Atlantic Boulevard

A Key City Corridor

Atlantic Boulevard is a key economic area and transportation corridor in the City of Commerce. It can become both a hub for small businesses and a vibrant destination for Commerce residents.

We’re developing plans for Atlantic Boulevard at the same time as the General Plan because there’s broad agreement that we need to transform how the street works and how it looks. The current General Plan allows a mix of commercial and residential uses, but it doesn’t quite allow us to achieve the community’s vision for the area.

Plans for Atlantic Boulevard call for redesigning the street, adding landscaping and greenery, and allowing higher density residential than is now allowed. We could also allow a broader range of commercial uses and gradually eliminate industrial businesses. The result will be a welcoming and attractive commercial area for local residents, along with opportunities for local small businesses to thrive.

Green Zones Working Group

The plans for Atlantic Boulevard and Washington Boulevard are based on work by the Commerce Green Zones Working Group. The Working Group convened in 2011 to address concerns raised by the City’s Environmental Justice Advisory Task Force about how close hazardous sources are to sensitive land uses such as homes, schools, and churches. The group worked for over a year and delivered a set of recommendations (Green Zones Working Group Recommendations Report) to the City Council that included changing land uses and strategies to attract new business that will contribute to the City’s economic development and improved quality of life.

All work on the General Plan Update will build on the Green Zones Working Group recommendations. The entire Commerce community will have opportunities to contribute their ideas as part of the planning process.