See Details Of City Staff's Planned Format For Upcoming Community Meetings (It Calls "Workshops") re Proposed Land Use Element Changes '

' See Details Of City Staff's Planned Format For Upcoming Community Meetings (It Calls "Workshops") re Proposed Land Use Element Changes '

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See Details Of City Staff's Planned Format For Upcoming Community Meetings (It Calls "Workshops") re Proposed Land Use Element Changes

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(Sept 27, 2017, 4:50 p.m.) -- LB Development Services spokesperson Kevin Lee provides details on the format city staff intends to use at its upcoming community meetings (it calls "workshops") regarding staff-proposed changes to LB's Land Use Element

City staff scheduled the community meetings after nearly thirty people testified at LB's Aug. 17 Planning Commission meeting in opposition to city staff proposed increased density maps, with some alleging a general lack of prior public outreach. The Planning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend sending the maps back to staff for additional public input, but staff indicated that it planned to send the maps to the Council on Oct. 3 (for a Council item it said was already agendized.) Public pushback prompted Mayor Robert Garcia (the next day) to ask city staff to seek additional public input, bring the maps back to the Planning Commission for its recommendations and only then send them to the decision-making City Council.

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[LBDS spokesperson Kevin Lee text] The General Plan workshops will all be set up with several workshop stations. Stations will have themes -- everything from "General Plan Basics" to "Placetypes" and "Housing Needs" to "Sustainability," and more.
At each station there will be City Staff/representatives to engage in dialogue and answer questions. There will also be Staff available beyond the stations to discuss anything related to the General Plan. Staff will be taking note of the comments and discussions, and there will be surveys and comment cards also available. The one-on-one style of workshops and pop-ups have been useful as it allows for those who don't like to address a large group of people the chance to be involved and have their comments heard.
Throughout the workshops there will be large boards/signs identifying the different workshop station topics, and there will also be large land use maps. This way if people have questions about a specific area or street, the maps can help guide those conversations.
The City is looking forward to engaging with as many residents and business owners as possible, so that together, we can make the General Plan even better. Each workshop is two hours long, and people can come and go as they please within those two-hour time blocks. There will be no presentations, so people have the flexibility to show up when they want and leave when they want, while getting the information they need and asking the questions that are important to them regarding specific elements of the General Plan.

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The "station" format differs from traditional "Town Hall" style meetings where members of the public can speak and be heard by the meeting audience (and by reporters), advocate their positions publicly, raise issues that some may not have considered and potentially influence the views of others. And with a "station" format, there's no public record and no public oversight of what city staff verbally tells residents in response to questions.

The City, via hired consultants, has previously used the "station" format on at least two polarizing issues: Rezoning a portion of SE LB (SEASP) and a proposed customs facility allowing international flights at LB Airport. Some who attended the SEASP "station" workshops voiced displeasure with the "station" format after the meetings, calling it a "divide and conquer" technique. At the first meeting on the proposed Airport customs facility, residents refused to get out of their chairs and move to separate "stations," leaving the somewhat flummoxed consultants with little choice but to allow residents to speak on mike...which they did.

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On its website, Long Beach Development Services states:

[LBDS website text] The City to Host Four Community Workshops for General Plan Land Use and Urban Design Elements
Join your fellow Long Beach residents and property owners at an upcoming citywide community workshop:
Saturday, September 30, 3-5 PM at Veterans Park Community Center
101 E 28th St, Long Beach, CA 90806 (map)
Wednesday, October 4, 6-8 PM at Whaley Park Community Center
5620 E Atherton St, Long Beach, CA 90815 (map)
Saturday, October 14, 11-1 PM at Best Western Golden Sails Hotel
6285 Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90803 (map)
Wednesday, October 18, 6-8 PM at Expo Arts Center
4321 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807 (map)
Traducción en español estará disponible. Light refreshments will be served.

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