City of Redondo Beach - File #: PC26-0365

• File #: PC26-0365
• Type: Consent Item
• Status: Agenda Ready
• File created: 3/12/2026
• In control: Planning Commission
• On agenda: 3/19/2026
• Title: Public hearing for consideration of a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Coastal Development Permit for the demolition of an existing deteriorated public beach access ramp and the construction of a new ADA-accessible concrete access path with switchbacks, a concrete staircase, retaining walls, drainage improvements, lighting, bicycle parking, seating, railings, irrigation, landscaping, and coastal bluff restoration improvements at 811 and 1109 Esplanade (Permit No. 2025-0072). PROPERTY MANAGER/ APPLICANT: County of Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors LOCATION: 811 and 1109 Esplanade, Redondo Beach CASE NO: 2025-0072 RECOMMENDATION: 1. Open the public hearing and take testimony; 2. Close the public hearing; 3. Adopt the attached resolution by title only, waiving further reading. A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ADOPTING A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND APPROVING A COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT BASED UPON A DETERMINATION THAT THE REDON...

To:                                                               PLANNING COMMISSION

From:                                                               SEAN SCULLY, PLANNING MANAGER

TITLE

title    

Public hearing for consideration of a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Coastal Development Permit for the demolition of an existing deteriorated public beach access ramp and the construction of a new ADA-accessible concrete access path with switchbacks, a concrete staircase, retaining walls, drainage improvements, lighting, bicycle parking, seating, railings, irrigation, landscaping, and coastal bluff restoration improvements at 811 and 1109 Esplanade (Permit No. 2025-0072).

PROPERTY MANAGER/ APPLICANT: County of Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors

                     LOCATION: 811 and 1109 Esplanade, Redondo Beach

                     CASE NO: 2025-0072

                     RECOMMENDATION:

1.                     Open the public hearing and take testimony;

2.                     Close the public hearing;

3.                     Adopt the attached resolution by title only, waiving further reading.

A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ADOPTING A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND APPROVING A COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT BASED UPON A DETERMINATION THAT THE REDONDO BEACH AVENUE A ACCESS RAMP PROJECT, CONSISTING OF IMPROVEMENTS AND MODERNIZATION TO THE EXISTING ACCESS RAMP AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING ACCESS PATH, RETAINING WALL, AND PEDESTRIAN RAILING, CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW ADA-ACCESSIBLE CONCRETE PATH AND CONCRETE STAIRCASE, AND INSTALLATION OF DRAINAGE, LIGHTING, SITE FURNISHINGS, IRRIGATION, LANDSCAPING, AND DUNE/BLUFF RESTORATION IMPROVEMENTS AT 1109 ESPLANADE AND 811 ESPLANADE, REDONDO BEACH, CA 90277 (CASE NO. 2025-0072), IS CONSISTENT WITH THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE CITY’S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM AND ZONING REGULATIONS

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The City of Redondo Beach is processing a request for adoption of a Mitigated Negative Declaration and approval of a Coastal Development Permit for the Redondo Beach Avenue A Access Ramp Project, a public access improvement project applied for by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors. The Project would replace an existing deteriorated and closed beach access ramp with a new ADA-accessible access path and related improvements intended to restore safe public access to the beach and improve long-term functionality of the site.

The existing ramp was closed in 2021 after an engineering evaluation found the access path, railings, landings, and retaining wall to be in very poor condition, and the City subsequently approved an emergency coastal development permit to authorize the closure. The current application would allow construction of replacement access improvements, including a new accessible concrete path, staircase, retaining walls, drainage improvements, lighting, site furnishings, irrigation, landscaping, and bluff restoration.

Because the site is located in the Coastal Zone, a Coastal Development Permit is required and is the discretionary entitlement before the Planning Commission. Environmental review for the Project has been completed through preparation of an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND), which concludes that potentially significant impacts can be reduced to a less-than-significant level through mitigation measures and project requirements. The primary issue areas identified in the environmental review relate to biological resources and cultural resources, with mitigation focused on habitat restoration, species protection, and inadvertent discovery procedures.

As proposed, the Project would improve public accessibility, replace deteriorated coastal access infrastructure, and maintain the site’s long-standing public beach access function. The following sections of this report provide additional detail regarding the Project background, Project Description, Coastal Development Permit findings, and environmental determination.

Construction of the Project is anticipated to start in Winter 2026 and will take approximately 12 months to complete.

BACKGROUND:

Project Location, Uses, and Zoning

The Project site is located at 1109 Esplanade and 811 Esplanade, at the western terminus of Avenue A in Redondo Beach, California, and consists of approximately 1.64 acres identified by APNs 7509-001-900 and 7509-005-900. The site is improved with an existing public beach access facility and is situated within the City’s Coastal Zone along the bluff and beach interface.

Figure 1. Existing Uses

The surrounding area reflects the coastal setting of Redondo Beach and includes a mix of public and private uses. The IS/MND describes Redondo Beach generally as containing hotels, restaurants, offices and commercial centers, residential uses, public parks, beaches, and bike paths. More specifically, the Project site is bordered by multi-family residential properties to the east and by public areas to the north, west, and south, including the beach and related public access areas.

The site also occupies a sensitive coastal bluff environment. The IS/MND notes that the Project site has long been disturbed by the existing access improvements and is currently characterized largely by developed areas and disturbed upland ice plant vegetation; however, it also identifies bluff habitat at the site as meeting the definition of an Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) under the Local Coastal Program. Biological surveys conducted in 2024 found that the site and vicinity have potential to support sensitive coastal species, and species observed in or near the Project area including the El Segundo blue butterfly, globose dune beetle, and Trask shoulderband. Although the Project site itself does not currently provide suitable on-site host plant habitat for the El Segundo blue butterfly due to the dominance of non-native ice plant, the environmental analysis explains that restoration of native bluff and dune habitat would improve habitat value and connectivity along the shoreline.

The site has a General Plan land use designation of Public or Institutional (P) and a zoning designation of Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (P-PRO). The IS/MND states that this designation accommodates public-serving uses such as governmental facilities, parks, schools, libraries, hospitals, public open space, utility easements, and similar public uses.

The Project would continue the site’s longstanding public access function by replacing and improving an existing public beach access path rather than introducing a new land use.

Figure 2. Surrounding Land Uses

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The proposed Redondo Beach Avenue A Access Ramp Project is a public access improvement project that would replace the existing deteriorated and closed beach access ramp at the western terminus of Avenue A with a new ADA-accessible access path and related site improvements. The Project is intended to improve public safety, restore public access to the beach, and modernize the existing facility and associated infrastructure.

Construction is anticipated to begin in winter 2026 and would occur over approximately 12 months. Work would include demolition, site preparation, grading, path construction, paving, architectural coating, and dune/bluff restoration. Construction activities would be limited to five days per week between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., with equipment and materials staged in a designated beach staging area.

The Project would remove the existing approximately 4.5-foot-wide by 267-foot-long access path, the existing 267-foot-long CMU retaining wall, existing pedestrian railing, and existing vegetation and irrigation within the work area. In their place, the Project would construct a new 6-foot-wide, approximately 812-foot-long ADA-accessible concrete path in a zig-zag alignment with two switchbacks descending to the beach, together with a new concrete staircase on the north side of the access path.

Associated improvements would include site grading, new retaining walls, drainage swales, drainage piping, a below-grade French drain, guardrails, handrails, bollard lighting, bench seating, a bicycle rack, irrigation improvements, and related drainage and safety features. These improvements are designed to improve drainage performance, reduce erosion potential, and provide a safer and more functional public access route between Esplanade and the beach.

Figure 3. Proposed Project Site Plan

Temporary construction improvements would include a contractor staging area on the beach, temporary chain link fencing around the active work area, and a temporary bike path west of the existing bike path to maintain pedestrian and bicycle circulation during construction. Following completion of the access improvements, the disturbed bluff area would be restored with native planting and temporary irrigation consistent with the Beach Bluffs Restoration Project Master Plan, a collaborative regional document created in coordination with the Urban Wildlands Group and the City of Redondo Beach, as described below.

Planting, Landscaping, and Bluff Restoration

A major component of the Project is restoration of the bluff area following construction of the new access improvements. Existing disturbed vegetation and irrigation within the work area would be removed, and the newly graded bluff would be replanted with native coastal bluff and dune species intended to stabilize the slope, assist with erosion control, improve the site’s appearance, and enhance habitat value. As described in the IS/MND, the planting plan is required to follow the Beach Bluffs Restoration Project Master Plan (2005), including the plant palette and restoration guidance set forth in that document, together with recommendations from California Coastal Commission staff. The restoration palette specifically includes native species such as Eriogonum and Dudleya, and any remaining unplanted areas would be filled with coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis) at 3-foot spacing until full vegetative coverage is achieved.

This restoration effort is intended to replace disturbed, non-native vegetation, including areas dominated by ice plant, with higher-value native bluff habitat. In addition to habitat enhancement, the planting program is designed to support long-term bluff stability and drainage performance, as runoff over vegetated slopes would be filtered by the new bluff vegetation before entering the site’s drainage features. The Project also includes temporary irrigation to support plant establishment, and the plan set contains dedicated landscape and irrigation sheets to guide installation and maintenance. Taken together, the Project’s landscaping program is a substantive habitat restoration component grounded in the City’s adopted bluff restoration framework, rather than ornamental planting alone.

Figure 4. Proposed Landscaping Plan and Plantings

COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT FINDINGS

Finding 1: The proposed development is in conformity with the City of Redondo Beach Certified Local Coastal Program (LCP).

The Project site is located within the Coastal Zone at 1109 Esplanade and 811 Esplanade and consists of an existing public beach access path at the western terminus of Avenue A. The Project would not introduce a new land use, but instead would replace and improve an existing public beach access facility with a new ADA-accessible path, staircase, drainage improvements, lighting, seating, bicycle parking, and bluff restoration improvements. The Project would remain consistent with the site’s Public or Institutional General Plan designation and Parks, Recreation, and Open Space zoning, and would not conflict with applicable land use plans or policies adopted to avoid or mitigate environmental effects.

The Old Avenue A and Esplanade access path is identified in the LCP as one of the public access paths that provides access from urban Redondo Beach to the beach and Pacific Ocean. The Coastal Land Use Plan recreation and access policies provide that existing public recreational and visitor-serving facilities are to be maintained, enhanced, preserved, and where possible expanded, and that lower-cost visitor-serving and recreational facilities are to be protected and encouraged. The environmental analysis concludes that the Project is consistent with these policies because it rehabilitates an existing public access facility and replaces a dilapidated and unsafe path with an expanded, modern, bike- and pedestrian-friendly access path intended to preserve and enhance public access.

The Project also includes restoration of bluff habitat following construction. The IS/MND identifies bluff habitat at the site as an environmentally sensitive habitat area under the Local Coastal Plan and concludes that potential impacts would be reduced to less than significant through Mitigation Measure BIO-3, which requires restoration to follow the Beach Bluffs Restoration Project Master Plan (2005), including planting palette, design, monitoring, and reporting guidelines, and inclusion of required El Segundo blue butterfly host plant species. As conditioned and mitigated, the Project is consistent with the applicable resource protection, access, and recreation policies of the Certified LCP.  Coastal Commission staff has reviewed and is supportive of the project as designed and conditioned.

Finding 2: That the proposed development, if located between the sea (or the shoreline of any body of water located within the coastal zone) and the first public road paralleling the sea, is in conformity with the public access and public recreation policies of Chapter 3 of Division 20 of the Public Resources Code (commencing with Section 30200).

This finding applies because the Project site is located on the bluff and beach interface west of Esplanade, which is the first public road paralleling the sea in this area. The Project involves replacement of an existing public beach access facility and is intended to restore safe public access that has been unavailable since closure of the deteriorated ramp. The Project improves an existing recreational facility to increase safety and accessibility for beach visitors, and that reopening the Avenue A access ramp would reduce pressure on surrounding access ramps while improving access for existing patrons.

The Project would not increase beach visitation or introduce a new use, but would enhance access for existing users. During construction, temporary pedestrian and bicycle detours would be provided, including a temporary bike path, so that continuity along the existing trail system is maintained and regional trail connectivity is not significantly affected. After construction, the site would continue to function as a public beach access point, with improved accessibility, safer circulation, and restored bluff habitat. Accordingly, the Project conforms with the public access and public recreation policies of Chapter 3 of the Coastal Act because it preserves and improves an existing public coastal access route rather than restricting or diminishing coastal access.

Finding 3: That the decision-making body has complied with any CEQA responsibilities it may have in connection with the project, and that, in approving the proposed development, the decision-making body is not violating any CEQA prohibition that may exist on approval of projects for which there is a less environmentally damaging alternative or a feasible mitigation measure available.

The City, as Lead Agency, and with the assistance of the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, prepared an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Project in accordance with CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines. The IS/MND states that the Project, as mitigated, will not have a significant effect on the environment., The IS/MND was circulated for public review and identifies the City’s process for preparation of the Final IS/MND, responses to comments, and adoption of a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program.

The primary areas requiring mitigation are biological resources and cultural resources. The IS/MND identifies mitigation measures for nesting birds and western snowy plover avoidance, requires bluff restoration to follow the Beach Bluffs Restoration Project Master Plan, and requires work stoppage, evaluation, and appropriate treatment if archaeological resources or human remains are encountered during construction. With implementation of these mitigation measures, the IS/MND concludes that biological, cultural, and related environmental impacts would be reduced to less than significant. Based on the environmental record before the Planning Commission, the City has complied with its CEQA responsibilities for the Project.

ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS

The City of Redondo Beach, as Lead Agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), prepared an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the Redondo Beach Avenue A Access Ramp Project in accordance with the State CEQA Guidelines. The County of Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors is identified in the IS/MND as a Responsible Agency and project sponsor. The Draft IS/MND was circulated for a 30-day public review period from February 5, 2026 through March 6, 2026, after which the City will prepare a Final IS/MND, including responses to comments and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, for consideration with the Project.

The IS/MND concludes that, although the Project could result in potentially significant environmental effects, revisions in the project and mitigation measures incorporated into the project would reduce those impacts to a less-than-significant level, and therefore preparation of an Environmental Impact Report is not required. The City also completed tribal consultation outreach pursuant to Assembly Bill 52; as described in the IS/MND, request-for-consultation letters were sent to eight Native American tribes on September 5, 2025, no responses were received, and the document concludes that no impacts to tribal cultural resources are expected. Accordingly, the Project has been processed in compliance with CEQA and is before the Planning Commission for consideration of adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration and associated Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program.

PUBLIC REVIEW

During the public review process, the City received limited comment on the Draft IS/MND. A public comment requested installation of a drinking fountain, and Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors confirmed that a drinking fountain has been incorporated into the project. The City also received a comment letter from Caltrans providing standard construction-related recommendations regarding haul routes, traffic control, and maintenance of public safety during construction.

CONCLUSION

The proposed Project represents the replacement and modernization of an existing public beach access facility that has been closed due to deteriorated conditions. The new access improvements, together with associated bluff restoration and site upgrades, would restore safe public access to the beach, improve accessibility, and support the continued public use of the site. Based on the analysis contained in this report, staff finds that the Project is consistent with the applicable policies of the City’s Certified Local Coastal Program and has been processed in compliance with CEQA. For these reasons, staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and approve Coastal Development Permit No. 2025-0072, subject to the findings, conditions, and resolution before the Commission.

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1 - Draft Planning Commission Resolution

Attachment 2 - Project Plans for the Avenue A Access Ramp Project

Attachment 3 - Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration