RESOLUTION NO. 035-2025
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HAWAIIAN
GARDENS, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, DENYING
A BUSINESS LICENSE FOR A PRECISION ROOFING DBA A PRECISION CONSTRUCTION LOCATED AT 12347 E. CARSON STREET (“PROPERTY”) IN THE CITY OF HAWAIIAN GARDENS (APN: 7066-017-127)
WHEREAS, A Precision Roofing dba A Precision Construction (“Applicant”/”Appellant”) filed an application for a business license for office and professional use; and
WHEREAS, the Property is located within the C-4 (General Commercial) zoning district and is designated as General Commercial on the City of Hawaiian Gardens General Plan Land Use Map; and
WHEREAS, a Business License is required for all businesses in the City to conduct business operations; and
WHEREAS, the Business License application stated that the principal use is office, which will be staffed by three administrative employees between the hours of 7:00 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. In addition, there will be three field workers and the Applicant will operate three company trucks used for transportation to and from the job sites and that no more than 10% of the area will be used collectively by all tenants for incidental storage of vehicles and supplies; and
WHEREAS, the City requested a written and detailed business description including but not limited to the proposed activities, and equipment and materials used onsite, stored onsite, and how/where it is stored onsite; and WHEREAS, the Applicant intends to store construction materials onsite, including roofing nail gun, hammers, air compressors, all roofing materials, solar cells/materials for solar roofing installations, shovels, ladders, tarps, measuring tape, generators, saws, drills, hard hats, ladder hoist, caulking guns, and brooms; and WHEREAS, Staff evaluated the application and additional information and determined that the business is more akin to a “contractor yard”; and WHEREAS, “contractor yards” are permitted only in the Light Manufacturing (M-1) zoning designation portions of the City when a Minor Use Permit is approved; and WHEREAS, Hawaiian Gardens Municipal Code (“HGMC”) Section 18.70.060(G) prohibits the storage of building materials; and
WHEREAS, HGMC Section 18.70.060(I) prohibits the outdoor display of building materials, or equipment; and
WHEREAS, on August 29, 2025, the Community Development Director issued a denial letter for the business license; and
WHEREAS, the Applicant appealed the Director’s decision to the City Council of the City of Hawaiian Gardens (“City Council”) pursuant to HGMC 5.04.230 and
18.100.170; and
WHEREAS, the City Council held a hearing on December 10, 2025, and fully considered all oral and written testimony, facts, and opinions offered at the public hearing; and
WHEREAS, all other prerequisites to the adoption of this Resolution have occurred.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Hawaiian Gardens as follows:
SECTION 1. RECITALS
The City Council hereby finds and determines that the foregoing recitals, which are incorporated herein by reference, are true and correct.
SECTION 2. Business License Decision & Findings
Having considered all the oral and written evidence presented to it at said hearing regarding the business license application for A Precision Roofing dba A Precision Construction, Inc., the City Council hereby denies the business license application for A Precision Roofing dba A Precision Construction, Inc. The City Council’s decision is based on the following:
1. In reviewing this matter and any undefined terms, Staff was guided by the provisions of HGMC Section 18.20.010 (General Interpretation).
2. In reviewing the intended and primary use of the property, Staff was guided by HGMC Section 18.20.020 (Use of Terms) and 18.20.030 (Definitions), including the following:
“Use or land use”. The purpose or activity for which land or buildings are arranged, designed, or intended, or for which land or buildings are occupied or maintained and shall include any manner of performance of such activity.”
The Appellant has argued that the use of property is a “general office.” While the Code does not contain a specific definition of “general office” we note that HGMC Section
18.20.030 defines the term “office” without reference to “general.” It provides:
“Offices or professional offices. A building or portion of a building used as a place of business by persons primarily engaged in rendering professional services. It does not include offices of retail stores, or those incidental to the handling, sale or disposition of commodities.”
Even if the term “office” in the Code is more general in nature and may encompass a roofing contractor’s office use, we note that the qualifying language of this definition still requires the user to be “primarily engaged” in rendering professional services. It does not contemplate the use of property for purposes of storage of vehicles, equipment, building materials and as a central dispatch center for construction employees in the field, while the office use is accessory to the primary roofing contractor services.
HGMC Section 18.20.010 indicates that any word or phrase in question shall be defined by utilizing other specified sources. According to Lawinsider.com, “contractor’s yard” refers to a yard where equipment and materials are stored or where a contractor performs shop or assembly work. It is used by building trades or other construction contractors.” Moreover, Webster’s Dictionary, defines “office” as: a place where a particular kind of business is transacted or a service is supplied: such as a place in which the functions of a public officer are performed; the directing headquarters of an enterprise or organization or the place in which a professional person conducts business. These plain language definitions support the Department’s interpretation that the proposed principal use is a contractor yard, where equipment and materials are stored by a construction contractor.
While the Appellant may also intend to use the space as administration office, we conclude that the proposed office use is not the primary use.
3. Regulations for non-residential uses including parking, storage, fencing, lighting, design, and maintenance are set forth in HGMC Section 18.70.060. Further, Section
18.70.060(E) allows overnight exterior vehicle storage of up to ten vehicles or use of up to ten percent of lot area.” Staff did not dispute that Section 18.70.60(C) allows equipment to be “stored within an enclosed building or fully screened so as not to be visible from adjoining or adjacent lots.” However, such regulations are applicable only to otherwise permitted non-residential uses.
Staff believes that if the principal use is not permitted in the C-4 Zone, the regulations allowing ancillary storage and equipment uses do not apply. Moreover, while outdoor storage of certain materials, machinery, and equipment may be allowed under specified conditions, the Code categorically prohibits building materials of the type proposed by the Appellant from being stored or displayed outdoors (HGMC Section 18.70.060(G) and (I).
In addition, exterior storage of vehicles and equipment, even if allowed, must comply with Nonresidential Regulations, such as Section18.70.010(H) pertaining to the paving and striping of off-street parking areas and specified limits and standards including that they be fully screened. In this case, no indication was provided that such conditions would be available to the Appellant or proposed to be remedied.
4. Finally, we note that the intended business operations as a contractor yard is not compatible with the stated purposes of the C-4 Zone or the Hawaiian Gardens General Plan. Section 18.60.020 of the HGMC provides, in part, that “The purpose of the general commercial (C-4) zone is to designate areas for office/professional and retail businesses in the City, that support residential areas and provide jobs for area residents. These areas are intended to accommodate a variety of shops for goods and services to serve the needs of the surrounding community. The C-4 zone is consistent with the general commercial designation of the General Plan.” (HGMC
18.60.020(A).)
The Hawaiian Gardens General Plan - Land Use Element describes the policies and goals applicable to the City’s Commercial designations. These provide:
Goal LU-4: Provide commercial retail opportunities that serve residents and visitors.
Policies:
LU-4.4 Encourage the development of high-quality commercial projects.
LU-4.5 Ensure that applicable land use regulations allow for commercial uses that serve a broad market area, including visitor-serving uses.
LU-4.7 Provide neighborhood commercial uses throughout the community to make goods and services available within walking distance of residents.
Here, the Appellant is not offering any retail services to serve residents or visitors. There is nothing sold onsite that could be purchased by residents or visitors. A visitor cannot visit the site to obtain any services or buy any products. The proposed use does not provide any goods or services within walking distance of residents.
In addition, the contractor roofing equipment and building materials storage on an unimproved lot, are not characteristic of high-quality commercial development, which would ordinarily have a permanent building and fencing, signage, lighting, parking lot paving and striping. In fact, an unpaved lot is considered a nuisance pursuant to
18.70.080(B)(10). Furthermore, allowing a contractor yard with outdoor storage of building materials runs counter to the stated purpose of the general commercial (C-4) zone.
SECTION 3. RELIANCE OF RECORD
Each and every one of the findings and determinations in this Resolution are based on the competent and substantial evidence, both oral and written, contained in the entire record relating to the application. The findings and determinations constitute the independent findings and determinations of the City Council in all respects and are fully and completely supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole.
SECTION 4. SUMMARIES OF INFORMATION
All summaries of information in the findings, which precede this section, are based on the substantial evidence in the record. The absence of any particular fact from any such summary is not an indication that a particular finding is not based in part on that fact.
SECTION 5. ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION
The Mayor of the City of Hawaiian Gardens is hereby authorized to affix his signature to this Resolution signifying its adoption by the City Council.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the Hawaiian Gardens City Council on this 10th day of December 2025.
__________________________
Maria Teresa Del Rio
Mayor