City Council to get more time to review new zoning code
The Vallejo City Council decided to give itself and the public more time to go over the proposed new zoning code after feedback from the community and members requested an extension at Tuesday night’s meeting.
“The new zoning is listed as an action item, but we want to just have this be an introduction into a ‘future deep dive,” said Gillian Hayes, interim deputy city manager. “This is not the first time
we’ve pumped the brakes and slowed down. We want to be able to listen and get some meaningful input. We are willing to be flexible and add time when necessary.”
Hayes was likely looking to quell criticism that the planning commission and city didn’t have enough outreach to spread the new zoning topics or get feedback, despite its several-year development. Many residents negatively compared the outreach process with this new code manual to that of the rewriting of the General Plan, which people felt was very inclusive, informative, communicative, and even stimulating.
Rebecca Trumper, a 12year resident of Vallejo, told the council that she “eagerly” took part in the General Plan process and was “encouraged and excited” by it, but that the new zoning code eluded her.
“Somehow amidst COVID I missed all the city announcements,” she said, adding that she is on Next Door and subscribes to city emails.
Christina Ratcliffe from the planning and development and Judy Shepard-Hall from housing and community development presented snapshots of the voluminous new code to the council.
The new code contains seven parts compared to the existing six, and has 18 new zoning districts (six are brand new, 12 are generally the same with different names or standards).
The new code extends mixed-use zoning along corridors such as Tennessee Street or Sonoma Boulevard, with the hopes of commercial entities beneath a tower of townhomes, condos, or apartments. Permitting is changing for bars, nightclubs, and other “nightlife” establishments, easing the restrictions on some and allowing extended hours. This is in an attempt to liven up Vallejo’s bar scene.
“These are all to make things easier for nightlife downtown,” said Ratcliffe.
The codes also require “quick-service food” places, tobacco stores and cannabis dispensaries to clean up debris and litter around their shops.
Parking is being augmented a bit, with spaces going from the allowed two spaces per house to just one. Commercial lots are going from four parking spaces per 1000 square feet per business to two spaces.
“Adult” businesses such as massage parlors will have to be run by a licensed massage therapist and background checks will be required of everyone who works there. Parts of Sonoma Boulevard are going to be zoned for adult use, prompting frequent contributor Anne Carr to tell the council that this will only encourage a bona fide red-light district, with prostitutes already “on the stroll” along that street.
The embattled corner of Magazine Street and Sonoma Boulevard came often on Tuesday night. Local citizens are appealing a decision by the planning commission to allow apartments in a large lot that is currently zoned mixed-use. In general, the council felt it should wait to approve the new zoning code until the appeal issue is resolved. Other people called in to express frustration at the plan, since south Vallejo is in need of a grocery store.
Caller Pat Dobson said, “past city fathers weren’t listening and now it sounds like the planning commission isn’t listening, either. Magazine and Sonoma should have a food center. Kids won’t have to go to school eating potato chips and candy bars from the liquor store.”
Other minor things raised by council members were “noisy lights” — bright signage for stores, or deed restrictions that bar certain businesses from opening up if they might compete with an existing one (Mayor Robert McConnell flat-out said he’d like to see them outlawed). The mayor also suggested mobile food trucks with fresh produce, etc. going into south Vallejo. Ratcliffe said that is actually being looked at.
The council also approved two units for the navigation center, which now has a proposed opening date of December of this year. Staff said that the center will be staffed 24 hours a day and will have dorms for women, men, and LGBTQ citizens. There will be 124 beds available, laundry and kitchen facilities, and case managers to help people connect to services.
A workforce development nonprofit presented the council will some sobering numbers, all of which stem from COVID-19’s impact. Unemployment levels in Solano County are double that of pre-pandemic unemployment, with 8.1 percent overall and 9.1 in Vallejo.
Hardest hit are people 25 to 35 years old and those with a high school diploma only. The largest job losses have been in the restaurant industry, with local government in second place. In all, there are 12,000 fewer jobs in this county than there were before the pandemic.
Homelessness is also high, being two times that of what it was during the 2008 recession.
Still another factor is that the childcare industry has been hard hit and will have to bounce back in order for people to return to work.
For more information on this topic, go to solanoemployment.org.
At the beginning of the meeting, at the urging of Councilmember Rozzana Verder-Aliga and other prominent Filipino members of the community, the mayor presented a proclamation condemning hate crimes against Asian-American and Pacific Islanders.
“It is repugnant of all good-thinking men,” he said, speaking as a veteran who has fought a war. “Be it proclaimed and strongly affirmed that our city stands united in condemning and denouncing” this hatred, and “condemns all manifestations of expressions of racism.”