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CC - PUBLIC HEARING ITEM: Introduction of an Ordinance Approving City-Initiated Annual Zoning Code Amendment (P2026-0115-ZCA) Amending Various Sections of Title 17: Zoning Code of the Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) for Clarifications, Corrections, and Updates, and Exemption from CEQA.
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Meeting Date: June 22, 2026
Contact Person/Dept: Gabriela Silva, Associate Planner
Phone Number: (310) 253-5736
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: June 10, 2026
Public Notification: (Email) Public Notifications - City Council (06/04/2026), Meetings and Agendas - City Council (06/17/2026); (Posted) City website (06/04/2026), Social Media (06/04/2026); (Published) Culver City News (06/04/2026)
Department Approval: Emily Stadnicki, Acting Planning and Development Director (06/11/2026)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council introduce an Ordinance approving City-initiated Zoning Code Amendment P2026-0115-ZCA, amending various sections of Title 17: Zoning Code of the CCMC to make the corrections, clarifications, and updates outlined in Exhibit A, 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 mailing, publishing, and posting of public notice.
2. The Mayor calls on staff for a brief staff report and the City Council poses questions to staff.
3. The Mayor seeks a motion to open the public hearing 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
As part of ongoing maintenance and implementation of the Zoning Code, staff has identified various discrepancies in the Zoning Code that require correction, clarification, and/or update to apply the Zoning Code effectively and consistently. In addition, revisions are also necessary to comply with changes to State law. The proposed Zoning Code Amendment (ZCA) is organized by topics or Zoning Code Chapters or Sections; for a complete list see Attachment 3, page 2.
Proposed changes include text to front yard paving/landscaping, retail storefront cannabis dispensaries, setback projections for equipment and architectural features, distance requirements for entrance gates/barriers at parking facilities, and definitions for floor area and porte cochere. Changes for consistency with State law include child day care centers.
Planning Commission Public Hearing and Recommendation
The proposed ZCA was presented to the Planning Commission on June 10, 2026. During the public hearing, there were no comments from the public. Following discussion and deliberation, the Planning Commission unanimously adopted Resolution No. 2026-P003 (Attachment 2) recommending to the City Council approval of the Zoning Code Amendment P2026-0115-ZCA, and exemption from CEQA pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3).
ANALYSIS
As staff implements the Zoning Code, certain clarifications and corrections surface, including through feedback from the public, internal departments, City Council, and State Law. The proposed changes reflect items identified as necessary to ensure the public has clarity on the requirements.
Among the proposed changes, is the removal of the five-year renewal requirement for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) granted to a retail storefront cannabis dispensary, to create internal consistency with Section 17.530.030 and Chapter 17.660. These sections specify that CUPs run with the land, the criteria under which a CUP shall become expired and null and void, and outlines procedures and criteria for the revocation and/or modification of a previously approved CUP by the review authority. By eliminating the renewal requirement, an unnecessary step is removed as CUPs can be reviewed at any time for compliance with conditions of approval and for any new and/or unforeseen circumstances, and revoked and/or modified as deemed appropriate per the specified criteria.
The proposed amendment also makes changes to comply with Assembly Bill (AB) 752, which requires a daycare center, when collocated with multifamily housing, to be considered a residential use of property and a use by right; and prohibits local agency from requiring a use permit and from imposing a charge, tax, or fee for a business license, equivalent instrument or permit for the privilege of operating a daycare center that is collocated with multifamily housing. Additionally, to streamline the review process for child day care centers up to 1,500 square feet (that are not collocated with multifamily residential), text is added to require an Administrative Use Permit (AUP) for those facilities, rather than a CUP. This is consistent with the use permit requirements applied to private schools (kindergarten to 12th grade).
Attachment 4 provides a detailed list of the changes and explanation of their need and effect.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
Public notification via a publication in the Culver City News, was published on June 4, 2026, and posted on the City website and distributed electronically via GovDelivery on the same date. As of the writing of this report, staff has not received any public comments.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The proposed Zoning Code Amendment has no anticipated direct fiscal impact to the City.
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), because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.
CONCLUSION
The revisions proposed will serve to improve the effective implementation and enforcement of the Zoning Code, while maintaining the public interest, health, safety, convenience and welfare, and consistency with the City's overarching goals and objectives. The proposed amendment is consistent with the General Plan and Zoning Code, and the findings are made as outlined in the proposed Ordinance (Attachment 1).
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2026-06-22_ATT1_Proposed Ordinance (including Exhibit A: Proposed Zoning Code Text Changes in "strikethrough/underline" format)
2. 2026-06-22_ATT2_Planning Commission Resolution No. 2026-P003 with Exhibit A
3. 2026-06-22_ATT3_June 10, 2026, Planning Commission Staff Report (without attachments)
4. 2026-06-22_ATT4_Summary of Proposed Zoning Code Revisions
5. 2026-06-22_ATT5_City Council Presentation
recommended action
MOTION
That the City Council:
Introduce an Ordinance approving City-initiated Zoning Code Amendment P2026-0115-ZCA, amending various sections of Title 17: Zoning Code of the CCMC to make the corrections, clarifications, and updates outlined in Exhibit A, and adopting an exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3).