In a busy place like New York City, the idea of renting out apartment space above ground level commercial businesses is a common way of mixing housing and retail to stimulate the local economy.

Similar developments are somewhat scarce in Hermosa Beach, but city officials are hoping to change all of that as a way to revive certain commercial areas.

By evaluating certain segments on Hermosa and Pier avenues, Pacific Coast Highway and Aviation Boulevard, the city hopes to determine locations for such developments.

In recent weeks, the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission agreed to take a closer look at possibly altering city zoning laws to allow for mixed use. The commission voted to seek permission from the City Council before moving ahead with the proposal, however.

“This is only in the beginning stages because we wanted to get a feel from the council before spending time and money on the matter only to find out that the council has no interest in it,” said Planning Commissioner Sam Perotti. “We feel some properties in Hermosa could be improved with the potential for residential zoning above.”

The Planning Commission agreed that if the city allows mixed use in some areas in town by changing zoning laws, it would give developers an opportunity to build housing units which would then provide an added incentive to attract new commercial tenants.

A community volunteer group known as the Economic Development Committee prompted discussion on the matter. Mixed-use buildings were only one in a series of ideas the group reviewed over a one-year period as a way of attracting new businesses to Hermosa Beach.

The group developed a proposal and made its recommendations to City Council members who expressed an interest.

City Councilman Michael Keegan is a strong proponent of mixed use and believes the city’s tiny commercial zones would benefit from it.

“Our commercial corridors are so small that there is a desire to be in these areas,” he said. “We only have about a 2-percent vacancy rate in Hermosa and that is most likely because of the rent situation. It’s overpriced. I don’t know if it’s the market’s fault.”

Mixed-use developments do exist in cities like Redondo Beach, and Keegan said that similar projects would flourish even more in Hermosa Beach due to small projects that would probably not exceed 10,000 square feet.

“One area of mixed use in Redondo Beach is on Pacific Coast Highway which was once a car dealership,” said Keegan. “It is a large project and we won’t have that kind of thing here. Our small lot sizes are more conducive for mixed use. No one project would take over an area.”

According to Planning Commissioner Pete Hoffman, the commission will wait to hear back from the City Council before proceeding on a plan that would require both time and effort from city employees, an environmental impact report and a traffic study.

“This project will require changes in Hermosa’s General Plan and ordinances,” explained Hoffman. “We haven’t committed to anything other than soliciting comments from the council. There are certain areas in Hermosa Beach that at first glance make sense, but this will take a lot of research to see if this will work.”