Hermosa Beach 2021: Outdoor dining surge, new school opens, costly vote, lawsuits
Outdoor dining proved popular enough for the Hermosa Beach City council to extend it at least through next May. Photos by Kevin Cody Outdoor dining, bike lanes approved Work on restriping traffic lanes on Hermosa and Pier avenues started almost immediately last year, part of a plan to accommodate restaurant and retail needs as the pandemic stretched into the new year. It was one of the first items on the City Council’s 2021 agenda, and it prompted a local debate that has endured throughout the year, as has the virus. To compensate for reduced vehicle accessibility, the streets would also be striped for bicycle lanes, a feature some say has proven popular. Although outdoor dining at this time was prohibited by the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, there was anticipation of the pandemic’s waning impact on hospital loads. Hermosa Beach officials said they then could consider measures allowing restaurants to provide outdoor dining, and retail shops to extend onto the public space. Officials predicted that the work would be minimally intrusive, and in fact the project was completed days earlier than scheduled. Council members agreed to reevaluate the project after six months…
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