2021 08 03 CC & PC Minutes Sp Joint Mtg - Housing ElementCITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 1 of 4 AUGUST 3, 2021
SPECIAL JOINT STUDY SESSION
MEETING
OF THE LA QUINTA CITY COUNCIL
AND PLANNING COMMISSION
MINUTES
TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021
CALL TO ORDER
A special joint Study Session meeting of the La Quinta City Council and La
Quinta Planning Commission was called to order at 8:03 p.m. by Mayor Evans.
This meeting provided teleconferencing accessibility pursuant to Executive
Orders N-25-20, N-29-20, N-33-20, N-35-20, N-60-20, and N-08-21 executed
by the Governor of California, in response to the state of emergency relating
to novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and enabling teleconferencing
accommodations by suspending or waiving specified provisions in the Ralph M.
Brown Act (Government Code § 54950 et seq.).
PRESENT: Councilmembers Fitzpatrick, Peña, Radi, Sanchez, Mayor Evans
ABSENT: None
PRESENT: Commissioners Caldwell, Currie, Hassett, McCune, Proctor,
Tyerman, Chairperson Nieto
ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: City Manager McMillen, City Attorney Ihrke, City Clerk
Radeva, Deputy City Clerk Romane, Design and Development Director Castro,
Planning Manager Flores, City Planning Consultant Criste; Assistant to the City
Manager Villalpando,
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Planning Commission Chairperson Nieto led the audience in the Pledge of
Allegiance.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA – None.
CONFIRMATION OF AGENDA – Confirmed.
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 2 of 4 AUGUST 3, 2021
STUDY SESSION
1. DISCUSS 6TH CYCLE HOUSING ELEMENT FOR THE 2022-2029
PLANNING PERIOD
Planning Manager Flores and City Planning Consultant Nicole Criste presented
the staff report, which is on file in the Clerk’s Office.
Council and Commissioners discussed the new Regional Housing Needs
Allocation (RHNA) targets imposed by the state for the next eight (8) year
cycle; accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as affordable housing units; anticipated
homelessness and available solutions for the Coachella Valley; consequences
of failing to hit the low-income housing targets; incorporating lessons learned
from previous RHNA cycles; cost of building affordable housing versus non-
affordable housing units; impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on building costs
such as labor and lumber; La Quinta’s low score on qualifying for tax credits
based on the low percentage of very low-income households, limited public
transit, de-concentration of jobs, schools and services; staff efforts to match
Housing Element needs to economic development efforts to attract jobs for
such families; City sites available for low-income housing projects;
“NIMBYism” can be a problem, people don’t want low-income housing next to
them; established low-income housing are very high quality, award winning
projects; the state is lessening cities’ control over subjective standards such
as requirements for a “harmonious development” or an “architecturally
compatible” development and requires decisions based more on numerical
standards; cities have more control over design quality when it has a
significant equity position in a project; certain proposed legislations include
terms that erode the R1 – single family housing zones; the Coachella Valley
has very good affordable housing developers who build quality housing; the
timeline to build affordable housing does not differ from other housing, but
the time to secure funding takes longer and is complex; and some housing
projects recently approved or in the approval pipeline will reduce the 1,500
units needed under RHNA.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA – Continued
PUBLIC SPEAKER IN-PERSON: Alena Callimanis, La Quinta – expressed
concern about the Fire Department’s medical emergency response time; and
as a former CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) teacher, asked about CPR
classes in the community.
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 3 of 4 AUGUST 3, 2021
PUBLIC COMMENT ON STUDY SESSION NO. 1
PUBLIC SPEAKER IN-PERSON: Alena Callimanis, La Quinta – noted that
developments in the approval stage such as the housing portion of Coral
Mountain Resort which is requesting that 100% of their units permit short-
term vacation rentals (STVRs) are not contributing to the affordable housing
needed in the City.
PUBLIC SPEAKER VIA TELECONFERENCE ACCESSIBILITY: Taylor Libolt
Varner, Regional Affordable Housing Planner with Lift to Rise – introduced
herself and said the housing discussion is timely regardless of the state
mandate; the lack of safe, stable, and affordable housing in the Coachella
Valley is a crisis; the housing stability collaborative housing network is
dedicated to finding solutions to this issue for the region, and outlines
strategies, including increasing investment and making targeted policy
changes to unlock more units of affordable housing; the City can assist
affordable housing developers through tiered fees, condensed approval
timelines, density increases, and direct investments; and investments in
affordable housing are important and will pay out in the future.
Council discussed La Quinta’s compliance with providing quality affordable
housing in the past and the frustration that the state pulled Redevelopment
Agency funds and is pulling local control from cities; the opportunity for the
City to invest some percentage of funding towards a project in exchange for
control of subjective standards such as “architecturally compatible” possibly
through reduced or waived fees via a development agreement; the eventual
approval of the Housing Element, and the fact that the City will be in
compliance by showing progress towards its goals; quality units being
necessary for the dignity of affordable housing residents, and surrounding
neighbors; the importance of affordable housing as a step to eventual home
ownership; the City is not responsible for housing in its Sphere of Influence;
impact of STVRs on existing housing stock; support for density bonuses in
transit-available areas; need to add ADU inventory to housing numbers in the
future; protection of existing affordable units (Seasons and Miraflores) status
until 2055; the process by which ADUs are applied to the City’s affordable
housing numbers; the requirement to pay prevailing wages if the City
contributes to a housing project; amending the La Quinta Municipal Code
(LQMC) to allow for tiny homes, container homes, prefab homes that are less
than the minimum house square footage currently in the LQMC, and
requirements to pay prevailing wages on such installations; developing land
on the affordable housing inventory map for something other than its assigned
purpose, causes the City to find replacement land and the Housing Element
would need to be updated; concerns about the numbers reported in the
Condition of Housing section for units without full kitchens or plumbing;
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 4 of 4 AUGUST 3, 2021
purpose of including data on homes that could benefit from substantial rehab
if City assistance cannot count towards RHNA numbers, housing element is
required to account for rehab of homes as well; and timeline of upcoming
housing survey.
Council directed staff to reword statements in the document related to TOT
revenues.
COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS’ ITEMS – None.
ADJOURNMENT: CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION
There being no further business, Mayor Evans to adjourn at 9:44 p.m. Motion
passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
MONIKA RADEVA, City Clerk
City of La Quinta, California