by Garth Meyer
In a special meeting of the Redondo Beach planning commission Aug. 1, the panel discussed the draft General Plan Update, including Floor Area Ratio for the Beach Cities Health District campus. It concluded with a vote for city staff to bring examples to a second meeting on the topic next week.
Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) refers to how big a development is permitted, relative to the size of the land it’s on.
“We are at the gathering-information point,” Planning Commission Chair Gail Hazeltine said.
In the draft Update, the BCHD campus is slotted for a .75 F.A.R., like the rest of the city’s land zoned as “public institutional,” with the exception of the Civic Center (city hall, police station and main library) and the police annex, at 1.25 F.A.R.
The draft General Plan Update was created by an appointed committee, which worked on it for seven years.
The BCHD campus on Prospect Avenue never had an F.A.R. assigned to it before. BCHD administrators say a F.A.R of .75 would be too restrictive for their proposed Healthy Living Campus.
F.A.R. numbers are now in the hands of the planning commission, tasked with making a recommendation to the city council on what to keep or modify of the committee’s work.
“It’s a changing document. As we go along, it’s getting stronger and stronger,” Hazeltine said.
What about the BCHD issue?
“I really don’t know anything about BCHD. I haven’t been paying attention,” she said.
Civic Center and police annex at 1.25 F.A.R. is not certain to stay, either.
“It’s possible those might come down,” said Marc Weiner, the new Redondo Beach Community Development director. “It’s yet to be decided. Ultimately, (F.A.R.) comes down to compatibility and ensuring that new developments are somewhere in line with the scale of surrounding buildings.”
Before public comment at last week’s meeting, Hazeltine asked everyone to raise their hand and say they will tell only the truth.
Mark Nelson of STOPBCHD spoke first, saying the group supports a .75 Floor Area Ratio for the BCHD campus.
“It’s appropriate to preserve the surrounding neighborhood from overdevelopment,” he said.
Beach Cities Health District attorney Joseph Larson spoke in favor of 1.25.
“Currently, the property has a lot more flexibility in terms of its potential,” Larson said. “We request that the 1.25 F.A.R. be universally applied across all (public institutional properties).”
“It’s arbitrary and … violates due process,” he said.
Larson added that a .75 F.A.R will curtail the Healthy Living Campus and cut into funding for essential health services in the three beach cities (Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo).
Two residents spoke in support of BCHD and an F.A.R. of 1.25.
Jacqueline Sun, BCHD director of well-being services, also advocated for the cause.
“I question why limit our ability to be flexible. There’s already a design review process through conditional use permitting,” she said, calling for “1.25 across the board” for public institutional zones.
BCHD boardmember Jane Diehl spoke, too.
“We hope to increase services as the senior population grows,” she said.
Another commenter asked for a .75 F.A.R. for BCHD. Then a Hermosa man talked in support of 1.25, for all Redondo public institutional zones. Another woman strongly recommended a .75 cap.
General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) member Bob Pinzler told the planning commission that “.75 is because of neighborhood compatibility.” He named The Kensington Assisted Living and Memory Care, on PCH and Knob Hill Avenue as an example. “Do we really want a property two and a half times that bulk? … (BCHD) is asking the city to save them from themselves.”
“I understand (the Healthy Living Campus) is big, but the thing that’s there is big,” said former Redondo Beach arts commissioner Georgette Gantner, referring to the old South Bay Hospital, the centerpiece of the 10-acre BCHD campus.
In call-in comments, Laura Duke said BCHD is “losing sight of the big picture… This land is supposed to be public, but it’s not.”
Community Development Director Weiner weighed in from his seat next to the planning commission.
“I do believe this needs to be studied in more depth,” he said.
On a 10,000 square-foot property, with an F.A.R. of 1.25, the owner may build up to 11,250 square feet. For .75, they may build only 7,500 square feet.
Wiener said he will come back with (photographic) examples for the next planning commission meeting, Aug. 15, to show existing commercial developments in the city at different F.A.R. levels.
The BCHD has not yet submitted an application to build its Health Living Campus. Its current focus is a $30 million bond on the November ballot, which would fund demolition of the old hospital, and build the open space part of the proposed campus, among other items.
As drawn, the Healthy Living Campus project would violate a .75 F.A.R. but comply with a 1.25.
Sean Scully, Redondo Beach planning manager, surmised for the planning commission that the current F.A.R. building status on the BCHD campus is .77 – representing the hospital, parking garage and medical office buildings.
Public institutional zones also include parks.
Planning Commissioner Sheila Lamb commented on what she gathered from the public input.
“We heard some serious concerns about compatibility with surrounding areas,” she said. “We must really be mindful that these buildings are in residential areas.”
Planning Commissioner Wayne Craig showed a Photoshop image of how The Kensington would appear if it was zoned – and built – at 1.25, making the existing two-story building four-and-a-half stories.
Chair Hazeltine said she expects one more meeting after the Aug. 15 session, then the commission will give its recommendations to the city council.
The council must approve a final update, which will then go before voters.
F.A.R. in the draft General Plan Update has been a subject of controversy. Some GPAC committee members say they never designated an F.A.R. for the BCHD site in their work.
In May 2021, after a city council discussion about housing, the council voted 3-2 to recommend a F.A.R. of .75 for all public institutional zones, except for the Civic Center and the police annex next to Redondo Union High School.
The full General Plan update focuses on land use, housing, infrastructure, mobility, conservation, recreation and parks, open space and environmental hazards/natural hazards. ER
