Long Beach Residents Oppose 12-Story Atlantic Avenue Project

The Long Beach Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on July 22 for a 250-unit apartment and retail complex at Atlantic Avenue and 4th Street.

State housing mandates require the city to approve sites for more than 23,000 new units by 2029, and this proposal sits in a zone already zoned for higher density under the 2021 General Plan update.

East Village neighbors formed the group Preserve East Village last month and collected 1,200 signatures on a petition delivered to City Hall. They point to the existing 87-unit building at 3rd Street and Atlantic that opened in 2023 and now generates 340 daily vehicle trips according to city traffic counts. The new project would sit three blocks from the Long Beach Transit Center and one block from the East Village Arts District galleries on Linden Avenue.

Developer's case for more housing

Developer Pacific West Communities says the 12-story building would include 50 deed-restricted affordable units and ground-floor retail along Atlantic. The firm submitted traffic studies showing that adding bike lanes and a signal at 4th Street would cut average intersection delay by 12 seconds during evening peak hours. Pacific West also notes that Long Beach median rents reached $2,650 for a one-bedroom in the second quarter, up 7 percent from the same period last year, and argues the project would relieve pressure on older single-family homes in nearby Belmont Heights.

Residents cite parking and sunlight loss

Opponents counter that the 180 parking spaces planned fall short of the 320 spaces currently used by employees at the adjacent 4th Street medical offices. They also submitted shadow studies showing the tower would block direct sunlight from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the playground at Cesar Chavez Elementary School during winter months. Several speakers at the June 18 neighborhood meeting referenced the 2024 citywide parking utilization study that found 78 percent occupancy on residential blocks within a quarter-mile of the site on weekday evenings.

The commission's decision will set the timeline for any appeal to the City Council, which meets next on August 5. Residents who want to review the full environmental impact report can download it from the city's planning department website or request a printed copy at the Main Library on Long Beach Boulevard.

This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.