Sacramento — The League of California Cities Board of Directors elected El Cerrito Council Member Gabe Quinto to serve as the organization’s 2023-24 second vice president. Quinto was installed on Sept. 22 as part of the Cal Cities Annual Conference and Expo.
“As an active member of Cal Cities since 2015, I have had the honor of being part of an organization that has helped cities in the state of California on the most critical issues of our time,” said Council Member Quinto. “I look forward to further fostering positive change for California cities through our collaborative efforts.”
When Quinto began his first term on the El Cerrito City Council in 2014, he became El Cerrito’s first Filipino-American, and first LGBTQ Council Member. Quinto has prioritized equity and diversity in El Cerrito and on all the boards he’s served on over the years.
Quinto’s extensive involvement with Cal Cities includes past presidencies on its Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, LGBTQ Caucus, and East Bay Division, as well as committee roles in Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Governance, and Environmental Policy.
“Gabe’s involvement in Cal Cities has been invaluable,” said League of California Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman. “His wealth of experience as a Council Member, Mayor, and regional leader in El Cerrito has greatly enriched our organization and I look forward to his growth as a statewide leader and contributions in the coming year.”
Quinto is active in several organizations, including Equality California and CivicWell. He also serves as a board member of A Wider Bridge.
This week, the Cal Cities Board of Directors also elected Fowler Mayor Daniel Parra to serve as president and Rancho Cucamonga Mayor Pro Tem Lynne Kennedy to serve as first vice president. Artesia Council Member Ali Sajjad Taj, who served as the 2022-23 president, became immediate past president.
Established in 1898, the League of California Cities is a nonprofit statewide association that advocates for cities with the state and federal governments and provides education and training services to elected and appointed city officials. Cal Cities’ mission is to expand and protect local control for cities through education and advocacy to enhance the quality of life for all Californians.
League of California Cities announces new board officers and directors
The board also elected six at-large directors who will serve a two-year term. These directors are:
The 2023-24 Cal Cities Board of Directors are:
Officers:
Directors:
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On Tuesday, the Brentwood City Council will attempt to salvage an application that would bring Lazy Dog Restaurant to the City of Brentwood.
Although Lazy Dog had its application of its proposed 9,089 square foot building and subdivision of the 5.29 acre parcel approved by the Planning Commission, it came with condition for approval in which is giving Lazy Dog pause and could actually kill the plan.
The main concern expressed during the August 15, 2023, meeting concerned the rooftop equipment in relation to the City’s Design Guidelines. The Design Guidelines were adopted by the City in 2006.
Organize and screen roof mounted equipment:
Brentwood City Councilmember Jovita Mendoza called for an appeal of the Lazy Dog Restaurant just 2-days after approval by the planning commission. It was learned after the vote, Lazy Dog may pull its application altogether given the conditions placed by the planning commission.
On August 21, assistant City Manager Darin Gale, he said it was believed Lazy Dog was pulling its application after the planning commission would not budge certain conditions and would be taking their project elsewhere. Mendoza pulled the item for review in an attempt to salvage the business coming to Brentwood.
Lazy Dog has submitted a sight line study (attached), demonstrating that all rooftop equipment will be hidden from the view of an average person standing 226 feet away.
Per the Staff Report:
At the August 15 meeting, the applicant stated it would not be in agreement to certain conditions of approval. Conditions 8, 11, and 13 require that all rooftop equipment be screened from view by raising the parapet height to be at least six inches above the mechanical equipment and that the applicant raise the entrance tower to keep the proportionality between the parapet wall and the tower element. Condition 12 requires that all stone pilasters have a minimum of eighteen inches of depth instead of the ten and a half inches shown on the proposed project plans.
After deliberation, the Commissioner adopted unanimously Resolution No. 23-013 (as conditioned) to approve MS 354-22. The Commission further adopted unanimously Resolution No. 23-014 to approve DR 22-011, with the addition of conditions 19, 20, and 23a (which require the applicant to enter into an agreement with CCWD and to install pet waste collection bags), and replacing condition 11 with a condition to add additional details to the windows to the satisfaction of the Director of Community
Development. The project approval includes the conditions of approval that were requested by CCWD, as well as conditions to screen all rooftop equipment with the parapet walls, in the event that the parapet wall needs to be raised then the tower element and accent wall would need to be raised in order to maintain proportionality with the parapet wall, and to add window details. These actions started the 10-day appeal period.
On August 17, 2023, Council Member Mendoza filed a timely call for review per Brentwood Municipal Code (BMC) Section 17.880.030. Per the BMC, a call for review is required to be heard before the appellate body within 45 days of being filed, unless both the applicant and appellant consent in writing to a later date. In this case, the call for review is being considered 40 days from when it was received, within the required timeframe.
Subsequent to the Planning Commission hearing and call for review, CCWD contacted staff and requested that an additional condition be added to the project that would limit vegetation species on the CCWD property to have root structures of a maximum two feet, six inches. This condition is reflected in the draft City Council resolution as condition of approval 36.
Still, staff is recommending the council adopt a resolution affirming the Planning Commissions approval with its recommendations.
According to the staff report, after the item was pulled for review, the applicant (Lazy Dog) requested the that the City Council consider a change to the conditions of approval that were adopted by the planning commission by removing certain conditions:
As noted above, conditions 8, 12, and 13 require that the parapet walls to be at least six inches above all rooftop equipment and if the parapet walls are to be raised, then the tower and accent walls shall be
raised in order to keep the proportionality between these and the parapet wall. Condition 11 was re-written by the Planning Commission requiring the applicant to add additional details to all the windows similar to the drawings that were submitted with the original application.
Instead, the applicant requests that the Council consider and adopt conditions of approval that would approve the building as proposed without having to raise the height of the parapet walls if all rooftop equipment is hidden from view. The applicant has submitted a sight line study (attached), demonstrating that all rooftop equipment will be hidden from the view of an average person standing 226 feet away. If, during construction it turns out that the rooftop equipment is visible, then the applicant would accept a condition of approval requiring that the rooftop equipment be screened with materials that are of the same design as the parapet walls. Lastly, the applicant asks that the Council remove condition 11 since the applicant contends that condition fashioned by the Planning Commission was “too vague.
The replacement condition proposed by the applicant would read:
If during construction of the building it is found by the Director of Community Development that rooftop equipment is visible from any adjacent development at street level or from any portion of the Sand Creek Road right-of-way, the applicant will develop a screening plan to be reviewed and approved by the Director of Community Development. The screening materials shall match the primary building colors and materials, be integrated into the design of the building and shall not appear to be an “added on element”, to the satisfaction of the Director of Community Development. Screening shall be installed and inspected for compliance prior to issuance of certificate of occupancy for the building.
The proposed condition is not included in the attached design review resolution as it is only a proposal from the applicant for the Council’s consideration. If the Council were to adopt this condition, then conditions 8, 12 and 13 would need to be removed from the attached design review resolution.
Brentwood City Council Meeting CITY COUNCIL/SUCCESSOR AGENCY AGENDA Zoom Webinar ID: 760 1397 0037 September 26, 2023 at 7:00 P.m. City Council Chambers 150 City Park Way Brentwood, CA 94513
Full Staff Report/Agenda — click here
Staff Report Documents:
1. DR22-011, MS354-22 Lazy Dog Restaurant, Call for Review – Community Development-2023-30.pdf
2. PREVIOUS ACTIONS.pdf
3. CC Resolution MS354-22.pdf
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