The planning commission considered extensive amendments to the East Side community plan and accompanying zoning-map changes (cases referenced in the record as PA-2025-01160045/0054/0045). The item drew sustained public comment — residents, business owners and neighborhood leaders gave more than an hour of testimony — and the commission ultimately rejected staff’s recommendation before adopting the zoning commission’s recommendations with targeted exceptions.

Ashley Mills, a planner, introduced the package of proposed plan amendments and a list of zoning changes affecting dozens of parcels, describing a mix of land-use conversions among light industrial, community commercial and other categories. Mills told the commission that about 450 notices were mailed and that roughly “18–19” callers were recorded as opposed to the proposal during outreach.

Public commenters were sharply divided. Several longtime residents and neighborhood leaders urged stronger protections and removal of heavy industrial uses from the plan area, repeatedly citing decades of pollution, truck traffic and alleged discriminatory planning practices. Cliff Daniel told the commission, “No podemos cambiar el pasado, pero con ustedes sí podemos cambiar el futuro,” and urged commissioners not to delay action after “50 años” of what residents described as poor zoning decisions. Veronica Sánchez said the neighborhood had been “Redline hace 60 años” and described respiratory illness and dust problems.

Business owners and property owners asked for light industrial or conditional designations so they could continue existing operations and retain flexibility for future tenants. One speaker who identified longstanding business ownership in the area said the property had been in the family for decades and urged zoning that would allow current uses to continue.

The commission first voted on a motion to accept the staff recommendation as presented. That motion failed on a roll call: several commissioners voted yes but multiple commissioners — recorded in the transcript as Leon, Orion and Bustamante and the chair — voted no, and the motion was denied. A subsequent motion to adopt the zoning commission’s recommendation, with exclusions for a set of properties identified on the record (including references to Polson, 10-30 Brushles, and 6-39 Gambler among the list discussed), was made, seconded and approved by the commission.

Decisions and directions: the commission adopted the zoning commission’s recommendation for the East Side plan amendment program but instructed staff to exclude certain parcels and to reflect the exceptions the commission approved. The transcript shows the commission, staff and zoning commission worked through parcel-level recommendations; staff clarified which parcels the zoning commission had recommended for light industrial and which should be removed from the proposed amendments.

The action will return to subsequent legislative steps as required by city procedure; the commission’s approval changes the plan guidance and creates a pathway for map amendments for the parcels the commission approved or excluded.