Manhattan Beach study session launches Project Pulse; council tells staff to explore 30‑ft height and drops automated parking option

Manhattan Beach — The City Council opened a Project Pulse study session on Aug. 26, 2025, to gather community input and technical options for redeveloping two city‑owned downtown parcels: 400 Manhattan Beach Boulevard (the former bank site) and Parking Lot 3. After a lengthy presentation and extensive public comment, the council directed staff to explore a development‑code amendment to increase the downtown height limit from 26 feet to 30 feet and voted to remove automated (robotic) parking from the set of options staff will pursue.

Project Pulse is a year‑long community‑engagement and visioning program the city launched after acquiring 400 Manhattan Beach Boulevard earlier this year. Project Planner Tari Kuenua told the council the effort will use in‑person events and an online FlashVote survey through July 2026 to shape permanent uses for both sites. "This effort will be centered around a comprehensive public engagement program where we work with the community and city council to identify preferred uses for both sites," Kuenua said during the presentation.

Why it matters: The two parcels are adjacent to downtown and metlocks (a nearby city property) and together could help replace parking capacity that was lost when the prior Lot 3 parking structure was closed and demolished. Lot 3 previously held 145 spaces; staff said interim measures have replaced roughly 125 of those spaces but a downtown shortfall remains. Council members repeatedly framed decisions around two competing goals: replacing or increasing parking supply while generating revenue to support long‑term city finances.

What staff presented: The planning team and traffic engineer summarized site constraints, zoning, and a range of options: a public parking structure (including above‑ or below‑grade and automated variants), parking combined with ground‑floor commercial uses, a boutique hotel, and community‑sourced ideas such as a park, arts space, teen center or visitor services. Staff noted both parcels are in the city’s coastal zone, which triggers additional state review and a surplus‑land notification process if the council chooses non‑public uses.

On capacity and cost, city traffic staff said a 26‑ft height limit would likely allow only about 105 above‑ground spaces on Lot 3, while a 30‑ft limit could permit a third level and raise capacity toward roughly 170 spaces. Staff also reported rule‑of‑thumb construction costs provided by consultants: about $50,000 per surface parking stall, roughly $75,000 per above‑grade multi‑level stall, and approximately $100,000 for an underground stall — figures staff said they would refine in later analyses.

Public input: More than two dozen speakers came to the podium with varied proposals. Dan Higgins suggested a private "social club" with rooftop amenities; Maria Vergillio proposed an open‑air marketplace at 400 Manhattan Beach Boulevard; others urged a hotel to boost transient‑occupancy tax revenue, public art, teen programming, and interim pop‑up uses such as galleries, small markets or a hospitality booth. Parents and neighbors stressed design sensitivity near Robinson Elementary and asked for traffic studies for Morningside/Crest/10th given likely pedestrian conflicts.

Council direction and votes: After a round of council questions and extended discussion, Council Member Hoorth moved — and Council Member Tarna seconded — a directive for staff to "explore" a code amendment to increase the downtown commercial height limit from 26 to 30 feet, including what that change would require with the Coastal Commission. The motion passed on the council floor. Council also voted unanimously to remove automated, robotic parking from the list of options staff will pursue, citing maintenance, coastal‑environment uncertainty and reliability concerns.

The council further removed "library annex" from the staff list and asked staff to replace it with a more general "community/art/multi‑purpose public space" option to be considered in outreach. The council left other concepts — public parking (in multiple configurations), parking with limited commercial uses, mixed‑use development, hotel, open space/park, and community‑sourced ideas — on the table for further study.

Next steps: Staff will carry out the public‑engagement program this fall (farmers market booths, focus groups, community partner meetings) and use FlashVote to collect survey feedback. Council asked staff to return with a post‑fall update that narrows options based on that outreach and clarified they may authorize consultants where needed for technical analyses (parking geometry, financial models, Coastal Commission coordination). Staff reiterated that some interim uses could require building and fire code work and might be constrained by the financing instruments the city has used to acquire 400 Manhattan Beach Boulevard.

Quotes: "I envisioned something like a Soho club, maybe with a rooftop pool," said Dan Higgins, proposing a private club on the former bank site. Tari Kuenua summarized the outreach plan: "This effort will be centered around a comprehensive public engagement program where we work with the community and city council to identify preferred uses for both sites." City traffic staff summarized parking demand: the downtown parking management study shows average occupancy near 78% annually with peak periods approaching 92%.

What to watch: Staff’s next report after fall outreach, more detailed parking geometry and cost modeling (including refined per‑stall costs), any formal code‑amendment language to increase height, and outreach to adjacent property owners that could affect site‑combination options (e.g., the Vans parcel noted in public comment). The council indicated it expects follow‑up sessions and a design charrette during spring 2026 as part of Project Pulse.

(Reporting by the City Council study session; quotes and key figures are taken from staff presentations and public comment at the Aug. 26, 2025 Project Pulse study session.)