TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Kari Bell, Senior Recreation Supervisor
SUBJECT:Title
Receive the Results from the Library Community Needs Assessment Report and Direct the Library Commission to Develop Options for Future City Council Consideration (No Budget Impact) (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
(Estimated Time: 1 Hr.)
A) RECEIVE AND FILE
B) DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) Receive the Library Community Needs Assessment Report and
2) Direct the Library Commission to develop options for City Council consideration including:
A. Design options for an outdoor patio space utilizing approximately 8,100 square feet of underdeveloped area. This space could include seating, lighting, sound, and community programming. It could also be used for events, offering a larger capacity than the existing library meeting room.
B. Utilizing a portion of the surplus funds to develop additional parking on the Lot 3 site, which is within walking distance of the Library. This could provide more parking spaces for library patrons and support increased programming. Additionally, upon completion, there may be opportunities to share parking revenue with the Los Angeles County Library.
C. Development of additional, dedicated storage space for the Manhattan Beach Historical Society’s collection.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal impacts at this time. The Manhattan Beach Library is one of 86 libraries in the Los Angeles County Library system. Property tax revenues generated by Manhattan Beach residents exceed the cost of services provided at the local library. These surplus funds are retained for the benefit of enhancing library facilities, services, and programming within Manhattan Beach. The current accumulated surplus balance is $14,631,132.
BACKGROUND:
Arroyo Associates Inc. was selected by the Los Angeles County Library in January 2025 to conduct a Library Community Needs Assessment. This effort was a collaborative partnership between the County and the City of Manhattan Beach. The purpose of the assessment was to gather community and stakeholder input to guide the use of surplus library funds.
The assessment process included stakeholder interviews, focus groups, a community-wide survey, library trend analysis, benchmarking against comparable communities, and a spatial analysis of the existing facility.
DISCUSSION:
The Manhattan Beach Library Community Needs Assessment provides a comprehensive evaluation of current library services, facility usage, and community priorities. Based on extensive outreach-including 40 stakeholder interviews, multiple focus groups, a citywide survey, benchmarking against comparable libraries, and spatial analysis-the findings consistently reinforce that the existing Manhattan Beach Library is performing at a high level and should continue to serve as the City’s flagship library facility.
The outreach and needs assessment did not identify a need for a second library location. Although an east side library location had been discussed, Manhattan Beach is a relatively compact community with a centrally located, modern, and well-utilized library facility. Benchmarking with comparable jurisdictions and analysis of usage trends-including increased reliance on digital services-indicate that expanding to a second location would not be an efficient or necessary use of resources. Instead, the data supports continued investment in enhancing the existing facility, services, and accessibility.
The community’s vision, as identified through the assessment process, emphasizes the library as a central gathering place for programming, collaboration, and community connection, rather than expansion to additional sites. The four Strategic Priorities-more programming, maintaining a flagship facility, addressing parking limitations, and increasing outreach-can all be effectively achieved within the current library footprint with targeted improvements.
Consistent with these findings, the most impactful and community-supported opportunities include:
• Development of Outdoor Library Space:
The assessment strongly supports activating the library’s underutilized outdoor area (approximately 8,100 square feet) to expand programming capacity and create flexible, community-oriented space. This improvement directly aligns with the priority to increase programming and provide spaces for gathering, events, and cultural activities.
• Addressing Parking Constraints (Lot 3 Expansion):
Parking limitations were identified as a primary barrier to access. Utilize a portion of the surplus funds to develop additional parking on Lot 3, significantly improving accessibility, supporting increased programming, and enhancing the overall user experience. This approach addresses a core community concern without the need for duplicative facilities. Note that the Community Development Department is currently working on developing this concept and will remain the lead in terms of design.
• Storage for Historical Collections:
The Manhattan Beach Historical Society’s collection represents an important cultural asset. The Needs Assessment process identified the need for improved, dedicated storage solutions to properly preserve and manage these materials. Providing this space supports the library’s role as a cultural and informational resource.
• Interior Reconfiguration (No Expansion Required):
The spatial analysis indicates that many desired improvements-such as additional seating, group study areas, enhanced children’s spaces, and improved staff work areas-can be achieved through reconfiguration of existing space, including reducing underutilized public computer stations and modernizing layouts.
Overall, the Needs Assessment validates that the City’s priority should be to optimize and enhance the existing Manhattan Beach Library, rather than pursue costly and unnecessary expansion to a second location. Strategic investments in outdoor space, parking, storage, and interior improvements will deliver significantly greater community benefit, improve access, and align with long-term trends in library services.
Staff recommends that the City Council direct the Library Commission to collaborate with the Los Angeles County Library to develop detailed options for the outdoor patio space, Lot 3 expansion, and additional storage for the Historical Society.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Arroyo Associates Inc. conducted extensive outreach as part of the Needs Assessment, including 40 stakeholder interviews with library staff, City Council members, City staff, Library Commissioners, Friends of the Library, the Manhattan Beach Historical Society, and representatives from Los Angeles County Supervisorial District 2.
Four focus groups were conducted in June 2025, including sessions with older adults, teens, and general community members. A community survey was distributed through City and Library email lists and promoted via in-library materials, with responses collected in August and November 2025. Additionally, two in-person design workshops were held in October and December 2025 with staff and community stakeholders.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Manhattan Beach Library Community Needs Assessment Report
2. PowerPoint Presentation