J.2. PC24-2005 Public Hearing for consideration of an Exemption Declaration and Conditional Use Permit to allow the operation of A LIVE PERFORMANCE THEATER (Performance art facilitY) in an approximately 8,861 SQUARE FEET INTERIOR space within an existing multi-tenant PUBLIC-COMMUNITY FACILITY (medical offices and health-related facilitY) on property located at 514 N. PROSPECT AVENUE in a PUBLIC -COMMUNITY FACILITY (P-CF) zone.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Open the public hearing, administer oath, take testimony from staff, the applicant and other interested parties, and deliberate;
2. Close the public hearing; and
3. Adopt the attached resolution by title only, waiving further reading:
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ADOPTING AN EXEMPTION DECLARATION AND APPROVING THE REQUEST TO ALLOW THE OPERATION OF A LIVE PERFORMANCE THEATER (PERFORMANCE ART FACILITY) IN AN APPROXIMATELY 8,861 SQUARE FEET INTERIOR SPACE WITHIN AN EXISTING MULTI-TENANT PUBLIC-COMMUNITY FACILITY (MEDICAL OFFICES AND HEALTH-RELATED FACILITY) ON PROPERTY LOCATED AT 514 N. PROSPECT AVENUE IN A PUBLIC-COMMUNITY FACILITY (P-CF) ZONE. (CASE NO. PCUP2024-1652)
I guess I'm the lone dissenter. I love this theater group. I'd be thrilled to have them as tenants here in Redondo. However the Health District is intended for use for activities related to health. And as much of a theater girl as I am, it's got nothing to do with the actual health of the community. So I ask that you do not pass this item.
I write to ask you to please approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish/Shakespeare by the Sea. They are a gem of the arts and provide so much to the communities around them. They provide culture, accessible entertainment for all, and connection. Please consider the positivity that this theatre will bring!
As a long-time company member and supporter of LFT/SBTS, I urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit. This company has a long history of producing high-quality professional intimate theater and would be a wonderful addition to the community of Redondo Beach. Please consider the positive cultural impact this company of talented actors, artists, directors, designers, comedians, writers, and other creative folks will bring to your community by offering affordable, inclusive, high-quality live theatrical productions.
Sincerely,
Maire-Rose Pike
Actor and Drama Teacher
Los Angeles, CA
I wrote a longish letter supporting SBTS but your webpage chose to ignore it.
So now I will keep it short:
APPROVE THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT for Little Fish Theatre/ Shakespeare by the Sea.
It is good for the community.
Giovanni. De amici
Crofton, MD
Live theatre impacts all of us in such a positive way. We are all uplifted and affected by art, whether we realize it or not. Little Fish was there for me when I needed art and community in my life. I hope it can continue on in Redondo Beach!
Good evening to the members of the Planning Commission. Thanks for listening to my comment. I write to ask you to please approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre/ Shakespeare by the Sea to operate in Redondo Beach. They will be a great asset to the city. I have attended performances by Little Fish Theatre at their previous location and can attest that they provide a great service to the community by bringing the performing arts close by and exposing the arts locally to folks who might not otherwise have access to live performances. They are a great bunch of people who put on fun, serious and enlightening shows. In addition - when I attend their performances I go to nearby restaurants before a show thus bringing added benefits to the local community. Please approve the permit allow Little Fish Theatre/Shakespeare By The Sea to flourish in Redondo Beach. Thanks so much. Kenneth Hundt
As both a regular attendee of the theatre and an actor who has participated in past productions, I urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre/ Shakespeare by the Sea. We need the arts in our community, especially in these times of growing apathy and division. We are in a time where more and more of our entertainment is coming from technology - alienating person to person contact. Live theater provides a place to foster a sense of community and empathy.
Little Fish Theatre produces works that are not only fun and entertaining, but encourage audiences to think about how we relate to each other. The work cultivates conversations had outside of the theater, which in turn lead to discussions continued at local restaurants or bars. They also offer access to quality work without the hefty price tag of a blockbuster theater.
Shakespeare by the Sea fosters a sense of kinship with all of the places they travel to. I joined the company only a couple of years ago and the amount of times I heard, “we come every year,” or “this is my favorite part of the summer,” were innumerable.
Please approve. We need the arts. Now more than ever.
I urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre/ Shakespeare by the Sea. Speaking as as theater reviewer for Stage Raw (the premier theater publication in Los Angeles County), and as a playwright, the contribution of Little Fish to the cultural richness of the South Bay and across L.A. is invaluable. Thank you.
G. Bruce Smith
Stage Raw
Culver City
I am writing to strongly encourage you to please allow the Little Fish Theatre the Exemption Declaration and Conditional Use Permit to allow the operation of A LIVE PERFORMANCE THEATER. Live Theatre is a huge asset to any community, bringing new brightness and culture to an area. I will be among many people eating, shopping and getting gas in the area as I come to see performances. As someone who has worked at Little Fish, I can tell you they are very considerate about their neighbors and those who share their environment, regarding noise, respect for curfews and other measures to respect those around them. This is a very exciting development for Redondo Beach. Little Fish was a central part of the Community in San Pedro for many years, and I have no doubt will be an important asset to Redondo. Thank you, Jane Macfie
I greatly enjoyed LIttle Fish theatre when it was in San Pedro. They featured wonderful talent and involved the whole community in a way that benefited everyone, including neighboring businesses.
With the PV player a thing of the past; there is a need for more theatre in the South Bay and I can't think of a better group to fill the void. Thank you, Steven Korbar
I wholeheartedly support the proposed performance theatre Exemption and CUP and am excited about the prospect of getting to see Little Fish Theatre shows right here in Redondo Beach! My wife and I have lived in Hollywood Riviera since 1993 and we have been attending Little Fish Theatre plays in San Pedro for many years now and greatly enjoying the professional quality of their productions. We have also enjoyed their Shakespeare By The Sea performances in each of the Beach City venues they have played. What a local treasure we have found this talented troupe of players to be! San Pedro’s loss will be Redondo Beach’s great gain if you approve this proposal. We will be inviting friends from outside the South Bay to join us in Redondo for dinner and performances if you grant us that opportunity.
I urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre/ Shakespeare by the Sea. After many, many years of attending and financially supporting their quality and innovative theatre productions, I believe this organization would be a wonderful addition to Redondo Beach, enriching the lives of the community and its residents with cultural arts programming. I will continue to support this organization no matter where it lands!
Gail Robillard
2251 Grenadier Drive
San Pedro, CA 90732
grobillard53@gmail.com
Good Evening Commissioners,
With enthusiasm, I encourage you to approve the proposed performance theater CUP. Having this cultural amenity in our community is enriching. 514 N Prospect Ave is a well-suited location for the proposed theater use because most of the existing uses are closed when the theater will hold performances, and their nonperformance operations are insignificant compared to the site's capacity and combined other uses. The resolution contains two restrictive conditions that I hope that you will discuss whether there is causation based on the use's effects and its location. COA # 3 (performance hours) covers the present-day operations, but what about in the future? Please consider allowing performances year-round not just September to May and please consider an early weeknight start time and no time restrictions on Saturday or Sunday. In addition, COA #4, which prohibits the business/theater from serving or selling alcohol, seems unnecessary. To regularly sell alcohol, the theater would need a separate CUP to procure an ABC license. What if the theater organizes a fundraiser or special event, will this COA apply to that activity, and would the restriction have a negative effect? Thank you for your time and consideration.
Kindly, Laura MacMorran, Redondo resident and Shakespeare by the Sea supporter
I urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre/Shakespeare by the Sea. They have been a cultural gem in the South Bay for over 25 years and for many local residents they have been their first introduction to Shakespeare. I have been a supporter for years and always look forward to attending their productions. It would be wonderful to see them have a indoor venue again. I believe it would be a boon not only to residents but to local restaurants and other businesses as well.
Please approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre/ Shakespeare by the Sea. I have attended multiple performances in the South Bay and San Pedro, and always enjoyed them. I believe that an organization that provides free Shakespeare performances and other theater events is a civic good. I am especially interested in this location's proximity to Silverado Memory Care. I know someone there and I think he would benefit from this.
I am writing to urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for LFT/SBTS. They provide wonderfully dedicated work, crucial to the community and necessary in our society.
I am writing to urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for LFT/SBTS. I have seen many SBTS performances at many locations and I am always impressed with their work.
Wayne Martin
I am writing in support of the Conditional Use Permit for LFT/SBTS. I have been a volunteer and Board Member and I can guarantee you both companies are professional and entertaining. My family and I have enjoyed performances of both companies since their inception. We are also monthly donors and will continue to support them in their new home. The arts enrich communities and provide a wonderful shared experience that only comes from a live performance. I hope you will approve the permit. Thank you!
I am writing to urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for LFT/SBTS. I have been to many performances of both companies over the years and I look forward to continuing doing so in Redondo Beach. Thank you!
I am writing to urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre(LFT)/Shakespeare by the Sea(SBTS). I am one of the original members of LFT/Shakespeare by the Sea and have been working with this small and mighty theatre company since 2002. Art is important. Accessible art is critical. Not everyone can afford to see theatre in downtown LA, nor are those production choices necessarily resonant with their community. LFT has been putting on intimate theatre since 2002 and we would love to continue to honor the community by putting on productions that are approachable for anyone. SBTS has been bringing free Shakespeare for even longer. Making art is what we do... and what a wonderful opportunity to bring this sort of wonder to a whole new community. The bonus is... we are already ready to go! We have a strong cadre of actors, designers, directors, grant writers, box office staff and administrators waiting in the wings (definitely pun intended) to get started!
Please approve this CUP, and let us bring a little joy, laughter, surprise, wonder, tears (the good kind, of course), and stage magic to the people of Redondo Beach!
Rachel Levy
Founding Company Member and Superfan
I guess I'm the lone dissenter. I love this theater group. I'd be thrilled to have them as tenants here in Redondo. However the Health District is intended for use for activities related to health. And as much of a theater girl as I am, it's got nothing to do with the actual health of the community. So I ask that you do not pass this item.
Jill Klausen
Redondo Beach resident since 1994
I write to ask you to please approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish/Shakespeare by the Sea. They are a gem of the arts and provide so much to the communities around them. They provide culture, accessible entertainment for all, and connection. Please consider the positivity that this theatre will bring!
Evelyn Pham
Garden Grove, CA
As a long-time company member and supporter of LFT/SBTS, I urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit. This company has a long history of producing high-quality professional intimate theater and would be a wonderful addition to the community of Redondo Beach. Please consider the positive cultural impact this company of talented actors, artists, directors, designers, comedians, writers, and other creative folks will bring to your community by offering affordable, inclusive, high-quality live theatrical productions.
Sincerely,
Maire-Rose Pike
Actor and Drama Teacher
Los Angeles, CA
I wrote a longish letter supporting SBTS but your webpage chose to ignore it.
So now I will keep it short:
APPROVE THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT for Little Fish Theatre/ Shakespeare by the Sea.
It is good for the community.
Giovanni. De amici
Crofton, MD
Live theatre impacts all of us in such a positive way. We are all uplifted and affected by art, whether we realize it or not. Little Fish was there for me when I needed art and community in my life. I hope it can continue on in Redondo Beach!
Good evening to the members of the Planning Commission. Thanks for listening to my comment. I write to ask you to please approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre/ Shakespeare by the Sea to operate in Redondo Beach. They will be a great asset to the city. I have attended performances by Little Fish Theatre at their previous location and can attest that they provide a great service to the community by bringing the performing arts close by and exposing the arts locally to folks who might not otherwise have access to live performances. They are a great bunch of people who put on fun, serious and enlightening shows. In addition - when I attend their performances I go to nearby restaurants before a show thus bringing added benefits to the local community. Please approve the permit allow Little Fish Theatre/Shakespeare By The Sea to flourish in Redondo Beach. Thanks so much. Kenneth Hundt
As both a regular attendee of the theatre and an actor who has participated in past productions, I urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre/ Shakespeare by the Sea. We need the arts in our community, especially in these times of growing apathy and division. We are in a time where more and more of our entertainment is coming from technology - alienating person to person contact. Live theater provides a place to foster a sense of community and empathy.
Little Fish Theatre produces works that are not only fun and entertaining, but encourage audiences to think about how we relate to each other. The work cultivates conversations had outside of the theater, which in turn lead to discussions continued at local restaurants or bars. They also offer access to quality work without the hefty price tag of a blockbuster theater.
Shakespeare by the Sea fosters a sense of kinship with all of the places they travel to. I joined the company only a couple of years ago and the amount of times I heard, “we come every year,” or “this is my favorite part of the summer,” were innumerable.
Please approve. We need the arts. Now more than ever.
Melissa Ortiz
I urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre/ Shakespeare by the Sea. Speaking as as theater reviewer for Stage Raw (the premier theater publication in Los Angeles County), and as a playwright, the contribution of Little Fish to the cultural richness of the South Bay and across L.A. is invaluable. Thank you.
G. Bruce Smith
Stage Raw
Culver City
I am writing to strongly encourage you to please allow the Little Fish Theatre the Exemption Declaration and Conditional Use Permit to allow the operation of A LIVE PERFORMANCE THEATER. Live Theatre is a huge asset to any community, bringing new brightness and culture to an area. I will be among many people eating, shopping and getting gas in the area as I come to see performances. As someone who has worked at Little Fish, I can tell you they are very considerate about their neighbors and those who share their environment, regarding noise, respect for curfews and other measures to respect those around them. This is a very exciting development for Redondo Beach. Little Fish was a central part of the Community in San Pedro for many years, and I have no doubt will be an important asset to Redondo. Thank you, Jane Macfie
I greatly enjoyed LIttle Fish theatre when it was in San Pedro. They featured wonderful talent and involved the whole community in a way that benefited everyone, including neighboring businesses.
With the PV player a thing of the past; there is a need for more theatre in the South Bay and I can't think of a better group to fill the void. Thank you, Steven Korbar
I wholeheartedly support the proposed performance theatre Exemption and CUP and am excited about the prospect of getting to see Little Fish Theatre shows right here in Redondo Beach! My wife and I have lived in Hollywood Riviera since 1993 and we have been attending Little Fish Theatre plays in San Pedro for many years now and greatly enjoying the professional quality of their productions. We have also enjoyed their Shakespeare By The Sea performances in each of the Beach City venues they have played. What a local treasure we have found this talented troupe of players to be! San Pedro’s loss will be Redondo Beach’s great gain if you approve this proposal. We will be inviting friends from outside the South Bay to join us in Redondo for dinner and performances if you grant us that opportunity.
I urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre/ Shakespeare by the Sea. After many, many years of attending and financially supporting their quality and innovative theatre productions, I believe this organization would be a wonderful addition to Redondo Beach, enriching the lives of the community and its residents with cultural arts programming. I will continue to support this organization no matter where it lands!
Gail Robillard
2251 Grenadier Drive
San Pedro, CA 90732
grobillard53@gmail.com
Good Evening Commissioners,
With enthusiasm, I encourage you to approve the proposed performance theater CUP. Having this cultural amenity in our community is enriching. 514 N Prospect Ave is a well-suited location for the proposed theater use because most of the existing uses are closed when the theater will hold performances, and their nonperformance operations are insignificant compared to the site's capacity and combined other uses. The resolution contains two restrictive conditions that I hope that you will discuss whether there is causation based on the use's effects and its location. COA # 3 (performance hours) covers the present-day operations, but what about in the future? Please consider allowing performances year-round not just September to May and please consider an early weeknight start time and no time restrictions on Saturday or Sunday. In addition, COA #4, which prohibits the business/theater from serving or selling alcohol, seems unnecessary. To regularly sell alcohol, the theater would need a separate CUP to procure an ABC license. What if the theater organizes a fundraiser or special event, will this COA apply to that activity, and would the restriction have a negative effect? Thank you for your time and consideration.
Kindly, Laura MacMorran, Redondo resident and Shakespeare by the Sea supporter
I urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre/Shakespeare by the Sea. They have been a cultural gem in the South Bay for over 25 years and for many local residents they have been their first introduction to Shakespeare. I have been a supporter for years and always look forward to attending their productions. It would be wonderful to see them have a indoor venue again. I believe it would be a boon not only to residents but to local restaurants and other businesses as well.
Please approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre/ Shakespeare by the Sea. I have attended multiple performances in the South Bay and San Pedro, and always enjoyed them. I believe that an organization that provides free Shakespeare performances and other theater events is a civic good. I am especially interested in this location's proximity to Silverado Memory Care. I know someone there and I think he would benefit from this.
I am writing to urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for LFT/SBTS. They provide wonderfully dedicated work, crucial to the community and necessary in our society.
I am writing to urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for LFT/SBTS. I have seen many SBTS performances at many locations and I am always impressed with their work.
Wayne Martin
I am writing in support of the Conditional Use Permit for LFT/SBTS. I have been a volunteer and Board Member and I can guarantee you both companies are professional and entertaining. My family and I have enjoyed performances of both companies since their inception. We are also monthly donors and will continue to support them in their new home. The arts enrich communities and provide a wonderful shared experience that only comes from a live performance. I hope you will approve the permit. Thank you!
I am writing to urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for LFT/SBTS. I have been to many performances of both companies over the years and I look forward to continuing doing so in Redondo Beach. Thank you!
I am writing to urge you to approve the Conditional Use Permit for Little Fish Theatre(LFT)/Shakespeare by the Sea(SBTS). I am one of the original members of LFT/Shakespeare by the Sea and have been working with this small and mighty theatre company since 2002. Art is important. Accessible art is critical. Not everyone can afford to see theatre in downtown LA, nor are those production choices necessarily resonant with their community. LFT has been putting on intimate theatre since 2002 and we would love to continue to honor the community by putting on productions that are approachable for anyone. SBTS has been bringing free Shakespeare for even longer. Making art is what we do... and what a wonderful opportunity to bring this sort of wonder to a whole new community. The bonus is... we are already ready to go! We have a strong cadre of actors, designers, directors, grant writers, box office staff and administrators waiting in the wings (definitely pun intended) to get started!
Please approve this CUP, and let us bring a little joy, laughter, surprise, wonder, tears (the good kind, of course), and stage magic to the people of Redondo Beach!
Rachel Levy
Founding Company Member and Superfan