Planning commission tells council to limit new ground‑floor professional offices in Riviera Village

The Redondo Beach Planning Commission on Sept. 18 recommended the City Council adopt an amendment to Title 10, Chapter 5 of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code clarifying that ground‑floor, street‑facing professional offices — including real estate, legal and insurance offices — are not permitted within the C2PD‑RIV (Riviera Village) overlay zone. The commission also recommended a cap of six ground‑floor professional office storefronts be permitted to remain while the city pursues further review.

City planning staff said the proposed ordinance seeks to preserve South Catalina Avenue between Avenue I and Palos Verdes Boulevard as a pedestrian‑oriented commercial corridor. "Professional office uses such as real estate, legal, or insurance offices cannot locate in Ground Floor street facing locations," Associate Planner Sean O'Rourke told the commission during the public hearing presentation.

The commission’s vote followed extended discussion about the mix of uses that best support a ‘‘village’’ pedestrian environment. Commissioners and several speakers noted that some professional and medical offices are currently located along Catalina Avenue and that those existing businesses would be treated as legal nonconforming uses and could continue to operate.

Commissioners asked staff how many offices are currently on South Catalina Avenue. Planning staff said a June site visit identified four professional office uses facing the street and between 12 and 15 total offices on affected parcels when medical offices and other non‑retail uses were included. Staff also clarified the municipal code already allows offices above the ground floor and ground‑floor offices behind a storefront if the front space is occupied by a permitted retail or service use.

Public comment included testimony from Rick Edler, owner of Vista Sotheby’s International Realty. Edler described his business model and warned of unintended consequences if demand were reduced. "I'm speaking against my best interests," Edler said, noting his brokerage brings foot traffic to nearby businesses and that limiting ground‑floor office locations could change market dynamics for property owners and tenants.

The commission initially considered adopting the ordinance as drafted by staff but a motion to approve the unamended language failed on a 2–4 roll call. Commissioners then debated amendments, including whether to narrowly define permissible services, whether to cap the number of existing ground‑floor offices or to grandfather existing users, and whether any conditional‑use exceptions should be allowed.

Ultimately the commission voted 6–1 to forward a recommendation to the City Council that would (a) clarify the Riviera Village overlay applies to the listed C2PD parcels on South Catalina Avenue; (b) confirm that new ground‑floor street‑facing professional offices are prohibited there; (c) expressly allow existing ground‑floor professional uses to remain as legal nonconforming uses; and (d) set a cap of six permitted ground‑floor professional office storefronts to remain while the council considers the ordinance. The roll call in favor was Commissioners Light, Boswell, Young, Gattis, Conroy and Chairperson Craig; Commissioner Hazeltine voted no.

The planning division included mailed notices to property owners within 300 feet, a public notice in the Easy Reader and blue‑folder material with two letters opposing the change. Staff said they received about five calls and emails about individual property impacts and that the communications are included in the administrative record.

The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council for its review; staff said council is scheduled to consider the ordinance amendment following the commission’s recommendation. Any change to the municipal code would be adopted by ordinance after the council’s public hearing and any required CEQA review.

The commission’s action did not order any immediate closures or relocations; staff emphasized that current ground‑floor offices are legal nonconforming uses and may continue to operate under the code’s nonconforming‑use rules. The council may choose to accept, modify, or reject the commission’s recommendation.

Votes at a glance: The commission approved the final recommendation (ordinance amendment with a cap of six ground‑floor professional storefronts) 6–1. Earlier a motion to adopt the unamended ordinance failed by roll call (Light: yes; Boswell: no; Young: no; Gattis: yes; Conroy: no; Hazeltine: yes; Chair Craig: no).

The commission said it will forward the record and its recommendation to City Council for final action. Staff noted several technical edits to the overlay language will be prepared before transmittal.

Ending

The debate reflected differing views among commissioners, local business owners and staff about how to balance long‑term economic vitality, property rights and a pedestrian‑oriented village character on South Catalina Avenue. The City Council will next decide whether to adopt the ordinance amendment and the six‑storefront limit recommended by the commission.