Planning commission approves animal-grooming business at 1300 S. Pacific Coast Highway

The Redondo Beach City Planning Commission on April 17 approved an exemption declaration and a conditional use permit to allow an animal-grooming business in a roughly 950-square-foot tenant space at 1300 South Pacific Coast Highway (Case No. 20250010).

The permit, approved unanimously, allows an appointment-only dog grooming operation with no overnight boarding, a limit of three employees on site and an expected 10 to 15 dogs groomed per day. The commission adopted the staff recommendation and added conditions requiring compliance with an acoustical analysis and building-and-safety inspections to verify the sound attenuation measures.

Senior Planner Steven Jiang, presenting the staff report, said the tenant space is on the ground floor of an existing two-story commercial building on a 22,210-square-foot lot. "The applicant is not proposing any interior improvements besides adding workstations and counters, so no structural changes," Jiang said. He told commissioners the site currently contains 41 parking spaces; the total required parking for the site with the proposed use is 38, leaving a surplus of three spaces.

Jiang outlined operating conditions included in the resolution: hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on five days a week (the applicant indicated the business will be closed Mondays and Thursdays), appointment-only service with staggered drop-off and pickup intervals (about 10 minutes), doors closed while animals are on site, no walk-ins, no overnight boarding and a requirement to monitor and contain client waste in sealed containers.

Property owner TJ Parker told the commission the building uses separate heat-pump split HVAC units for each wing and said the unit proposed for the groomer is a three-ton system sized for the 950-square-foot space. On sound-proofing, Parker said he selected the acoustical consultant's "option 2" and described the planned construction: "Over the existing drywall we're going to add an extension of 2-by-4s to support another layer with heavy wool insulation...and that alone will bring it down to the right STC," he said, referring to the sound-transmission-class target in the study.

Applicant Masumi Haruichi, who identified herself as the owner and groomer, told the commission she has experience in grooming and is opening this as her first business in the city. "I have 25 years of experience," Haruichi said.

Commissioners asked about noise escaping through retail‑sized windows and how the City would enforce the acoustical conditions. City staff said the building and safety division will review plans and inspect construction for compliance with the acoustical recommendations (Attachment 5 in the staff report) during the permit plan-check phase. Staff also noted the City enforces a noise ordinance that limits commercial exterior sound levels; complaints and measurements could prompt additional mitigation if measured decibel levels exceed the applicable limits.

Several commissioners referenced other local grooming and self‑wash businesses and said those experiences made them comfortable with the proposed conditions. "I would be in favor of approving this one as well," Commissioner Craig said before the vote.

A motion to approve the resolution "as presented by staff" was made and seconded; the commission voted to approve the exemption declaration and conditional use permit. The action requires the applicant to implement the acoustical measures identified in the study and to pass building-and-safety inspections before opening. The permit includes ongoing conditions for waste control and for doors to remain closed during grooming activity.

Case and procedural details: the commission approved Resolution (Case No. 20250010) to permit the animal-grooming use at 1300 South Pacific Coast Highway. The staff packet included an acoustical analysis as Attachment 5 and the commission’s approval incorporated the study’s recommended sound‑attenuation approach and the building-and-safety inspection process.

The commission meeting also included announcements about upcoming agendas and a notice that Chairperson Sheila Lam has resigned; Vice Chair Craig is expected to assume the chair position for the remainder of her term.