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d. Review of the Draft Housing Element of the General Plan The Planning Commission will also consider the Negative Declaration prepared for the project. Mr. Iserson presented the staff report, and summarized the background of the Housing Element's review and update_ He noted that the process occurred in two stages. First, the Housing Element's goals, policies, and programs as developed by the Housing Element Update Task Force were brought forward and approved by the Housing Commission, Planning Commission, and City Council with some modifications in 2002_ Staff wrote the rest of the Housing Element text, which provided a detailed analysis, information, and data on the housing and population trends of the community, as well as the technical information required by State Law. That document was submitted to the State Department of Housing and Community Development in June 2002, for its review. HCD returned the document with a letter, indicating a number of deficiencies. Staff worked closely with HCD staff to address those items, and to respond to their comment in order to create a revised Draft Housing Element. The Draft Housing Element was brought back before the Task Force, acid resubmitted to the State in November, 2002. The document was sent out to the public as well, and it is currently going through the City process. The Housing Element Update Task Force indicated a general satisfaction with the document. However, the Task Force expressed some major concerns with it in terms of addressing the City's ability to produce suf£cient housing, particularly affordable housing, and that the growth management program is a constraint to meeting the community's housing needs. The Housing G'ommission considered the Draft Element soon after, and on a tie vote, was unable to pass a motion to recommend adoption of the Housing Element_ It, too, was concerned with the major constraints that it identified, including the housing cap, the growth management program, and Measure V_ It made particular notice of the constraints in meeting the City's £air share housing needs for affordable housing. Mr. Iserson described the components of the document, and believed that the most important part of the Housing Element addressed the goals, policies, and programs with specific timelines to implement the City's housing obj actives. He noted that the "Task Force was an excellent resource, and that the members developed many useful suggestions and new policies. They looked at non-residential sites that could be considered for potential conversion to residential uses, including properties in Hacienda Business Park and in the industrial area on Busch Road_ These sites, as well as others, will be evaluated further with the upcoming Land Use Element and Circulation Element. He noted that letters had been received that express concern about the City's commitment and ability to produce housing, given the identited constraints. Staff believes that the concerns raised in the State HDC letter were satisfactorily addressed, and noted that they worked very closely with the State representative in drafting the responses and producing the revised Element_ With adoption, the City would have the tools to address the needs of the community; whether or not all the housing units are built PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES January 22, 2003 Page 15