Westminster council continues citywide general plan and zoning update after abstention

Mayor Win opened a continued public hearing on April 8 on case 2026-0010, a city-initiated proposal to amend the general plan text and land use map, Title 17 (the zoning code) and the zoning map. Stephanie Tomaino, contract planner, told the council that staff revised materials as directed on March 25 and is recommending adoption of a resolution to amend the general plan and introduction of an ordinance to revise zoning. Tomaino said the changes would redesignate several city-owned Civic Center parcels from mixed-use civic center to public/semi-public uses and that exhibits and maps had been updated to reflect that change.

Why it matters: the amendments would alter the cityland-use framework and would apply to projects currently in the city's review queue after the ordinance completes its second reading and a 30-day effective period. Staff said a second reading is scheduled for April 22 and, if adopted, the ordinance would take effect roughly May 22. That timing can affect pending applications; staff noted one pending project in the ME zone could still be processed but would require rezoning additional parcels as part of its application. Tomaino also said the record includes a technical memorandum from the city's environmental consultant and additional public comment letters.

Property owners who addressed the council asked to be excluded. During the public hearing multiple property owners and representatives urged exclusion of parcels they say would be harmed by the update. Deval Patel, who identified himself as owner of 13720 Beach Boulevard and two adjacent parcels, said his project has been under review since 2021 and "if this gets approved it's not going to be feasible anymore." He asked the council to exclude his parcels from the update. Miguel Pulido presented a city webpage record indicating his project was deemed complete and asked that the record note that status. Ken Fichtelman, principal planner, told the council that pending projects can still be processed but that particular projects may require additional rezoning steps and that tribal consultation on the environmental document remains underway with a 90-day window that ends in May.

Planning commission context and procedure: public commenters including Terry Raines argued that the Planning Commission's recommended amendment to remove the Civic Center from mixed-use had not been fully carried into the materials presented and asked the council to restore the Civic Center to public/semi-public designation; staff and the commission record were referenced during public comment. Council discussion focused on limiting remarks to the legislative ordinance rather than individual projects, and city attorney guidance reminded the council that a general plan amendment requires three affirmative votes to pass.

Outcome and next steps: Councilmember Phan West announced she would abstain, which left only two affirmative votes available for a general plan amendment; the mayor made a substitute motion to continue the item to the next regular meeting (April 22) so the council could secure required votes. The substitute motion to continue was seconded and carried on a roll call vote. Staff said the public hearing would remain open for the item but that additional public comment at the continuation would not necessarily be allowed. The item will return to the April 22 agenda for further consideration and possible second reading if the council chooses to proceed.

Quotes: "If city council takes action this evening ... the second ordinance reading would be scheduled on April 22nd. It would then take effect 30 days after," Stephanie Tomaino said. Property owner Deval Patel told the council, "This does affect my project very heavily. We've been working with city staff since 2021 to develop this project."

The council continued case 2026-0010 to the April 22 meeting; no final zoning amendment or general plan adoption occurred on April 8.