State commission drastically alters Manhattan Beach’s downtown specific plan
Manhattan Beach Mayor Amy Howorth walked away from Thursday’s California Coastal Commission at the Redondo Beach main library ready to fight. More than a year and a half ago, Manhattan Beach approved its Downtown Specific Plan, a zoning measure that aims to protect the identity of the area while creating a vision for the next 20 years. On Thursday, the Coastal Commission approved a modified version of that original plan, with 27 amendments, which ranged from allowing short-term rentals in residential, commercial and mixed-use zones to removing plants from a suggested plant palette. Howorth, the only elected Manhattan official to attend the meeting, was incensed. “We value our public process and transparency in Manhattan Beach. It’s upsetting to me, and if they really valued [transparency] they would’ve given us enough time,” Howorth said. On July 18, Manhattan Beach staff received their copy of Coastal Commission recommended alterations to the plan, including the 27 modifications, leaving the City Council only one meeting to discuss the alterations before the Coastal Commission hearing and submit a response. The commissioners were sensitive to the time crunch, particularly after…
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