Redondo Beach Expresses Mixed Feelings about Mixed-Use
- Josh Stephens
- Oct 24, 2017
- 4 min read
Twenty-five years ago, the proliferation of mixed-use development was scarcely a glimmer in a New Urbanist’s eye. Today, of course, the practice of developing multistory buildings with retail on the ground floor and, typically, residences on the upper floors is a standard part of cities’ development plans, especially those that are pursuing sustainability and walkability. But 1992 was when the City of Redondo Beach, in the South Bay region of Los Angeles county, first adopted a mixed-use ordinance, perhaps ahead of its time. This year, when most other cities are embracing and promoting mixed-use, Redondo Beach recently took a step back. In September, the city council adopted a two-year moratorium on all new mixed-use developments in the city. Proponents of the moratorium, including a vocal neighborhood group called Save the Riviera, raised concerns that mixed-use developments were straining local infrastructure, including sewage and roads, and were not performing as the city had intended. Redondo Union School District officials voiced concerns that more housing would stress local schools. "Current vertical mixed-use in Redondo Beach that allows 35 units per acre with allowable density bonuses for affordable housing has not worked,” said Mayor Bill Brand. “It has created traffic problems that continue to worsen and threaten the health and safety of our residents while providing little affordable housing.” The moratorium is designed to prevent further stresses until the city can comprehensively update its general plan, a process that is in the offing. "It prevents more out-of-scale, out of character development that are paving over commercial square footage….for primarily residential,” said City Council Member Nils Nehrenheim, formerly a leader of Save the Riviera. In particular, ground-floor commercial space was, reportedly, under-performing and therefore not generating the tax revenues that the city had anticipated. One mixed-use development replaced a car dealership, which had been "giving the city phenomenal tax revenue,” according to Nehrenheim. While the moratorium may appear to be a rejection of progressive urban planning trends — especially in a region with a severe housing shortage — Redondo Beach officials insist that it is nothing of the sort. They say it is a specific response to a unique set of circumstances. "I am a huge proponent of mixed use. I think it’s an excellent zoning tool and use of certain land,” said Nehrenheim. In some ways, the idea of pedestrian-friendly development never made sense on many of the parcels to which the mixed-use ordinance applied. Redondo Beach does not have a traditional downtown area, and much of the development in question was taking place on Pacific Coast Highway, which is a major, multilane thoroughfare. “(Planners) chose this area because they wanted to create focal points of activity. The areas they chose….is along a traffic corridor whose speed limits is 40 miles per hour. How do you create focal points of activity on a state highway?” said Nehrenheim. Redondo Beach’s experience also suggests that the city’s originally conceptions of mixed use may have been half-baked. Mixed use developments to not, in and of themselves, create activity if they are located poorly. "I think with all mixed use, the commercial viability can be questionable,” said Jones. "You get two blocks from the core and the commercial can be marginal." Tax revenues and neighborhood character aside, traffic on PCH may be the driving force behind some of the opposition to mixed use. Proponents of the moratorium say that, essentially, the city has too much housing — or not enough jobs. Rather than supply housing for people who work in Redondo Beach, more housing will simply mean more commuters who leave the city in the morning and return in the evening, thus exacerbating traffic rather than alleviating it. "There’s pretty much a mass transit disconnect between the south end of the South Bay, and that covers Torrance, Redondo, Hermosa Beach,” said Bruce Szekes, of Save the Riveriera. "Right now a lot of the intersections in the beach are poor at current counts without adding any more density." Moreover, city officials say that Redondo Beach is already doing its part to alleviate the region’s housing crisis by meeting its Regional Housing Needs Asseessment targets. They point fingers at neighboring cities that have disregarded RHNA and even become less dense in recent years. "A lot of coastal communities are dealing with the strong demand for housing,” said Jones. "With our RHNA numbers, we're doing our part." Mayor Bill Brand said that further housing development should focus on subsidized housing. "Horizontal mixed-use with required low income affordable housing for larger projects is a much better approach,” said Brand. Nonetheless, the South Bay’s economy has boomed in recent years with the rise of industrial and technology companies such as SpaceX and Tesla, creating further demand for market-rate housing. In practice, though, the moratorium may not mean much. Three mixed-use developments were recently approved. The Legado, with over 100 residential units, was approved after months of rancor — and a lawsuit by the developer -- shortly before the moratorium took effect. While those projects get underway, the city is embarking on an update to its general plan, which is expected to include a revised approach to mixed use. A General Plan Advisory Committee has been convened to "examining how to better plan our communities and mitigate the threats to our health and safety that increasing traffic gridlock causes,” according to Brand. While proponents of the moratorium would like the city to maintain modest residential densities — around a maximum of 30 units per acre, down from the current 35 — the moratorium does not necessarily mean that mixed-use will be forever banished from the city. Contacts & Resources Bill Brand, Mayor, City of Redondo Beach, Bill.Brand@redondo.org Aaron Jones, Community Development Director, City of Redondo Beach, aaron.jones@redondo.org Nils Nehrenheim, Council Member, City of Redondo Beach, Nils.Nehrenheim@redondo.org Bruce Szekes, Save the Riviera, info@saveriviera.org
