Skip to main content

MB News

Verandas Project Receives Permit Approvals; Appeals Process Open

Mar 30, 2022 07:09AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
The permits for the proposed Highrose El Porto / Verandas project at 401 Rosecrans Avenue and 3770 Highland Avenue in Manhattan Beach have received approvals from Manhattan Beach's community development department.

The project's Coastal Development Permit, Parcel Map, and Precise Development Plan have now been approved, as per the state's parameters. The full text of the approval document may be found here.

The appeals process for the contested project is now open.

Per MBLCP A.96.160, anyone may file an appeal of the Community Development director’s decision to the Planning Commission within 15 days of the director’s decision. Instructions to appeal the decision are as follows:

1.      Go the city's Citizen Self Service Portal (CSS), create an account, and apply for a “Appeal of Planning Entitlement”. Please note that an appeal costs $500. There are no refunds of the $500 appeal fee if your appeal is denied by the Planning Commission. Also note the Planning Commission’s decision can also be appealed to the City Council with a $500 fee.

2.      Complete the application online and submit. Email Ted Faturos, Manhattan Beach City Planner, at [email protected] once you have submitted your appeal.

3.      All appeals must be received by 5:00 p.m. Wednesday April 13, 2022.  Any appeals filed after this date will not be considered.


The Verandas project (formerly referred to as the Highrose project) is a new 96,217 square-foot, four-story multifamily residential structure, containing 79 rental dwelling units, six of which will be set aside for “very low income” households.

The project has drawn criticism from El Porto and North Manhattan neighbors for its size, as well as the implications for parking and traffic on the surrounding area.

However, the developer has offered responses to concerns with an FAQ about the development and its impact. Among them, the developer notes that the project is estimated to add up to 203 more parking spaces to the public than are currently available. (That includes adding more parking spaces underground than what is required for the new building, plus freeing up parking that had previously been reserved for the former Verandas and Tradewinds tenants.)

A full timeline of the project and comments received by the city can be found here.

Verandas Project Uses Density Bonus Laws


The project is proposed on two contiguous lots, 401 Rosecrans Avenue and 3770 Highland Avenue, which are proposed to be merged into a single 43,549 square-foot parcel to accommodate the project.

The project proposes demolition of a banquet facility (Verandas) and multi-use commercial building (Tradewinds Village) and subsequent construction of a 96,217 square-foot multi-family residential building with 79 rental dwelling units.

The 79 dwelling units would include:

  • 21 studio apartments, 
  • 11 one-bedroom apartments, 
  • 40 two-bedroom apartments, and 
  • 7 three-bedroom apartments. 

The apartments range in size from 512 square feet to 1,727 square feet, comparable to standard rental units throughout Manhattan Beach. Six of the 79 dwelling units will be set aside for “very low income” households. The remaining 73 dwelling units will be market-rate dwelling units.

For fiscal year 2021, “very low income” is defined as $59,100 for a family of four, or $41,400 for an individual, within the greater Los Angeles area.

The project proposes two floors of subterranean parking, containing a total of 127 automobile parking spaces, seven motorcycle parking spaces, and 27 bicycle parking spaces.

The developer is utilizing State Density Bonus Laws, which allow developers to exceed the maximum density requirements as specified in a city’s zoning code if certain criteria are met, like setting aside a certain percentage of the total units in the project aside for very low-income occupants. In addition, State Density Bonus laws allow developers to request waivers from development standards, like setback and height requirements.

The developer has requested waivers for:
  • maximum buildable floor area,
  • maximum number of stories,
  • maximum height, and
  • setback for portions of the structure with walls greater than 24 feet in height.
If no State Density Bonus laws were used, a total of 51 units would be allowed on the site, and a the maximum buildable floor area would be a total of 74,033 square feet. However, the project exceeds the minimum required number of automobile parking spaces under the State Density Bonus laws, which would be 103 parking spaces.

Notices about the project were mailed on January 6 to property owners and residents within 100 feet of the perimeter of the subject parcel.

SB 35 Requires City to Add More Units

The State of California has been changing laws over the past several years to encourage the building of more housing, including increasing density within areas that are already developed.

Many people are familiar with the most recent changes, contained in SB 9 and SB 10, the first of which effectively ended single-family zoning to encourage lot splits, duplexes and other development within areas that now feature only single-family homes. (A good explainer of SB 9 and the other laws leading up to it is in this analysis on MB Confidential: "The End of SFR Zoning in Manhattan Beach.") 

According to the city, the Verandas project is not an SB 9 project, which deals with individual residential lots. (SB 10 does not apply either; it allows jurisdictions in urbanized areas to adopt voluntary zoning ordinances that permit up to ten residential units on a single parcel within certain areas.)

A regular multi-year planning process known as the Regional Housing Needs Assessment makes suggestions for cities and regions as to how many new housing units are needed. In 2017, a new law (SB 35) threatened cities that don't meet their targets by allowing for more housing, including affordable housing, with a forced-approval process down the road for new development.

The latest Regional Housing Needs Assessment process declared that Manhattan Beach must make way to add 774 total units by 2029. The City Council last week reluctantly approved an outline proposing how it would meet that requirement.

City officials confirmed to MB News that that the affordable units proposed as a part of the Verandas project, if constructed, would get credited toward Manhattan Beach's state-mandated, lower-income housing requirements.



Subscribe to MB News Emails * Don't Miss a Thing, Sign Up Today!

* indicates required
Email Format

Subscribe to MB News Emails * Don't Miss a Thing, Sign Up Today!

* indicates required
Email Format