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Agoura Hills staff unveils economic-development outreach, $50,000 concept-plan proposal and code tweaks to speed business openings
Summary
City staff presented a nine‑month economic-development update, recommended code and administrative changes to speed business approvals, and asked council to fund a $50,000 consultant concept plan to explore a downtown/activity center across from City Hall; council approved staff direction 5–0.
Agoura Hills — City staff told the City Council Wednesday that a recent round of outreach, surveys and roundtables has identified retail and experiential uses residents want and recommended administrative and code changes to make Agoura Hills more business-friendly.
Community Development Director Denise Thomas told council the Agoura Hills Municipal Code’s use table is “hyper specific and outdated,” which forces many prospective tenants into a Planning Commission process. Thomas recommended three near-term changes: broaden or modernize the use table and grant the Community Development Director discretion to approve similar uses; allow administrative review with noticed opportunity for parking reductions rather than automatic Planning Commission hearings; and create an administrative path for routine alcohol licenses tied to notice and appeal rights.
Communications Manager Mary Haddad and Director Amy Brink summarized stakeholder outreach: two business-and-breakfast events with roughly 50–70 attendees, a new business newsletter and a business highlight campaign, and a citywide economic-development survey (86 responses) showing residents often leave Agoura Hills to shop; respondents prioritized specialty grocery stores and restaurants. Staff also sought council approval to spend $50,000 this fiscal year to hire a consultant for a high-level downtown concept plan focused on private properties across from City Hall; the consultant would produce concept options, stakeholder engagement and recommendations on tools such as zone or code changes.
Council members praised the engagement and supported moving forward while flagging practical expectations for staff turnaround and the limited dollar amount for that study. “Time is money for a business,” Council member Klein Lopez said; several council members urged realistic processing timelines and asked staff to return with a timeline and implementation plan. The council voted 5–0 to approve staff’s recommendation to proceed with the outreach-driven code review and concept‑plan work and return with timelines and draft regulations.
Next steps: Staff will return with a timeline for consultant work and proposed code amendments; administrative procedures for use, parking and alcohol licensing will be drafted and brought back for formal action.
