Knob Hill housing project nixed in Redondo Beach
A controversial affordable housing complex proposed for 320 Knob Hill has been taken off the table. Redondo Beach Unified School District officials announced last week that negotiations with developer Allan Mackenzie, the president of Mar Ventures, have ended unsuccessfully. “He was unable to meet the terms of the minimum deal point,” said Janet Redella, RBUSD chief business official. “When they took a look at what it would take to meet entitlements, the deal no longer worked.” Specifically, Mar Ventures faced an uphill battle winning enough political support to change the zoning from its current public use designation to residential. The project – an estimated 100-unit workforce housing complex aimed at moderate income earners, such as teachers and firefighters – would have required approval by the city’s Planning Commission and likely the City Council. The council in recent years, under pressure from “slow growth” activists Building a Better Redondo, has been reluctant to approve even multi-unit housing projects that already conform to existing zoning. In this instance, nearby residents organized as the Knob Hill Community Group were vociferously opposed to a housing project…
Read this story on easyreadernews.com