by Laura Garber
Hermosa’s Greenwich North district, between Hermosa Avenue and The Strand, and between 25th and 35th street, will finally have views of the Pacific Ocean uninterrupted by power lines, after an eight year long neighborhood campaign.
Over the next two years the estimated $4 million project will replace 17 telephone poles with 3,000 feet of underground fiber optic cable along Hermosa Avenue. The district has approximately 99 homes.
Neighborhood leaders filed an undergrounding application with the city in 2017. In 2020, roughly 65 percent of residents voted to proceed with the project.
Design work began in 2021 and was completed in early 2025 by City staff and utility providers; Southern California Edison, Frontier and Crown Castle.
“This item has been years in the making,” Hermosa Beach Public Works Director Joe SanClemente acknowledged at the July 22 City Council meeting.
The council voted unanimously to approve a $2.3 million contract for the undergrounding with CEM construction, and also approved issuance of a $4 million bond with a 20 year maturity that is not to exceed six percent interest to fund the work.
The total cost, according to the City’s Engineer’s report, is $4,031,600 which is to include construction, incidental and financial costs.The 99 property owners will pay between $16,924 and $96,053. Owners were given the opportunity to pay the full amount upfront, or finance the cost through the bond offered by the City’s bank at the 5.15% interest rate.
The report assesses each property based on its size, location, and the degree to which its aesthetics, safety, and reliability are enhanced.
The budget includes $100,000 in City Administration fees, related to staff time and a finance team.
Hermosa resident and Realtor Robb Stroyke said undergrounding utilities raises property values.
“Undergrounding increases the value and desirability of your property. The fact that you can put a bond on your property and you don’t have to pay upfront, it’s a no-brainer,” Stroyke said. ER
