by Garth Meyer
Prohibition may soon return to Riviera Village for ground-floor office space.
Reinstatement of an earlier zoning ban on office tenants at street-level is under consideration by the Redondo Beach city council.
The matter stems from the council’s current Strategic Plan, which aims to bring new businesses to the city and cut regulatory barriers to do so.
This has led to questions about permit standards for realtors/notaries in Riviera Village, and how they effect the “mix” of businesses in the district, whether the walkable strip has become too weighted toward restaurants – or not weighted enough.
As it stands, the Village’s “Pedestrian-Oriented Zone” limits offices to “second floor and/or above, or on the ground floor to the rear of other permitted retail or service uses, provided that the pedestrian character of the corridor is not disrupted.”
However, in the past several years, three realtor offices have opened in street-front spaces.
The city’s community development department allowed them because a “service” commercial use was included, namely a notary at the front of the offices.
Riviera Village mostly consists of food and beverage and retail stores.
City staff is now asking the council whether it wants to update the zoning, to prevent more ground floor offices coming in.
The concern is whether the new additions are “inconsistent with the other businesses in the area, and the overall purpose of the zoning district,” according to city staff.
“I think it’s a knee-jerk reaction,” said Allen Sanford, Riviera Village Association (RVA) president, owner of the BeachLife Grotto and General Store, and co-owner of Rockefeller, both in the Village. “I don’t believe that realtor offices are fundamentally bad to the mix, but they need to be regulated. Because of the inevitable decrease in retail, office use should be looked upon as a viable part of the recipe. Office-use creates ancillary business.”
Sanford suggests that the Village is changing.
“The character of a downtown is pretty important, and I don’t believe the necessary attention has been paid to it. I think that currently the Riviera could be perceived as on the road to a lopsided use [restaurants].”
Sanford did not speak on behalf of the RVA, but gave his opinion as a business owner and the Association’s president.
“I’m looking forward to our new District One city council representative recommitting to this
as a focus, in the next year,” he said. “I’m worried about the Riviera.”
Sanford noted that the city may need to figure out how to increase business revenue through fees, when sales tax is not coming from office-use.
Councilman’s view
Nils Nehrenheim, who has represented District One on the city council for the past eight years, is now a candidate for mayor.
“People are using loopholes to get into the ground floor of the Village. We want to preserve pedestrian-oriented, high-volume type of use,” Nehrenheim said.
He said the issue started before he was on the council.
Nehrenheim suggested the next step is for city staff to update the zoning ordinance so the council can approve it.
“Modify it to ensure compatibility,” he said. “Every existing business will be grandfathered in, absolutely, You have to have a mix of different uses, that’s what makes Riviera Village so special.”
He noted recent “positive changes” as two liquor stores going out, replaced by restaurants (one of which was BeachLife Grotto).
“The change is good that we’re having. We just need to make sure that the new businesses are within the intent to be pedestrian-oriented,” Nehrenheim said.
Comparison
Sanford points to Hermosa Beach, saying the city relaxed its parking rules to get more restaurants.
“Too many,” he said. “Which brought poor operators, bars, happy hours and cheap drinks. The same thing could potentially happen in the Riviera if restaurant use oversaturates. These little interesting pieces are leaving.”
Is Sanford just concerned about too much competition for his restaurants in the Village?
“I play the course, not the players,” he said. “From a purely business perspective, I don’t care if there are 100 competitors or zero. It doesn’t change the way I conduct my business.”
He mentioned Jill Saunders Photography which recently left the Village, “and a restaurant went in.” Another clothing shop left, Fernando’s. “And a restaurant went in.”
“The mix doesn’t appear to be being constantly evaluated. It’s not top of mind,” Sanford said.
Redondo Beach relaxed its own parking standards in the Village in 2011, changing the requirement to open a restaurant from one parking spot per 100 square feet to one per 250 square feet – the equivalent for retail or office use.
“The result is that retail and office spaces can be converted to restaurant uses,” said Marc Wiener, Redondo Beach community development director. “Even if the site does not conform because it is deficient in parking.”
After the Village parking standards changed, “restaurants have increased” Sanford said. “And restaurants can pay more per square foot. You can’t blame the landlords for being self-interested, so you could lose your mix.”
The city council will next discuss the issue in March. ER
