Redevelopment Agency Board
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
What Happened
City Council and Redevelopment Agency Board held a combined meeting over multiple hours, voting on zoning changes, affordable housing subsidies, fire codes, rental regulations, and historic preservation, while debating a contested apartment development and short-term rental oversight.
Key Decisions
REJECTED — Master Plan Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment for Mount Rose Junction (39-unit apartment project on Plumis Street) — vote count not recorded — Applicant must redesign from scratch; project would have increased density from 6 homes to 39 units with 38-foot height, exceeding overlay limits of 25 feet.
APPROVED — $60,000 building permit fee subsidy for Harvard affordable housing project (168 units at 60% of area median income) — unanimous — Brings total affordable units created through fee reduction program to 2,281.
APPROVED — Professional Services Agreement with Kaempfer Crowell for legal services — 7-0 — $450,000 over three years ($150,000 annually) from Redevelopment Agency funds for specialized redevelopment negotiations.
APPROVED — Ordinance 6726 adopting 2024 International Fire Code and 2024 Wildland Urban Interface Code — unanimous — Updates fire safety standards; appeals handled through Fire Department internal process.
APPROVED — Zoning map amendment for Orcrest Drive from LLR-1 to mixed employment zoning — unanimous — Applicant fees waived as incentive; conforms property to master plan.
REJECTED — Short-term rental licensing requirement — vote count not recorded — Council will monitor issue instead of implementing licenses that could raise rents for tenants; staff estimated program would cost $1.3–$2.3 million with 6–11 new positions.
CONTINUED — Lear Theater (First Church of Christ Scientist) property disposition — vote count not recorded — Council will hold public summit with Historic Resources Commission to discuss preservation before issuing RFP; building needs urgent stabilization (roof cracks, standing water).
CONTINUED — Ordinance 6725 (Accessory Dwelling Units) second reading — vote count not recorded — Staff will clarify whether Article 5 strikethrough was intentional before final adoption; moved forward two weeks.
APPROVED — Board/Commission appointments: Melba Czek, Jeff Bonia, Mike Ginsburg (NAB), Trenton Kelly — unanimous — Fills open positions.
Debated But Not Resolved
Mount Rose Junction density and neighborhood engagement — Residents opposed 39-unit proposal citing inadequate parking (40 spaces for 39 units), traffic (50–60 additional cars), and lack of neighborhood meetings. Councilmembers Reese, Der, Taylor, and Martinez cited procedural failures and lack of specificity. Applicant offered to continue conversations but Council voted to reject rather than defer. — Applicant may redesign or wait one year to resubmit same project.
Rental property licensing vs. registry — Pro-licensing advocates argued multiple-unit owners should pay business licenses like other businesses. Opponents (Vice Mayor, Councilmembers Reese and Anderson) cited increased housing costs passed to renters and insufficient staff resources. Staff noted implementation costs exceed fee revenue. — Mayor expressed interest in registry model as alternative; no action taken.
Lear Theater restoration process — Historical Resources Commission Chair Bradley Carlson called for transparency and HRC vetting before council action. Edward Coleman proposed Paul R. Williams Cultural Center vision. Dr. Alicia Barber opposed immediate RFP/RFQ, recommending public meeting first. — Historic Resources Commission meeting in first/second week of October; broader community summit to follow.
What to Watch
$60,000 — Building permit fee subsidy for Harvard affordable housing project — Affordable housing fee reduction program.
$450,000 — Professional Services Agreement (legal services for Redevelopment Agency) — Redevelopment Agency #1 and #2 Funds.
Mount Rose Junction redesign — Applicant may resubmit with significant changes. Watch for whether neighborhood engagement improves and height/density concerns are addressed.
Lear Theater summit and HRC process — Historic preservation direction depends on community input. Building urgently needs stabilization; funding source unclear.
ADU ordinance final reading — Staff must confirm Article 5 language was intentionally removed; decision on short-term rental prohibition prohibition still pending after strikethrough discovery.
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