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Council approves ordinance adding review for large retail in some neighborhood commercial zones
Summary
The Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance requiring discretionary review of retail stores of 100,000 square feet or more in C1 and C1.5 zones, while leaving other commercial and industrial zones largely unchanged; supporters said it gives the city more tools, critics urged further economic study.
The Los Angeles City Council on a unanimous vote approved an ordinance that imposes discretionary review for retail stores 100,000 square feet or larger in C1 and C1.5 neighborhood commercial zones, a measure supporters said will allow community input and conditions to protect local storefronts.
The ordinance, which passed without recorded dissent, does not set a citywide square-foot cap for big-box stores in other commercial or industrial zones, a point several speakers and an organized labor representative said risked undercutting neighborhood businesses.
Marco Feinberg, representing United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770, told the council the version before members is narrower than an earlier motion that would have barred approvals for stores exceeding 150,000 square feet when nondiscount grocery area exceeded 7.5% of gross floor area. “The instant motion merely limits big box stores of a hundred thousand square feet or more from being built in land zone to C 1 or C 1.5,” Feinberg said, and warned it would still allow large stores in other zones that could draw customers away from neighborhood grocers.
Councilmember Bernsen argued the ordinance should go forward now because it provides “added protection that we don't have now,” while work continues on a companion motion by Councilmember Hernandez to require economic analysis by the Community and Economic Development Department for future projects. “If we build our case carefully and approve this today, which gives us an added protection that we don't have now, and then we move forward with Mr. Hernandez's motion,” Bernsen said.
Councilmember Sekowsky said the two efforts — the land-use ordinance and the separate economic-analysis motion — are complementary. “Let this ordinance go forward as the land use regulation and give us some teeth and authority to involve our communities,” she said.
The council approved the item by roll call. The ordinance authorizes discretionary review, public notice and mitigation conditions (aesthetics, height, traffic and circulation) for large retail projects in C1 and C1.5 zones; it does not ban large retailers citywide.
Supporters said the measure restores local review tools where big retailers previously could build “by right” in some zones. Opponents at earlier hearings urged a broader approach and more economic study before adoption.
The council indicated it would move the Hernandez motion — to require economic impact analysis — forward separately for committee consideration so the two measures could be harmonized.
Action recorded: ordinance approved; the council also instructed departments to continue work on the companion economic-analysis requirement and to report back for further consideration.
The adopted ordinance will appear in the official municipal file and be transmitted to the Planning Department and City Attorney for implementation steps and any necessary conforming regulations.
