Thanks for the memories, Manhattan
Dear ER:
I am sad to say the “small town feeling” in Manhattan Beach has long gone. It’s much too late to think about bringing it back. It should have been addressed 10 or 12 years ago. Here is what we have now: lots of wine flowing, expensive restaurants, huge homes cutting out air flow and sunshine, way too much noise and traffic, cars parked on both sides of most streets so one can get around more burglaries and arrests than I remember in the 50 years I’ve lived here. Worse, people who do not know they have turn signals in their cars. And even worse than that, people sail through stop signs and red lights while texting or talking on their phones. I walk in the neighborhood everyday and cannot believe that people do not take seriously the fact that they could cripple or kill someone texting or talking on the phone while driving. The fine for these infractions should be stiff. Maybe then they would pay more attention.
We old folks are very thankful for the wonderful memories of a quiet and safer beach town. One that has disappeared.
Jane Porter
Manhattan Beach
Tax or ban
Dear ER:
I would be in favor of a small raise in hotel taxes in the City of Hermosa Beach if it applied to everyone. A search of vrbo.com (Vacation Rental by Owner) shows over 150 short-term rentals in Hermosa Beach. Short term rentals are illegal in Hermosa Beach, however the city either has ineffective code enforcement or chooses not to enforce the code against short term rentals. These short term rentals are not subject to the same business license requirements as a hotel and they do not collect any tax. To have a transient occupancy tax in the city, it should be enforced across all transient occupancies or the city should enforce the laws against illegal short-term rentals.
Christopher Reed
Hermosa Beach
Sea Lion Beach
Dear ER:
CenterCal president Jean Paul Wardy’s comparison of the proposed, shrunk down King Harbor SeaSide Lagoon to Mother’s Beach in Dana Point Harbor is a joke (“King Harbor ‘legacy’ tenants to be preserved in new waterfront development,” ER October 8, 2015). The sandy beach portion of Mother’s Beach is over two acres. The grass and tree area is about two acres as well. The shoreline is over 600 feet long and it has a separate kids swimming area and SUP/kayak launching over a wide area. The shoreline opens to a wide open and little used area of the harbor. On the west side is an area dedicated to Educational/Institutional, which include two tall ships and an education facility.
In King Harbor’s case, CenterCal is proposing to pave over one acre of our current three acre lagoon park for a driveway into the three story parking structure and retail/restaurant lease spaces. It would shrink the water portion of the Seaside Lagoon to one-third of its current size at high tide and less than that at low tide. It has a narrow opening to an area of the harbor that will likely be where the boat ramp launches. With the boat ramp, gas and oil will flow into this opening on the surface of the water. What little of Seaside Lagoon is left will be overshadowed by a three story, 300,000 sq ft pay parking structure. What family will traipse through a parking garage and through retail and restaurant spaces with kids, diapers, food and beach toys to go play in polluted water? The biggest users of the dinky beach will likely be sea lions. And if they move in, the Marine Mammal Protection Act will keep people out.
Jim Light
Redondo Beach
Keep Redonoans home
Dear ER:
To those in Redondo who oppose every single development project without even trying to understand them: The Waterfront is the project we need, and the direction in which our community should be heading.
Voter approved Measure G established guidelines for what can be built on the waterfront. The environmental review process was set up to make sure that everything, including traffic and pollution, is analyzed and that the community can provide input.
CenterCal considers views essential, That’s that’s why part of the site is being raised four feet so you’re not looking at concrete and why the project makes the coastline 100 percent accessible. CenterCal is also making the area more bike and pedestrian friendly, with a pedestrian bridge that connects the north and south ends of the site and a 20-foot wide boardwalk. The increase in parking spaces means that there will always be a spot available. The increase is mandated by the Coastal Commission.
This project is incomparable to other projects in the region. With programming, a public market and other components, Redondo residents will finally want to stay in Redondo.
Joanne Galin
Redondo Beach
Market for NIMBYs
Dear ER:
Gelson’s supporters display signs that read, “We welcome Gelson’s to the neighborhood.” Funny thing is those people do not live in the neighborhood near the proposed Gelson’s. The signs should read “We welcome Gelson’s to their neighborhood.”
Gelson’s traffic is to be equal to the traffic at our downtown Von’s plus traffic at Trader Joe’s on Manhattan Beach Boulevard. Their proposal includes a variance for have less parking than normally required. Where will the employees park all day and evening? Gelson’s are open from around 8 a.m. until about 9 p.m. daily. Delivery trucks will come at various hours of day and night. Some residents and city management tout the potential tax revenue. But they must remember that groceries provide little tax revenue because about 75 percent of grocery sales are for non-taxable items. The proposed Gelson’s location is just a bad idea. If Gelson’s really wants to be in Manhattan Beach, think about locations like the corner at Sepulveda and Manhattan Beach boulevards.
Jon Chaykowski
Manhattan Beach
Accounting for councilmen
Dear ER:
Former Hermosa Councilman Howard Fishman criticizes candidate Justin Massey as an “amateur” for criticizing Fishman’s and and fellow councilmember Pete Tucker’s votes for the oil settlement (“Justin, from past councilman,”ER Letters Oct.) . The oil settlement was negotiated poorly and behind closed doors. Fishman and Tucker failed to list an interest rate on the $17.5 million owed E&B and that dispute appears headed to another lawsuit. Tucker and Fishman failed to provide language eliminating that interest for the period E & B delayed the election. Tucker and Fishman gave a deeded real property interest of all of the gas and oil in Hermosa Beach and tidelands to E&B’s shell company, called Hermosa Acquisition, LLC, without getting a financial statement, or even a California registration or incorporation. Hermosa Acquisition is a Delaware company that has been dormant since it was formed. You could not buy enough insurance to cover a major accident at the oil site and, because of that, you need to attach assets, not air, particularly given the history of E&B subsidiaries going bankrupt after spills. Tucker and Fishman failed to get proper financial assurances or guarantees from Hermosa Acquisition or E&B and they never saw one financial statement, corporate report, or tax return from either entity. Who are the amateurs here?
Michael Keegan
Former Mayor
Hermosa Beach
A Massey affair
Dear ER:
I’ve been reading the exchange between Hermosa Beach council candidate Justin Massey and former council member Howard Fishman. Setting aside Massey’s frivolous, arrogant and unprovable claim that he could have done a better job settling the Macpherson lawsuit than was done by the council at the time, I’d like to comment on his assertion that going out to bid for a price check on our City Attorney Michael Jenkins is a responsible way to use city resources.
I wondered, what is the point of Massey’s crusade? Then it dawned on me. He is attempting to finish the job his mentor Nanette Barragan, couldn’t. Among her many self-serving escapades (all pursued with her eye on running for Congress) sacking Jenkins was one she couldn’t pull off. She wanted Jenkins’ head because he never kowtowed to her numerous, blatant attempts to run roughshod over her fellow council members, to sidestep proper procedures and to bully citizens.
As a Barragan/Keep Hermosa Hermosa acolyte, Massey has his script and his orders to “stay on message,” as he puts it. His campaign is well managed, I have to give KHH props for that. They are applying all they learned defeating Measure O to get Massey elected. However, there are few, if any, concrete proposals coming from Massey about how to address the city’s most pressing issue – paying its bills with funds generated within the city, instead of going to the county, state or federal governments with hat-in-hand. Call this the nowhere-to-be-found plank.
With KHH’s backing it is likely that Massey will be elected, along with Jeff Duclos, the other KHH-backed candidate. Tucker will be sent packing after his many years of service to Hermosa Beach. This will leave Mayor Carolyn Petty as the lone voice of reason on the council, outnumbered by the KHH coalition of Fangary, Massey and Duclos. Even if a level-headed candidate is elected in March, reason and thoughtfulness will still be outnumbered 3-2. Hermosa’s version of the Republican Freedom Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives will have an unassailable majority. So, perhaps council candidates Trent Larson and Ken Hartley deserve serious consideration specifically because they are so vociferously opposed by KHH. Jim Sullivan
Hermosa Beach
Ghosts of elections past
Dear ER:
Oil drilling is still an issue in Hermosa Beach. Hermosa Beach council candidates Jeff Duclos and Justin Massey were volunteers and strong supporters of Stop Hermosa Beach Oil. They will represent the interests of the four out of every five voters who rejected oil drilling in our community. The city paid E&B $17.5M pursuant to the Settlement Agreement. Yet, we still face threats of litigation from the oil company. E&B wants interest on the $17.5M dating back to March 2012, which could cost the millions of dollars? E&B believes they can apply to drill for oil in Hermosa in perpetuity? We need smart, competent city council members to stand up to E&B and resolve these issues.
Some candidates may tell you that the oil issue is “over.” It’s not. Duclos and Massey are dedicated to protecting the environment, health, safety and financial well-being of Hermosa Beach residents.
Stacey Armato
Former Chairperson of Stop Hermosa Beach Oil
Hermosa Beach
Trenchant observations
Dear ER:
Hermosa Beach council candidate Justin Massey is claiming Hermosa Beach can save $500K annually in energy costs by installing solar panels. The issue I have is that the front end costs are not identified. Claiming $500K in annual savings, while omitting the costs, is not worthy of consideration and frankly misleading.
I am in favor of solar panels. I would prefer not to pay Southern Edison. I am also of the opinion that when calculating proposed savings the numbers need to be vetted and accurate. Solar power is here to stay and the industry is making strides in both quality of products, reductions in cost, and shorter payback periods. Let us shine the light of day on the total costs of such and endeavor to better serve the people of Hermosa.
Trent Larson
Council candidate
Hermosa Beach
Great, Scott for school board
Dear ER:
Our schools have struggled with overcrowded facilities for years, yet effective leadership has been largely absent from our current board. It’s time our board matches its talk with action. James Scott is that catalyst of action. I’ve had the privilege of working with James as part of our Leadership Hermosa Beach Class of 2015.I believe his passion for our schools’ children and his experience in education is exactly what our school district needs. He’s a parent of two daughters in Hermosa, he has 19 years of experience in elementary school education, and he’s managed the day-to-day operations of an elementary, K-8th grade school for the past eight years. James has the passion, experience, and integrity to ensure that our school district continues to be a source of pride in our community for the decades to come. On November 3, please vote for James Scott for School Board.
Arcadia Berjonneau Keane
Hermosa Beach
