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CC - PUBLIC HEARING: Introduction of an Ordinance Approving City-Initiated Zoning Code Amendment (P2025-0229-ZCA) Amending Title 17: Zoning Code of the Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) to Implement Programs of the 2021-2029 Housing Element and Exemption from CEQA.
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Meeting Date: February 9, 2026
Contact Person/Dept.: Lauren Wrenn / Advance Planning
Troy Evangelho / Advance Planning
Phone Number: (310) 253-5766 / (310) 253-5744
Fiscal Impact: Yes [ ] No [X] General Fund: Yes [ ] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [X] No [ ]
Commission Action Required: Yes [X] No [ ]
Commission Name: Planning Commission Date: November 12, 2025
Public Notification: Culver City News (01/15/2026), (Email) Public Notifications - City Council (01/20/2026), (Posted) City website (01/20/2026), Meetings and Agendas - City Council (02/05/2026)
Department Approval: Mark Muenzer, Planning and Development Director/Interim Housing and Human Services Director (1/20/2026)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council introduce an ordinance approving City-initiated Zoning Code Amendment P2025-0229-ZCA amending various sections of Title 17: Zoning Code of the CCMC to implement programs of the 2021-2029 Housing Element and conform to State law and adopting an exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3).
PROCEDURES
1. The Mayor seeks a motion to receive and file the affidavit of publication and posting of the public hearing notice.
2. The Mayor calls on staff for a brief staff report and City Council poses questions to staff.
3. The Mayor seeks a motion to declare the public hearing open and the City Council receives public comment.
4. The Mayor seeks a motion to close the public hearing after all testimony has been presented.
5. The City Council discusses the matter and arrives at its decision.
BACKGROUND
The 2021-2029 Housing Element was adopted by City Council on August 8, 2022 and certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on October 10, 2022. In order to comply with State Housing Element law, the rezoning detailed in the Housing Element was required to be completed by October 15, 2024. The General Plan 2045 and associated Zoning Code Update were adopted by City Council on September 9, 2024 and went into effect 30 days later on October 9, 2024.
On March 14, 2025, City staff received an inquiry from HCD regarding the progress of the rezoning. City staff provided the ordinance that was adopted in September 2024. City staff then met with HCD in June 2025 to discuss the ordinance and provided responses demonstrating compliance with the required changes. Two policies set by Assembly Bill 1397 in 2017 were identified as having been not included as part of the comprehensive Zoning Code Update (ZCU) in 2024. City Staff have implemented the two policies to comply with State law and initiated the proposed amendment to codify those policies.
Planning Commission Public Hearing and Recommendation
The proposed Zoning Code Amendment was presented to the Planning Commission on November 12, 2025. Following discussion and deliberation, the Planning Commission unanimously adopted Resolution No. 2025-P014, recommending to the City Council approval of the Zoning Code Amendment P2025-0229-ZCA and exemption from CEQA pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3).
ANALYSIS
Ministerial Approval for Housing Projects with 20 Percent Affordable Housing
AB 1397 states that projects on Housing Element Adequate Sites Inventory properties that require rezoning to accommodate lower-income units are eligible for ministerial approval if the project includes a minimum 20 percent of total units affordable to lower-income (meaning low-income, very low-income, and extremely low-income) households.
Measure 4B of the 2021-2029 Housing Element extends AB 1397’s provisions for ministerial approval to all projects with a minimum 20 percent of total units affordable to lower-income households, regardless of the property’s inclusion on the Adequate Sites Inventory. The 2024 comprehensive ZCU referenced limited findings by which a project with a minimum 20 percent affordable units could be denied but did not explicitly name such projects as being eligible for ministerial approval.
Minimum 50% Residential Requirement for Sites Inventory Properties
Additionally, AB 1397 requires that mixed use projects on Adequate Sites Inventory properties that are anticipated to provide lower-income units include a minimum 50 percent of total floor area as residential use. There are 47 properties on the Sites Inventory that are anticipated to provide lower-income units in the Mixed Use Corridor 2 (MU-2), Mixed Use Industrial (MU-I), Mixed Use Medium (MU-MD), and Mixed Use High (MU-HD) zones. A majority of mixed use projects on the current Development Pipeline Report meet this requirement regardless of their inclusion on the Adequate Sites Inventory, and the current market trend also supports majority-residential mixed use development.
City staff have implemented these two policies to comply with State law, and the proposed Zoning Code Amendment serves to incorporate the policies into the Zoning Code.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
Public notification via a publication in the Culver City News, was published on January 15, 2026, and posted on the City website and distributed electronically via GovDelivery on January 20, 2026 for the meeting of February 9, 2026. As of the writing of this report, staff has not received any comments.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, the adoption of the proposed Zoning Code Amendment, is exempt per Section 15061(b)(3), common sense exemption, because it can be seen with certainty there is no possibility the Amendment will have a significant effect on the environment. The Amendment proposes revisions to implement the 2021-2029 Housing Element and align with State law. The changes do not result in changes to existing land use, density, or an intensification of development beyond what the Zoning Code currently allows.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The proposed Zoning Code Amendment has no anticipated fiscal impact to the City.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2026-02-09_ATT1_Proposed City Council Ordinance (including Exhibit A: Proposed Zoning Code Text Changes in “strikethrough/underline” format)
2. 2026-02-09_ATT2_Planning Commission Resolution No. 2025-P014 with Exhibit A
3. 2026-02-09_ATT3_November 12, 2025 Planning Commission Staff Report (without attachments)
recommended action
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
Introduce an ordinance approving City-initiated Zoning Code Amendment P2025-0229-ZCA amending various sections of Title 17: Zoning Code of the CCMC to implement programs of the 2021-2029 Housing Element and conform to State law, and adopting an exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3).