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P25-0192, Industrial Zoning Text Amendments Planning Commission <br />4 of 14 <br />o Whether certain non-IBBs should be permitted in the I and O Districts. <br />Specifically, should uses such as educational facilities, personal services, and <br />hotels be allowed if an IBB is not part of the proposed project? <br />• A map of Hacienda’s PUD Area Districts and their requisite definitions/types of <br />uses. <br /> <br />Staff’s responses to the Planning Commission’s topics/questions above are addressed in the <br />subsequent sections of this agenda report. <br /> <br />DISCUSSION <br />Assessment of existing City Zoning <br />Planning Division and Economic Development Division staff collectively worked with an expert <br />consultant in the life sciences industry – the Alex Greenwood Group – to assess the current <br />zoning and develop recommended PMC amendments to allow the City’s zoning to better <br />accommodate the unique site requirements for biotechnology and other target industries. The <br />analysis included the following: <br /> <br />• Assessment of current industrial zoning to identify opportunities to improve clarity, <br />certainty, and efficiency in reviewing new biotechnology and other IBBs. <br />• Compare the City’s existing zoning site requirements to the current market realities and <br />common site requirements for various high-value industrial sectors and identify places <br />where the City’s zoning may pose unintended bureaucratic obstacles . <br />• Feedback and insights from key Pleasanton business and community leaders. <br />• Compare Pleasanton’s zoning regulations to other cities that have been successful in <br />attracting biotechnology and other IBBs. <br /> <br />This analysis led to several key findings about Pleasanton’s industrial zoning: <br /> <br />1. The existing use definitions do not include (or make allowance for) the more modern, <br />innovation-based industrial uses leading industrial growth in the Bay Area. <br />2. Some of the existing industrial zones require a discretionary Conditional Use Permit <br />for types of low-impact industrial uses that should ideally be permitted outright. <br />3. Some industrial zones have unnecessary restrictions on complementary uses that <br />could be beneficial when co-located with innovation-based industrial uses, such as <br />hotels. <br />4. Pleasanton’s extensive use of Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) can obscure the <br />actual zoning requirements and make it difficult for prospective businesses to quickly <br />identify and assess appropriately zoned sites. <br />5. Pleasanton lacks a clear, transparent, interactive GIS service hosted on its website, <br />where prospective businesses can efficiently research the zoning requirements of <br />various parcels within the city. <br />6. Development standards (e.g., height limit, setbacks, parking, etc.) need to be <br />updated in several places to reflect market realities and current industry site <br />requirements while providing reasonable parameters for new development. <br />7. There are several areas in the existing Chapter 18 Zoning of the PMC where the <br />Design Review process is triggered unnecessarily. <br />8. All the issues listed above create inefficiencies that can add months of time to the <br />entitlement and permit approval process. <br />Page 69 of 674