New street vendor ordinance proposed by Redondo Beach City Council
Street vendors would not be allowed to sell near farmers markets in Redondo Beach. Photo by Kevin Cody
by Garth Meyer
Redondo Beach sidewalk vending is to be as restricted as state law allows, under a proposed ordinance, which received unanimous support at the Aug. 17 city council meeting.
“We aimed for the most restricted ordinance possible while still complying with state law,” Senior Deputy City Attorney Jillian Martins told the council.
The policy was drafted in response to Senate Bill 946 (2018), which made Redondo’s existing ordinance unenforceable.
“Sacramento took the lid off our ability to decide who can do vending and who can’t,” said Mayor Bill Brand. “It’s like we live in Russia or something.”
The new California rules require cities to regulate sidewalk vending, without banning it outright or imposing criminal penalties.
The revised Redondo Beach policy includes barring sidewalk vendors from setting up by farmer’s markets, special events or temporary use areas (such as a 5k race), and defining mobile vendors as the only type allowed in residential areas.
The original permit process for the Esplanade remains unchanged, as allowed by state law.
“We specifically said we’re concerned about sidewalk vendors impacting the special character of the Esplanade,” Martins said.
Councilman Zein Obaji, Jr. moved to accept the draft ordinance. Rep. Nils Nehrenheim gave a second, and it passed.
“What we have now are new vendors,” said Mayor Brand. “People do not want a T-shirt stand at the entrance to our harbor. It’s not the kind of commerce people want to see in Redondo Beach. I’ve never seen what I’m seeing now.”
He showed a T-shirt to the Council that he bought at a booth on the Pacific Coast Highway, at Irena Avenue, with a picture of Nancy Pelosi in crosshairs.
The revised city policy does not pertain to food trucks, which SB-946 did not address. Food trucks remain banned in Redondo Beach within 500 feet of schools.
The ordinance advances to a first reading at the Sept. 7 council meeting, followed by a second reading two weeks later. The ordinance would go into effect in 30 days after approval.
Also at the Aug. 17 meeting, representatives asked the city attorney to look into more defined regulations for food trucks by the end of the year. ER