New Club Pilates gets go-ahead in Plaza Hermosa

The Hermosa Beach Planning Commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit Monday night for Club Pilates to operate in Plaza Hermosa, but not before questioning why the fitness studio needed their approval at all—and ultimately stripping away all restrictions on operating hours.

The Pilates studio will occupy a 2,425-square-foot space at 703 Pier Avenue, Suite H14, formerly home to an AT&T retail store. Club Pilates will offer low-impact, instructor-led Pilates reformer classes with a maximum of 12 participants, as well as private sessions.

When is a gym an 'assembly hall'?

The approval process became complicated when Commissioner Pete Hoffman noticed the business appeared to fall under the municipal code's "gymnasium, health and fitness" category—which doesn't require a conditional use permit—rather than "assembly hall," which does.

Planning staff explained that a 2017 ordinance consolidated various assembly-type uses, including gyms, into one category following federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act requirements. The consolidation was intended to create parity between all assembly uses, particularly houses of worship.

However, the old "gymnasium" listing was never removed from the code, creating an inconsistency that has confused applicants.

"There was a drafting error there, so there's an inconsistency," Community Development Director Alison Becker acknowledged. "The original definition remains in the table while the assembly use captured it within, and we didn't do the reconciliation properly."

Becker said staff has been consistently treating similar uses as assembly halls since 2019, including another yoga studio in the same shopping center. The city plans to clean up the code inconsistency in the first half of this year.

Commissioner Greg McNally raised a related question about whether the business being classified as an assembly hall rather than a gym or fitness facility would require additional permits, especially for any outdoor uses. Staff confirmed no additional licenses or permits would be necessary to operate.

Opening Hours ?

The confusion led to a broader discussion about why the commission was conditioning a fitness studio's hours of operation in a commercial zone with no nearby residential properties.

"The result of this is that we're here, but for example... those [hours] will now be conditioned by CUP where [a standard] C-3 use wouldn't be," Hoffman said.

Staff had recommended approving specific operating hours: Monday through Thursday 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. But Hoffman advocated for simply deleting the hour restrictions entirely.

"I don't know what the issue is here in this location that would compel us to think we need to regulate those hours," Hoffman said, noting there are no residential neighbors who might be disturbed.

Becker confirmed there was no code requirement for specific hours of operation.

After discussion, Hoffman moved to approve staff's recommendation but delete the condition entirely. The motion passed unanimously.

"If they want to close at three o'clock, then close at three o'clock," Hoffman said.

Parking Concerns

Vice Chair Mike Flaherty raised concerns about parking at Plaza Hermosa, noting that while the shopping center has approximately 400 parking spaces, more than 100 are designated for specific uses like food pickup, EV charging, or marked as private parking. Others are tandem spaces, which he doesn't consider true public parking.

"We don't need to relook at the parking plan based on a 1980 parking plan?" Flaherty asked.

Becker explained that state law requires EV charging spaces to count toward minimum parking requirements. She also noted that a 2019 parking amendment actually contemplated about 6,000 square feet more of gym and fitness use than currently exists in the center, meaning the parking plan shows consistency even with the new Pilates studio.

Under city code, no new parking spaces are required for a change of use in existing buildings unless the use is a new late-night alcohol-serving establishment.

With two workout studio areas potentially accommodating just under 30 people per session plus employees, Flaherty said he had initial concerns but was satisfied with staff's explanation.

"Be aware of the UPS trucks parked right out in front of your place every day," Flaherty quipped to the absent applicant. "Other than that, good luck. I support the agenda."