Bellflower council approves Flower Street specific plan and sale of city parcel for 46‑unit townhome development

The Bellflower City Council on April 13 approved entitlements and a development agreement to allow a multi‑parcel townhome project along Flower Street, and authorized the city manager to execute a purchase and sale agreement for a nearby city parcel.

Planning staff told the council the Flower Street Specific Plan (FSSP) covers three parcels—9855, 9903 and 9915 Flower Street—and would change zoning and the general plan designation to allow residential development downtown. Beth, a city planning staff member, said the specific plan allows up to 50 dwelling units per acre and that the project before the council proposes 32 attached three‑story townhomes on 9903 with the design and entitlements sized so the adjacent parcel can accommodate a future 14‑unit phase, for a combined concept of 46 units.

The project will be reviewed under a mitigated negative declaration, staff said, clearing the development review, vesting tentative map and the specific plan so the developer may subdivide airspace and enable separate sales of units. Jim, an economic development staff member, described a development agreement that ties the entitlements to a schedule of performance and public benefits; planned public benefits include downtown revitalization, increased property‑tax revenue and fees earmarked for Friendship Plaza and Pirate Park. Staff listed development fees that the agreement would collect, including $700,000 in parks and recreation fees targeted for unfunded Friendship Plaza and Pirate Park improvements, a $54,510 public facilities fee and an $8,490 public safety fee; public art provisions remain to be finalized.

The council also authorized a disposition for the city‑owned parcel at 9855 Flower Street at a negotiated purchase price of $2,650,000; staff said the city will carry the financing and that loan repayments are structured to begin when building permits are issued and to be repaid as certificates of occupancy are granted. The city attorney and staff explained that the development agreement is the principal enforcement mechanism: if the developer defaults the city may exercise rights to reclaim the properties, and the loan structure aligns repayment with construction milestones rather than unit sales.

Zach Forbath, a development manager at City Ventures, presented the project plans: four buildings totaling 32 units in phase one, two plan types (about 1,335 and 1,558 net sq. ft.), two‑car garages for each unit (despite state law allowing zero parking within a half‑mile of transit), private balconies, an interior paseo with landscaping and benches, and standard energy features including solar panels provided with each home and prewiring for EV charging.

Council members questioned setbacks, whether rooftop railings constituted occupiable space (staff: decorative only, not rooftop decks), trash handling (each unit will store bins inside the garage and present them at curb for collection) and how the city’s protections would operate if the second phase was not completed. Staff said the development agreement requires the developer to apply for the second parcel and meet the performance schedule; the remedy on default is property reversion to the city under the loan structure. The city attorney said the timeline is negotiated but provides enforceable protections for the city.

A member of the public, David Pi, urged the council to prioritize green space and said the project would increase traffic; council members and staff replied that state housing obligations and downtown revitalization goals are key drivers and that the project is intended to create pedestrian support for existing downtown businesses.

The council then voted unanimously to: adopt Resolution 26‑12 authorizing the city manager to execute the purchase and sale agreement for 9855 Flower Street (APN 7109‑013‑904); adopt the mitigated negative declaration, approve the general plan amendment, zone change, specific plan (FSSP), vesting tentative map and development review for the project; and introduce Ordinance 1456 implementing the entitlements and development agreement. Council members said they expect the developer to coordinate phase‑two entitlements so construction can proceed as a cohesive downtown project.

The approvals create a pathway for City Ventures to proceed with permits and construction; staff said the developer plans to start vertical construction next year if entitlements and construction documents proceed on schedule. The development agreement requires staff return to the council for public art if proposed and documents fees and schedule‑based performance obligations.

Next steps: staff will finalize purchase‑and‑sale documents and continue processing entitlements; the ordinance introduced will return for second reading as required by law. The council set no new conditions beyond the development agreement and associated approvals.