PC Resolution 2023-019 LQ Village Apts GPA 2022-0002; SP 2022-0001; SDP 2022-0001; EA 2022-0001- Alt Housing SitesPLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION 2023 - 019
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA,
RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE
ADDITIONS TO THE CITY'S INVENTORY OF SITES IN THE
CITY'S CERTIFIED HOUSING ELEMENT TO MEET THE
STATE -MANDATED "NO NET LOSS" REQUIREMENTS IN
CONNECTION WITH THE LA QUINTA VILLAGE
APARTMENTS PROJECT, LOCATED ON THE
NORTHEAST CORNER OF WASHINGTON STREET AND
AVENUE 50
CASE NUMBERS:
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT 2022-0002
SPECIFIC PLAN 2022-0001 (SP2004-071, AMEND 2)
SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 2022-0001
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 2022-0001
APPLICANT: IRWIN PARTNERS ARCHITECTS
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of La Quinta, California, did, on
November 14, 2023, hold a duly noticed Public Hearing to consider additions to the City
of La Quinta's Inventory of Sites in the City's Certified Housing Element to meet the State -
mandated "No Net Loss" Requirements pursuant to California Government Code section
65863(e) in connection with the La Quinta Village Apartments project, consisting of 252
units (178 market -rate units and 74 moderate -income units) located on the northeast
corner of Washington Street and Avenue 50, more particularly described as:
Assessor Parcel Number: 646-070-016
WHEREAS, the project site, Assessor Parcel Number: 646-070-016 ("Project
Site") is identified on the City's inventory of sites in its Housing Element, which is part of
the City's General Plan, to accommodate 280 residential units in the very low- and low-
income categories in accordance with State Planning and Zoning Law (Gov. Code,
Section 65000 et seq.) and, specifically, the State -mandated Regional Housing
Needs Assessment (RHNA) that is part of the Housing Element Law (Gov. Code,
Section 65580 et seq.); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Housing Element Law, the City must update its
Housing Element every eight (8) years to address and incorporate a multitude of State -
mandated requirements, which are reviewed and subject to certification by the California
Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) (Gov. Code, Section
65585); and
PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION 2023-019
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT 2022-0002; SPECIFIC PLAN 2022-0001 (SP 2004-071, AMENDMENT 2);
SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 2022-0001
PROJECT: LA QUINTA VILLAGE APARTMENTS
ADOPTED: NOVEMBER 14, 2023
PAGE 2OF5
WHEREAS, if HCD certifies a Housing Element, it establishes a rebuttable
presumption in law that the Housing Element is in compliance with State law in any
action filed to challenge the validity of a Housing Element (Gov. Code, Section
65589.3); and
WHEREAS, on October 7, 2022, HCD certified the City's Housing Element for
the current planning cycle (2022-2029) as being in compliance with the Housing
Element Law; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Government Code Section 65863 (commonly referred to
as the State "No Net Loss Law"), the City must maintain adequate sites to
accommodate its remaining unmet RHNA allocation by each income category (i.e.,
very low-, low-, moderate-, and above moderate -income categories); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the No Net Loss Law, if the City were to
approve development of a parcel identified in its Housing Element's inventory of sites
with fewer units, per income category, than shown in the Housing Element, the City
must either make findings that the Housing Element's remaining sites have
sufficient capacity to accommodate the remaining unmet RHNA allocation by income
level or identify and make available sufficient sites to accommodate the remaining unmet
RHNA allocation for each income category; and
WHEREAS, the City is responsible for compliance with the No Net Loss
Law, unless a project applicant requests in his or her initial application, as submitted, a
density that would result in the remaining sites in the Housing Element not being
adequate to accommodate the jurisdiction's share of the regional housing requirements.
In that case, the City may require the project applicant to comply with the No Net Loss
Law pursuant to Government Code Section 65863(e); and
WHEREAS, the project includes 74 moderate -income units and 178 market -rate
units but does not include units in the very low- and low-income categories. Therefore,
pursuant to the No Net Loss Law, the City has required the applicant to identify
additional site(s) that could accommodate 280 very low- and low-income units,
whereby adding additional sites requires a General Plan Amendment (GPA) to add
additional site(s) to the inventory of sites in the City's Housing Element; and
WHEREAS, the applicant identified one potential site to add to the Housing
Element's inventory of sites, a 12.74 -acre property located at the northeast corner of
Washington Street and Fred Waring Drive and in a Community Commercial zone
that also has the Affordable Housing Overlay and Mixed Use Overlay, which allows for
mixed use development - both multifamily residential and commercial
development (this potential additional site is referred to as "Site 6" under the
proposed Housing Element Amendment); and
PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION 2023-019
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT 2022-0002; SPECIFIC PLAN 2022-0001 (SP 2004-071, AMENDMENT 2);
SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 2022-0001
PROJECT: LA QUINTA VILLAGE APARTMENTS
ADOPTED: NOVEMBER 14, 2023
PAGE 3 OF 5
WHEREAS, other potential sites for the development of very low- and low-income
units have been brought to the attention of the City and the applicant, which, like Site 6,
are currently not in the Housing Element's inventory of sites and may provide additional
alternate sites for HCD to consider for purposes of the applicant's requirement to comply
with the No Net Loss Law; and
WHEREAS, since the application for the Project Site had been submitted and
complete, the applicant has modified the design of the project and other development
components in response to comments from the public, Planning Commission, and City
Council, but the applicant has not modified the project to include very low- or low-income
units; and
WHEREAS, because the addition of any alternate sites currently not on the
inventory of sites is an amendment to the City's Housing Element, and HCD must
review and approve any amendment the City's Housing Element (Gov. Code,
Section 65585(a)), General Plan Amendment 2022-0002 will be subject to HCD review
and approval, and Specific Plan 2022-0001 (SP 2004-071, Amendment 2) and Site
Development Permit 2022-0001 may only be conditionally approved and will be
effective only if HCD approves General Plan Amendment 2022-0002 and the City
retains a certified Housing Element; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of La Quinta, California, did, on
November 14, 2023, consider the adding of alternate sites to the Housing Element's
inventory of sites on remand from the City Council at a duly noticed public meeting and
in accordance with Government Code section 65356, and upon hearing and considering
all testimony and arguments, the Planning Commission did recommend approval of
adding alternate sites (in addition to Site 6) to the Housing Element's inventory of sites,
to be reviewed and approved by HCD, in order for the applicant to comply with the No
Net Loss Law; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of La Quinta, California, did, on November
7, 2023, previously hold a duly noticed Public Hearing to consider adoption of a Mitigated
Negative Declaration and approval of a General Plan Amendment, Specific Plan
Amendment, and Site Development Permit, including the applicant's proposed
modifications considered on prior remand to the Planning Commission, and the City
Council did, upon hearing and considering all testimony and arguments, again continue
its public hearing until a date certain and remanded the applications to the Planning
Commission, pursuant to Government Code Section 65356, so that the
Planning Commission could report and make a recommendation on adding
alternate sites (in addition to Site 6) to the Housing Element's inventory of sites,
to be reviewed and approved by HCD, in order for the applicant to comply with the No
Net Loss Law; and
PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION 2023-019
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT 2022-0002; SPECIFIC PLAN 2022-0001 (SP 2004-071, AMENDMENT 2);
SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 2022-0001
PROJECT: LA QUINTA VILLAGE APARTMENTS
ADOPTED: NOVEMBER 14, 2023
PAGE 4OF5
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of La Quinta, California, did, on
October 10, 2023, consider the items on remand from the City Council at a duly noticed
public meeting and in accordance with Government Code section 65356, and upon
hearing and considering all testimony and arguments, the Planning Commission did
recommend approval of the applicant's proposed modifications to the project; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of La Quinta, California, did, on August 1,
2023, previously hold a duly noticed Public Hearing to consider adoption of a Mitigated
Negative Declaration and approval of a General Plan Amendment, Specific Plan
Amendment, and Site Development Permit, and upon hearing and considering all
testimony and arguments, the City Council did continue its public hearing until a date
uncertain and remanded the applications to the Planning Commission, pursuant to
Government Code Section 65356, so that the Planning Commission could report
and make a recommendation on the applicant's proposed modifications to the project,
which included reducing the number of stories of the units from three to two stories,
changing the architectural style of the buildings from Contemporary Modern to Spanish
Hacienda style, and removing garages on the north side of the site plan; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of La Quinta, California, did, on
June 27, 2023, hold a continued Public Hearing considering changes to the project as
requested and did recommend adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration; and did
not provide a recommendation for approval of the General Plan Amendment, Specific
Plan Amendment, and Site Development Permit due to less than majority vote approval;
and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of La Quinta, California, did, on
March 28, 2023, previously hold a duly noticed Public Hearing to consider said request
and continued said Public Hearing to a date certain of June 27, 2023, to give the applicant
time to address the Planning Commission's concerns regarding architectural design,
density and height of buildings, parking, and traffic; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Planning Commission of the City
of La Quinta, California, as follows:
SECTION 1. That the above recitations are true and constitute the Findings of the
Planning Commission in this case.
SECTION 2. That, pursuant to Government Code Section 65863(h), the identification of
alternate sites to comply with the No Net Loss Law is statutorily exempt from the
California Environmental Quality Act (Pub. Res. Code, Section 21000 et seq.).
SECTION 3. That the Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the Council the
approval of adding alternate sites (in addition to Site 6) to the Housing Element's inventory
PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION 2023-019
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT 2022-0002; SPECIFIC PLAN 2022-0001 (SP 2004-071, AMENDMENT 2);
SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 2022-0001
PROJECT: LA QUINTA VILLAGE APARTMENTS
ADOPTED: NOVEMBER 14, 2023
PAGE 5 OF 5
of sites, to be reviewed and approved by HCD, in order for the applicant to comply with
the No Net Loss Law, as outlined in the staff report and attachments (incorporated by
reference herein) identifying and describing said alternate sites: (1) APN 770-040-012;
(2) APN 600-030-018.
PASSED, APPROVED, and ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City of La
Quinta Planning Commission, held on November 14, 2023, by the following vote:
AYES: Commissioners Caldwell, Guerrero, Hernandez, McCune, Tyerman,
and Vice Chairperson Hassett
NOES: None
ABSENT: Chairperson Nieto
ABSTAIN: None
DOU ASSETT, Vice Chairperson
City of La Quinta, California
ATTEST:
DANNY CASTRO,' Design and Development Director
City of La Quinta, California
PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION 2023-019
ADOPTED: NOVEMBER 14, 2023
EXHIBIT A
Table II -50
Vacant Land Inventory
Map
Key
APN
Acres
Existing GP
Existing
Zoning
Projected
Density
Projected
Yield
Very Low, Low and Moderate Income Sites
1
646 -07o -o16
13.84
MHDR
RMH (AHO)
20
28o
770156007
0.23
VC
VC
14
4
2
770156010
0.39
VC
VC
14
5
77o181oog
0.36
I VC
I VC
14
5
773078005
0.11
MC/VC
MC/VC
14
1
773078006
0.11
MC/VC
MC/VC
14
1
3 (City
Owned)
773078007
0.11
MC/VC
MC/VC
14
1
773078o16
0.12
MC/VC
MC/VC
14
2
773078017
0.12
MC/VC
MC/VC
14
2
773078034
1.11
MC/VC
MC/VC
14
15
4
770040012
.6
MHDR
RMH
64
5 (City
Owned)
600030018
5.1
CG
CR(AHO)
36
18o
6
609070053
6 of 12.7
CG
CC(AHO)
20
120
7
604-032-042
1.88
MHDR
RMH
12
22
O(ned)
600-030-010
2112gf
MHDR
RMH
19
52
g
600-390-024
15.14
CG
CP/CR
18
273
60008000l
I 0.19
I MHDR
I RM
I 10
I 2
600080002
0.19
MHDR
RM
10
2
600080003
0.19
MHDR
RM
10
2
10*
600080004
0.19
MHDR
RM
10
2
600080005
0.19
MHDR
RM
10
2
600080006
0.19
MHDR
RM
10
2
600080007
0.19
MHDR
RM
10
2
600080008
0.19
MHDR
RM
10
2
60008000g
0.21
MHDR
RM
10
2
600080041
2.4
MHDR
RM
10
24
11
643-020-025
4.81
CG
CR
26
126
12*
600340050
4.46
MHDR
RM
8
36
600340051
13.01
MHDR
RM
8
104
13 (City
Owned)
600-020-057
6.42
CG
CR
18
116
Total Very Low, Low and Moderate Income Sites
1,436
*Moderate income site
Table II -50
Vacant Land Inventory
Map
Key
APN
Acres
Existing GP
Existing
Zoning
Projected
Density
Projected
Yield
Above Moderate Income
Sites
Acres
Existing GP
Existing
Zoning
Projected
Density
Projected
Yield
15
Various
40.76
LDR/OS-R
RVL/PR
3
go
16
Various
37.43
LDR
RL/PR
3
60
17
Various
29.56
LDR
RL
3
94
18
Various
20.72
LDR
RL
3
57
19
Various
33.07
LDR
RL
3
85
20
Various
28.76
LDR
RL
3
70
Total Above Moderate Sites
456
Total All Sites
....................
FRED
MiLft,AVE. 70
. ...........
Lr logIyf
96 W.
13L
12VF
4--
%
Zoning
W1
OS
O 52ndAVE.
cc
CN
M Co
ix
O
CP
3 54M AVE.
C
15 R
CT
FP
M GC
2
MC
OS
PR
20% P'c
19 Ell
M RH
RL
R M
............... MhAVE. RMH
POw
RVL
VC
62ndAVE. ------------
N
64th AVE.
UpdaEed 11.09.2023 0 0.5 1 2
City of La Quinta General Plan Ed"
L jTERRA NOVA: Inventory Map 11-25
1L. -GA WSFMCI WC La Quinta, California
152
• Millennium SARDA site, 240 units affordable to very low and low
income households on to acres, under contract in 2021, at a
density of 24 units per acre.
Indio:
• Arroyo Crossing 1 is currently under construction, and provides
184 units on 6.4 acres affordable to very low and low income
households, at a density of 29 units per acre.
• Arroyo Crossing 2, will provide 216 units affordable to very low
and low income households on 7.3 acres, at a density of 30 units
per acre. The project was approved in 2021.
In the region, projects ranging in density from 17 to 29 units per acre are
being funded and can be built to accommodate lower income
households. Therefore, the densities for larger projects, ranging from 18
to 26 units per acre, can be achieved in La Quinta.
In the past, the City has applied the Affordable Housing Overlay to
specific inventory sites which were zoned for non-residential uses. This
strategy is being modified (see Program 3.1.a) to apply to all inventory
sites, and to increase the AHO density to 30 units per acre, even though,
as demonstrates above, affordable housing projects in the region are
being built at lower densities. The 30 unit per acre density will be the
base on which density bonus provisions will be applied, as described in
Program 3.1.a. Units built using the AHO must be affordable to lower
income households, unless they are identified as moderate income sites
in Table II -5o. As provided in Program 3.1.a, the AHO will allow three
story construction (consistent with the existing High Density Residential
Zone), and shall be analyzed to assure that development standards are
sufficient to allow the 30 unit per acre density.
Site z consists of three small lots in the Village, on Desert Club Drive. The
three lots have been approved for 14 apartments which are to be
affordable to moderate income households. The three lots may be
merged by the owner, but can proceed as three lots without further City
processes. The owner has been finalizing building plans and
construction is expected in 2022. As shown in Table III -49, market rental
rates in the City are affordable to moderate income households.
Therefore, these units have been included for moderate income
households.
Site 4 is approximately 7.5 acres and is within the Medium Density
Residential (RM) zone which allows 4-8 units per acre. The city currently
has a pending application for a l00% Very Low and Low Income
153
development made up of 64 units. Site 4 is located near transit, schools
and commercial areas.
Site 5 is approximately 5.1 acres and is located along the Highway 111
commercial corridor in the Regional Commercial (CR) zone. This zone
allows for multifamily residential development and mixed use
development. The Affordable Housing Overlay is on this site as well and
allows a higher density for affordable projects. This is a City owned site
and has been analyzed in a recently adopted Mitigated Negative
Declaration for up to 18o units, resulting in 36 units per acre.
Site 6 is approximately 6 acres and would provide approximately 120
units. It is commercially designated and benefits from the Affordable
Housing Overlay. The site is within the City's Community Commercial
zoning designation, which allows for multifamily and mixed use
development. The Affordable Housing Overlay is on this site as well and
allows for higher densities for affordable projects. Site 6 is proposed at
20 units per acre, consistent with development in the region, and would
result in 120 units. The site is within a "High Resource" area, per Exhibit
II -14, and its proximity to Highway 111 and nearby schools makes it an
ideal site.
Three sites in Table II -5o are over io acres in size. Although the State
does not believe that these sites can be developed for affordable
housing, the Coachella Valley is experiencing development of lower
income projects on larger sites, including two projects in Palm Desert
described above. Nevertheless, in order to encourage the development
of affordable projects on these sites, Program 3.l.a has been added,
which provides incentives for subdivision of larger sites.
It should also be noted that Site lo, which includes multiple small lots
for 42 moderate income units, is an approved apartment project which
is being constructed on land previously owned by the City, which was
successfully sold to a private developer. The project is expected to be
constructed in the next two years. The parcels previously were
developed as single family homes, which the City bought to widen
Jefferson Street. Upon completion of the widening, the lots were
marketed to the private development community, and an apartment
project was proposed in 2019, and approved in 2020 for the site. The City
therefore has experience in the assembly of smaller lots for the
successful development of housing.
Finally, Sites 15 through 20 are provided to accommodate above
moderate income households. These sites are all located in existing
154