South Gate planning commission reviews sweeping zoning amendments, seeks tougher limits on truck storage and concrete plants

The South Gate Planning Commission on March 17 held a study session on broad proposed amendments to the city’s zoning code, including a staff recommendation to explore prohibiting concrete and cement manufacturing in city zones, new rules for laundromats and vehicle-storage uses, and stricter controls on truck storage and towing operations.

Community Development Director Gabriel Pettis led the presentation, telling commissioners the zoning code is the Implementation document for the city’s General Plan and that the Planning Commission’s role is to provide recommendations to City Council. Pettis said staff is proposing several targeted changes in Title 11 (notably chapters 11.21 and 11.50), including “the possibility of prohibiting concrete and cement manufacturing in all zones” because existing permitted plants in the M2 and M3 industrial zones can be close to residential areas and to Southgate Park.

Why it matters: Pettis said the proposals are intended to align land use with neighborhood goals, protect public health and safety, and prevent land uses that may not provide high job or tax-value for scarce industrial land. Among staff’s specific recommendations were reintroducing an explicit land-use category for coin laundromats and allowing them by conditional use permit in commercial and mixed-use zones with a recommended 2,500-foot separation to avoid overconcentration; clarifying that vehicle storage is accessory to active repair and limiting outdoor storage tied to repairs to no more than 15 consecutive days; and changing towing from a permitted use to a conditional use permit so the city can impose operational conditions.

Commissioners asked technical and enforcement questions. Pettis said a municipal ban on manufacturing would not restrict construction activity or grinding that occurs on state-owned freeway property, which is outside city jurisdiction. He also said existing laundromats would be legal nonconforming uses and would not be required to re-permit, although expansions would trigger the conditional-use review. On vehicle-storage limits, Pettis said a 15-day limit provides a clearer enforcement standard when residents complain.

Public commenters highlighted neighborhood impacts from truck operations and illegal on-street queuing. Mike Piaza of Piaza Trucking urged stronger code enforcement and said out-of-area trucks and brokers “tear up our streets. They don’t pay nothing,” arguing the city should crack down on illegal on-street storage and unloading. A second speaker, who identified himself in the record as "Richard Luds demo" of 8990 Atlantic, described frequent on-street truck unloading and said limited police staffing has made enforcement difficult.

Staff responded that the draft code will include language prohibiting oversized vehicles from stopping or queuing in active travel lanes to conduct business-related loading and that they will explore connecting that prohibition to vehicle-repair land-use rules so activity happens on private property rather than in public rights-of-way.

Action and next steps: After discussion and public comment, the Commission voted to continue the study session to a future meeting so staff can return with maps showing existing laundromats and storage sites, refined code language, and relevant data. Staff also announced outreach for the Gateway District at the March 23 farmers market and reminded commissioners that the annual progress report to HCD is due April 1. The Commission set a follow-up meeting on April 7 to continue the discussion.

The Commission also approved the February 17 meeting minutes earlier in the evening. The meeting was adjourned at 8:03 p.m.