Manhattan Beach Gives Initial OK to Zoning Revision

Residents in the oceanfront area of Manhattan Beach passed out circulars in City Council Chambers Tuesday demanding that the council “Leave the Beach Alone!” in a citywide zoning update.

They got a lot of what they wanted as the council gave preliminary approval to a comprehensive zoning ordinance revision program--commonly called ZORP--that permits larger homes on some beach lots than an earlier version, which had incensed beach area residents two months ago.

Under a formula approved by the council for single-family property at the beach, structures on small lots will retain their current square footage limits. Owners of larger lots will be limited to building smaller structures than currently permitted, but the cutback is not as severe as a proposal that earlier had received tentative council approval.

That version of ZORP was attacked in October by beach residents, who charged that they were facing greater restrictions on house sizes than any other part of the city. Councilman Bob Holmes, who lives near the beach, likened it to “going in with a chain saw instead of a scalpel.”

“We had some 33% cuts (in beach-area house sizes), which were extreme compared to what we were doing in other sections,” Councilwoman Connie Sieber said after Tuesday’s council session. “What we did got them lined up more equally.”

A key issue in ZORP is the floor area ratio, which links allowable square-footage of homes to lot size.

In addition to increasing the floor area ratio for homes in beach neighborhoods, the council gave owners of multiple-residential property--much of it in the beach area--a break by excluding parking areas as a factor in determining floor area.

In effect, residents will gain living space because garages will not be included in calculations of floor area.

The ordinance is expected to be given final approval Dec. 18.

Although the voluminous ZORP document touches on everything from height limits and setbacks to parking requirements and neighborhood preservation, house size has been the magnet of controversy.

Square-footage is being rolled back throughout the city in response to complaints that huge buildings are replacing older, smaller homes. However, numerous hearings before the council have drawn a spectrum of opinions, from those who say their dream is to have a big home in Manhattan Beach to others who decry the “yuppification” of a quaint beach town.

The final ZORP hearing Tuesday drew overwhelming opposition from people unhappy that they will not be able to build larger homes. But City Manager Bill Smith urged the council to approve the ordinance, saying: “You can’t make everyone happy.”

The ordinance calls for public hearings and a review within one year. “We will go back there and repair and amend where we need to,” Mayor Steve Barnes said. “Things will turn up that need changing.”