by Laura Garber
The Hermosa Beach City Council voted 4 to 1 to write a letter to the Los Angeles County Metro Board opposing the Metro C Line light rail extension being built along the railroad right-of-way (ROW) that runs through North Redondo Beach and Lawndale. Instead, the Council’s letter will advocate the proposed line extension run along the Hawthorne Boulevard center divider in Torrance.
Councilmember Michael Detoy cast the dissenting vote, without comment, at the Tuesday, October 14, meeting.
The C Line (now called the K Line) extension would run 4.5 miles, from the Redondo Marine Street station to the Torrance Transit Center on Crenshaw Boulevard, between Del Amo and Torrance Boulevards.
The ROW (railroad-right-of-way) option, through North Redondo would cost an estimated $2.23 billion The Hawthorne Boulevard option is estimated to cost $2.96 billion.
The Hermosa Council letter expressed a reversal of the position taken by the City Council in June 2023, when it wrote a letter to the LA Metro Board supporting the ROW option.
That letter was withdrawn after Redondo Beach Councilmembers Nils Nehrenheim and Paige Kaluderovic expressed their dismay over the letter at a September 2023 Hermosa Council meeting.
Kaluderovic told the council, “I’m disappointed you supported the ROW option. Redondo hopes the railroad right-of-way will become a dedicated bike path, creating a greener, more connected region,” she said.
Hermosa Councilman Raymond Jackson, who as Mayor, had signed the June 2023 letter supporting the ROW option, said Tuesday night, “For some, it may make sense for the right-of-way (ROW) option. It just doesn’t make sense for those who are impacted and who would deal with the effects of this for many, many years to come. I think this is the time to stand side-by-side with our neighbors,” Jackson said.
Councilmember Michael Keegan reminded fellow councilmembers of the Redondo Beach Council’s letter of support for Hermosa during Hermosa’s 2015 fight against a proposal to drill for oil in Hermosa’s tidelands.
Keegan also noted that Hermosa may be entering discussions with Redondo to merge the two cities’ fire departments.
“I spoke to Redondo Mayor Jim Light at the South Bay Association Chamber mixer at the South Bay Botanical Garden about a week ago. He’s looking for our support on this and he’s hoping that we can grow closer together as they look at bidding for our fire services. Redondo also provides our attorney services for prosecutions,” Keegan said.
The Los Angeles County Metro Board supports the ROW option, which includes trench, elevated and at-grade level tracks, with platform stops in Lawndale and Redondo Beach.
Lawndale resident John Schreiber, who lives along the the railroad-right-of-way, told the Council, “Taking away our greenbelt (the right of way) and giving us a tiny walking path is like saying ‘Hey we have to amputate your legs, but good news, we bought you new pants.”
He noted the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) identifies “multiple, significant, and unavoidable impacts” to the 1,100 homes along the ROW route.
“This includes a train just 10 feet from bedroom windows in Lawndale,” Schreiber added.
Hermosa resident Kristin Marino, spoke in favor of the ROW option. She reminded the council that early Hermosa Beach history was reliant on Pacific Electric Red Cars.
Hermosa resident Brandon Lin also said he favored the ROW option to off-set Beach City visitors’ dependency on cars.
“If we want to bring people to Hermosa Beach to support local businesses this is one great way. And it’s cheaper and faster than the Hawthorne line,” Lin said. ER
Thank you Hermosa Beach!!
Thank you doesn’t suffice… grateful you listened and put this matter into prospective for others to understand and, by helping your sister cities and South Bay residents.
Ruby
Isn’t it suspicious that a group calling themselves the “South Bay Environmental Justice Alliance” is trying to stop zero emission electric trains? It does sound suspicious and it is. This group exists ONLY to stop just the electric trains on Metro’s Right of Way. It’s only a few months old and they seem to have the resources to get a professional video, slick website with drone footage and sponsored press releases with the same guy getting quoted on all the articles. The only issue it advocates is stopping the zero emission trains BUT keeping the existing heavy rail traffic the way it is. Is this a rail/petroleum sponsored dark-money play posing as “Environmental Justice?”. Hmmm. It’s about as “Astroturf” as it gets. Self-proclaimed “Environmentalists” trying to stop zero emission trains to Torrance? It is suspicious as heck.
I don’t see it as any more suspicious than a group that calls itself “South Bay Forward” which suspiciously popped up a year or two ago and literally gets paid by Metro to promote this project and parrots all Metro’s messaging. They claim to represent the entire South Bay but it’s just the same 5 people who give comments at public meetings and get quoted in articles…. All with verbatim speeches that come straight from Metro talking points. It is suspicious as heck. Thankfully multiple city governments in the South Bay (Hawthorne, Lawndale, Redondo Beach and now Hermosa Beach) are smart enough to see past this and have voted to oppose the ROW option and support Hawthorne Blvd.
Not suspicious at all that people who are employed like public transit. Many people with jobs would like to take the train, and many NIMBYs who bought their house next to a right of way are upset.