3rd Hearing Set on Zoning Changes

The Manhattan Beach City Council’s second public hearing on a comprehensive revision of the Zoning Code drew a variety of comments Tuesday, most of them focusing on the size of buildings, elevations and setbacks.

After a three-hour session, the council set a third hearing for Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers.

The code revision, a long-term project that has involved the Planning Commission, the City Council and a planning consultant, is designed to update and streamline zoning regulations and bring them into line with the General Plan approved nearly two years ago.

As recommended by the Planning Commission, the new code would include overlay zones allowing development to be tailored to specific areas, such as older neighborhoods where residents could petition for community preservation. There would also be a provision for the city to review development proposals in areas where major land-use changes are under study. Parking standards would be tightened for restaurants and for apartment buildings with four or more units.

At the hearings, much comment has focused on proposed reductions in the allowable ratio between the floor area of homes and the area of the lots where they are built. The reductions have drawn support from residents of the rustic section south of Rosecrans Avenue who say trees have been sacrificed to build larger homes. But others have objected, arguing that Manhattan Beach property is so valuable that owners should not be forced to build smaller homes.