LOS ALAMITOS : Zoning Change Upsets Businesses

In a rare display of acrimony, local business owners this week protested the City Council’s decision to severely limit the types of businesses allowed in industrial areas.

The zoning changes would ban the establishment of churches, dance studios and other assembly-type organizations in the zone set aside for industries. Establishments of this type already in industrial areas will be allowed to remain.

The changes approved by the council also require those who want to lease office buildings in industrial zones to first obtain a special permit from the city. Offices that are part of larger industrial businesses are exempt from the requirement.

Mayor Alice Jempsa said she supported the changes because only a small portion of the city is zoned for industrial use, and “the integrity of the industrial areas needs to be maintained.”

However, members of the business community accused the council of wanting to squeeze out small businesses to make way for the larger industrial facilities, which generate more sales tax revenue.

Sales tax revenue collected by the city has been declining over the last few years. The city will have to spend an estimated $270,000 of its reserves this fiscal year to cover current expenses, according to Gerard Goedhart, the city’s director of administrative services.

“We’ve been a pretty good, quiet neighbor,” said Dave Anderson of Bixby Land Co., which owns the Los Alamitos Business Park on Los Alamitos Boulevard. “There are many smaller users that find it agreeable to operate out of our building . . . but would find the (special permit) process too prohibitive.”

Following the suggestion of Councilman Ronald Bates, the council agreed to consider an abbreviated permit process for businesses that want to move into office space in an already developed business park.