Walk to shop
Dear ER:
My family and I would welcome Gelson’s to south Manhattan Beach (“Neighbors challenge proposed Gelson’s,” ER July 16, 2015). Currently we have to drive to north Manhattan Beach for groceries. I personally make several trips a week to Ralphs and Whole Foods. If we had a Gelson’s I could and would walk to the grocery store. What a concept. I could easily carry a few groceries or get a rolling device if I had too much to carry. So having a Gelson’s would reduce traffic congestion by taking my car off of Sepulveda Boulevard. I would of course expect the city powers to require adequate onsite parking..
Dina Cramer
Manhattan Beach
Spare me the marzipan
Dear ER:
Paragon Commercial Group is trying to fast track the Gelson’s project through parking variances so their employees can park in the residential area. As of a few weeks ago they had not consulted with CalTrans, which owns Sepulveda Boulevard, on traffic signals, turn lanes, and cutouts to make this project safe (“Neighbors challenge proposed Gelson’s,” ER July 16, 2015). They can’t turn large delivery trucks onto 8th Street and into their planned driveway. They appear to have no regard for the traffic impact on residential areas east and west of the project. A medical services, or an office building, with their own onsite parking would be better options for this property. There would be less traffic impact on the residential area and Sepulveda. Other neighbors may, and my wife surely will, miss having the marzipan Princess cake so closeby. I can live without it.
Mark Shoemaker
Website comment
Shop locally
Dear ER:
My family are 25 year Manhattan Beach residents and own and live in two houses within blocks of the former car dealership on the west side of Sepulveda Boulevard between 8th and 6th streets (“Neighbors challenge proposed Gelson’s,” ER July 16, 2015). We’re strongly in favor of a Gelson’s Supermarket and another business such as a bank being built on this site.
We believe a properly constructed Gelson’s would be a lifestyle plus for residents in the area, as well as a meaningful source of revenue for the city that would reduce expatriation of boutique grocery tax revenues to Whole Foods in El Segundo. Successful integration of a Gelson’s in this area would require: 1. sufficient parking for employees and shoppers such that there would not be an increase of on-street parking, 2. efficient control of ingress and egress to not overly disrupt flow along Sepulveda (particularly during rush hours), and 3. control over the hours and route of ingress/egress of resupply trucks. We’re not concerned that such a properly constructed Gelson’s, in comparison to some other business at this site like an office building, would cause a meaningful increase in traffic or present additional safety concerns for residents.
Sepulveda during rush hour is already very busy and this is never going to change. It goes with the territory when someone purchases a home adjacent to this corridor. However, considering the volume, traffic flow through Manhattan Beach, including during rush hours, is generally well managed. Ingress and egress from a Gelson’s during these times needs careful planning, but the same issues have been successfully managed at the Manhattan Mall and along the Rosecrans corridor.
Those promoting an office building instead of Gelson’s seem to be fanning safety concerns among residents to promote their agenda, citing speeding through the area to make lights, and the fatality two years ago on Sepulveda near 6th Street, which occurred pre-dawn on a Sunday morning when there was presumably little to no traffic other than the speeding motorcycle that hit the pedestrian. In fact, had there been more traffic, probably the pedestrian would have crossed at a signal controlled intersection, and the motorcyclist would not have been traveling at such a high rate of speed. The radar speed signs subsequently installed on both sides of Sepulveda seem to have reduced the speed through this area.
My family has no financial interest in connection with how this site is developed. Our motivation is simply that we’d like to see a high quality grocer like Gelson’s built near our homes rather than another characterless (and probably taller) office building. The nearest stores like Gelson’s are more than two miles away — Bristol Farm on Rosecrans and Whole Foods in El Segundo.We’d much prefer to have one in our neighborhood.
Mike Simpson
Manhattan Beach
Wrong kind of green
Dear ER:
“Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone…,” sang Joni Mitchell in 1969. While other cities and their leaders are striving to create new sources of green and open space, our Manhattan Beach School Board of Trustees and superintendent are proposing a massive construction project that would devastate our beautiful and historic Polliwog Park, in addition to impacting the surrounding neighborhood with pollution caused by additional traffic and parking congestion.
At the July 15 board meeting, the school board motioned to proceed with their Facilities Master Plan, which would be financed by a huge bond levied on all property owners. The cost of the bond is of epic proportions because it isn’t limited to maintaining the physical environment of our schools, as it should be. The plan includes turning our park into a regional sports and entertainment complex, possibly including an olympic size pool and stadium, a 750 seat performing arts theatre and a commercial kitchen facility larger than the UCLA commissary. One concern is that the district intends to rent these facilities with the misguided notion that money can be made for the school district. Including such ridiculous expansion efforts will, unfortunately, cause many voters, like myself , to vote “No” on a MBUSD bond for the first time
Julie Snow
Manhattan Beach
Well off show offs
Dear ER:
Manhattan Beach has a history of its school boards using certain advantages to gain land and do what they want not matter what the consequences are to individuals and residents. Today they want some amenities for the middle school that have more to do with making money and showing off the new wealth that plagues our small town (“Plan for Begg School Pool stirs controversy,” ER July 16, 2015). There is a difference between thoughtful progress coming from a high moral ground and down-right arrogance and greed. Why does the Manhattan Beach MIddle School need an Olympic size pool?
Louie Pastor
Manhattan Beach
Don’t repeat Bond 101
Dear ER:
Once again Mr. Know-it-all, Greg Breen, has incorrectly characterized my motivations in questioning the Hermosa Beach City School District’s facility planning process. (“The ‘further study’ ploy, ER letters July 16. 2015) I do not wish to punish the district for having won a decade-old lawsuit. I am, however, motivated by the desire to see that the HBCSD does not repeat their ill-conceived facilities plans of the past.
The 2002 Facilities Master Plan Report recommended that the district build 12 classrooms in 10 years and provide additional parking, food facilities, and support areas, etc. Without consulting a demographic study or considering reopening either North School or Pier Avenue School, the district made building a gymnasium the focus of the $13.6 facilities bond passed in November 2002. That decision resulted in two overcrowded campuses and with interest payments that could cost taxpayers $29 million.
This time around many members of the 2013 Facilities Planning and Advisory Committee (FPAC) were disappointed with the facilities process, along with the few community members who attended the meetings. The FPAC was tasked to only consider North School as a facility option. There was no information given to FPAC members as to the number of needed classrooms or the impact of 600 students to traffic in the area. There was no consideration given to the displacement of 250 private preschool children who currently use North School. To date there has been no meaningful investigation of alternate facility options such as the use of the much larger and centrally located Pier Avenue School, which might minimize these impacts and provide more benefits.
Miyo Prassas
Hermosa Beach
Bring back the birdman
Dear ER:
Why is Manhattan Beach banning the Bird Man (“Birdman banned,” Letters, June 11, 20111?) You state someone complained. How about the rest of us who are happy to see a man being kind
to sea birds? We should be thanking him for feeding these beautiful birds and
in so doing, spreading a little joy. It also teaches children to be kind to other creatures and it helps to keep the birds alive. The city should reconsider its decision. How sad and dull our world will be, when we never hear a bird’s song.
May Gordon
Hermosa Beach
Times that try dad’s soul
Dear ER:
In its most recent attempt at meeting management, the Manhattan Beach City Council again seeks to dangerously limit our rights under the First Amendment of freedom of speech and redress of grievances (“New mayor takes over in Manhattan,” ER July 9, 2015). The council’s pernicious actions call forth the warning of Thomas Paine, an American revolutionary against British colonialism, who said, “These are the times that try men’s souls.”
In discussions on these dangers with my newly engaged daughter, I raised the possibility of civil disobedience to turn the tide. Her response was, “Who cares?” My retort was, “That’s the point. Civil disobedience will create awareness and caring by our residents.”
I then asked her if she would bail me out if Mayor Mark Burton ordered me arrested for refusing to be silent beyond the new council meeting time limit. She said, “No.” Her response to why not, was, “We need the money for my wedding.” You cannot make this up.
However, it did remind me of how far we have drifted from the patriotism of the “Greatest Generation,” who grew up in the U.S. during the Great Depression and went on to fight in World War II.
As the inevitability of the Manhattan Beach City Council’s repressive measures become a reality, we must be prepared to adhere to Paine’s admonition, “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.”
Edward C. Caprielian
Manhattan Beach
And good riddance
Dear ER:
Hermosa Beach Mayor Nanette Barragan stands for nothing but her own self promotion.
She quit her job as councilwoman. Does she reimburse Hermosa for the expenses it will incur replacing her? Her arrogance and hysterical hyperbole are infantile behavior. She’s imbued with a deep rooted sense of entitlement, a disease like many others, except those who have it don’t want it cured but prefer to spread it. Good riddance to Barragan and her group of sycophants.
Fred Katz
Redondo Beach
Reuse. Don’t ban
Dear ER:
Bummer. (“Hermosa moves toward plastic bag ban,” ER July 16, 2015). Those plastic bags are so useful. I use and reuse them all the time, as does everyone I know. Bigger bummer for the dog-walkers. The plastic bags are great for picking up poop.
Lorie Armendariz
Website comment
Bag ban a slippery slope
Dear ER:
Wonder what’s next (“Hermosa moves toward plastic bag ban,” ER July 16, 2015)? Newspaper? Cardboard? Paper bags? Straws? Starbucks cups?
Martha Logan
Website comment
