Simi Council gives nod to further consideration of zone change to allow for high density housing
By Debra Tash
There was a public hearing at the Simi Valley Council’s April 18th 2016 meeting to consider General Plan Amendment Pre-screening PR-687). Efrain Sandoval is proposing a zone change for his 0.41-acre site located at the northeast corner of Buyers Street and Shopping Lane. He purchased the lot in 2008 to expand his plumbing business. Those plans were setback by the 2008 downturn. His business has recovered and has now outgrown the lot and located elsewhere.
Sandoval wants to change the land use designation from Business Park to Residential Very High Density for a proposed Ten-unit multi-family project with one of those ten units rent restricted, an affordable housing component mandated by existing fair housing codes.
The Council has held to a long standing policy of not rezoning business or commercial land, a policy designed to bolster the local economy.
The lot is bordered by commercial businesses, high density and medium housing uses, and is in a transitional zone with single family homes nearby.
Council Member Steven Sojka wanted to know about buffering the proposed apartments from the adjacent PC’s Bar and Grille . The bar remains open until 1A.M. Staff informed the Council that it was early in the process, but that an alley would separate the uses. Sandoval owns the building where PC’s is located. He told the Council that the bar was there when he purchased the property. They are now on a month to month basis and he would like to see a restaurant replace them.
Sandoval did a Cost Benefit analysis which showed that the loss of jobs in changing the zone from business to residential would be minimal, with only five to eight jobs being possible for a lot that was less than half an acre. This makes developing a business park on the site impractical.
The Sandoval family has been in Simi Valley since 1984. They our a part of the community.
There is a 6% vacancy rate for retail in the City and a 3% vacancy for industrial.
The Council voted unanimously to let the project continue processing.
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Debra Tash is Editor-in-Chief of Citizensjournal.us, past president for Citizens Alliance for Property Rights, business executive and award-winning author, residing in Somis.
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What a shock! The City Council actuallowed a property owner to do what he wants with his own property! Only because they thought it was a good idea of course. Had they not agreed, then he can sit there with his vacant lot! They have the power to approve and deny any land use that they wish. They can choose to make any project either easy… or impossible or just denied.
Fascism is alive and well in Simi Valley!