DLBA Board Voted In December To Spend $80,000 That Has Now Produced Draft Report Claiming LB Needs More Housing Than Draft LUE Calculates, Calls "Problematic" Revised Draft Land Use Maps That Reduced Some City Staff-Desired Density Increases '

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DLBA Governing Board Voted In December 2017 To Spend $80,000 That Has Now Produced Draft Report Claiming LB Needs More Housing Than City Staff's Draft LUE Calculates, Calls "Problematic" Revised Draft Land Use Maps That Reduced Proposed Density Increases

Draft report title page states prepared for Downtown Development Corporation, a separate non-profit with which Council voted Jan. 16 to enter into MOU (contract) to solicit donations, pursue grants and reimburse City for "unbudgeted budgeted programs and services" that advance unspecified "economic development goals" not limited to downtown, coordinated with written approval by city management

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(Jan. 31, 2018, 11:15 a.m.) -- After intense public opposition at some of the largest publicly attended meetings in recent Long Beach history resulted in city staff rolling-back some of proposed increased density (heights and housing uses) in parts of some draft Land Use Element maps, the governing board of LB's "Downtown Long Beach Alliance" (DLBA) voted on December 7, 2017 to spend $80,000 to enter into an agreement with Beacon Economics to conduct what DLBA minutes call a "housing study" that has now begat a bullet pointed Power Point style draft document contending that Long Beach needs more housing than city staff's draft LUE calculates, claims the LUE will leave LB with a "continuing housing crisis," calls "problematic" Jan. 18, 2018 released draft land use maps, urges public-limiting CEQA changes and commends state legislation incentivizing [in some cases mandating] local housing/land use actions in SB 35 (enacted in 2017 without City of LB opposition) and SB 827 and SB 828 (introduced Jan. 3, 2018.)

A March 6 City Council vote is now scheduled on whether to accept the draft maps as now revised, made changes or tweaks to the maps, or "receive the file" the maps (take no action on but can instruct staff on next actions) on the proposed density increase maps.

Minutes of DLBA's Dec. 7 board meeting (publicly accessible on DLBA's website and independently reported first by Joe Mello's 4th district blog) state in pertinent part:

[Scroll down for further.]

...5. PRESIDENT AND CEO REPORT -- Kraig Kojian
A. Dedicate Funds for Housing Study
Kojian -- DLBA has undertaken issues relating to housing, not just Downtown but citywide. Council has approved 26 measures regarding housing, and the Executive Committee has assumed an advocacy role to help move the actions along. DLBA and the Downtown Development Corporation (DDC) is seeking to commission Beacon Economics to provide a housing study on the potential impact and implications in a multitude of scenarios city-wide. Altoon cited that it makes sense to get ahead of an issue with meaningful and vetted data versus allowing false claims to prevail.
i. ACTION ITEM: Approve contribution in an amount not to exceed $80,000 to Long Beach Downtown Development Corporation (DDC) for the purpose of entering into an agreement with Beacon Economics to conduct a housing study. MOTION: Merlo SECOND: Burnham VOTE: Passed

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The draft document that has been produced, titled an "Economic Analysis of Future Housing Needs in the City of Long Beach-Phase I" was first reported Jan. 30, by LBREPORT.com, and states on its title page that it was "prepared for" for the "Downtown Development Corporation" (DDC), a separate non-profit entity. As reported on Jan. 30 by LBREPORT.com, the DDC's current leadership is largely shared with DLBA. Mr. Kojian is the DDC's Executive Director as well as DLBA's President/CEO.

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LBREPORT.com also noted that on Jan. 16, the City Council voted 9-0 to approve a city-management agendized item authorizing a Memorandum of Understanding (contract) with the DDC, a non-profit entity [agendizing memo text] to solicit donations, pursue grants and reimburse the city for "unbudgeted budgeted programs and services" that advance unspecified "economic development goals" coordinated with written approval by city management.

The Downtown Development Corporation is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) entity that isn't bound to any geographical boundaries. It isn't limited to downtown and it can [and we believe likely will] re-brand itself in the coming weeks or months without a downtown-centric name. Mr. Kojian has indicated to LBREPORT.com that "The exercise in developing a strategic plan for the DDC will also include reorganizing its governance structure."

The Downtown Development Corporation has previously been involved in a few contract for services with the DLBA and managed a project that included leasing land from the City that currently houses the temporary art installation known as The Loop located at the corner of Ocean Blvd. and Pine Ave. It has also worked with the DLBA on some of its economic development projects promoting business recruitment and retention, and job creation. The group was incorporated in 2011, became inactive in 2012 when the State of California dissolved the Redevelopment Agency and re-activated its status following the legal rulings delivered by the California Supreme Court upholding lower court decision to abolish RDA.

Developing.

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