Hermosa Beach : 2 Initiatives Put on Ballot

The City Council has voted to place two initiatives on the Nov. 3 ballot.

The first, a business license tax initiative, would tax theaters $100 for their first $20,000 of gross receipts and $1 for each additional $1,000. The measure must be approved by a two-thirds majority.

The second initiative would lower the maximum allowable height of new office and commercial developments.

If passed by a simple majority, the maximum height allowed will be reduced from the present 45 feet to 35 feet for office buildings, from 45 to 30 feet for buildings in C-1 zones and from 45 to 35 feet in C-2 zones.

A C-1 zone allows for neighborhood commercial uses including bakeries, barber shops, gift shops, drug stores and residential development. No residential uses are allowed in a C-2 zone, which includes bars, banks, restaurants, movie theaters and shopping centers.

The council decided against putting a residential construction tax initiative on the ballot. The measure would have required builders to pay a 3% tax on a building’s valuation when the number of units on a parcel is increased.