Hermosa Beach planning commission continues hearing on 50.5-foot, five‑unit project at 3415 Palm Drive

The Hermosa Beach Planning Commission on March 18 continued the public hearing on a precise development plan for a proposed five‑unit apartment building at 3415 Palm Drive, asking staff for additional legal and technical analyses before the commission votes.

Associate Planner Jake Whitney told the commission the applicant seeks approval for a 50.5‑foot‑tall, five‑unit building under the state "builder's remedy" provisions in Government Code section 65589.5 after the city's housing element was out of compliance when the project was initially filed. Whitney said the project was submitted as a preliminary application on Feb. 7, 2024 and that state law freezes development standards and housing element status as of that filing date.

Why it matters: Residents said the proposed height and bulk would alter neighborhood character, block views and light, and could strain parking and utilities. Commissioners said those community concerns raised significant technical and legal questions that staff and outside counsel should study before the commission acts.

The applicant, represented by attorney Brian Fish, said the owners proposed a five‑unit building (one more unit than existing four units), that it would meet current building and safety codes, and that under Assembly Bill 1893 the project can qualify as a "mixed income" project even…