The future of Bixby Knolls and parts of North Long Beach was discussed with rigor at Tuesday night’s city council meeting, as officials approved the Zone In: Bixby project.
The update is part of the citywide Zone In project, which aims to address outdated zoning codes and update the way buildings, corridors and neighborhoods can be used.
Zoning can impact anything from where and what type of housing can be built in a neighborhood to the amount of parking spaces required for businesses. A city’s zoning codes also help them comply with regional and state mandates, such as meeting housing needs, improving pedestrian access and diversifying commercial uses.
Long Beach has been rezoning parts of the city since 2020, through plans such as Everyone’s Coast, City Core in central Long Beach, Zone In: WestLB and UPLAN in North Long Beach.
The areas impacted by Zone In: Bixby are roughly bounded by Locust Avenue to the west, Del Amo Boulevard to the north, the 405 freeway to the south and the Long Beach-Lakewood city boundary to the east.
The project includes three goals:
- Updating the Land Use Element to conform with the Housing Element and increase housing opportunity sites in the greater Bixby Knolls area.
- Updating the zoning codes for ground floor designs and introducing two new zoning districts for Neighborhood Serving Corridor-Low (four-story maximum apartment/condos and low-intensity commercial use) and Community Commercial (community-based services) PlaceTypes.
- Rezoning certain properties along major corridors.
Zone In: Bixby began with stakeholder interviews in March 2023, as well as an open house to engage with the community. Last spring, the project team began hosting audit walks with the community along major corridors such as San Antonio Drive, Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach Boulevard and Wardlow Road. Throughout the remainder of last year, the City hosted workshops, another open house, a public review period and a tribal consultation.
The Long Beach Planning Commission approved Zone In: Bixby and recommended the plans to the city council in February of this year.
Concerns from the community heard during outreach included parking impacts, specifically from additional housing and preserving existing neighborhood designs. Residents also expressed a desire for more retail shopping and more housing options.
Community Development Director Christopher Koontz said that the Zone In: Bixby project is one of the first “high opportunity” areas the City has tackled. According to Koontz, the biggest goals were keeping Atlantic Avenue extremely walkable and friendly to restaurants and retail, and trying to fit affordable housing in the area.
The City developed a new zone specifically for Bixby Knolls: Atlantic Avenue will be zoned as a “Mixed-Use Main Street,” with the goal to reflect community, an active retail space and a heavy emphasis on mixed-use.
The western side of Atlantic Avenue will be rezoned as mixed-use in order to allow residential and commercial use.
Multiple Bixby Knolls and California Heights residents expressed concern with the use of the word “average” in the code language. This was in reference to the building height limits permitted, which are listed as average instead of stating a specific height. The ordinance also states that heights could be adjusted for State and local regulations.
“We ask the council to carefully consider the unintended consequences of this language change. If the goal is to improve flexibility, we encourage the City to provide strong safeguards and clear definitions so that neighborhood compatibility remains a priority.”
– Tara Riggi, president of the California Heights Neighborhood Association
Residents also had issues with the City’s plan for a parcel of land at 401 E. 37th St., currently the Boys & Girls Club office, a single-story office building. The City is changing the zoning for that parcel to “Multi-Family Residential-Low,” stating that the office is currently “unpermitted” for the area it’s in.
“Zone In: Bixby isn’t bringing anything new or innovative here,” said a resident who only identified himself as Jim. “This is just the same push for higher density, greater height, higher market rate housing, profit for a developer, no regard for the community and the character of the neighborhood or the views of the residents, no innovation, nothing for low-income, same old, same old.”
Koontz acknowledged residents’ concerns about the 401 E. 37th St. parcel, pointing out that the lot is not zoned for an office space and “needed to be fixed.”
“We try to take all of the input in, but not everything we receive is possible and there’s not always perfect consensus,” Koontz said.
Want more local news?
Sign up for the Signal Tribune’s daily newsletter
Koontz said this decision was also impacted by the Housing Element mandates, which has pushed the City to look for opportunities to build affordable housing in high opportunity areas.
“I know some people are concerned generally with the impacts of increasing affordable housing and housing in general where it historically has not been before,” said Councilmember Megan Kerr. “But creating opportunities for more young families to find this community affordable and accessible should not be considered a strike against the character of the neighborhood. In fact, I think limiting changes would be against the spirit of a well-connected community that is part of what makes our neighborhood so special.”
On both sides of Long Beach Boulevard, the streets are receiving zoning changes from “community commercial” to “neighborhood-serving corridor – low.” This will expand multi-family housing and help to make the corridor more walkable and lively by cutting down on unused office space, according to Advance Planning Officer Alejandro Sanchez-Lopez.
These spaces on Long Beach Boulevard will likely have retail or restaurants on the ground floor and have housing on top, Sanchez-Lopez said.
Councilmember Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, who represents the district where the part of Long Beach Boulevard in question was addressed in Zone In: Bixby, was highly supportive of the changes to this area.
Samantha Diaz
Managing Editor
Samantha is an award-winning journalist, sports fanatic and mother. She’s worked for the Signal Tribune for over three years and is passionate about covering environmental news, small businesses, mutual aid efforts and resources.
