High-Rise Housing in Manhattan Beach: Will Petitions Help?
Feb 16, 2026 10:25AM ● By MB News Staff
The former "Deep Roots" site at 2nd/Sepulveda, now proposed for a 7-story, 60-unit housing project.
High-rise construction is one of the hottest topics in Manhattan Beach right now - and with the tangle of laws regulating it, it’s also one of the most complex.
In the midst of this noise, several petitions are circulating that call for greater scrutiny and tightened restrictions on construction. But is it possible to achieve what the petitions are asking for? MBNews decided to take a deeper look.
In the midst of this noise, several petitions are circulating that call for greater scrutiny and tightened restrictions on construction. But is it possible to achieve what the petitions are asking for? MBNews decided to take a deeper look.
One new online petition opposing a proposed 60‑unit housing development at 2nd Street and Sepulveda Boulevard urges the city to block the project on the grounds of neighborhood compatibility, traffic impacts and alleged misuse of California’s Density Bonus Law.
The petition, which at press time had gathered more than 350 signatures toward a stated goal of 500, makes a series of legal and procedural claims about the city’s authority over the project – several of which appear to conflict with the requirements and reality of state housing law.
Meantime, a second petition, organized by a group of citizens calling themselves "Stop the Rise MB," takes aim at a different proposed development. But instead of asking the city to take actions that it may not be able to take, the group urges the developer to recalibrate the project to conform with standard local development rules.
A deeper look at the two petitions reveal what may - or may not - make a difference.
The Sepulveda and 2nd St. Project and Petition
The 201-207 N. Sepulveda site (center of image) is zoned for new housing development under the "Residential Overlay District," recently adopted by the city as required by state law.
At the site of the former "Deep Roots" garden center at 201-207 N. Sepulveda Blvd., a 7-story, 60-unit, 69,000 sqft. building is proposed, according to a recent notice sent by the city to residents and businesses within a 1,000-foot radius of the site.
According to the notice, the applicant, referred to as "Deep Roots MB, LLC," already "has applied for a building permit for the project." (The Deep Roots garden center has moved to Hawthorne Blvd. south of the Galleria, and owner Jon Bell has stated publicly that "we have absolutely no affiliation with the company planning this project.")
The site consists of two parcels that were recently rezoned as part of the city's new "Residential Overlay District," which the state required Manhattan Beach to adopt in order to point the way to locations where new housing development could occur to help meet state targets. (See MB News' indepth report on a public forum on the topic from April 2025.)
The lengthy petition opposing the project urges the city to “conduct a strict, transparent, and comprehensive compliance review” of the project and to deny any requested incentives or waivers that the authors believe are not justified under state law. It also raises concerns about traffic, public safety, neighborhood character and a potential strain on local services.
Several of the petition’s arguments center on a part of state law known as Government Code §65915, the state’s Density Bonus Law. The statute requires cities to grant certain incentives and waivers when a project includes qualifying affordable units and meets objective standards.As the city notice suggests, the Density Bonus law significantly limits a city’s ability to deny or scale back such projects, particularly on the basis of neighborhood compatibility or generalized community impacts.
"In order to comply with the requirements of State housing law, the city must process qualifying multifamily housing projects 'by right,'" the notice says, explaining that this means "projects are reviewed at a staff level without a public hearing and are reviewed only for compliance with objective development standards." Further, the notice states, "the City has no discretion over whether to approve or deny a 'by right' project if it complies with the applicable standards."
Despite that framework, the petition asserts that the city retains broad authority to reject requested waivers and to require substantial revisions to the project’s height, massing and design.
Specifically, it argues that the developer must establish that all waivers of usual development rules are "necessary to achieve affordability" and "represent[] the minimum deviation required," otherwise the city can deny the waivers.
This assertion appears to reverse the burden specified in the Density Bonus law, and to suggest that it is much easier for the city to limit the project than officials have previously stated. For instance, at a forum on ROD projects and the Density Bonus Law in April 2025, Adam Finestone, Planning Manager for the city, said, "There is an unlimited number of waivers. Applicants are entitled to whatever number of waivers that they need to develop their projects."
The petition against the Deep Roots project also argues that the development would cause “significant and lasting harm” to the surrounding neighborhood and urges the city to reduce the project’s scale “where legally permissible.”
The petition has been distributed online by local residents. City officials have not yet commented on the petition or its claims.
The petition continues to circulate on neighborhood social media channels, where supporters have encouraged others to sign. A 200-signature goal was expanded to 500; more than 350 people had reportedly signed the petition at press time.
Second Petition Targets Developer, Not City
A second petition organized by a group calling itself "Stop the Rise MB" claims over 1,300 online signatures out of a goal of 5,000 by March 1. The petition takes a greatly different approach to a proposed 7-story development at 2301 N. Sepulveda Blvd., as it is addressed to the developer, Moore Real Estate Group, and its architectural firm, DE Architects.
Current condition of the property at 2301 N. Sepulveda, where a 7-story housing structure is proposed across two lots.
In apparent recognition of the limitations of city authority to block the project, the petition tries instead to persuade:
"While we support affordable housing, this proposal is not the right fit for Manhattan Beach. We urge an immediate revision that reflects your stated commitments to enhance neighborhood value, respect local traffic and parking considerations, and partner with Manhattan Beach residents."
A section of the petition urging the developer of 2301 N. Sepulveda to sharply curtail plans for the site.
But the developer, Matthew Moore, long ago published a lengthy defense of the project, engaged with the public on social media and was featured in a detailed news story discussing his commitment to pursuing the apartment project.
Responding to prior, specific requests to lower the height of his proposed building, Moore said, "Unfortunately, a 36-foot high residential project would be entirely financially infeasible. It couldn’t be built and couldn’t be financed."
Moore has also argued, in part:
Responding to prior, specific requests to lower the height of his proposed building, Moore said, "Unfortunately, a 36-foot high residential project would be entirely financially infeasible. It couldn’t be built and couldn’t be financed."
Moore has also argued, in part:
- Local ROD zoning standards
- California’s Housing Element Law
- The State Density Bonus Law
This is not a case of skirting the rules—it’s a commitment to responsible urban infill, rooted in law and public need."
Moore has explained that he previously sought a lower-impact use of the property, a "doggy day care" facility to be operated by Dogtopia. But neighborhood opposition led the city planning commission to vote down the proposal.
Only later did Moore turn his attention to the prospect of developing housing that would take advantage of the city's ROD zoning and the state Density Bonus Law.
EXPLAINER: What California’s Density Bonus Law Actually Does
California’s Density Bonus Law – Government Code §65915 – is a state housing statute that gives developers certain rights when they include a percentage of affordable units in a project. While originally enacted in 1979, the law has been targeted for amendment a number of times in the last several years to enhance incentives for developers, and to limit cities' discretion. Here’s how it works in practice:
Why the law exists
The state created the Density Bonus program to encourage the production of affordable housing by offering developers extra benefits – such as more units or flexibility on local rules – in exchange for setting aside a portion of homes at below‑market rents.
What a developer gets
If a project includes the required number of affordable units, the city must grant:
• A density bonus – permission to build more units than local zoning normally allows
• Incentives or concessions – adjustments to rules to facilitate building all of the units
• Waivers of development standards – removal of local rules (like height limits or setbacks) that would physically prevent the project from being built at the allowed density
These concessions are not optional for cities; they are required by state law.
What the city can still enforce
Even with a density bonus, the city can still require compliance with:
• Objective design standards (clear, measurable rules)
• Building and fire safety codes
• Traffic and access standards that are objective and quantifiable
• Environmental rules that apply uniformly
Cities cannot enforce subjective standards such as “neighborhood character,” “compatibility,” or general concerns about traffic or community impacts.
What the city cannot do
Under the statute, a city cannot:
• Deny a qualifying project based on neighborhood opposition
• Require major design changes that would reduce the number of units
• Reject waivers unless it can prove a specific health or safety impact which cannot be mitigated
• Use subjective criteria like aesthetics or “community character”
• Require studies or analyses beyond what state law mandates
The law sharply limits local discretion once a project is deemed to have qualified as a Density Bonus Project.
Why the law exists
The state created the Density Bonus program to encourage the production of affordable housing by offering developers extra benefits – such as more units or flexibility on local rules – in exchange for setting aside a portion of homes at below‑market rents.
What a developer gets
If a project includes the required number of affordable units, the city must grant:
• A density bonus – permission to build more units than local zoning normally allows
• Incentives or concessions – adjustments to rules to facilitate building all of the units
• Waivers of development standards – removal of local rules (like height limits or setbacks) that would physically prevent the project from being built at the allowed density
These concessions are not optional for cities; they are required by state law.
What the city can still enforce
Even with a density bonus, the city can still require compliance with:
• Objective design standards (clear, measurable rules)
• Building and fire safety codes
• Traffic and access standards that are objective and quantifiable
• Environmental rules that apply uniformly
Cities cannot enforce subjective standards such as “neighborhood character,” “compatibility,” or general concerns about traffic or community impacts.
What the city cannot do
Under the statute, a city cannot:
• Deny a qualifying project based on neighborhood opposition
• Require major design changes that would reduce the number of units
• Reject waivers unless it can prove a specific health or safety impact which cannot be mitigated
• Use subjective criteria like aesthetics or “community character”
• Require studies or analyses beyond what state law mandates
The law sharply limits local discretion once a project is deemed to have qualified as a Density Bonus Project.
