception. Million stated that staff didn’t have information regarding the number of applicants who have used it, but that staff would have that information by the time of the next meeting. Million explained that the proposal for the amendment came about as a result of a request from a developer.
Young also inquired as to monitoring and verifying of information about tenant income, rent determination and other details that would likely change with each new applicant for the affordable housing units. Staff did have some information about “median income” calculations, one part of Young’s question, stating that those are based on data from residents of the cities of Vallejo, Napa and Fairfield.
Young concluded that he felt it was important to monitor this type of information in order to be fair to all applicants and to remain in compliance with state law. “We are way behind on meeting our expectation for producing low- and moderate-income housing.”
Commissioner Trevor Macenski offered further information regarding where to find more detailed information about the state law and concurred with Commissioner Young regarding the need to address affordable housing in general, at which point Benicia Contract Attorney Kat Wellman advised the commission that any further discussion on that topic should be agendized for a future meeting.

First Street signage
On May 27, Linda Blair filed an appeal of Benicia city staff’s decision to deny a sign permit for her business at 110 East D St. Staff recommended to the Planning Commission that they consider applying a more lenient interpretation of the guidelines in the Downtown Historic Conservation Plan in order to allow the option of approving the subject permit.
Commissioners discussed the relevant guidelines, considered the intent behind the specific rules including aversion to “sign proliferation” and sign size, position and materials, etc., and ultimately voted unanimously, with Commissioner George Oakes, Sr. recusing, to approve the permit.

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