Let’s see the plans
Dear ER:
The need for additional classrooms for Hermosa Beach schools is evident. By the next election, the Hermosa Beach City School District will have had yet another year in which to write a building bond and present a plan that is acceptable to voters.
The residents around North School are justifiably concerned about school district’s plans to expand North School, just as Hermosa Beach residents who bought homes near the city yard were concerned about the impact of the proposed oil drilling operation. Most people understand the need for change and only ask that a thoughtful plan be created and mitigation made to lessen a proposed development’s impact.
There is no reason why the school district cannot develop a plan for North School that they can present to the community prior to bond vote. Bond language needs to be unambiguous to hold the district administration to their word. There is no excuse for not having the cost of the bond equal the costs of the proposed plan. Those are the same disclosures that any other public or private organization is expected to present to citizens and financial backers. Miyo Prassas
Hermosa Beach
Make it walkable
Dear ER:
The proposed Legado project at 1700 Pacific Coast Highway, which goes before the Redondo Beach planning commission on June 18, is yet another mix use high density project with a 149 apartments right smack on the corner of Pacific Coast Hwy. and Palos Verdes Blvd. The paramount concern I have is traffic.
Some buzz words I heard from council candidates in the last election were “livable cities,” “blue zones” and “pedestrian friendly.” Some in city hall that are of the belief that Legado types of projects will get folks out of their single person car trips and get them out walking or on bicycle. If this is true then I have some suggestions that would help achieve those goals while improving traffic at the 1700 S. PCH intersection.
Some of these traffic upgrades are already in the project plans, but others strangely enough are not even though Legado’s legal counsel said they were f part of what Legado is being required to do by both Caltrans and the City of Redondo Beach. A neighbor on Ave G, Jeff Abrams, questioned why the upgrades were not in the documents, noting that if these upgrade are not in Legado’s documents then Legado will not be required to make the upgrades.
The two larger fixes that have been agreed to be looked at by the traffic consultant is to close off Vista Del Mar (in Torrance) and Avenue I (in Redondo Beach) at PCH to make way for longer vehicle and bicycle turn lanes at the intersection. It would also give pedestrians a place to cross the intersection into the Village. The Village farmers market could even be relocated there and would provide have a barrier to through traffic on one side PCH. The Vista Del Mar side would be able to in the future have the strip mall (Bull Pen) put their front entrances onto an open pedestrian walking court area.
Bruce Szeles
Torrance
Life in the Riviera
Dear ER:
At the March 19 Public Hearing on the Legado Mixed Use project for 1700 S Pacific Coast Highway, the Redondo Beach Planning Commission asked the developer to do more community outreach and come back with a more suitable plan.
At the May 30 Legado outreach meeting, the developer’s team announced the latest updates. There is still the plan for demolition of the old market and retail shops. The revised project calls for construction of 149 apartments, 37,000 sq. ft. of commercial space, 649 parking spaces (in an underground garage and mezzanine level) and an on-site alley. The Palos Verdes Inn will remain and its 110 rooms will be remodeled.
Increased traffic will have a significant impact at the busy and dangerous intersection.
Two years of construction will be required to complete this over sized and out of character project. The City of Redondo Beach, the City of Torrance and CalTrans all require approval of this project.
The Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing on this project for Thursday, June 18 at 7 p.m., at the City Council Chambers, 415 Diamond Street, Redondo Beach.
Have you had enough with traffic congestion, noise and air pollution in the Riviera and Avenues neighborhoods? Do you want to see something new at this site, but something less dense and a plan that will be a better fit for this area of Redondo Beach?
There is still time to speak out and let your voice be heard. Save The Riviera.
Jane Abrams
Redondo Beach
Bully, bully
Dear ER:
At the May 26 Hermosa council meeting, there was discussion of a citizen’s arrest made by Ken Hartley against Ron Siegel, alleging that Siegel dropped two small stickers into Hartley’s yard in the dead of night. Hartley somehow persuaded the Hermosa’s prosecuting attorney to pursue this ridiculous claim all the way to the Torrance courthouse last Friday morning. I was there with fellow supporters of Siegel to hear the city drop the case. Was there a “Sorry, Mr. Siegel?” Not hardly. They offered him a deal. The charges would be dismissed if he paid $50 to a charity of his choosing. Did they really need to save face that badly?
We were all eager to hear the laughable testimony that would surely have ensued if Siegel had pressed ahead. But since the city had not provided the critical documents he requested, the matter would have been carried over. In a generous effort to save everyone the cost of going further, Siegel decided accept the prosecutor’s offer. I don’t know how much this case cost the city, but I know who the city can send the bill to. Siegel is donating $50 to an anti-bullying charity.
Allan Mason
Hermosa Beach
Print a protest
Dear ER:
Hermosa Beach residents and businesses can stop the city council’s unjustified”sewer charge fee deception before the June 23 protest hearing.
There was not one advertised public hearing for public input during this fee’s sloppy workup and approval last April 28. Required “protest” forms were mailed only to parcel-owners in plain envelopes, appearing to be unimportant city junk-mail, and without even an assessor’s number printed on the label.
In 35 years, I’ve not seen a Hermosa Beach mayor, council members and city manager so arrogantly attempt to fool and deceive their residents and businesses.
Businesses, renters and parcel-owners have a right to submit a “protest” form to stop this de facto $11-Million tax (their “sewer charge fee”) being added to the city’s existing 6 percent utilities tax charged on electricity, gas, water, phone, and TV service bills over the last 30 years.
That tax is still costing residents $2.5-Million per year on their utility bills. Over $55-Million in utility taxes have been collected, which was supposed to be expended primarily for sewers.
Manhattan Beach has never taxed utilities.
Print a “Protest-form” from the city’s website:
hermosabch.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=5801.
It’s okay to substitute your street address if you don’t know your assessor’s parcel number. Print what you believe is your parcel-owner’s name/identification and sign the “Protest” with your name, whether you are a tenant or owner. Deliver the “Protest” to the City Clerk’s office by June 23 at the address on the form.
Howard Longacre
Hermosa Beach
Doo it at home
Dear ER:
There have been frequent letters to the editor about dogs doing their business on public and private property. Some owners pick up after the dog and others do not. Even if the owner does pick up, the scraped up mess and urine can easily get on the next person’s shoes. In any case, it is disgusting, smells, attracts flies, unhealthy and just plain unpleasant for others. Owners train their dogs to hold until they are walked, so they perform their duty elsewhere. Instead, owners should train dogs to go in their own back yards, and then walk them as a reward and exercise. I cleaned the mess in front of my home once too many times. To bring public awareness I have posted a flyer offering $100 for anyone who can identify the culprit who does not pick up after their dog to animal control for citation.
Ed Skebe
Manhattan Beach
Gander meet goose
Dear ER:
A little less than two years ago as Mayor of Hermosa Beach, I spoke out about the city manager’s selection of a police chief. I made known my preference for one of the two finalists for the position. The city manager chose the other candidate. Three of my colleagues (all anti-oil partisans) tried to censure me for what I said. The anti-oil activists fully supported sanctioning me for my unpopular speech and complained bitterly when it didn’t happen.
And so I’ve watched with a mixture of amusement and vexation the escalating snit between the Hermosa Beach Police Chief and the same anti-oil activists over something one of them allegedly said. Gander, meet goose.
Free speech is the right upon which all others depend, even when exercised, as alleged, in uncouth or offensive ways. Hopefully the anti-oil activists will take a lesson from this. But for a group that treats those with differing opinions with a self-righteous contempt one might expect from missionaries sent to convert a tribe of cannibals, it’s doubtful.
The police union waded into the oil debate on the unpopular side and shouldn’t be surprised when a faction of the community shows displeasure with that choice. It is crass and hubristic for the police union to campaign on one side in a political debate, lose, and then use its official authority to punish its political opponents. The police union can’t have it both ways. If the union and the chief want to avoid these situations they should stay out of the city’s politics.
Shame on everyone involved. But really, what did you expect?
Kit Bobko
