Planning commission backs rewrite of temporary-use rules for private property, sends changes to city council

Hermosa Beach — The Planning Commission on Feb. 2025 voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council approve a zoning text amendment consolidating and updating how temporary uses and temporary events on private property are regulated under Title 17 of the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code.

The amendment, introduced by planning staff and presented by Alexis Orpiza, would move multiple temporary-use rules into a single code section, create clearer categories for temporary uses and temporary events, add an “incidental use” exemption for low‑intensity activities tied to a business, and establish standards intended to minimize impacts on adjacent properties. The commission also determined the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under CEQA’s general rule (Section 15061).

The proposal groups temporary activities into two main buckets. “Temporary uses” cover construction-related facilities (off-site contractor yards, storage containers, work trailers and temporary residences tied to an active building permit), while “temporary events” cover special events intended to promote businesses or community activities. Staff described five event categories, including “limited events” (smaller, indoor, no amplified sound or alcohol) and “temporary minor special events” (larger private‑property events that may include amplified sound or alcohol and are subject to administrative permit standards).

Key elements presented by staff included: - A single administrative permit process (Chapter 17.55) for temporary uses and events and new, consolidated definitions in the zoning code. - A rolling permit term tied to the first event for temporary minor special events and a proposed pool of days available to an applicant; staff noted the draft sets aside a total allotment of days and limits on consecutive days and frequency of use. - A set of “restricted” or prohibited dates for events (holidays historically associated with increased public-safety calls), which staff said should remain on a prohibited list after consulting with the Hermosa Beach Police Department. - Parking flexibility: accessible spaces must be maintained; displacement of more than a small number of parking spaces would trigger a temporary parking‑management or demand‑management plan (options could include off‑site parking, shared parking, bike parking or valet alternatives). - An “incidental use” exemption intended to clarify that low‑intensity activities (for example, a bookstore’s poetry reading or a bookstore book signing) that do not intensify a business’s operations could proceed without a temporary event permit, provided they comply with other municipal code standards and licensing rules.

Police input and public comment

Hermosa Beach Police Department Patrol Operations Captain Eric Halen told the commission that holidays such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day weekend, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo and New Year’s Eve have historically produced increased calls for service and staffing demands. After consulting with police, staff recommended that those holiday dates remain restricted; the police captain said weekday occurrences of some holidays might warrant additional study using historical calls‑for‑service data.

Business owners and local organizations urged the commission to simplify and streamline the permit process so more small businesses can host events. Jessica Accamando, chair of the Hermosa Beach Chamber, urged flexibility on amplified sound, alcohol service when an appropriate ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) permit exists, and changes to permit fees and date‑modification fees so businesses did not have to pay the full application fee again for minor date changes. Adam Malovani and John David, local business owners, said few businesses (two or three, they said) had applied under the city’s current rules and argued that permit complexity and cost discourage use of the process; they and other speakers asked for more permissive, business‑friendly rules so private events can animate commercial districts.

Commission debate and requested edits

Commissioners pressed staff for clearer language in several areas. Repeated issues included: how to define “incidental use,” how long temporary on‑site residences or work trailers should be permitted, whether limited events in the city’s M‑1 (light industrial/artisan) zone should be allowed some amplified sound or alcohol, and how many temporary event days a business should be permitted to use in a 12‑month period. Commissioners asked staff to draft final ordinance language that: - Aligns permitted event hours with the city’s noise ordinance (discussed as 8 a.m.–10 p.m. in the hearing) and to consider increasing a single‑event maximum from three hours to five hours. - Clarifies the temporary‑residence/work‑trailer allowance so it is tied to active building‑permit activity and to consider extending the permit window beyond one year (commissioners discussed two years or language tying the permit to the life of the building permit or project progress). - Allows limited indoor events in the M‑1 zone to proceed without alcohol or amplified sound, but asked staff to add clarity about when amplified sound or alcohol would be permitted (for example, via the temporary minor special event permit and in compliance with noise and ABC rules). - Preserves police‑recommended prohibited holidays while giving the Police Department authority to restrict additional dates if public‑safety needs warrant it. - Adjusts parking‑management thresholds and clarifies acceptable demand‑management measures when events displace accessible or other spaces.

Several commissioners also asked staff to streamline the application form and to recommend to City Council that the council consider a policy for partial fee refunds or reduced fees for applications that are revised or denied after substantial city staff review.

Action and next steps

After discussion the commission voted 5‑0 to adopt a resolution recommending City Council approval of the zoning text amendment and to find the project exempt from CEQA (Section 15061). Commissioners directed staff to reflect the consensus edits discussed at the hearing in the draft ordinance and to forward the item to the City Council for final action; staff said the item is tentatively scheduled for the March 25 city council meeting.

The Planning Commission’s vote was recorded as unanimous. No appeal or final council action occurred at the commission meeting; the City Council will consider the ordinance at a later date.

Additional business

The commission also completed its regular consent calendar and administrative items, approved rotation of the chair and vice chair, and received a community development update noting the next meeting will include a study session on commercial uses. Chair Peterson was recognized at the meeting for his service to the commission; he told colleagues he will continue serving the city in his newly elected role as city treasurer.

What the commission did not decide

The commission’s recommendation sends an updated draft ordinance and a record of the commission’s requested edits to the City Council; the council will decide the final code language, fee schedule and any precise numeric limits. The commission did not itself adopt a final ordinance or set final permit fees.

(Exact dates and ordinance numbers are as published in the meeting packet and staff report; the commission recorded its resolution as “PC Resolution 25‑02” when the motion was made at the public hearing.)