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Item 7_a_ was considered at this point of the meeting_ 7_ MATTERS INITIATED BY COMMISSION MEMBERS a. Residential Density Review of the 1996 General Plan de£mition and calculation of potential residential density on sites zoned Planned Unit Development (PUD~ and recommendation regarding the process to amend it_ Ms_ Stern presented the staff report and briefly explained the definition and calculation of residential density in the 1996 General Plan_ She stated that the maximum number of units allowed on properties that are zoned Planned Unit Development (PUD~ is calculated by multiplying the maximum density of the underlying General Plan land use designation by the number of "gross developable acres" in the parcel She clarifed that "gross developable acres" included all privately owned acreage within a parcel and excludes all publicly owned facilities or sites planned to be purchased by a public agency. Ms_ Stern indicated that areas prone to landslides, slope instability, or with slopes of 25 percent or greater are generally designated on the General Plan as Public Health and Safety, allowing only one single-family home o£ lots of existing record as of September 1986 and meeting City requirements for accessibility, public safety, building site, and architectural design_ Ms_ Stern noted that the 1986 General Plan Rural Density Residential de£nition specifically excluded land with slopes of 25 percent or more; however, this was not included in the 1996 General Plan definition of Rural Density Residential_ Ms_ Stern further noted the Planning Commission's concern that "gross developable acres" included property that are excessively sloped, prone to landslides, or unsuitable for development; and would like to recommend a change in the definition to exclude these areas, thereby reducing the maximum dwelling unit yield on a property. Commissioner Arkin commented that with respect to the 25 percent slope, the 1986 General Plan was more stringent than the 1996 General Plan_ Ms_ Stern stated staff is recommending that this concept be considered as part of the General Plan Update process rather than on a separate track_ With respect to Pi_7D process, Ms. Stern stated that each site is looked at individually, and both the Planning Commission and City Council have the discretion to approve the project below the maximum density allowed. She clarified, however, that recent legislation provides that if the residential holding capacity designated for a specific site in the Housing Element is reduced, the number o£units removed from such site will need to be transferred to another site_ Commissioner Blank indicated that if this methodology needs to be implemented prior to the completion of the General Plan Update, he would prefer that it be done on a macro level, looking at all the sites as an entire picture as opposed to looking at the sites one at a time_ PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES June 8, 2005 Page 8 of 15