Design Review Law Rejected

The Hermosa Beach City Council defeated by a 4-1 vote Tuesday a proposed ordinance that would have increased the city’s design control and environmental review of large-scale commercial developments.

The vote overturned the recommendations of the Planning Commission and of Planning Director Michael Schubach, who had recommended adoption.

Under the proposed ordinance, the council and Planning Commission would have been given discretionary review power to assess projects such as hotels, office buildings and retail developments for their impact on noise, traffic, parking and the surrounding neighborhood.

Currently, such projects are subject only to administrative review, meaning that no additional environmental assessment is necessary if the project meets the city’s building and zoning standards, Schubach said.

Mayor June Williams voted in favor of the proposed ordinance, arguing that the city needs increased discretionary review power to reduce the impact of large projects throughout the city.

But other council members criticized the ordinance, saying it was too restrictive and would place city officials in the position of evaluating the aesthetics of projects, rather than assessing their conformity to zoning and building standards.