Planning Commission approves distilled spirits sales at 1131 Manhattan Avenue

The Manhattan Beach Planning Commission on Dec. 10 approved a master use permit amendment to allow the on-site sale and service of distilled spirits at 1131 Manhattan Avenue, voting 4-0 to adopt staff's recommendation and find the project categorically exempt from further environmental review.

Justin Urbansky, associate planner, told the commission the application, submitted Oct. 21 by Jesse Feldman, seeks to upgrade an existing Type 41 alcohol license (beer and wine) to a Type 47 license that would include distilled spirits for service in conjunction with food. Urbansky said the tenant space is 1,500 square feet within a 6,650-square-foot commercial building on a 6,732-square-foot parcel in the downtown commercial zone, and that the proposal does not change interior layout, operating hours, or the building exterior beyond a new sign to be reviewed separately.

Urbansky summarized the property's approval history under Resolution No. 5175, noting prior amendments in 1997, 2019, 2020 and 2024 that addressed alcohol sales at neighboring tenant spaces. He said a previous authorization allowing distilled spirits at 1131 Manhattan Avenue was not implemented by the then-applicant and therefore lapsed after the two-year shelf life required by the permit. "The prior approval was never implemented and therefore expired after its two-year implementation period," Urbansky said.

City staff reported interdepartmental review by building and safety, public works, police and finance. Urbansky highlighted two department findings: the police records search returned one alcohol-related call to service for the tenant space from Jan. 1, 2022, through Nov. 2025, and finance staff noted that two off-site parking permits required by the governing MUP had expired and the applicant is working to reapply for those permits.

Haley Feldman, who identified herself as a co-owner and founder of Cuckoo, addressed the commission during public comment. "My partner and I are a husband-and-wife small business team. We currently operate two other locations, one in Venice and one in West Hollywood," Feldman said. She described the concept as French-inspired and said signature cocktails would complement the food offering.

Commissioners asked whether the commission could, in future, consider master use permit adjustments that cover multiple tenant spaces in the same building to reduce repeated hearings. Urbansky said that broader consideration would require separate noticing and was not part of the current application. Commissioners expressed general support for approving this operator while preserving consistency in downtown regulations. "I feel fairly confident that they will be a wonderful addition to the business community here in Manhattan Beach," Commissioner Angoko said.

With the commission's approval, the resolution adopting conditions of approval and finding the project categorically exempt was passed. The applicant will need to secure the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control license and reestablish required parking permits with the city's downtown parking program as conditions of operating.

The planning commission also handled routine business, including approval of minutes and staff updates; it introduced new administrative assistant Lauren Bradley and received updates on building plans for a project called Scout House and recently approved code amendments related to accessory structures and outdoor dining. The commission adjourned and tentatively scheduled its next regular meeting for Dec. 24, 2025.