Planning commission backs zoning definition updates; asks council to add closet requirement to ‘bedroom’

The San Gabriel Planning Commission voted Nov. 18 to approve a citywide zone text amendment that adds definitions to multiple zoning terms and to forward a recommendation to City Council to include a closet requirement in the new definition of “bedroom.”

Planning staff said the proposed changes to Section 153.003 of the San Gabriel Municipal Code would clarify frequently used terms—bedroom, hedge, lot depth, lot lines, distinctions between light and heavy manufacturing, primary versus accessory uses and retail‑food categories—so staff and applicants interpret code requirements consistently.

Commissioners focused on the proposed bedroom definition because it affects parking ratios and whether rooms without closets are counted as bedrooms for development standards. One commissioner said a closet is a common, objective standard for real‑estate practice; staff noted leaving closets out can make the definition more conservative for parking triggers but acknowledged adding a closet requirement would alter which rooms trigger building‑safety and parking requirements.

After discussion, the commission approved the amendment language with an added recommendation that the City Council consider a requirement that a room must include a closet to be defined as a bedroom. Staff said the commission’s amendment would be forwarded to the council for its consideration.

The commission received no public testimony on the item. The adoption at council, not the Planning Commission, would make the change binding in the municipal code.