Gardena council splits 3-2 on Normandy Crossing project after hours-long hearing

Gardena — After more than three hours of testimony and technical presentations, the Gardena City Council voted on Jan. 14 to move forward with the Normandy Crossing specific plan, a revised 333‑unit housing project on a 5.25‑acre site bounded by West 160th Street, 170th Street, Normandy Avenue and Brighton Way.

City staff and the developer described a lowered‑height, reduced‑density proposal from earlier drafts: 258 apartment units in a five‑story building and 75 three‑story for‑sale townhomes, with one below‑grade parking level serving the apartments and expanded guest parking for the townhomes.

Why it matters

The Normandy Crossing site was included in the city’s housing‑element pipeline and has been the subject of a multi‑year planning review and environmental analysis. Supporters said the project brings housing variety, transit access and $3.1 million in one‑time impact fees and ongoing tax revenue; opponents warned of increased traffic, parking strain and privacy impacts for nearby single‑family homes.

What the council decided

- The council voted 3‑2 to adopt Resolution No. 6683 certifying the revised and updated Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), with Mayor Tasha Serta, Mayor Pro Tem Ronnie Tanaka and Councilmember Mark Henderson voting yes and Councilmembers Paulette Francis and Wanda Love voting no. - The council voted 3‑2 to adopt Resolution No. 6684 amending the Land Use Plan to adopt the Normandy Crossing specific plan (same yes/no breakdown). - The council introduced Ordinance No. 18,78 (first reading) to add the Normandy Crossing specific plan to Gardena’s zoning code and to approve the specific plan text, the development agreement and an affordable‑housing agreement; the ordinance will return for a required second reading. - The council approved Resolution No. 6685, the vesting tentative map, by the same 3‑2 margin; the map merges four parcels and establishes the condominium/townhome parcel plus the apartment parcel.

Project and changes since early drafts

Developers presented a series of reductions since an original proposal that included a seven‑story building and up to 403 units. The revised plan showed a five‑story apartment building (70 feet) and 75 townhomes in 11 buildings, with an underground parking level and 387 parking stalls for apartments and two‑car garages for townhomes. The project also guarantees seven units at the moderate‑income level; earlier drafts included 20 low‑income units but those were removed as the project footprint and parking strategy changed.

An environmental consultant said the EIR identified several areas requiring mitigation and one unavoidable significant impact (construction noise). The EIR process included a May 2023 notice of preparation, a public scoping meeting, a draft EIR (released Dec. 2023) and a revised and updated final EIR that reflected a “community input alternative.” Staff said the city’s housing element still shows a surplus of sites for the regional housing needs allocation even with the revised unit count.

Public testimony and developer response

More than 30 speakers addressed the council during a long public comment period. Opponents raised traffic, parking, safety, school and neighborhood character concerns; many neighbors said the five‑story building was incompatible with surrounding single‑family lots and asked for a three‑story limit. Supporters — including local business owners, young professionals and construction industry speakers — said the project would create housing options for workers, generate revenue and reduce long commutes.

Developers said they had reduced height and unit count after community outreach, added guest parking and realigned driveways at neighbors’ request, increased townhome guest parking to meet code, and proposed local‑hire and local‑buy provisions as part of the development agreement. The team also proposed a limited flexibility clause: if townhomes cannot be sold after a 6‑month sales period, the owner would be allowed to rent them to avoid vacant units. That flexibility was the subject of discussion among councilmembers.

Council deliberations

Councilmembers debated a range of tradeoffs: project height and density versus the number of affordable units; the feasibility implications of adding required low‑income units; whether to require prevailing‑wage or other labor standards on a privately financed project; and how to enforce local‑hire/local‑buy commitments in the development agreement.

Several councilmembers said they favored the shorter, revised project over the original seven‑story scheme; others said the reduced height had eliminated the affordable units the council had previously expected. Multiple councilmembers asked staff to strengthen monitoring and reporting language in the development agreement.

Next steps

Because the ordinance was introduced (first reading) the council will consider the second reading and final adoption at the council’s next scheduled meeting (the council noted a second reading date was scheduled for Jan. 28). Staff will return with any negotiated changes to the development agreement, including the quarterly reporting amendment that councilmembers requested for local‑hire/local‑buy performance.

Votes at a glance (Normandy Crossing items)

- Resolution 6683 (certify EIR): Adopted, 3 yes (Serta, Tanaka, Henderson), 2 no (Francis, Love). - Resolution 6684 (general plan amendment): Adopted, 3‑2 (same breakdown). - Ordinance 18,78 (zone text/map + development agreement and affordable housing agreement): Introduced (first reading); second reading scheduled. - Resolution 6685 (vesting tentative map): Adopted, 3‑2 (same breakdown).

Speakers (attribution whitelist)

- Mayor Tasha Serta — Mayor (presiding). First reference: Mayor Tasha Serta. - Mayor Pro Tem Ronnie Tanaka — Mayor Pro Tem Ronnie Tanaka. - Councilmember Mark Henderson — Councilmember Mark Henderson. - Councilmember Paulette Francis — Councilmember Paulette Francis. - Councilmember Wanda Love — Councilmember Wanda Love. - Amanda (staff) — Community Development staff (identified by first name in transcript). - James Thomas — Environmental consultant, principal, Kinnley Horn (EIR lead). - Steven Ludwig — Developer / applicant representative (Nextgen/Seiko investment partner) (first reference: Steven Ludwig, applicant representative). - Fred Schafer — Applicant partner (Fred Schafer, Normandy Associates). - Dana Sales — Land‑use consultant for the applicant (Dana Sales, 360 Land Use). - Richard Solaris — Project architect (Richard Solaris, architect). - David Rands — Land use counsel for applicant (David Rands).

Authorities

- Government Code section(s) cited in the meeting record regarding closed session and disclosure (transcript wording): "paragraph 4, of subdivision D of section 54956.9" and "Government Code section 54957.182" (as read aloud by the city attorney during closed session announcement). These are recorded as spoken in the meeting record and appear in the closed‑session article. (referenced_by: ["closed_session_investigation_article"])

Actions

- Motion to certify the Normandy Crossing Final EIR (Resolution No. 6683): motion carried 3‑2 (Serta, Tanaka, Henderson yes; Francis, Love no). - Motion to adopt land use plan amendment (Resolution No. 6684): carried 3‑2 (Serta, Tanaka, Henderson yes; Francis, Love no). - Motion to introduce Ordinance No. 18,78 (zone text/map amendment, specific plan, development agreement and affordable housing agreement): motion carried to introduce; second reading scheduled. - Motion to approve vesting tentative map (Resolution No. 6685): carried 3‑2 (Serta, Tanaka, Henderson yes; Francis, Love no).

Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion: traffic, parking, height/density tradeoffs, labor standards, enforcement of local hire/local buy, and potential impacts on neighboring residences were debated and summarized in the record. - Direction: staff instructed to return with any negotiated changes and the ordinance is scheduled for second reading. - Decision: the council formally adopted the EIR and two resolutions and introduced the ordinance as described above.

Clarifying details

- Project site: 16829–16911 Normandy Avenue and adjacent parcels; 5.25 acres; includes an additional 0.11‑acre and 0.43‑acre map/zoning cleanup parcels. - Unit mix: 333 total units (258 apartment units in a five‑story building and 75 three‑story for‑sale townhomes). - Parking: minimum apartment parking shown as 387 stalls; townhomes two‑car private garages plus 19 guest spaces. - Affordable units: final proposal includes seven moderate‑income units (reduced from 20 low‑income units in an earlier seven‑story proposal). - Developer commitments: $3.1 million in impact fees; approximately $450,000 in projected annual tax revenue; local‑hire/local‑buy provisions in the development agreement; a one‑year trial for monthly transit passes; a proposed local hiring reporting schedule (council requested quarterly reporting).

Proper names

- Normandy Crossing Specific Plan (project) - Kinnley Horn (environmental consultant) - Seiko Investment Corporation / NextGen Apartments (applicants) - LCW / special counsel (mentioned elsewhere in meeting)

Community relevance

- Geographies: West Gardena/Bridal Way neighborhood; bordering transit corridors and Perry Middle School. - Impact groups: nearby single‑family homeowners; future apartment and townhome residents; local employers and workers.

Meeting context

- Engagement level: >30 public speakers during the Normandy item; long public hearing; item moved forward earlier in the agenda because of public turnout. - Implementation risk: medium — approvals depend on final ordinance adoption, development agreement signatures and subsequent building permits and financing. - History: Project has been before the Planning Commission multiple times (March and December) and has been substantially revised since 2021.

Searchable tags

["housing","land use","EIR","specific plan","Normandy Crossing","apartments","townhomes","Gardena"]

Provenance

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