FORTUNA — The Fortuna Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend the City Council adopt zoning map amendments intended to implement earlier amendments to the city’s general plan and the Mill District specific plan.

The commission on [date on agenda] approved Resolution PD-2025-3141, which would rezone several parcels across the Mill District planning area to bring zoning into conformance with land-use designations adopted earlier this year and with state law requirements that zoning be consistent with a city’s general plan.

In a staff presentation, Michelle, a city planning staff member, described three primary changes: rezoning a narrow corridor of four assessor parcels (former railroad right-of-way now managed by the Great Redwood Trail) from unzoned status to Public Facility to facilitate active-transportation improvements; changing one parcel at 1098 South Fortuna Boulevard from Heavy Industrial (M2) to Commercial Thoroughfare (CT) with an Emergency Shelter (ES) combining zone to match its Corridor Mixed Use general-plan designation; and reclassifying a city-owned parcel that contains a wastewater pumping station from CT to Public Facility while retaining the ES combining zone.

"There are state requirements…for cities and counties to provide zones and designate sites for emergency shelters where they're permitted by right," Michelle said during the presentation, summarizing the legal framework that supports adding the ES combining zone to certain parcels.

Michelle told the commission that notices of the hearing were mailed to affected property owners on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13 and published in the North Coast Journal; she said staff was not aware of any responses from property owners to those mailings.

Commissioners questioned how Public Facility zoning would affect private ownership and development rights. One commissioner said, "I'm a little confused over public facilities and childcare…" and asked whether reclassifying properties could effectively remove them from private development. City staff answered that parcels zoned Public Facility need not be owned by the city and that ownership and tax status depend on subsequent action by property owners or qualifying public entities.

A member of the public who said they had received mailed notice asked whether a separate Riverwalk Drive rezoning had been dropped from the agenda; Michelle confirmed, "For the record, the city has withdrawn and removed the proposed rezone of that Parson River Walk Drive. It's not...under consideration."

The commission then moved to adopt the recommendation. A reading of Resolution PD-2025-3141 was provided; the commission recorded unanimous affirmation from Commissioners Aman, Christensen, Doris, Hawley, Vice Chair Nichols and Chair Dine. The motion recommended that the Fortuna City Council certify compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and amend the municipal zoning map to implement the general-plan and Mill District specific-plan changes.

Staff also told the commission that the supplemental environmental impact report certified earlier this year for the general-plan land-use amendments covers these zoning map changes under CEQA, and that keeping the ES combining zone on the city-owned pump station parcel helps preserve the city's housing-element compliance without triggering additional site-finding reviews by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

During staff communications at the end of the meeting, the Community Development and Planning Department said it will begin comprehensive zoning-code updates next year, starting with the accessory dwelling unit ordinance, and reported several recorded and pending subdivisions that could together add roughly 50 residential units in the near term.

The Planning Commission closed the public hearing and adjourned after confirming the recommendation to send the zoning map amendments and Resolution PD-2025-3141 to the Fortuna City Council for final action.