CCMIN092016 - Laserfiche WebLink

City Attorney Sodergren addressed a prior case from 2007 relative to the Scottish Rite Cathedral Association of Los Angeles versus the City of Los Angeles, and explained same That case used a very explicit prohibition against using the property for any non-Masonic activities Mayor Thorne addressed the Planning Commission's recommendations and asked regarding enforcement of restricting outdoor activities to four events per year Community Development Director Beaudin reported there is an event calendar required and staff will monitor it to ensure that only four outdoor events are held per calendar year Mayor Thorne observed the 1977 CUP did not allow activities on the north side of the building and asked why they are allowed now City Attorney Sodergren reported there were some events that happened along the way, with unintended consequences, including installation of French doors to facilitate access to the north side of the building He added the intended use was not to create an outdoor event area. It was noted the City does not permit landscaping areas anywhere unless it is part of a large project application. The north area is now being programmed, inconsistent with the original CUP In situations where there is a CUP, conditions may be modified to ensure compliance such as with the City's noise ordinance Councilmember Brown referenced private, non-commercial or lodge uses as well as accessory uses and wondered at what point accessory uses transition into primary uses City Attorney Sodergren reported the Zoning Ordinance is set up to address permissive, conditional and accessory uses This project is a conditional use but also authorizes accessory uses and City Attorney Sodergren defined "accessory uses"within the Zoning Code It is interpreted on a case-by-case basis. Councilmember Brown commented on a previous application where Council denied the ability for Little Ivy to expand in part, because of human voices impacting the nearby neighborhood and suggested considering that in determining this application City Attorney Sodergren reported there were two concerns with that case, noise and the safety of the proposed play area relative to the driveway where trucks come in Discussion followed regarding the definition of "buffer zone", the idea of separating uses from a residential neighborhood and Community Development Director Beaudin reported that the term "buffer" can be used for many different scenarios He addressed the shared parking arrangement and reported that the idea of placing parking was a way of separating the two uses He added there is an agreement between the existing church and the Masonic Center for shared parking The expectation would be that another proposed user, in the case of the sale of the property, the same agreement would be reached The next owner would be expected to apply for another Condition Use Permit with the City if they intend to intensify the use or make modifications In response to Councilmember Narum, Community Development Director Beaudin addressed the maximum occupancy of the building and Condition No 40 which is to address the outside storage units and bring them into compliance with the Code Mayor Thorne opened the public hearing Rabbi Raleigh Resnick felt that any decision made tonight should not have an impact on hundreds of residents and voters who have had no say in this matter. He hoped that an agreement will be reached I City Council Minutes Page 4 of 8 September 20,2016