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Proposed GP/LCP and Zoning Ordinance Changes
Threaten Mansionization Protection


A number of proposed changes to the GP/LCP and Zoning Ordinance, contained in the packages submitted to the CCC,  will have potentially disastrous effects on Morro Bay if allowed to stand.  It is essential that Morro Bay residents oppose these changes, and demand that protections that exist in the current documents be restored and strengthened.

The unacceptable changes remove important protections that currently prevent over-development that would destroy the character and charm of the town, at the expense of residents and visitors alike.  Impacts would include loss of views, solar access, and privacy, along with increased traffic and parking problems. Additional negative impacts to the environment are also possible.  Changes include:
  1. Elimination of Planned Development (PD) Zoning, which provides extra protection to sensitive areas along the water
  2. Changes to the GP/LCP, removing policies that eliminate and weaken controls over bulk, scale, density, and character of development
  3. Changes to the Zoning Ordinance that eliminate and weaken controls over bulk, scale, density, and character of development.
1. Elimination of Planned Development Zoning

The Planned Development Zone regulations, designed to give extra protection to sensitive areas near the water have been eliminated.  For example,

“A concept plan shall be submitted and approved pursuant to this Chapter prior to submittal of any new development; new use or change in use; or subdivisions of a series of two or more commonly held contiguous parcels of land, on property within a PD Overlay Zone which:

  • is publicly owned, including tidelands, or
  • in its gross or aggregate area exceeds one acre"

And

“Other provisions of this Chapter notwithstanding, a Minor Use Permit shall be required for PD Overlay Zone development involving any of the following:

      1. An increase in existing building floor area or building height, of not more than ten percent or 5,000 square feet whichever is less, and the construction of minor accessory buildings or appurtenances;
      2. Minor changes to architectural facades, or other embellishments;
      3. Minor revisions to parking layout;
      4. A change in signing programs;
      5. Revisions to site landscaping;
      6. A change in property use to add or replace an existing use with one permitted in the base zone, if associated improvements are no more intensive than previously approved uses (Ord. 263 § 1 (part), 1984)”
2. Unacceptable Changes to the General Plan/Local Coastal Plan

The following document change information  was obtained through review of the  “lined out” revision copy in the CCC submission package made available by the City, and older versions from various sources.  These changes weaken or remove provisions for controlling bulk, scale, and density.  Consider who benefits, and who loses as a result of these changes.

This material, from the current General Plan, was removed entirely:

Protection of Neighborhood Character:  One of the priorities of the Coastal Act is the protection of the character of the community and its neighborhoods.  Morro Bay recognizes the need to preserve the unique character of its varied neighborhoods, and to create a higher quality visual environment within them.  Among some of the issues that predicate the establishment of policy to preserve neighborhood character are the following

(1) New residences and new residential additions are often out of scale and character with other residences in the vicinity.

(2)  The current allowable height and bulk for residential development is not appropriate for some portions of the community.  Such buildings would in many cases block important views and conflict with the character of individual neighborhoods.


This material, from the current General Plan, was removed entirely:

"Policy LU-15.  The present human scale and leisurely,  low intensity appearance of Morro Bay should be maintained through careful regulation of building height, location and mass"

"Program LU-18.1.  The present human scale in building design and style should be encouraged in all future development and redevelopment in lieu of high-intensity or high-rise concepts" 

This material, from the current General Plan,

Character of Residential Development

The City is experiencing a gradual transformation of its residential areas where small, older structures are being replaced by new and considerably larger homes.  This places considerable emphasis on ensuring that new projects fit well with the established neighborhoods.  Policies are included in the General Plan to preserve the character of residential neighborhoods so that new residences and residential additions are consistent with the scale and character of residences in the vicinity.

Was replaced with this:

Character of Residential Development

The City is experiencing a gradual transformation of its residential areas where small, older structures are being replaced by new and considerably larger homes. This trend is likely to continue due to the continuing dramatic increase in residential land prices in Morro Bay.
This material, which appears in the "lined out" version of the General Plan that was submitted to the CCC,

Goal 4:  an aesthetically pleasing community with effective standards for the location, amount, rate, type, scale, and quality of new development

This material, which appears in the "lined out" version of the General Plan that was submitted to the CCC,

  • The relationship of the built environment to the natural environment
  • Variety of individual neighborhoods
  • The scale and character of buildings, streets, and other public spaces, and
  • Landscaping that defines and enhances public spaces and private development
Was replaced with this
  • The agricultural buffer around the town community isolating it from other urban development.
  • The Harbor, the Bay and the natural coastal environment.
  • The small town “fishing port” character.
  • The beaches, sand spit, and Morro Rock

This material, which appears in the "lined out" version of the General Plan that was submitted to the CCC,

Goal 5:  Compatible new development
Was replaced with nothing! It’s just gone!


This statement:
 “Creative uses of encroachment areas and adjoining common property boundary areas such as mutual driveway easements or zero lot line setbacks should be considered.”
Was inserted into the discussion of Small Lot Subdivisions/Density Issues on page 30 of the proposed document.


3. Unacceptable Changes to the Zoning Ordinance

Although “lip service” was paid to neighborhood character, bulk and scale in a statement that appears in section 17.06.010, Purpose, when it comes to the actual zoning regulations that were proposed, there are no changes that protect us against mansionization, and many that will make it much easier to build over-sized houses that do not fit their lots and their neighborhoods.

We include here some significant excerpts from a paper written by Dr. Robert Tefft.  The paper is titled,  “Changes to Existing Zoning Standards”, and is dated February 2, 2005.  Dr. Tefft cautions that,
“This analysis was prepared in reference to the Public Review Draft of the proposed Zoning Ordinance.  Some of the issues presented were subsequently discussed by the City Council and the Final Draft Zoning Ordinance approved and submitted to the California Coastal Commission may have been modified."

A recent check of the proposed Zoning Ordinance on the City's Web site determined that the document still reflected all of the changes in setbacks, height limits, etc., that Dr. Tefft described.  The current proposed limits are contained in table 17.06 – C, at 
http://www.morro-bay.ca.us/zone/div2.pdf 
The only difference, and it's not a big one,  is that RM has now been broken down into RM-A, and RM-B.  The reduction in the Minimum Lot Area per Unit from the current 2,175 square feet to 1,800 square feet applies to the RM-B  zone, while for RM-A, it remains at 2,175.  The same is true of the increase to a 30-foot height limit.  A look at the zoning map indicates that far more land has been zoned RM-B than RM-A

Here are excerpts from Dr. Tefft's paper, which so clearly illustrate the degree to which the proposed Zoning Ordinance weakens protections from harm due to inappropriate development.


Summary of Impacts

Dr. Tefft’s document includes this summary:

“The City has repeatedly indicated that the current revision of the Zoning Ordinance is not intended to modify the provisions of our current code, merely to consolidate and clarify existing policies. It is clear that Chapter 17.06 will make several significant changes to residential zoning throughout the City. The most important of these include:

  • A significant reduction in front yard setbacks in the proposed RS-A zone
  • A notable increase in the allowable scale and bulk of development and decrease in required separation of residences in the proposed RS-C area which lies south of Morro Bay Boulevard
  • A significant increase in allowable density of development and maximum building height in areas which are currently zoned R-3
  • A reduction in the amount of land available for visitor-serving commercial and general office development
  • A complete reversal of City policy with regard to the R3/S.3 zone.”

Detail of Some Pertinent Changes

Following are excerpts that provide more detail on changes to residential zoning:

“RS–A Zone – …in the RS-A Zone, the proposed Zoning Ordinance would decrease the required front yard setback from 20 feet to 10 feet. A minimum front setback of 20 feet would be retained for garages only”.

“RS–B Zone – …No notable changes in development standards are provided for this area. The minimum required side yard width has, however, been reduced from five feet to four, with the provision that the aggregate for both side yards be ten feet. It is unclear how this provision would be applied to corner lots.”

“RS–C Zone – …the proposed RS-C zoning designation will result in substantial changes in development standards for the north Morro Bay neighborhoods that are presently designated R-1/S.2. These will include:

  • Front yard depths will be reduced from 15 feet (including garages) to 10 feet (including garages).
  • Interior side yard widths will be reduced from 10% of lot width (maximum of five feet) to three feet.
  • Corner side yard widths will be reduced from 20% of lot width (maximum of ten feet) to six feet (ten feet for garages).”

“The changes in development that will be brought about by the new RS-C zone will be even greater for the current R-1 neighborhoods in south Morro Bay:

  • Maximum lot coverage will be increased from 45% to 50%.
  • Front yard depths will be reduced from 20 feet to 10 feet (including garages).
  • Interior side yard widths will be reduced from 10% of lot width (with a minimum of five feet and a maximum of ten feet) to three feet.
  • Corner side yard widths will be reduced from 20% of lot width (with a minimum of five feet and a maximum of ten feet) to six feet (ten feet for garages).
  • Rear yard depths will be reduced from 10% of lot width (with a minimum of six feet and a maximum of ten feet) to five feet.”

“RS–D Zone – Under the proposed Ordinance, the RS-D zoning designation is applied to the residential neighborhood which lies north of Del Mar Park and east of U. S. Highway 1. The current zoning for this area is R-1/S.1. The only modification of development proposed is an increase in allowable lot coverage from 45% to 50% on lots larger than 4,000 square feet. It is not clear how many properties within the zoning designation would be affected.”

“RM Zone –  …The proposed new RM District would include several areas that are presently zoned R-3. The largest such area is located in north Morro Bay immediately east of North Main Street and north of Sequoia Street. Another small R-3 area is situated on the east side of South Main Street, between South and Olive Streets. The primary impacts of the new RM designation on these sites would be:

  • A reduction in the Minimum Lot Area per Unit from the current 2,175 square feet to 1,800 square feet, increasing the density of development by approximately 17%, and
  • An increase in allowable building height from 25 to 30 feet.”

In summary, the proposed Zoning ordinance includes:
  • Reduced setbacks
  • Reduced front yard depths
  • Reduced rear yard depths
  • Reduced side yard widths
  • Reduced corner side yard widths
  • Increased maximum lot coverage
  • Reduced minimum lot area per unit
  • Increased allowable building height

Which stakeholders' needs and desires to these changes serve?  Certainly not those of the vast majority of Morro Bay citizen

Consider also, an excerpt from  letter found in the Zoning Ordinance submission package prepared for the CCC (emphasis, ours)

“With the stated intent to streamline and simplify Morro Bay’s Zoning Ordinance, the last Planning Commission’s Proposed Update came up with new residential zones of RS-A, RS-B, RS-C, RS-D, DR, and RM.  Is this simplification?

Worse, hidden in this new lineup is the fact that the R-3 (medium density housing) zone has been eliminated.  Property currently zoned R-3 would carry the new designation of RM which is in fact, the old R-4 (high density housing) zone.

Why do I care?  As it happens I live next to a large vacant parcel of land currently zoned R-3.  This is the old Texaco Property in North Morro Bay.  Our area is medium density, one or two story residential.  Changing the Texaco property to the new RM zone means high density, three story residential.  How would you like a 30 foot height building just 5 feet from your small patio.  That’s what’s allowable in a RM zone.

Of course the zone change would be a seven  figure windfall for Chevron Texaco. Their property zoned RM would accommodate about one third more living units and thereby be worth about one third more when they sell to a developer.

Planning stated that high density units on this site would encourage low cost housing.  That’s a pipe dream.  The land value goes up in proportion to the allowable unit count so the land cost per unit stays about the same”

We agree. and strongly recommend use of  the standard R1, R2, R2, and R4 zoning system that we have now.  The proposed new system would benefit a select few, to the detriment of the majority of Morro Bay citizens.

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