Commercial Zone Changes, City Marijuana Initiative at Wednesday Meeting

Medical marijuana regulation drafted by the city and commercial zone changes will be discussed at the City Council meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Meetings are also broadcast at the same time on Channel 24 for Cox Communications customers.

Among top issues to be considered at the meeting is the commercial zoning amendment project.

The City of Imperial Beach started work for amendments in October 2009. Public workshops were held throughout the process.

In 2010 the city spent about $275,000 to compile studies and an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

On Wednesday city council will vote whether to approve amendments and the EIR.

Changes that will occur if a commercial zoning amendment plan is approved:

- 15-foot ground floor requirement

- commercial use standards that at least 60 percent of ground floor business be used for commercial activity

- standards for setbacks and stepbacks

If certain incentives are met like green building or building three-bedroom condo units, businesses can build taller or more population dense structures depending on where they are in the city.

from a panel assembled by the city to discuss economic matters earlier this month.

The California Coastal Commission will need to give amendments final approval.

This is agenda item 3.1.

City council will vote on whether or not to put its own competing ballot measure for medical marijuana dispensaries on the November ballot.

At its July 18 meeting after advocates gathered enough signatures from local voters. They also voted to put together their own competing ordinance and give voters more choices.

With the help of Councilmemebers Brian Bilbray and Ed Spriggs, city staff drafted a ballot initiative based on San Diego County’s medical marijuana regulation.

Under the city’s alternative, only one medical marijuana dispensary would be allowed to operate in Imperial Beach and only in the C-1 Palm Avenue commercial zone.

Standards for where the dispensary can be located would be based on current requirements for adult bookstores:

- 500 feet from park, playground, church or daycare;

- 600 feet from a school and;

- 200 feet from residential zones.

Unlike the Safe Access Ordinance of Imperial Beach, the city’s ordinance would not allow cultivation of marijuana on the property or smoking at the dispensary.

This is agenda item 6.3.

The public is invited to voice their opinions on the demolition of the vacant El Camino Motel. On Wednesday city council will vote to adopt a resolution that demands the two-story building and a bar be demolished within the next two months

At the end of June property owners were served with a notice from the city to get a demolition permit by July 18 when the matter was scheduled to be discussed at a city council meeting but was delayed..

The same day an inspection by city staff found portions of the building could collapse, termites, trash and toilets used as fire pits.

Since the end of June, with 12 violations, D&A Semi Annual Mortgage Fund LP will pay near $17,000 in code compliance violation fees.

According to the staff report, a day later, sheriff deputies found a man inside the building who said he was able to walk in through an open door.

A timeline of incidents at the property involving city code compliance and sheriff deputies is included in a staff report in the attached agenda packet.

Within the last five years, sheriff deputies have responded to more than 340 calls for service at the El Camino Motel.

Demolition is expected to cost between $250,000 and $400,000.

This is agenda item 5.2.

City council will also vote to approve plans to construct a crosswalk on 4^th and 5^th streets that leads to the Imperial Beach Sports Park and Recreation Center. The project will be funded through Community Development Block Grant funds.

This is agenda item 6.2.

The IB Redevelopment Agency Successor Agency will also consider matters with agenda items 7.1-7.4.

Gene and Christine Hillger will be recognized for their work with the Ocean Blue Foundation, who create and maintain dispensers with bags to pick up dog excrement.

This is agenda item 1.1.