Group takes on city accessibility issues in Hermosa Beach

Geoff Hirsch with his black lab, Maggie, in front of Hennessey’s Tavern on Pier Plaza, his favorite spot for a turkey burger. Photo

 

The March 2015 vote on Measure O, which would have lifted Hermosa Beach’s ban on oil drilling, produced more excitement over the democratic process than any local election in recent memory, drawing record numbers to the polls. On election day, Hermosa resident Geoff Hirsch went down to City Council chambers, his designated polling place, to cast his ballot.

But there was a problem: Hirsch, who is confined to a wheelchair, couldn’t get inside. He banged on the glass door, but no one noticed him amidst the intense focus on the ballots, he said. Finally a transient, sleeping on a nearby bench, saw the problem, and held open the door so Hirsch could cast his vote.

It’s a story Hirsch has been telling lately as he evangelizes on behalf of access for Hermosa’s disabled and senior population. It has been an uphill battle. Such issues are likely not on the radar of most Hermosans, who walk and ride along its streets and sidewalks usually without issue. But for the segment of the population that does struggle with mobility issues, the effect is significant.

For Hirsch, the Election Day incident is representative, in the sense that the situation was resolved only after the intervention of a good-hearted person. Hermosa, Hirsch said, is full of people like that, but it is wearisome to constantly feel like the beneficiary of some charity. What he wants is for mobility and access to be a more fundamental part of everyday life.  

“People here are nice, they’ll open the door, they’ll do something. But it takes a little something out of your soul,” Hirsch said.

In October 2016, Hirsch helped form the Access Hermosa working group, a gathering of residents and city officials that meets once a month. The group features city staff, representatives from each of the city’s four commissions, and law enforcement personnel. The group’s goal, Hirsch said, is to increase awareness about mobility issues, and to promote compliance with state and federal mandates about access for the disabled and the elderly.

The subject is beginning to gain traction politically. Councilmember Stacey Armato said she first began to notice obstructed sidewalks while pushing a double stroller around parts of town. But while a stroller can hop a curb, she said, someone confined to a wheelchair has fewer options—and faces more potential risks. She recalled seeing Hirsch on Valley Drive because an A-frame sign blocked the curb cut at 20th Street, cars rapidly passing him by.

“The community should be concerned about the general safety and wellbeing of its residents —  those with and without disabilities — and their ability to safely make their way around town. To the extent we can make Hermosa easier to navigate for those with disabilities, we should do all that we can,” Armato said in an email.

Blockage of sidewalks, particularly by cars, has been one of the issues that Access Hermosa has focused on. Under the California Vehicle Code, vehicles may take up the entirety of a home’s driveway or “slab,” but cannot intrude onto the sidewalk. Although the practice is against the law, Hirsch and fellow activists say lax enforcement has allowed it to become pervasive. They would like to see stepped up citations to curb violations.

Enhanced enforcement of that kind would require direction from the City Council, said interim City Manager Nico De Anda-Scaia. With limited resources, enforcement of all laws is based on priorities set by the council. And police officers always retain discretion when handling individual cases.  

HBPD Capt. Milton McKinnon, a member of Access Hermosa, said the department’s Community Service Officers are actively giving out both warnings and citations for violations, and that the department is aware of the risks posed by sidewalk obstruction. But, McKinnon said, the department is also sensitive to the shortage of parking in the city, and that many homes in the city have short, nonconforming driveways. A sudden change in enforcement patterns could prove disruptive, especially for people unaware they are in violation.

“We recognize it as a potential safety issue. We just want to do [enforcement] thoughtfully,” McKinnon said.

A path forward on the issue is slowly emerging. The city will host a code enforcement study session next month, with sidewalk blockage among the issues to be discussed. And over the summer, the Hermosa Beach Police Department will be rolling out an education campaign, incorporating feedback from Access Hermosa, to provide information to residents about what constitutes a violation.

The concerns of Access Hermosa go beyond those in wheelchairs. Isabel Rodriguez, a member of the working group who also sits on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission, said she suffers from knee problems, and is attuned to the way limited offerings in the city restrict options for many residents. She said she would like to see an increase in the availability of low-impact exercise equipment, pointing to the warm reception given to South Park’s universally accessible playground.

“South Park was built with idea of serving children with disabilities. Well, those kids are going to grow up,” she said.

Other issues the group is aiming at include are enhanced access to public spaces, like the beach and the green belt, and improvements at civic events. Here too, progress is happening, albeit slowly. Hirsch cites the use of mats on the sand that allowed him and others to take in the summer concerts and movies on the beach, and hails Fiesta Hermosa for the strides it has made to accommodate wheelchairs.

Although Hirsch has become the most prominent local spokesman for the cause, he insists that he is “just the tip of the spear,” pointing out how frequently issues for the elderly and disabled overlap with those of other groups. Hirsch recently appeared before the board of the Hermosa Beach City School District, pointing out that many of the sidewalks along designated Safe Routes to School are occasionally impassable, forcing kids into the street.

His interest, he said, is ultimately in getting people to stop seeing mobility issues as distinct.

“I don’t want to be the old bald guy who is going around complaining. I want to be the guy who saves a kid’s life,” Hirsch said.

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