Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use And Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Brawley planners propose focused amendments to downtown specific plan to spur development
Summary
Development Services outlined a 6–8 month, in‑house focused amendment to the 2012 downtown specific plan to expand allowed uses, update design standards and streamline reviews; council discussed staffing and modest consultant support.
Christian Barajas, Brawley’s development services director, briefed the council on a proposed focused amendment to the city’s downtown specific plan, describing a 6‑to‑8‑month effort intended to modernize the 2012 document and reduce regulatory barriers for small development projects.
Barajas said the downtown specific plan is both a vision and regulatory overlay for the roughly 20‑block downtown boundary. He told the council the plan’s current restrictions often force applicants into discretionary conditional use permit (CUP) reviews that slow or stop development. Barajas gave an example of a developer interested in reopening a historical drive‑through that the current plan prohibits; he said limited allowable-by‑right uses in some blocks make projects unpredictable.
The proposal would be a focused amendment rather than a comprehensive general‑plan update. Barajas said staff expect to pursue administrative amendments where possible and formal amendments (planning commission and council review) for more substantive changes. Planned scope items include expanding allowable by‑right uses, revising signage and façade standards, reworking parking rules, adding pedestrian‑safety strategies and incorporating property‑maintenance policies to deter urban decay.
Barajas proposed completing much of the work in‑house once a city planner hire is on board; he estimated $30,000–$40,000 for limited consultant peer review and technical checks. His schedule foresees research and recruitment in the coming month, community engagement through late summer, an initial draft by late September, and planning commission and council review by November if staffing and consultant reviews proceed on schedule.
Councilmembers asked how the downtown amendments would interrelate with the general plan and about budget needs. Barajas said the specific plan is an overlay that must align with the general plan; he confirmed the general plan was last amended in 2019 and said the focused downtown amendments are intended to reflect current market realities without the 2–5‑year timeline of a full plan update.
Barajas said staff could fast‑track amendments tied to individual catalytic projects and run those on a separate track to remove delays for high‑priority developments. Council instructed staff to include the city planner position in the proposed FY 2025–26 budget and to refine cost estimates before the next budget cycle.
If approved and adequately staffed, the amendment aims to reduce CUPs, broaden by‑right opportunities, and create clearer, more predictable rules for downtown property owners and prospective businesses.
