Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Long Beach council adopts Bixby Knolls rezoning package to align zoning with housing goals
Summary
After a multi‑hour hearing and public testimony, the City Council adopted a package of land‑use and zoning changes for the Greater Bixby Knolls area to implement new Main Street zones, correct mapping errors and expand multifamily housing capacity. The council approved five required votes to certify environmental findings, adopt new zones, amend the general plan maps and text, and rezone properties.
On June 9 the Long Beach City Council approved a multi‑piece rezoning package for the Greater Bixby Knolls area intended to align zoning with the city’s 2019 Land Use Element and state housing law. Staff described the package as three components: general plan text and map amendments, minor updates to existing zoning and the creation of two new 'main‑street' zones (intended for pedestrian‑oriented mixed use), plus rezoning of properties along key corridors to allow more multifamily housing.
Planning staff said the changes respond to a persistent housing shortfall, mapping errors and the need to add capacity in higher‑resource areas. The staff presentation noted the city must accommodate its Regional Housing Needs Allocation and that the city has permitted a fraction of the required affordable units in the current cycle.
Public comment included residents who urged caution about changes in development standards and language—several speakers asked the council to delay action to clarify the insertion of the word 'average' into design rules—and neighbors opposed reclassifying a 401 E. 37th Street parcel (a former office used by the Boy Scouts) from a single‑family context to a multifamily designation. Planning staff and several council members said the parcel was mis‑designated and needed correction to restore consistency between map and reality, and that project‑level review would still be required for any future development.
Council took the five required votes tied to the package, including adoption of an addendum to the program EIR, adoption of new Title 22 zoning districts, general plan map amendments, the zoning map changes and related general plan text amendments. Council votes on each motion carried. Mayor Rex Richardson and other members emphasized the need to balance neighborhood character with the city’s legal obligations to create housing opportunity across districts.
Council members said they heard concerns from neighbors and encouraged continued outreach during project‑level review. Staff noted that any large project would still be subject to site‑specific noticing, public hearings and discretionary review thresholds set under state law and local code.
Next steps: the adopted ordinances and resolutions will be implemented consistent with municipal code timelines; individual development proposals that rely on the new designations will appear as separate projects with notices and opportunities for public comment.
