Short (term) sighted
Dear ER:
I had no idea the Manhattan Beach City Council is banning Airbnb. (“City moves to ban short term rentals,” ER June 4, 2015.”). Didn’t that visiting city panel state 60 percent of retail was supported by visitors? The city is shooting its foot to fix toe toe.
Laurie McDermott
Manhattan Beach
Manhattan tenement
Dear ER:
My next neighbor door rents at least two to three of her five bedrooms to non family members and at least one to two to family members. On a street with limited parking, it has at times added a total number of seven cars. This is supposedly legal since a great number of the neighbors have gone to the city complaining about this mini hotel without satisfaction. Such a shame that others can be so self serving to not even realize how to be a good neighbor.
Patti Brown
Manhattan Beach
Enforce current laws
Dear ER:
It’s great to see that the Manhattan Beach City Council recognizes that there are 57 legal short term rentals (STR’s) currently operating. I manage one of them and pay the transient occupancy tax (TOT). They have left all the other known STR’s to operate without punishment. Now we get punished.
Our rental was not notified of any hearings on the subject. I have also been emailing with the planning department on the subject. Sorry I do not read the local newspapers.
On the subject of parking, I totally agree. But the parking enforcement will not ticket or tow cars blocking of sidewalks or neighbors’ entries. They would rather follow the street sweeper around. If your house is blocked, call the police. Regards the goal to “Protect residential neighborhoods from the intrusion of inappropriate and incompatible uses.” How about cleaning up the neighborhood first. Trash cans left on the side of the road violate the municipal code but nothing happens. A hotel/inn constantly dumps its cleaning water into the street. The road is bleached from the path of the water. Myself and several neighbors have sent complaints to the city and still it’s dump into our oceans.
As for the noise complaints, the owner are meant to be held accountable, according to the current STR guidelines and the “good neighbor brochure.” Most, if not all my rental clients are thoroughly screened and background checked. If I hear a complaint from the neighbor I look into it. If they break my contract or the cities rules they are ejected.
That’s my rant. The rules are already in place, enforce them.
James Smail
New Zealand
Not ducky
Dear ER:
The draft Master Facilities Plan for Manhattan Beach Middle School calls for a commercial-sized expansion that would drastically damage Polliwog Park and wreak havoc on the surrounding community.
The proposed Master Plan expansion would:
Turn Polliwog Park into a regional sports and entertainment complex, adding an Olympic pool and stadium, a 750-seat performing arts theater and commercial kitchens larger than the UCLA commissary, which serves 20,000 meals a day.
Destroy dozens of mature trees in the urban forest that currently supports 153 species of birds.
Significantly reduce the critical Polliwog stormwater retention basin, increasing the severity of flooding in the surrounding neighborhood
Add noise, traffic, air pollution and hundreds of cars parking day and night in front of neighborhood homes for non-school events
Move the city’s first little league field from its historic site.
Require a huge tax bond to build the facilities to draw venue-goers from outside the city into our already crowded neighborhood.
The School Board should reject the current proposal and right-size any future plan to meet the legitimate needs of future MBMS students. For more information go to mbfopp.org.
Julie Profet
Chair, Friends of Polliwog Park
Manhattan Beach
Double taxation
Dear ER:
Why doesn’t Hermosa Beach increase the amount of funding already allocated for Hermosa’s sewers under the existing Utility Users Tax, which voters specifically approved for that purpose? I have seen no public accounting of the UUT which, at 10 percent, is one of the highest rates charged by any municipality in the state. How much is, or has been, used for sewer maintenance, and how much has been siphoned off for other (frivolous?) purposes?
For the City to decide by default (unless at least 3,500 property owners deliver written protests to City Hall by June 2) is arrogant without providing more information to the public. Why encumber the community with an additional $11 million in debt when there are perhaps better (and more fiscally prudent) resources available? Could it be that this newly proposed “ee is to accommodate the three new hotels being planned for downtown? And next, will we be finagled into funding a new parking structure for the same reason?
Eloise Butler
Hermosa Beach
Devil makes three
Dear ER
Hermosa Beach residents expended great effort to keep high-density hotels out of its downtown during the 1980s at a same time that Hermosa’s residential zoning-density was significantly being reduced to maintain a constant population under 20,000 and preserve its quality-of-life.
Now an incredibly arrogant Hermosa council majority of Mayor Pete Tucker (22 years on council and planning commission), Councilman Michael DiVirgilio (10 years on council and public works commission), and rookie Councilwoman Carolyn Petty (1.5 years on council) believe they are leading by being deceitful wheeler-dealer city planners.
These three especially, should know better than to be facilitating the destruction of Hermosa’s quaint downtown with the addition of hundreds of high-density hotel room-units and above-ground parking structure behemoths.
Downtown hotels offer this community little but costly high-impact issues that even a 12 percent bed-tax will barely cover the many negatives. High density hotels belong on the highway, or somewhere other than in 1.3 square mile Hermosa Beach.
As if this isn’t enough, the “troika” is apparently hell-bent on costing Hermosa’s residents and businesses $11 million with their new, de facto sewer tax.
All concerned need to attend the Hermosa council meeting, Tuesday evening, June 23 at 7 p.m., to read the riot act to this arrogant council-troika regarding downtown hotels, but primarily to “protest” their sham “sewer charge fee” tax on top of the sewer tax that both residents and businesses have been paying to the tune of $2.5 Million per year on all utilities for some 30 years.
Howard Longacre
Hermosa Beach
Clean-up attack
Dear ER
Enough already with the attacks on our elected officials and city officers. Hermosa’s sewer system is in dire straits. $11 million is typical for city of this size. As a wine and food specialist, I have traveled to over 47 different countries. At half had severe issues with water quality and sewage, including first world nations like East Germany and southern France. I suggest the citizens ask themselves whether or not they want their toilet to work properly. I do not believe the city of Hermosa beach is trying to bamboozle us. People must realize that it isn’t the job that’s in question, but how we approach it. Let’s use mathematics, logic, common sense and diplomacy. It does no good to send a letter to Easy Reader exclaiming that the people we have appointed are no longer the people we want every time something serious comes along. No more attacks, just get to the facts.
Baker Dave Wallace
Hermosa Beach
Nit wit
Dear ER:
For too long Greg Breen has been writing uncalled-for, rude and demeaning letters to citizens of Hermosa Beach (“Hard to believe,” ER Letters June 11, 2015). Instead of addressing issues in a constructive manner he uses what he considers to be his unparalleled wit, superior intellect and unfailing logic to belittle and carry out personal attacks on individuals. Psychologists identify this behavior with that of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and bullying.
Breen continues to refuse responsibility for the outcome of Measure J funds by constantly asserting that the neighborhood lawsuit caused the district to lose $1.5 million. However, prior to the lawsuit, the cost of the gymnasium had already fallen short by $1.3 million due to rising construction costs. As a Hermosa School Board member, Breen was responsible for negotiating with neighbors. He also made the decision to stop work, which neither the lawsuit nor the courts required. (Blaming is another hallmark of NPD.)
There were approximately 30 members of the grassroots organization that questioned the district’s decision to make the gymnasium the focus, over needed classrooms. Breen is well aware that I was not a leader of the movement nor did I lead the lawsuit.
Is it just a coincidence that Greg Breen’s tenure on the School Board and later as a district advisor has coincided with HBCSD losing three elections and the advent of distrust and animosity toward the district?
Miyo Prassas
Hermosa Beach
Birdbrained
Dear ER:
Shame on our Manhattan Beach for banning the Birdman’s generous and kind feedings of the pigeons at the pier. (“Birdman Banned,” ER, June 11, 2015). Bless Richard Hallahan for doing so for 15 years. I have watched this Dr. Doolittle spreading joy, food and water, and not disease (or “unsanitary conditions”). He cleans up every day with a sprayer. He should be given a medal, not a citation. Please allow the Birdman to resume his daily 15 minute feedings of the birds, who will starve without him.
Susan Harris
Manhattan Beach
