Councilman spotlights key Hermosa Beach properties
Michael DiVirgilio
Councilman Michael DiVirgilio wants to move as soon as possible to codify the city’s priorities for potential new development that could change the face of the iconic downtown area near the Hermosa Beach Pier.
In addition, the recently reelected councilman wants to seek expert guidance to attract the most desirable businesses to the rest of the town’s commercial areas.
On the subject of the seaside, the council already has expressed a desire to impose more restrictive zoning for a downtown area including three large and desirable chunks of property that could be replaced with new development in the foreseeable future:
- Property containing the 61-year-old Mermaid Restaurant, Poop Deck bar and Good Stuff restaurant, and a stretch of property along the Pier Plaza containing Cantina Real restaurant, Lappert’s Ice Cream and Pier Surf shop. Those properties were owned by the late Quentin L. “Boots” Thelen, and have been for sale since 2007.
- The Sea sprite hotel property owned by the Greenwald family, which has been listening to the sweet nothings of potential developers for years.
- The Scotty’s on the Strand restaurant property, and land on nearby 11th Street from Beach Drive nearly a full block to Hermosa Avenue, owned by Peter Mangurian until he passed away.
When the council meets within the next few weeks to discuss its voluminous list of long-term goals, DiVirgilio wants to push special downtown zoning near the top of the municipal to-do list. He said a consultant could be hired to help “guide the discussion,” and public input on the properties would be sought.
“This is going to be one of my top priorities,” he said.
His push is not triggered by any imminent development proposal, but by his desire to codify what the city hopes to see on the land, and to smooth the way for developers who otherwise have to guess at the city’s intentions.
Council members often have said they would like to see one or more new hotels anchoring any new downtown mix. DiVirgilio said hotels “tend to manage themselves” without creating problems for neighbors. In addition, all the “bed tax” paid by occupants goes to the city.
DiVirgilio said he believes the council is unlikely to allow any new buildings to exceed the city’s height limits. Any new development should “fit well into the community, and be sensitive to the density here,” he said.
Former Councilman Michael Keegan also had pushed for special downtown zoning, but DiVirgilio would narrow the focus to address a smaller area containing the three chunks of property.
Looking citywide, DiVirgilio said he wants to get free help to attract businesses to Hermosa, by picking the brains of successful planners outside the city, and then perhaps teaming with the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau to execute a recruitment plan.
DiVirgilio touched on the push for business recruitment during his reelection campaign.
“Historically it has just been up to the property owners or the new businesses to figure out who wants to be here, and sort out how to be here,” he said.
DiVirgilio said chamber officials have expressed interest in a recruitment effort to fill business vacancies. He said public input would be sought to help identify the type of businesses that are wanted, and expert input could be sought from planners for cities that are good at business recruitment.
He said El Segundo, Pasadena, Culver City and the Belmont Shores area of Long Beach are good examples.
The notion of vigorous business recruitment in Hermosa has surfaced before. For years, a push came from Comedy & Magic Club owner Mike Lacey, who urged hiring a specialist to identify and recruit the most desirable businesses.