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Planning commission urges council to ease land‑value recapture for very small lots
Summary
After public testimony and staff briefing, the commission unanimously recommended council exempt 1–2‑unit small lots from the land‑value recapture fee, direct staff to explore zoning incentives and adopt a temporary fee cut for 3–4‑unit small lots (24 months at $40/sf). The vote follows wide public debate on feasibility for small property owners.
Hermosa Beach’s Planning Commission on Nov. 18 recommended changes to the city’s land value recapture (LVR) ordinance, signaling concern that the current fee structure is deterring small‑lot redevelopment and producing no revenue in its first year.
Staff reminded the commission that the LVR ordinance (adopted Jan. 23, 2024; effective Aug. 1, 2024) applies to properties in the housing element overlay: developments must either include required affordable units on‑site or pay a fee designed to capture some of the land value added by rezoning. Council set two tiers: tier 1 at $76/square foot for small lots (4 or fewer units) and tier 2 at $104/square foot for larger developments. Staff told commissioners no entitlement applications have yet triggered the fee and noted…
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