Hermosa Beach balks at South Park community garden
Opponents of a previous garden plan gather under a tree at Bicentnennial Park, a site since scrapped. Photo
The City Council has balked at creating a community garden at South Park, calling for further study before another meeting on the subject in January.
Councilman Jeff Duclos has spearheaded a move to place a community garden, with inexpensive plots leased to Hermosans in a rotating lottery, on the northeast corner of the grassy, 4.5-acre park in the south part of town along Valley Drive.
Duclos and a nonprofit community garden organization had previously eyed the little, one-third acre Bicentennial Park across the city greenbelt from South Park, but vigorous opposition from neighbors nixed that notion.
Proponents of the garden shifted their attention to other sites, landing on South Park, which the city is planning to overhaul with new children’s play equipment and the removal of an unused skate rink.
At Tuesday’s regular City Council meeting, 11 people, including the chief medical officer of the Beach Cities Health District, environmental advocates and a master gardener, asked the council to lease garden land to the organizers.
Councilman Kit Bobko vigorously opposed a community garden, saying the plan would take land from the general public and give it to 32 gardeners.
“In my view of the world, that is not what government should be doing,” he said.
Bobko suggested the garden proponents pool their money and buy private land.
“I just have a real problem taking property from all of us and giving it to a few of you,” he said.
He also predicted that gardeners would return to the council seeking more garden land, and that the South Park garden would be used to grow medical marijuana.
Bobko, who works as a municipal attorney, said he has litigated medical marijuana cases and believes its advocates would saddle a South Park garden with a pot crop.
Hermosa City Attorney Michael Jenkins disagreed, saying he was certain the city would be allowed to ban pot plants from land that it owns.
“It is a matter of time before someone shows up down there to grow marijuana,” Bobko said.
In response to a question from Bobko, City Manager Steve Burrell said Hermosa has no formal policy on use of city land by sub-populations in town. Previous councils have approved land uses, such as the Rotary and Kiwanis clubhouses at Valley Park, on a case-by-case basis, he said.
If Bobko was a member of an archery club, the councilman asked rhetorically, “Could we simply find a councilman who wanted an archery range” and get one installed.
Other council members did not oppose the concept of a community garden, but called for more information about the South Park plan.
Councilman Michael DiVirgilio, who joined Duclos in placing a community garden on the city’s list of long-term goals, said he was “torn” on the South Park proposal before him.
“Look, I’m a vegetarian. I would love to have a garden,” he said.
But, DiVirgilio said, he wanted to see a map of the proposed garden within the park, more financial details, and a detailed case for South Park compared to sites such as Hermosa Valley Park, the greenbelt or vacant land in the city.
“I want to see a detailed report on other properties that were considered,” he said.
DiVirgilio reminded Duclos that he was a “very staunch opponent” of the renovation of upper Pier Plaza, and complained at the time about “the speed of decision making” and the thoroughness of council discussions about the avenue.
“The shoe’s on the other foot now,” DiVirgilio said. “This is your project, this is your vision.”
Duclos said fuller information on the project was presented at other points in its movement through the civic process, including a decision by the Planning Commission. But Duclos joined his four council colleagues in tabling the South Park garden plan until after the new year.
Hermosans honored
In other matters, the council rejected a plan to license 40 more taxi cabs to operate in Hermosa to help handle downtown demand for cabs on weekend and holiday nights. Currently, 160 taxis are licensed for Hermosa.
The council recognized Kiwanis International regional Lt. Gov. Joni Ackerman, Police Officer and U.S. Marine Corps reserve Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Cruz, and Spyder Surf co-owner and Leadership Hermosa Beach’s emerging leader of the year Richard “Dickie” O’Reilly for their service and accomplishments.
Cruz was on hand to thank HBPD sergeants Donald Jones, Dorothy Scheid, Jaime Ramirez and Landon Phillips for facilitating his guard service, but Mayor Howard Fishman and Police Chief Greg Savelli told Cruz he was the one owed gratitude for his service and sacrifice.
O’Reilly, who is a spearhead of the recent Snowfest that churned 60 tons of snow onto upper Pier Avenuefor snowboarding, said he was flattered and overwhelmed by the 2011 emerging leader award.