Community Development Department
Planning Division
415 Diamond Street, P.O. Box 270
Redondo Beach, California 90277-0270
www.redondo.org
tel: 310 318-0637
fax: 310 372-8021
November 16, 2020
John Ainsworth
Executive Director
California Coastal Commission
[email protected]
Dear Mr. Ainsworth:
Pursuant to Public Resources Code, Section 30611, the City of Redondo Beach requests an amendment to the September 24, 2020 Coastal Commission waiver of the requirement to obtain a Coastal Development Permit for the development described below.
The most recent Coastal Commission waiver issued to the City of Redondo Beach was authorized on September 24, 2020. The waiver was requested on the basis that immediate action was necessary for the purpose of protecting public health from imminent danger in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. As noted in that waiver request, the City of Redondo Beach is under the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles (LA) County Department of Public Health.
On May 29, 2020, the State of California granted LA County a waiver to allow restaurants to open under limited dining operations. To address this waiver, the LA County Department of Public Health revised their orders related to COVID-19 to expand restaurant operations to allow in person dining.
On July 1, 2020 Governor Gavin Newsom ordered tougher restrictions on indoor activities as a result of record increases in rates of confirmed cases of COVID-19. In response, LA County Department of Public Health revised their orders so that the only onsite dining allowed at restaurants is outdoor table dining. To address these even tougher capacity issues and social distancing protocols, and to allow restaurants to rebound from the hardship that closures and reduced capacity bring, the City of Redondo Beach requested a waiver from the Coastal Commission in order to expand the outdoor dining areas. The City of Redondo Beach’s waiver requests that were granted on June 30, 2020, July 10, 2020, August 24, 2020, August 28, 2020, and September 24, 2020 recognized that restaurants were tasked with having to accommodate social distancing.
As more businesses are trying to find a way to reopen or stay open, the additional affected area would continue from the current approvals along Catalina, Avenue I, and Avenida Del Norte, and S. Elena Avenue to extend onto the adjacent block of Catalina Avenue immediately north of Avenue I. The additional affected area would include closing off just 3 additional parking spaces along Catalina Avenue immediately north of Avenue I, in addition to those spaces closed per the September 24, 2020 waiver, thus expanding the development area an additional block on S. Elena Avenue by another 3 parking spaces. The amendment would include temporarily reducing on-street parking along four blocks of Catalina Avenue between Avenue I and Palos Verdes Boulevard (per current waiver), along one block of Avenue I between Catalina Avenue and S. Elena Avenue (per current waiver), along two blocks of Avenida Del Norte (per current waiver), along one block of S. Elena Avenue from S. Pacific Coast Highway to Avenue I (per current waiver), and along a fragment of a block of Catalina Avenue north of Avenue I (as part of this waiver request) to allow for outdoor dining for restaurants and outdoor business use to offset the impacts of the LA County Department of Public Health orders and protect the public health and lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
LEGEND:
Parking Waiver Area
CATALINA AVENUE SITE PLAN
LEGEND:
Parking Waiver Area
AVENUE I SITE PLAN
LEGEND:
Parking Waiver Area
AVENIDA DEL NORTE SITE PLAN
LEGEND:
Parking Waiver Area
ELENA AVE SITE PLAN
LEGEND:
Parking Waiver Area
CATALINA AVENUE SITE PLAN NORTH OF AVE I
STATE OF CALIFORNIA – CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY GAVIN NEWSOM, GOVERNOR
CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION
455 MARKET STREET, SUITE 228
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105
OFFICE (415) 904-5200
FAX (415) 904-5400
September 24, 2020
City of Redondo Beach
Community Development Planning Division
Brandy Forbes, Community Development Director
415 Diamond Street
P.O. Box 270
Redondo Beach, CA 90277-0270
Re: Coastal Development Permit Waiver Request No. 6
Dear Ms. Forbes:
On September 22, 2020, the Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission received the City of Redondo Beach’s sixth request for a waiver of coastal development permit requirements to authorize temporary development necessary to protect life and public property. This request is in response to the Governor’s declaration of a state of emergency and subsequent Executive Order N-33-20 “Stay at Home Order” of March 19, 2020, the Safer at Work and in the Community Order for Control of COVID-19 issued by the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department (updated August 12, 2020) and City Emergency Orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, on March 26, 2020, June 26, 2020, July 8, 2020, August 18, 2020, and August 25, 2020 the Commission received the City of Redondo Beach’s five initial waiver requests regarding temporary closure of public access and recreation facilities, including the beach and Redondo Beach Pier, as well as parking closures, in response to the Governor’s Executive Order N-33-20. In response, the Executive Director issued waivers to the City of Redondo Beach on March 30, 2020, June 30, 2020, July 10, 2020, August 24, 2020, and August 28, 2020.
Specifically, the City of Redondo Beach requests a waiver for the following development, as detailed in the City’s waiver request and mapping exhibits: Temporary closure through the use of blockades and signage of up to 116 on-street parking spaces along Catalina Avenue between Avenue I and Palos Verdes Boulevard, up to 81 on-street parking spaces on Avenue I between Catalina Avenue and South Elena Avenue, 33 on-street parking spaces along Avenida Del Norte between Catalina Avenue and South Elena Avenue, and 3 on-street parking spaces on South Elena Avenue between South Pacific Coast Highway and Avenue I, for the purpose of outdoor dining and business use until the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department Order (cited above) is no longer in effect. Vehicular and pedestrian traffic along this portion of Catalina Avenue and Avenue I will continue.
Under Coastal Act Section 30611, coastal development permit requirements may be waived when immediate action by a person or agency performing a public service is required to Coastal Development Permit Waiver Request No. 6 – City of Redondo Beach September 24, 2020
protect life and public property in response to an emergency. The Executive Director has determined that the City of Redondo Beach’s emergency action described above meets the criteria to obtain a waiver of permitting requirements under Section 30611. This determination is based on the City of Redondo Beach’s acknowledgement that: the proposed development will not result in the erection of any permanent structures valued at more than $25,000; the authorized actions are limited to the minimum restrictions on public access necessary to protect public health while Executive Order N-33-20 and the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department Order (cited above) are in place; and adaptive management will be used to minimize impacts on public access, consistent with the protection of public health.
Commission staff encourages the City of Redondo Beach to continue closely coordinating with the local public health department to determine the minimum restrictions necessary to protect public health. After such consultation, we encourage the City of Redondo Beach to consider, in consultation with Commission staff, some phased re-opening or modifications of restrictions, when appropriate, given the importance of providing access to open spaces and recreational facilities, especially during times of crisis.
Thank you for coordinating with our agency and providing notice of your action. You may reach the Commission’s South Coast District Office by email at [email protected], or by phone at (562) 590-5071, if you have any questions.
Thank you.
JOHN AINSWORTH
Executive Director
cc: South Coast District Office