The City of Redondo Beach and AES have reached an agreement to search for non-industrial uses for the city’s long-standing, long-contested, 50-acre power plant property, City Attorney Michael Webb announced at the November 3 meeting of the Redondo Beach City Council.
According to Webb, AES has agreed, along with the City of Redondo Beach, to send a joint letter to the California Energy Commission, requesting that their application to build a new plant be suspended until August 1, 2016. A separate letter will also go to the South Coast Air Quality Management District to suspend work on the final determination of compliance in terms of air quality.
AES will immediately begin to market the property for non-industrial uses.
In the past, the power company has floated industrial uses, from a new power generating plant, to desalination and battery storage facilities, to replace its aging plant.
“Basically, peace has broken out,” Webb said. “That doesn’t mean it’s lasting, but it’s an opportunity to have everyone work together, to have the property owner find something that is of value to them and for members of the public and council, through the task force, to find something that protects the interest of the residents of Redondo.”
“Hopefully, they can find a buyer — and any potential buyer knows city politics here, and knows that they are contentious,” Aspel said after the meeting. “But the difference between this and the Waterfront Project is that this isn’t a lease — they’re opening it up to bidders, and these people will know what they’re getting into.”
What they will be facing is a long-lasting philosophical split on development within the city, exemplified by the defeat of the AES-proposed Measure B. Measure B would have rezoned the power plant property to allow for mixed-use residential and commercial development. It was defeated in March, 52.4 percent to 47.6 percent.
“This is an incredibly opportunity, and I see it as three parties — the city, the property owner and the community — coming to the table with an understanding that whatever is agreed upon and brought to the public has to pass a vote,” District 2 councilman Bill Brand said. “I don’t know how these things work out sometimes — the universe just moves in directions that benefit everybody, sometimes.”
Redondo Beach’s work on a Waterfront Task Force was continued to July 5 by the council.
“The city will defer action by that task force to see what’s out there and hopefully work together publicly to see what’s fair to the property owner,” Webb said. “This is a pathway toward finding a compromise for everyone.”
The City Council approved the agreement in a 4-0 vote of council members, with the support of Aspel. Councilman Jeff Ginsberg recused himself.
Historically, Brand and Aspel’s differing philosophies on development have them on opposing sides, making their unity on this agreement notable.
Similarly, as Aspel said, it’s significant that the respective counsels for both AES and the City have agreed “100 percent.”
“This is something that both the City and AES agreed to, but it’s not an end-all,” Aspel said after the meeting. “If something goes sideways between now and summer, we’ll have to go back to fighting them again.”
But, as he said before the public, “Hopefully it won’t be a temporary agreement — hopefully, it’s forever.”
