TO:
Honorable Planning Commission Chair and Commissioners
THROUGH:
Masa Alkire, Community Development Director
FROM:
Adam Finestone, Planning Manager
Ted Faturos, Senior Planner
Justin Urbanski, Associate Planner
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Variance to reduce the required front yard building setback from 20 feet to 10 feet as part of the construction of a new two-story single-family residence with a basement and attached three-car garage, and a total buildable floor area of 3,134 square feet, located at 620 25th Street (Zagross), and associated environmental determination finding the project is exempt from further review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.
(Planning Case Nos. PE-25-00235/VARIANCE-26-00003)
A) CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING
B) ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. PC 26-XX
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission: (1) conduct a public hearing; and (2) adopt the attached resolution approving the Variance, subject to conditions, and finding the Project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”).
APPLICANT:
Amir Zagross
1601 N. Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite #512.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
BACKGROUND:
On August 13, 2025, the Community Development Department received an application requesting a variance to reduce the required front yard setback from 20 feet to 10 feet to accommodate the construction of a new two-story single-family residence with a basement and attached three-car garage (Project) located at 620 25th Street (Property).
Site Overview
The Property is a 4,683 square-foot trapezoidal-shaped lot located on the south side of 25th Street between 23rd Street to the east and Blanche Road to the west. City records indicate the site is currently improved with a one-story, 912 square foot single-family dwelling with an attached two-car garage that was built in 1947. The Property is located in the Single-Family Residential (RS) zoning district, Area District II, and has a General Plan land use designation of Low Density Residential. The Property is surrounded by RS-zoned one- and two-story single-family residences on all sides. The vicinity map (see Attachment 3) shows the site configuration and surrounding uses.
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
• Location: 620 25th Street
• Legal Description: A portion of Lot 3, Block 86, Tract No. 2474
• General Plan Land Use: Low Density Residential
• Zoning Designation: Single-Family Residential (RS)
• Area District: II
• Land Use:
o Existing: Single-family dwelling
o Proposed: Single-family dwelling
• Lot Size: 4,683 square feet
• Property Line Dimensions:
o Front (North): 80.34 feet
o Side (East): 28.14 feet
o Side (West): 88.44 feet
o Rear (South): 100.44 feet
• Required Front Setback:
o Required: 20 feet
o Requested: 10 feet
• Required Rear Setback:
o Required:12 feet
o Proposed: 12 feet
• Required Side Setback:
o Required: 7.3’
o Proposed: 7.3’
• Building Height:
o Maximum Allowable: 26’
o Proposed: 25’
• Buildable Floor Area (BFA):
o Maximum Allowable: 3,278 square feet
o Proposed: 3,134 square feet
• Living Area (includes basement):
o Maximum: No Maximum
o Proposed: 5,083 square feet
• Parking:
o Required: 3 enclosed
o Proposed: 3 enclosed
Governing Regulations
The Project was reviewed for compliance with applicable regulations, including the City’s General Plan and Municipal Code.
Manhattan Beach General Plan
The General Plan is a long-range policy document, adopted in 2003, that identifies the community’s vision for its collective future and establishes the fundamental framework to guide decision-making about development, resource management, public safety, public services, and general community well-being. The General Plan contains a series of goals and policies that allow this vision to be implemented. All projects are reviewed to ensure alignment with the General Plan’s goals and policies. General Plans contain required “elements,” or chapters, including a Land Use Element which is used to guide the City’s development, maintenance, and improvement of land and properties.
The Project was evaluated for conformance with the following applicable Land Use Element goals and policies:
• Goal LU-1: Maintain the low-profile development and small-town atmosphere of Manhattan Beach
o Policy LU-1.1: Limit the height of new development to three stories where the height limit is thirty feet, or to two stories where the height limit is twenty-six feet, to protect the privacy of adjacent properties, reduce shading, protect vistas of the ocean, and preserve the low-profile image of the community
o Policy LU-1.2: Require the design of all new construction to utilize notches, balconies, rooflines, open space, setbacks, landscaping, or other architectural details to reduce the bulk of buildings and to add visual interest to the streetscape.
• Policy LU-3.1: Continue to encourage quality design in all new construction.
Manhattan Beach Municipal Code
The Manhattan Beach Municipal Code (MBMC) serves, in part, to implement the vision established by the General Plan. Within the MBMC, Title 10 (Planning and Zoning) establishes regulations related to land use and development. Title 10 has several intended functions, including, but not limited to, providing a precise guide for the physical development of the City in order to foster convenient, harmonious, and workable relationships among land uses.
The Project was reviewed for compliance with the MBMC, including, but not limited to, the following sections:
• MBMC Chapter 10.12 - governs residential districts, including the RS district where the Project is located.
• MBMC Chapter 10.84 - governs variances, which are used to resolve practical difficulties or unnecessary physical hardships that may result, among other things, from the size, shape, or dimensions of a site. Variances may be granted with respect a variety of development standards including yards (i.e. setbacks).
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
On August 13, 2025, Amir Zagross submitted an application requesting a variance to reduce the required front yard setback from 20 feet to 10 feet for the construction of a new two-story single-family residence with a 2,093 sq ft basement and attached three-car garage, and a total buildable floor area (BFA) of 3,134 square feet. The Project would comply with all other development standards including, but not limited to, side and rear yard building setbacks, height limitations, parking requirements, and maximum BFA. The proposed 10-foot front yard setback would be slightly larger than the existing structure’s front yard setback.
DISCUSSION:
Project Analysis
The following issues should be taken into consideration by the Planning Commission when considering the Project:
Lot Configuration and Buildable Envelope
A review of residential lots in the immediate area shows that most are rectangular, with a lot width of 40 feet and a lot depth of either 110 feet or 128 feet, resulting in lot sizes of 4,400 to 5,120 square feet. Most lots in the area are therefore 4,400 square feet or 5,120 square feet (see Assessor’s Parcel Map sheets included as Attachment 4 to this report).
At 4,683 square feet, the Property is similar in size to those in the immediate area. However, the Property’s unusual trapezoidal shape greatly impacts its buildable envelope. With an average lot width of 73.6 feet, side setbacks would cumulatively occupy almost 15 feet and the buildable area would be approximately 59 feet wide. While this is significantly greater than the 32-foot buildable width of most properties in the area, the lot depth severely limits the buildable envelope. At only 58.3 feet, the depth is about half that of most other properties in the area. When the required front and rear setbacks are removed from this dimension, the average buildable depth of the property is only 26.3 feet, compared to at least 77 feet for other properties in the area. The resulting buildable envelope of the Property is approximately 1,530 square feet, compared to at least 2,464 square feet for typical properties in the area. In terms of percentages, the Property has a buildable envelope of only 32.6 percent compared to at least 56 percent for typical properties.
There are several other trapezoidal and triangular-shaped lots in the vicinity. Most are occupied by smaller, older structures and have front-yard setbacks significantly less than the minimum required 20 feet. In addition, there is one property less than 350 feet from the Property, located at 660 25th Street, that had a variance approved in the mid-1990s for a reduced front-yard setback of six feet and a reduced rear-yard setback of five feet. Variances have been approved for front-yard setback reductions elsewhere in the City as well under similar circumstances.
Maximum Buildable Floor Area (BFA)
BFA is defined as the total enclosed area of all stories of a building, measured to the outside face of the structural members in exterior walls, including portions of partially subterranean basements but excluding fully subterranean basements and required garages. Maximum BFA indicates the largest allowable square footage of a structure and is calculated based on the lot size. In Manhattan Beach's residential zones with a lot size of 4,800 square feet or less, the maximum BFA is 70 percent of the lot area (calculated as Lot Area x 0.7). Based on the lot size of 4,683 square feet, the Property has a maximum BFA of 3,278 square feet.
In the case of the Property, the actual maximum achievable BFA is limited not by lot size, but rather by required setbacks. To calculate the actual maximum achievable BFA for the Property, one would multiply the buildable envelope by the maximum number of stories allowed (two), then subtract the square footage of the required 2-car garage and the required second-floor supplemental setback area (pursuant to MBMC Section 10.12.030(T)), represented as follows:
Maximum Achievable BFA = (Buildable envelope x 2) - (Garage square footage + supplemental setback)
Based on this formula, the Property’s maximum achievable BFA is approximately 2,375 square feet, calculated as follows:
Maximum BFA = (1528.3 x 2) - (400 + 281) = 2,375.6
This is approximately 55 percent of the lot area, compared to a typical maximum BFA of 70 percent of the lot area.
Front Setback
The Applicant is requesting relief from the minimum required 20-foot front yard setback, and has requested a reduction to 10 feet. No other deviations from any other development standards are requested. Granting this request would result in a buildable envelope of 1,980 square feet. Using the formula identified above, the resulting achievable BFA would be 3,134 square feet. As such, the reduced front yard setback would allow the applicant to achieve a BFA consistent with the development rights enjoyed by other residential properties in the same zoning and area district
Consistency and Compliance with Governing Regulations
Manhattan Beach General Plan
As noted above, the Project is governed by the Manhattan Beach General Plan. As such, it was reviewed for consistency with applicable General Plan goals and associated policies. The Project has been determined to be consistent with the following goals and policies for the reasons described below:
• Goal LU-1: Maintain the low-profile development and small-town atmosphere of Manhattan Beach
The Project proposes one single-family dwelling, which is consistent with allowable uses under the General Plan land use designation of Low Density Residential. It will replace an existing single-family dwelling with another single-family dwelling and will not increase the overall density. Aside from the front-yard setback requirement, the Project will comply with all other development standards, which are intended to maintain low-profile development. The maximum BFA resulting from the setback reduction would be less than that allowed on other properties in the RS zone, and several other properties in the neighborhood have similar front-yard setbacks.
• Policy LU-1.1: Limit the height of new development to three stories where the height limit is thirty feet, or to two stories where the height limit is twenty-six feet, to protect the privacy of adjacent properties, reduce shading, protect vistas of the ocean, and preserve the low-profile image of the community
The Project will construct a two-story single-family residence within the 26-foot height limit, which will protect privacy and reduce negative impacts on adjacent properties. The Project will comply with all development standards, except for the front setback requirement, that are intended to preserve low-profile development.
• Policy LU-1.2: Require the design of all new construction to utilize notches, balconies, rooflines, open space, setbacks, landscaping, or other architectural details to reduce the bulk of buildings and to add visual interest to the streetscape.
The Project will comply with required side and rear yard building setbacks, as well as required landscaping and supplemental setback requirements. These design elements will ensure that the project enhances the building’s visual interest and improve the neighborhood’s streetscape.
• Policy LU-3.1: Continue to encourage quality design in all new construction.
The MBMC contains various development standards that encourage quality design in new residential developments. These standards include, but are not limited to, building wall height limitations for walls abutting side and rear property lines, a 6% front-yard supplemental setback requirement, side- and rear-yard building setbacks, and landscaping minimums. The Project will comply with all these development standards.
Manhattan Beach Municipal Code
Section 10.84.010 of the MBMC provides for the potential to deviate from certain development standards established in other sections of the MBMC through a variance process. Other than a reduction in the front-yard setback requirement, the Project complies with all other applicable development standards outlined in the MBMC, including, but not limited to, floor area, parking, side- and rear-yard setbacks, equipment screening, trash storage, and others as outlined in the Project Overview table above. Pursuant to Sections 10.84.050 and 10.84.060 of the MBMC, the Planning Commission is the decision-making authority for variances and must make certain findings in order to approve a variance. Those findings are provided in the Required Findings section later in this report.
INTERDEPARTMENTAL REVIEW
The Building and Safety Division and the Public Works Department have reviewed the Project and provided initial comments. The reviewers expressed no concerns after their respective comments had been addressed by the Applicant.
REQUIRED FINDINGS
Pursuant to the MBMC Section 10.84.060, in order to approve a variance, the Planning Commission must make certain written findings. The required findings are addressed below.
1. Because of special circumstances or conditions applicable to the subject property- including narrowness and hollowness or shape, exceptional topography, or the extraordinary or exceptional situations or conditions-strict application of the requirements of this title would result in peculiar and exceptional difficulties to, or exceptional and/or undue hardships upon, the owner of the property.
The Property’s trapezoidal shape creates a challenging buildable envelope in comparison to most residential lots in the immediate vicinity. The Property’s unique shape results in a lot depth of only 58.3 feet. The unusually shallow lot, coupled with the unique trapezoidal shape, result in a buildable envelope that is a significantly smaller percentage of the lot (32.64%) when compared the buildable envelope-to-lot ratio of other nearby properties that have a typical rectangular shape (56%).
Strict application of the front setback development standard to this site would result in a burdensome buildable envelope and an undue hardship on the applicant. When applying all development standards, the maximum achievable BFA within the triangular shaped buildable envelope is 72.47% of the Code’s theoretical maximum allowable BFA of 3,278 square feet. A reduction in the required minimum front yard setback would prevent an undue hardship on the property owner by allowing the development achieve a larger BFA within a larger buildable envelope that is more in keeping with the development potential enjoyed by other regularly shaped property in the vicinity and in the same zone.
2. The relief may be granted without substantial detriment to the public good; without substantial impairment of affected natural resources; and not be detrimental or injurious to property or improvements in the vicinity of the development site, or to the public health, safety or general welfare.
Relief from the minimum required front yard building setback may be granted without substantial detriment to the public good. The proposed two-story single-family residence would adhere to all other City development standards, including but not limited to BFA limitations, height, front yard supplemental setback requirements, landscaping requirements, and required side and rear yard building setbacks. The proposed front setback will also approximately match the existing structure’s 9’-10” front yard setback, which has stood at the property since 1947.The proposed single-family dwelling would not represent a departure from other nearby single-family residences as it pertains to its size, massing, and impact on adjoining properties. The reduced front yard setback would not result in materially injurious impacts to the neighborhood, nor would it have negative public health, safety, or general welfare impacts.
3. Granting the application is consistent with the purposes of this title and will not constitute a grant of special privilege inconsistent with limitations on other properties in the vicinity and in the same zoning district and area district.
Granting the application is consistent with the purposes of the MBMC, specifically MBMC 10.12.010 (B), (E), and (H). The required 20-foot front-yard setback is appropriate for typical, rectangular-shaped lots, but could impose an undue constraint on irregularly shaped properties such as the Property. The Property has a unique, trapezoidal lot shape that reduces the Property’s buildable envelope and maximum achievable BFA as compared to other properties in the vicinity and in the same zoning and area districts. The maximum allowable BFA for this Property is calculated by taking the lot size and multiplying it times .7, which results in a maximum allowable BFA of 3,278 square feet. However, when netting out the required setbacks, the maximum BFA realistically achievable is 2,375 square feet, which is 55% of the lot area. This maximum achievable BFA is significantly less than other rectangular-shaped properties in the vicinity, which average between 4,400 and 5,120 square feet in size and are able to achieve 100% of their respective BFA allowances.
Most other properties in the vicinity are rectangular in shape with significantly greater lot depths that result in larger buildable envelopes. Reducing the minimum front-yard setback would increase the buildable envelope, thereby increasing the maximum achievable BFA. The reduced front-yard setback allows the Project to be constructed in a with a BFA similar to that enjoyed by other properties in the vicinity, while simultaneously adhering to other development regulations applicable to nearby residential properties in the same zoning district. The Project will provide consistency with neighboring properties, will ensure adequate light, air, and privacy, protect neighboring properties from adverse impacts, and achieve design compatibility.
Several similarly shaped triangular properties in the vicinity have also received variances for reduced front and rear yard building setbacks. These variances have allowed new developments to reach a higher achievable BFA consistent with other rectangular shaped properties in the vicinity.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
The City has reviewed the Project for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) and has determined that the Project qualifies for a Class 3 categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15303 (New Construction) of the State CEQA Guidelines. Class 3 exemptions include the construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures, including new single-family residence under 10,000 square feet in an urbanized area. Additionally, the Project is consistent with zoning requirements for the site. Furthermore, there are no features that distinguish this Project from others in the exempt class, and therefore, there are no unusual circumstances. Thus, no further environmental review is necessary.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENT:
A public notice for the May 13, 2026, public hearing was published in the Beach Reporter, mailed to all property owners within a 500-foot radius of the Property, and posted at City Hall and on the City’s website, on or before April 30, 2026. As of the writing of this report, staff has received two public comments (see Attachment 8). The two public comments expressed both skepticism about the project’s ability to meet the code’s findings for a variance, and concerns about the project’s size and compatibility with neighborhood character.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission conduct a public hearing and adopt the attached draft resolution approving the Variance, subject to conditions, and finding the Project exempt from further review pursuant to Section 15303 for the State CEQA Guidelines.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Draft Planning Commission Resolution No. PC 26-XX
2. Applicant’s Written Materials
3. Vicinity Map
4. Parcel Maps of Neighboring Properties in the Vicinity
5. Buildable Envelope Comparison Diagram
6. Lot Setbacks Comparison
7. Project Plans
8. Public Comments