Planning Commission approves amended South Bay Galleria Phase 2 with housing bonus, waivers and lot reconfiguration

The Redondo Beach Planning Commission voted 6–0 (one vote not specified on the record) on Aug. 21 to approve amended entitlements for Phase 2 of the South Bay Galleria mixed‑use project, including an addendum to the project’s 2019 environmental impact report, changes to the conditional use permit and planning‑commission design review, a revised vesting tentative tract map, and a one‑year extension of an existing vesting period.

The approved Phase 2 plan covers two parcels at the southwest corner of the Galleria, and would add 15 townhomes plus a multi‑story building with 335 residential units (most studios and one‑bedroom units), 8,351 square feet of commercial space and up to roughly 845 parking spaces in below‑ and above‑grade garages. The applicant committed to reserving 10 percent of the new units (35 units) for very‑low‑income households.

City planning manager Sean Scully, who presented the staff report, summarized the entitlements before the commission: "We're gonna begin our public hearing tonight. ... public hearing for consideration of an addendum to the environmental impact report for the South Bay Galleria mixed use Project" and later stated that "the phase 2 development qualifies for the use of an addendum. It, would not result in any new significant impacts, would not substantially increase the severity of previously identified ... and would not introduce new mitigation measures." Scully also reviewed requested waivers under the state density bonus law, noting the project seeks relief from the code limits on height and stories and a waiver for private open‑space shortfalls for some units.

The applicant team told the commission that market and financing conditions after COVID, and shifts in retail demand, prompted the additional housing. Stewart (Stuart) Knoll, a principal with the development team, said the team "spent a…