Who Killed the Building? · Case brief · October 22, 2026
Nivasa: 401-417 South Pacific Coast Highway
Redondo Beach · Los Angeles County · California · https://whokilledthebuilding.com/projects/redondo-beach-401-pch-2025
Redondo Seaside Living LLC proposed Nivasa, a four-story, 45-foot mixed-use building on the west side of Pacific Coast Highway between Pearl and Ruby streets, at 401 to 417 S. Pacific Coast Highway in the coastal zone (city permit 2025-0074). The plan has 49 apartments, eight of them affordable (five very low income and three moderate income), about 17,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a two-level underground garage. It relies on the State Density Bonus Law and AB 2011, which AB 2243 extended to qualifying coastal sites. On December 18, 2025 the Planning Commission unanimously denied the coastal development permit and two of three requested density bonus concessions, citing parking, coastal access and safety; one rejected concession would have cut commercial parking from 68 to 44 spaces. The developer appealed on December 22. On February 13, 2026 HCD wrote that the denial conflicted with AB 2011 and the Density Bonus Law, in a letter that also served as a notice of potential violation. Four days later the City Council granted the appeal unanimously and approved the project. Mayor Jim Light said that under current state law, "with residential, we don't have a say anymore." The decision came after an October 2025 appellate ruling that Redondo Beach's housing element did not comply with state law; HCD found a revised element compliant on May 20, 2026. The filing date was not found, and no construction start has been reported.
Project facts
JurisdictionRedondo Beach, Los Angeles County
StatusApproved
Project typeMixed-Use
Address401-417 S. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Units proposed49
Affordable units8
Floors4
Date approvedFebruary 17, 2026
Date deniedDecember 18, 2025
Delay2 months
Housing elementIn compliance (HCD)
Mechanism and what it did
Parking Minimums — invoked by Redondo Beach Planning Commission (December 18, 2025). The commission refused the concession reducing commercial parking from 68 to 44 spaces. The council reversed it on Feb. 17, 2026. Outcome: the obstruction did not succeed. Added delay: 2 months. https://easyreadernews.com/redondo-beach-planning-commission-cites-parking-denies-49-unit-building
Discretionary Review — invoked by Redondo Beach Planning Commission (December 18, 2025). The commission denied the coastal development permit on coastal-access, fire-station access and driveway findings; HCD said AB 2011 required approval. Reversed on appeal. Outcome: the obstruction did not succeed. Added delay: 2 months. https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/planning-and-community/HAU/redondo-beach-ta-nopv-021326.pdf
Decision-making bodies
Planning Commission · City Council
Timeline
Date
Event
What the record shows
October 10, 2025
Appeals Court Finds Redondo Housing Element Noncompliant
The court rejects the city's overlay strategy, the backdrop for the PCH decision. Court of Appeal: https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2025/b336042.html
December 18, 2025
Planning Commission Denies 49-Unit PCH Project
Unanimous denial of the coastal development permit and two of three density bonus concessions, citing parking, coastal access and safety. City of Redondo Beach: https://www.redondo.org/departments/community_development/planning/current_projects.php
December 22, 2025
Developer Appeals to City Council
Redondo Seaside Living LLC appeals the denial. HCD: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/planning-and-community/HAU/redondo-beach-ta-nopv-021326.pdf
February 13, 2026
State Warns Denial Violates Housing Law
HCD says the denial conflicts with AB 2011 and the Density Bonus Law; the letter is also a notice of potential violation. HCD: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/planning-and-community/HAU/redondo-beach-ta-nopv-021326.pdf
February 17, 2026
Council Overturns Denial, Approves Project
The council grants the appeal unanimously. Easy Reader: https://easyreadernews.com/redondo-beach-approves-four-story-residential-building-for-pch
May 20, 2026
State Certifies Revised Redondo Housing Element
City attorney Joy Abaquin-Ford: "The city is not subject to Builder's Remedy with the newly certified Housing Element." Easy Reader: https://easyreadernews.com/builders-remedy-immune-state-certifies-revised-redondo-beach-housing-element
Decisions
Date
Body
Action
Vote
Staff rec.
Source
December 18, 2025
Planning Commission
denied
Denied the coastal development permit and two of three density bonus concessions. The vote was unanimous; the tally was not reported.
—
Unknown
City of Redondo Beach: https://www.redondo.org/departments/community_development/planning/current_projects.php
February 17, 2026
City Council
appeal upheld
Granted the developer's appeal and approved the project. The vote was unanimous; the tally was not reported.
New Commune v. City of Redondo Beach (B336042), California Court of Appeal, October 10, 2025 [Court Filing]. https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2025/b336042.html
Controversial PCH development project rejected, Patch (Daniella Segura), December 29, 2025 [News Article]. https://patch.com/california/redondobeach/controversial-pch-development-project-rejected-redondo-beach-report
Letter of Technical Assistance and Notice of Potential Violation, 401-417 Pacific Coast Highway, California Department of Housing and Community Development (Melinda Coy), February 13, 2026 [Planning Document]. https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/planning-and-community/HAU/redondo-beach-ta-nopv-021326.pdf
Redondo Beach approves four-story residential building for PCH, Easy Reader (Garth Meyer), February 19, 2026 [News Article]. https://easyreadernews.com/redondo-beach-approves-four-story-residential-building-for-pch
Redondo Beach City Council approves mixed-use project at 401 Pacific Coast Highway, Urbanize LA (Steven Sharp), February 20, 2026 [News Article]. https://la.urbanize.city/post/redondo-beach-city-council-approves-mixed-use-project-401-pacific-coast-highway
Builder's remedy immune: state certifies revised Redondo Beach housing element, Easy Reader, May 28, 2026 [News Article]. https://easyreadernews.com/builders-remedy-immune-state-certifies-revised-redondo-beach-housing-element
Major development projects, City of Redondo Beach [Planning Document]. https://www.redondo.org/departments/community_development/planning/current_projects.php