El Segundo council receives student rezoning proposals; Period 1 wins civics-day competition

El Segundo City Council on Oct. 12 received and filed five student presentations on proposed changes to the city's general plan, covering rezoning for mixed-use housing, redevelopment of Smoky Hollow, transit and sustainability measures. Council members voted by consensus to "receive and file" the presentations. After a public tally and a council-only tiebreaker, Period 1 was selected as the winning class in the civics-day competition.

The student teams' proposals, prepared as short rezoning plans, emphasized mixed-use development across multiple parts of El Segundo. Period 1 recommended converting stretches of East Imperial Avenue and a small plaza near Main Street to mixed-use, creating housing above ground-floor businesses and adding an east-side circulator bus to link commercial corridors. Students noted the area's proximity to I-105 and LAX and said mixed-use zoning could serve airport employees and boost downtown foot traffic. Period 1 also urged hotels and vertically integrated lodging on Main Street to capture tourism related to large regional events.

Other teams proposed similar and complementary ideas. Multiple student groups recommended rezoning sections east of Pacific Coast Highway to allow mixed-use or limited residential development near job centers (students cited Boeing, Raytheon and other employers), with transit-oriented housing near the Metro line. Several presentations proposed transforming Smoky Hollow from mostly light industrial uses into a mixed-use district with housing, artisan workspaces, improved sidewalks and pocket parks. One group proposed a 48,000-square-foot, six-story mixed-use project in Smoky Hollow with roughly 260'to'75 apartment units and at least 20% of the units designated as affordable; the same presentation estimated about 38,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space to host roughly 10'to'25 small businesses.

Students also offered operational and policy suggestions: a city shuttle/lunch circulator to link employment centers and downtown, incentives to encourage redevelopment of underused lots (including density bonuses and tax incentives), shared parking agreements with private owners such as Chevron for off-peak residential use, and programs to encourage developers to include community benefit agreements guaranteeing some long-term affordability. Several teams recommended sustainability measures including requirements or incentives for solar installations, motion-activated LED street lighting, and a net-zero standard for new residential developments.

The presentations included references to existing laws and city codes cited by students: the statewide California density bonus statute, local parking design standards described as "code 15 15 5 a 2," ADA Title III accessibility requirements, and California Code of Regulations Title 24 for building accessibility. A student also mentioned a temporary modification to "ordinance number 16 14" for short-term rentals during large events; the students presented that as a hypothetical policy change for discussion rather than a council proposal.

City staff and council members praised the students' work and discussed practical constraints. The city manager told students, "I wanna compliment the class on a very difficult topic," and Councilmember Kelldorf said, "I'm super impressed with everything that you all did." Council discussion emphasized that zoning changes and new projects will depend on private-sector economics and negotiated agreements: one council member observed that projects such as the Pacific Coast Commons have been approved but not built because the financing must "make the economics make sense." Councilmembers also noted that some proposals would require property-owner cooperation or rezoning ordinances and environmental and safety reviews.

Formally, the council took two actions reported on the record: it voted by consensus to receive and file the student presentations and it finalized the civics-day competition result after several rounds of ballots. The clerk read an initial tally that showed multiple classes receiving votes; after a council-only tiebreaking round, Period 1 was announced the winner.

The presentations will be available to city staff working on the city's general plan update, a process staff described as roughly an 18-month effort. Councilmembers said they expected elements of the student ideas'notably activation of Imperial Avenue, transit connections between east and west El Segundo, and civic plaza improvements'could be considered as part of the formal plan update and future implementation work.

Votes at a glance

- Receive and file student presentations: consensus approval (no roll-call recorded in transcript). Note: clerk prompted for "consensus to receive and file" and the council agreed. - Civics-day competition winner: Period 1 selected after multiple rounds of ballots and a council-only tiebreaker; final announcement recorded verbally by the clerk.

Ending

Council members thanked the students and department staff. Several councilmembers encouraged students to consider careers in planning and public service, and the council directed staff to keep the presentations on file for consideration during the ongoing general-plan update process.