Redondo Beach ‘Driveway to nowhere’ finds place to go
Kelly Reed cuts the ribbon for a restored driveway apron in front of her Francisca Street home. Joining her for the ceremony are (left to right) Jessie Reed, City Councilmen Todd Loewenstein and Nils Nehrenheim, Johnny Reed (behind Nehrenheim), Dorothy Reed, Kelly Reed, John Reed, Deputy Public Works Director Mike Klein, Mayor Bill Brand, and Public Works Director Ted Semaan. Photo by Garth Meyer
A driveway access used by a wheelchair-bound woman until it was demolished by Redondo city workers has been rebuilt after a three-year saga involving a phantom garage, unpermitted remodeling and consternation at City Hall.
The repaving in August by Redondo Beach Public Works was celebrated with a ribbon cutting attended by city officials Sept. 7.
“This is beautiful, I hate to say it was worth the wait,” said John Reed, who with his wife Jessie owns the 1924 house that shares the repaired driveway approach, or apron, with neighbor Scott Schuler.
Driveway aprons, seen along every residential street in Redondo Beach, extend from an inset-sidewalk to the curb.
The city determined the original Schuler/Reed apron and its attending driveway defied city code because it no longer led to a garage. The violation was discovered, by chance, three years ago, when a building inspector showed up across the street.
The Schulers/Reeds’ Model T-sized driveway had been shared by its homeowners for nearly 100 years.
In recent years, though, the Reeds had a particular use for it because their 43-year-old daughter, Kelly, is handicapped.
Kelly was six years old in 1983, when her family moved into the house. At age 19, she was in a car accident that left her in a coma for four months with a traumatic brain injury.
The driveway apron enabled the family to park their van next to their home.
When Reed learned that the apron may be taken away, he hand-delivered a letter to the city, telling of its importance.
He heard nothing further, until one morning in May 2019.
“I was awakened by the sound of jackhammers,” Reed said.
The city replaced the apron with a curb.
Reed appealed to the city council to have the access restored.
City Attorney Mike Webb initially advised councilors that “driveways to nowhere” were illegal under Redondo Beach ordinance and state law.
Councilors debated how to help and Webb looked to see if there was a way, within the law, to reinstate the apron.
“Legally, it was owned by the city, to serve a garage that no longer served its useful purpose,” Webb said.
The Schuler house once had a garage, but it had been converted to living space sometime in the 1980s, illegally, the city learned.
“Removing the apron didn’t make much sense from the beginning,” said District 1 Councilman Nils Nehrenheim, in whose district the Reeds live. “I think the ordinance was a convenient crutch for the staff to stand on. Everyone at the city attorney’s office made up every excuse to not leave the driveway in place.”
“The city kept offering all kinds of solutions,” said Councilmember Laura Emdee. “Everyone was trying to make it so we could follow the law.”
Months went by, then a year.
“We all had the utmost sympathy for the Reeds,” Webb said. “The problem was, they wanted the one thing the city can’t give them. State law says you can’t park across a sidewalk.”
It all began in 2018.
Looking to leave San Pedro to be closer to family, Schuler bought a little, two-bedroom, one bath house on Francisca Street, next door to the Reeds.
The former home builder set about updating the electrical, and plumbing, without permits.
A city building inspector noticed the work while reviewing a project across the street.
A stop work order was issued, and a cap put on the gas meter.
Schuler soon moved out, while still paying the $4,000 per month mortgage.
“The city came down on me. They weren’t happy, and for good reason,” he said.“I kind of F-ed it up for John (Reed), I’m the bad guy in the neighborhood. I got caught, I was stuck because I got too far into the project. It was supposed to be a little job, and it grew into redoing the electrical for the whole house. I’ve worked on homes four times that size that took less time.”
The intent of the city’s ban on driveways without garages is to eliminate unnecessary curb cuts, which saves parking spaces.
“They were definitely following the letter of the law and overlooking the fact it was a shared driveway,” said Reed.
A rolled curb, a handicapped spot in front of the house and a 15-minute loading zone were among options put forth by the city to solve the Reeds’ dilemma.
Each idea from the city, Reed countered, was not sufficient for the wheelchair and van. He noted that he never parked across the sidewalk.
He also noted that many other neighborhood residents park blocking the sidewalk.
“This is not a question of enforcement, selective or otherwise,” Webb said. “It is a question of the City not being allowed to restore an apron, mostly in front of their neighbor’s property, for the sole reason of allowing it to be used in violation of state law.”
The only place you could possibly park there if you wanted to is over the sidewalk?
“Yes,” said Webb. “Or sticking into the street.”
Nine months after the apron was taken out, in February of 2020, Webb informed the city council he had found an obscure section of state law that would allow the city to create a permit system so people can park on the street, blocking their own driveway.
Covid-19 caused further delays. Then, in a September 2020 Zoom meeting with Mayor Bill Brand, Nehrenheim and Webb, the city attorney asked Nehrenheim to set up a meeting between City Public Works Director Ted Semaan, Community Development Director Brandy Forbes, City Engineer Andy Winje, the Reeds and Brand to settle on a plan.
Once a plan was decided, Public Works would put it on their job list.
“(Nils) never set up the meeting,” Webb said. “He took it upon himself to not involve Ted, Brandy, Andy. We could’ve (restored the access) last fall if he had set up the meeting the way he indicated he would. He’s trying to take credit for something he didn’t do, and avoid responsibility for the delay he caused.”
Nehrenheim disagreed.
“The Reeds were tired of staff because they were not responsive to them,” he said. “Staff were not giving the Reeds options they were happy with.”
On May 11 of this year, in another 5-0 vote, the council agreed to Webb’s “reasonable accommodation” of state law for the Reeds.
“It was a special case, I think the city was in the wrong taking out the driveway (access),” Councilmember Todd Loewenstein said. “This is one of those cases where the city needs to be flexible.”
“We all want to help the Reeds. We all need to follow the law as well,” Emdee said. “And we did find a solution.”
“I will always side with the disabled, and making their lives easier,” said Brand. “ I’ll leave the legal jousting to the experts.”
A palm tree taken out during the restoration of the apron was transplanted to Alta Vista Park and named “Kelly’s tree.”
“The scars from me (from the last three years) went onto that tree,” said Reed. “It was a horrible journey, but the mayor and Nils pulled it out. We got our access back, we hold no grudges, we’re not going to sue anybody.”
“None of this was political,” said Emdee. “None of it. It was just to figure out how to help the Reeds without violating the law.”
Other driveway aprons in Redondo that don’t lead to a garage are grandfathered in, unless the residence is remodeled.
Schuler now resides elsewhere. His two adult sons live in the Francisca house.
“I just try to live and learn,” Schuler said. “I wish the best for John. I don’t want to be a pain to him — to be the d–k who took out his handicapped spot. I don’t wish ill will on anybody.”
Schuler nust reimburse the City for the cost of replacing the apron.
How much?
“A lot more than I could’ve done it for,” he said, estimating $15,000. “I haven’t got the bill yet.”ER