Administrative
Report
N.1., File # 26-0285 Meeting Date: 3/3/2026
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: MARC WIENER, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
TITLE
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE GENERAL PLAN - LAND USE DESIGNATIONS
FOR THREE REDONDO BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTIES USED FOR
COMMUNITY, PARK AND RECREATION PURPOSES INCLUDING THE ALTA VISTA ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL SITE, THE FORMER FRANKLIN SCHOOL SITE, AND THE LINCOLN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL SITE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City is in the process of updating the Land Use, Open Space and Conservation, Safety and Noise Elements of the General Plan, and associated Zoning Ordinance amendments as required for consistency. The General Plan is composed of various state-required elements and provides long term policy direction to guide the physical development, conservation, and sustainability of the City.
In the fall of 2024, the City Council held a series of public hearings to consider the proposed focused General Plan Update. The project was segmented so that items related to implementation of the 6th Cycle Housing Element would be adopted first (which occurred on November 5, 2024) and then followed by the below:
· August 5, 2025 - The City Council conducted a focused discussion on Land Use Element (LUE) policies related to Artesia and Aviation Boulevards, and expressed support for increasing the FAR from 0.6 to 1.5 to incentivize commercial reinvestment and help achieve the vision of the Artesia and Aviation Corridors Area Plan (AACAP). The City Council later reviewed associated amendments to development standards in the Zoning Ordinance. · January 6, 2026 - The City Council conducted a discussion on LUE policies related to historic preservation and directed staff to maintain policies that promote a voluntary historic designation process.
· January 20, 2026 - The City Council conducted focused discussion on the allowed building floor area ratio (FARs) for Public Institutional (PI) properties and the “other” non-residential properties. The City Council supported maintaining FARs and land use designations as originally proposed in the draft updated LUE, with the exception of the Beach Cities Health District campus, which Council supported an increase to the recommended 1.25 FAR to accommodate future services. The City Council was also provided with a general overview of which FAR increase and action would trigger an Article XXVII vote.
N.1., File # 26-0285 Meeting Date: 3/3/2026
Additionally, the Council discussed and supported the proposed land use designations identified in the draft updated LUE; including the Planning Commission/Staff recommendation to maintain the existing land use designation of “P” Public or Institutional for the AES property and SCE transmission tower corridor (Note: The land use designations are established in the General Plan. The associated zoning districts identified in the zoning map are consistent with, but not identical to, these land use designations).
The Council also briefly discussed, and requested additional information on, the draft updated LUE change pertaining to the land use designation from Public “P” to “OS” (Parks and Open Space) for all, or portions of, three specific Redondo Beach Unified School District (School District) owned properties identified in the draft document as: 1) Alta Vista Elementary School Fields; 2) the former Franklin School Site; and 3) Lincoln Elementary School Fields. A recommendation was made by staff and the Planning Commission to maintain these properties as a public designation, “PI” (Public/Institutional), based on concerns raised by the School District about changing the designation. The City Council requested that these sites be discussed further as a stand-alone item.
Staff has returned with additional information on the proposed change in land use designation at the three school properties. The purpose of this item is to allow the City Council the opportunity to discuss the issue and make a determination regarding the preferred land use designations.
BACKGROUND
As directed by City Council on January 20, 2026, staff has reviewed the existing and proposed General Plan land use and zoning designations for the following three school district properties with adjacent City parks:
· Alta Vista Elementary School and Alta Vista Park
· Franklin Elementary School (Friendship Foundation’s Campus) and Franklin Park · Lincoln Elementary School and Anderson Park
For all three locations, the current General Plan designations are “P” Public or Institutional (Note: “P” is being replaced with “PI” in the updated LUE). Below are aerial photographs with the currently proposed draft updated LUE designations for each of the three School District/City park properties, which include converting the properties to a combination of “OS” Park and Open Space (highlighted in yellow) and “PI” Public Institutional (highlighted in blue).
N.1., File # 26-0285 Meeting Date: 3/3/2026
Figure 1. Alta Vista Elementary School/Alta Vista Park
LUE Proposed Designations - OS Yellow; PI Blue
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Figure 2. Franklin Elementary/Franklin Park
LUE Proposed Designations - OS Yellow; PI Blue
Figure 3. Lincoln Elementary School/Anderson Park
LUE Proposed Designations - OS Yellow; PI Blue
In addition to the aerial photos above illustrating the proposed General Plan designations at each of the three school/park locations, attached are a series of additional aerial photographs that include the following information for each property:
1. Existing General Plan Land Use Designation
2. Existing Zoning Designation
3. Currently Proposed Draft General Plan Land Use Designation
4. Planning Commission/City Staff Recommended General Plan Land Use Designation (RBUSD Requested)
At the prior City Council meeting questions were raised regarding whether the City has land use jurisdiction of school properties. State Law (Government Code 53094) states that under certain circumstances, school property is not entirely subject to local zoning authority with the exception of non-classroom facilities, including, but not limited to, warehouses, administrative buildings, and automotive storage and repair buildings, etc., which are subject to local zoning. For this reason, the General Plan land use and zoning designations applied by the City could have a reduced impact on future use of these properties.
Redondo Beach Unified School District Requests
The RBUSD has submitted letters (attached) requesting that “All RBUSD-owned properties should be designated Public/Institutional.” Specifically, RBUSD requests that the Alta Vista Elementary School
N.1., File # 26-0285 Meeting Date: 3/3/2026
designated Public/Institutional.” Specifically, RBUSD requests that the Alta Vista Elementary School Fields, the former Franklin School Site, and the Lincoln Elementary School Fields and Blacktop be designated “PI” (Public/Institutional) and not “OS” (Parks and Open Space). The basis of the Staff/Planning Commission recommendation to designate all the properties as PI was based on the RBUSD request.
Consistent Zoning and General Plan Designations
State law (Government Code Section 65680) requires that city zoning ordinances must be consistent with their adopted general plan, ensuring land uses, densities, and development policies align.
Specifically, the zoning designation must match the objectives, policies, and land uses in the general plan.
The zoning designations would be either of the following depending on the LUE land use designations:
General Plan Land Use Designation - “PI” Public/Institutional (school facilities) · Consistent Zoning Designation: P-SF school facility zone General Plan Land Use Designation - “OS” Parks and Open Space · Consistent Zoning Designation: P-PRO parks, recreation, and open space zone To better understand the implications of the existing and proposed General Plan land use designations potentially applicable to these properties, the definitions and allowable building intensities (FAR) for each is provided in the table below.
Designation Description Maximum
Density/Intensity
Public (P) (Existing
General Plan)
Government administrative and
capital facilities, parks, schools,
libraries, hospitals and associated
medical offices, public cultural
facilities, public open space, utility
easements, and other public uses.
N/A
Public/Institutional
(PI) (Proposed
General Plan)
Provides for governmental
administrative and capital facilities,
schools, libraries, hospitals and
associated medical offices, public
cultural facilities, and other public
uses, ancillary parks, recreation and
open spaces. Sites that are allowed
to develop up to a maximum 1.25
FAR are also subject to Planning
Commission Design Review (PCDR).
Max. FAR 0.75 for all
properties except: Max. FAR
1.25 at City Hall, the Annex
site, and the Beach Cities
Health District (BCHD) site.
Parks and Open
Space (OS)
(Proposed General
Plan)
Provides for public open space,
passive park uses, sports fields,
active recreation uses, and coastalrelated recreational activities as well as accompanying public facilities
such as restrooms, picnic pavilions,
parking facilities, and lifeguard
towers
Max FAR 0.20
N.1., File # 26-0285 Meeting Date: 3/3/2026
uses, ancillary parks, recreation and
open spaces. Sites that are allowed
to develop up to a maximum 1.25
FAR are also subject to Planning
Commission Design Review (PCDR).
Parks and Open
Space (OS)
(Proposed General
Plan)
Provides for public open space,
passive park uses, sports fields,
active recreation uses, and coastalrelated recreational activities as well as accompanying public facilities
such as restrooms, picnic pavilions,
parking facilities, and lifeguard
towers.
Max FAR 0.20
For additional context concerning the consistency of the City’s overall general plan and zoning designations the proposed City-wide general plan and zoning maps are attached.
ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS:
On November 5, 2024, the City Council certified a program FEIR for the City’s focused General Plan Update (State Clearinghouse No. 202305073). The program FEIR evaluated buildout assumptions that included buildout assumptions for all proposed “PI” Public/Institutional and “OS” Parks and Open Space land use designations for all the City’s schools and parks. The minor amendments on a portion of the three school owned properties from “OS” to “PI” would not result in new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified impacts beyond those disclosed in the certified program FEIR. Furthermore, any future projects proposed pursuant to the amended designation from “OS” to “PI” for the development of non-school related facilities would be subject to project-level review in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
COORDINATION
This report was coordinated with the City Manager’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the preparation of this report and the proposed zoning amendments is available in the FY 2025-26 Operating Budget for the Community Development Department.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
· Attachment 1 - Alta Vista School/Park Photographic Survey/Analysis · Attachment 2 - Franklin School/Park Photographic Survey/Analysis · Attachment 3 - Lincoln School/Anderson Park Photographic Survey/Analysis · Attachment 4 - Reso - Planning Commission Resolution No. 2024-09-PCR-09, September 19, 2024
· Attachment 5 - RBUSD Comment Letters, April 15 and July 17, 2024 · Attachment 6 - Proposed General Plan Land Use Map (City-wide) · Attachment 7 - Proposed Zoning Map (City-wide)