The opponents and advocates of a proposed ban on three-story buildings in the downtown again organized to state their cases at a joint meeting of the San Clemente City Council, San Clemente Planning Commission and General Plan Advisory Commission.
This is one of several meetings during which the ban has been at issue, with the San Clemente Historical Society heading up the proponents of the ban. The Commercial Property Owners Association of San Clemente and the South Orange County Architects Guild oppose the ban.
The discussion on this issue has been ongoing since the summer of 2012 -- "ad nauseum," as Councilman Tim Brown put it Wednesday.
The current draft Centennial General Plan appears to favor those opposing the ban with language meant to satisfy those advocating for a two-story limit.
For instance, though there would be no ban in place, each application to build a third story in the downtown would have to go before the San Clemente City Council. Also, many property owners feel they have to add a third story because of parking requirements, so the general plan proposes possible parking waivers.
The Centennial General Plan, a massive package of land use and policy decisions that will govern San Clemente's progress for the next 20 years, is expected to be voted into law by the city council later this year.
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