TITLE
Recommendation to request City Attorney to draft an urgency ordinance in accordance with Chapter 21.50 of the Long Beach Municipal Code establishing a moratorium on the issuance of building or construction permits for the construction of new stand-alone residential structures along transportation corridors in West Long Beach on Willow Street, west of the 710 freeway to the City terminus; and Santa Fe Avenue, between Pacific Coast Highway on the south and Wardlow Road on the north to ensure Land Use Element zoning changes occur prior to issuing building or construction permits, and
Request City Manager to work with the Economic Development Department to develop a plan and identify funding to conduct a market study including economic research and community outreach to attract investment and neighborhood serving uses to West Long Beach along the Santa Fe Avenue and Willow Street Corridors, consistent with the Land Use Element. This project would report back on strategies to attract neighborhood-serving businesses including but not limited to grocery, banking, pharmacy, and coffee, among other amenities, that have long been absent and are needed in West Long Beach.
DISCUSSION
BACKGROUND:
The City of Long Beach’s Land Use Element was adopted by the Long Beach City Council on December 3, 2019. The Land Use Element directs the long-term physical development of the City by guiding use, form and characteristics of improvements on the land. It designates the location, types and intensity of housing, businesses, industries, open spaces, public buildings, airports, ports, marinas and other uses in Long Beach.
West Long Beach is located west of the I-710 freeway and consists of the Westside and Arlington neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are historically working-class due to their proximity to the Port of Long Beach, refineries and other industrial uses in nearby Wilmington. Many single-family homes and other residences were built between the 1920’s and 1940’s.
The Land Use Element designated the corridors of Santa Fe Avenue, between Pacific Coast Highway and Wardlow Road and Willow Street from the I-710 to the city terminus as “Neighborhood Serving Centers.” This designation is designed to meet consumers’ daily needs for goods and services close to residential areas. Ideally, residents could walk to these locations for shopping, personal services or dining. The Land Use Element also encourages mixed use, commercial and apartment buildings with retail and service components integrated along the corridors. While retail and services constantly evolve, currently desired goods and services include restaurants, cafes, retail shops, financial institutions and other daily conveniences within walking distance from residential uses.
Currently, the zoning standards on these two corridors include CCA, R-3-T, R-4-R, R-3-4, CCR and CAN. These zones pre-date the Land Use Element and do not allow for mixed-use development that would be consistent with the Land Use Element and Urban Design Element. The City established compliant zones within Title 22 of the Municipal Code in 2020 and is now undertaking an effort to apply those zones to parcels within West Long Beach.
As a consequence, without a moratorium, out-of-character development could be permitted that would result in stand alone single-use residential structures, forestalling the ability to create walkable mixed-use neighborhoods and corridors. The moratorium shall be limited to parcels along the Willow Street and Santa Fe Avenue corridors, west of the 710-freeway, which have been designated as “Neighborhood Serving Centers” within the Land Use Element. This moratorium will prevent new stand alone residential structures and allow the City to meet its overall goals, as established in the Land Use Element. As the moratorium will still allow residential uses within a mixed-use building, no negative impact to housing supply or construction will occur because of this action.
During the moratorium, a market study for West Long Beach, based on community input, economic research, existing land use, and an assessment of opportunity sites, is needed to help facilitate interest and attraction of neighborhood-focused retail establishments and investors to support the community and implement the Land Use Element and other plans approved by the City Council. Also, staff is requested to provide an assessment of potential fiscal impacts to complete the market study and present to the City Council potential funding sources to implement the plan within 60 days consistent with plans for the Economic Recovery Strategy approved by the City Council on March 16, 2021.
FISCAL IMPACT
No Financial Management review was able to be conducted due to the urgency and time sensitivity of this item.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
ROBERTO URANGA
COUNCILMEMBER, SEVENTH DISTRICT
MARY ZENDEJAS
COUNCILWOMAN, FIRST DISTRICT
CINDY ALLEN
COUNCILWOMAN, SECOND DISTRICT
AL AUSTIN
COUNCILMAN, EIGHTH DISTRICT