The battle to rid the Redondo Beach harbor of the AES power plant moved one step further towards decision at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The council voted 4-1 directing city staff to draft a resolution, to be adopted May 1, opposing the repowering of the power plant.
Councilmember Steve Diels, who opposed the resolution, argued that the council was taking the easy way out.
“The hardest thing to do here is to really engage and find a solution,” said Diels. “Talk is cheap, and to indicate we are taking a position is a cheap and easy way out – it’s not the hardest thing to do. The hardest thing to do is try to find a real solution for this community.”
City Attorney Mike Webb told the council that passing a resolution stating the council’s position on opposing or supporting the power plant does not have any reasonable legal limitations.
“The State Energy Commission has the ultimate authority to preempt local laws and zoning,” said Webb. “Although they have to take it into account, but their process welcomes and invites public comment including public agencies to participate in their process.”
It came to light during the pervious week’s council meeting with the agencies involved in AES’s repowering process that the city has the option to become and ‘intervener’ in the process. This status would make the city a party in the action and involve it in the State’s investigative process by giving the city’s representative the ability to challenge information, respond to questions, comment on the proceedings and have a standing in the decision. The costs could range from $100,000 to $200,000.
Although advocates for taking a position argued that doing so cost nothing, Councilmember Pat Aust thought differently.
“It costs you nothing to punch a cop,” said Aust. “But the consequences will cost you a lot – meaning when you say all you have to do is write a piece of paper and say ‘we’re against it,’ but are there consequences.”
Diels agreed.
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea to punch them in the nose and ask for help,” said Diels. “I don’t think AES needs the city’s input to repower. The permitting authority is a function of the California Energy Commission not the City Council. However, to depower and find alternative uses AES does need help from the city… If AES is willing to work with the city to find alternatives why would we not go down that route first?”
Councilmember Bill Brand, who has been staunchly and very publicly against the repowering of the plant, thought that it was important that the council take a position.
Councilman Matt Kilroy noted that the property the power plant is on is private property, and that AES thus has property rights – but that cities do have the ability to change zoning.
“The key is making sure you’re not taking something from somebody,” said Kilroy. “If you look at how Redondo Beach has changed in last 100 years there have been wholesale changes. I believe a repowered AES facility would provide economic benefit to city. I don’t think that is the best use; that’s really what it comes down to. When you look at all the work we’re doing to polish the gem of our harbor – it just frankly doesn’t fit. I don’t believe trying to give AES a punch in the eye if we come out and oppose the power plant. To me it’s a push, a nudge to negotiate an alternative use for the site. Not having a plant there and having alternative use that provides economic benefit to AES creates a win-win situation for everybody.”
AES Southland President Eric Pendergraft argued on behalf of a more collaborative approach.
“We definitely have a strong preference to collaborate with you and the rest of community to develop a plan for the site that we can be proud of and is economically viable,” said Pendergraft. “The solution we are proposing is about more than a state-of-the-art power plant. It’s a solution for the entire site that has the financial wherewithal to eliminate the existing structure, remediate the site and free out what is now 38 acres that can be utilized for beneficial purposes – all without a single penny of tax payer money.”
Tensions rose between the council and community members when Councilmember Steve Aspel came out in opposition of community led Building a Better Redondo’s (BBR) initiative to zone the current AES site 70 percent park and 30 percent commercial.
“I will not vote to oppose the power plant when this comes back to us if there is still a citizen-led initiative on BBR’s website,” said Aspel. “If the people behind that throw away and promise without crossing their fingers they’re not bringing it back and you let the various commissions and everybody in community get together and figure out what they want, then I can do this… I can’t have it written in stone about what can and can’t be there.”
“If we keep fighting amongst ourselves they’re ultimately going to win,” said Aust. “There will be a power plant and we’ll be miserable for a long time. I think we can do this, and I’m going to vote against them being able to build a new power plant.”
Lifetime Redondo Beach resident Cameron Flynn, 28, explained his point of view.
“The power plant’s been there for along time,” said Flynn. “It’s part of our history but think it should be put in history.”
Redondo Beach Marina property manager Leslie Page scolded the council for taking “pot shots” and implored them to do something about the blighted harbor, beginning with making changes on the waterfront.
“I love that place, I paint the curbs,” said Page. “You know what I do for that area. That being said, if we continue to go down this road, guy’s, nobody’s going to come invest in our community. We’re getting to the point where we don’t even have movie people because we’re becoming not business friendly.”
Delores Starr, a community member who was watching the council meeting from her TV at home got up from her couch and drove down to the council meeting because she wanted to represent the community members from other parts of the city whose property values would not be impacted but still want the power plant gone.
“It would be nice to see “Welcome to Redondo” without the stacks and make this place a beautiful place we can all enjoy,” she said. “[Where we can] go to the beach and not turn around and see the power plant and all the pollution.”
