Mayor Howorth previews infrastructure, housing and budget priorities after ‘transformational’ property purchase

Mayor Amy Howorth told attendees at the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce’s State of the City program that the city is “ready” to meet coming challenges after a year of infrastructure work, fiscal vigilance and emergency response.

Howorth said the city used voter-approved local revenues and conservative stewardship to move quickly on major projects, including the purchase of the US Bank property at 400 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, which she called “transformational” and said will enable creation of public spaces and generate revenue for city services.

The mayor reviewed 2024 highlights — a council-approved storm-drain fee and sales-tax increase, the opening of Fire Station 2, launch of paramedic rescue 22, and new hires across police and fire — and said the city’s triple-A bond rating underwrote the administration’s ability to act. “This is a really big deal,” she said of the property acquisition.

Why it matters: Howorth framed the purchases and project pipeline as ways to preserve Manhattan Beach’s coastal character while securing long-term revenue for services residents value. The city is moving into a capital improvement planning cycle that will feed into next week’s budget hearings.

Key details and near-term steps: Howorth said the interim surface lot on the former Lot 3 site will open to the public before summer and announced a first community meeting on Lot 3 options for downtown parking and redevelopment scheduled for May 21. She also reminded residents that the FY26 budget will go to the City Council beginning May 6 and urged public engagement.

On water and climate preparedness, the mayor reported that an 8-million-gallon PEC reservoir and associated water treatment are now online, treating groundwater to drinking standards. The treated supply now provides roughly 20% of local drinking water, which Howorth said cuts annual purchased-water costs by about $1 million.

Housing and state requirements: Howorth recounted the council’s 2022 approval of the state-mandated six-cycle housing element that assigned Manhattan Beach a requirement to accommodate 774 new mostly affordable housing units. She described state rules that forced adoption of residential overlay districts (RODs) to certify the housing element and said city staff are working with state Sen. Ben Allen’s office to explore legislation that could preserve more local control without reducing required unit counts.

Other community priorities: Howorth highlighted parks and recreation improvements, the soon-to-reopen Polywog Park, downtown beautification, and local business-support efforts. She also noted a recent city budget survey that generated 678 responses and found public safety to be the top community priority.

What’s next: Public meetings on Lot 3 and the budget process are the immediate next steps; Howorth encouraged residents to stay engaged in the capital-improvement and budget conversations. The mayor closed by urging community participation as the city balances investments in services, climate resilience and neighborhood character.