Letters to the Editor: 5-6-2-21

Hermosa mold

Dear ER:

Is it just me or do all the current Hermosa Beach City Council members and all the council candidates for Hany Fangary’s replacement seem exactly the same in their point of view? What’s going on? I prefer to hear different opinions and to have lively discussions on the council. Seems like we are only looking for like-minded puppets for the environmental lawyers on council. All groups need to be represented, and not all residents agree with what has been happening to this city under the strong arm rule of Councilperson Justn Massey. While environmental concerns are important, there are other equally significant issues to address. Hermosa doesn’t have to become a single issue town. The council is starting to seem like the Stepford Wives.

Connie McGuire

Hermosa Beach

 

Back to the past

Dear ER:

It is important to help our local businesses through this crazy pandemic time and Hermosa Beach has been responsive to the problems. It is equally important not to make this help a permanent task. The allocation of city property for outdoor dining should terminate by the end of the summer and the roads returned to motor vehicle access and parking. The council cannot give away or rent city property for only the bars and restaurants. The residents deserve access to these areas as well. After this summer, let’s get back to normal. Good job, but let’s move on.

H. D. Palmer

Hermosa Beach 

 

Letters to the editor

Dear ER:

As a resident of Hermosa Beach since 1978, I’ve noticed a peculiar, regular occurrence in the letters to the editor. For over a year now, I’ve noticed that the Suja Lowenthal, the city manager of Hermosa Beach, has been submitting letters to the editor to local newspapers. While Lowenthal is a city employee she is not a city resident. On the surface, her letters would seem informational. However, it has not gone unnoticed that this is the same city manager who is on a mission to limit written public communication of a general nature on the city council agenda. This is the same city manager who contacted Easy Reader and asked them to remove a letter to that editor that was critical of her. Why would Lowenthal attempt to limit the public’s ability to provide written communication? If she has a newsworthy message, why not use her high-priced city spokesperson Laura Mecoy to write a press release. In the meantime, her letters are taking up space that could otherwise be used by beach city residents. Maybe Lowenthal should be writing letters to her own paper, in Malibu?

Kent Allen

Hermosa Beach

 

Zoom in on school board

Dear ER:

On April 28, 2021, the Hermosa Beach City School Board received a letter alleging a Brown Act Violation during their April 14, 2021 meeting. During the meeting, HBCSD President Stephen McCall clearly read the procedures that public comments will be read aloud during the meeting, but he chose only to announce the name and subject of each communication. Therefore, at the very least, these public comments should have been attached to the meeting agenda. However, the bigger issue going forward is, will HBCSD open their Zoom meetings to live public participation? I made this request on March 30, 2021. I believe this hindrance of live public participation is intentional to avoid criticism of the recent curriculum development for indoctrinating students into identity politics.    

Matt McCool

Hermosa Beach

 

Let it go

Dear ER:

Redondo Beach Mayor  Bill Brand should give up on his idea of a park on the AES power plant property (“A Brand new Redondo,” ERNews, May 3, 2021). For a decade, he has promised a public park on private land. That ain’t gonna happen. With the Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) in place, he should let it generate tax revenue. I would rezone the entire harbor area as a park. Then design an oceanfront, recreational facility that will continue to host large outdoor events. The oceanfront park will serve as a true civic center and community gathering space. The estimated $6 million dollar loss of revenue from harbor businesses will be made up by the development of the AES site. The mayor must let go of long held concepts and beliefs. It’s okay to learn.

Paul Moses

Redondo Beach

 

Hold on

Dear ER

Zoning the whole harbor as a park makes no sense (“A Brand new Redondo,” ERNews, May 3, 2021). Too much is already built and committed on long term leases. Plus some mix of waterfront businesses — boat yard, boat rental, restaurants, watersport-related retail — are essential elements of a functional waterfront. The other thing that does not make sense is snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at the AES site. We have the zoning. We have the park- poor designation. We have state and county agencies and elected officials lined up in support. We know the power plant’s days are numbered. And we have Measure DD, which requires voter approval for a zone change. Why change course with the endgame in sight?

Jim Light

Redondo Beach

 

Sunrise for seniors

Dear ER

Sunrise Assisted Living in Manhattan Beach is proposing a two-story complex that’s about 100 apartment units on 1-acre of land. Compare that with the Beach Cities Health District’s proposed 103-foot tall, 6-story, about 200 apartment units on over 10 acres of publicly bought and paid for land. BCHD is building twice as many units on 10-times as much land, and is going up over 130-feet above surrounding homes to catch ocean views, cast long shadows on surrounding residential land uses and reduce the ability to safely use Towers Elementary’s fields for both school and public sports. Based on Sunrise’s plan, BCHD could build a 2-story, 200-unit complex on about 2-acres of our public land and have fewer significant health impacts on the 1,200-plus surrounding residents who opposed the project in a petition. As a three-year BCHD committee member, I was shocked when BCHD raised the size of the proposed facility from 60-feet to 103-feet in response to neighborhood concerns that the 60-foot complex was too big. BCHD is a publicly-owned agency. It either needs to respond to the surrounding neighborhoods, or perhaps it’s time to end BCHD, the same way the BCHD ended the failed South Bay Hospital District — with a stroke of our collective pens.

Mark Nelson

Redondo Beach

 

Natural choice

Dear ER:

 If environmental issues are your concern, then Dean Francois is your Hermosa Beach council  candidate. While the other candidates claim to care about the environment and even work on improving the environment (even if it is working for oil companies cleaning up their messes), only Francois has experience in Hermosa Beach protecting Hermosa Beach’s environment, carbon footprint and quality of life. 

Robert C. Aronoff

Hermosa Beach

 

Humorous Hank

Dear ER

I am a fan of the Hard Luck Hank books (“Hard Luck Hank isn’t messing around,” ER April 29, 2021. I tend to the more serious books, so “Hard Luck Hank” is a nice, fun break. Any book that can get me to laugh is worth reading.

Jonathan Brazee

EasyReaderNews comment

 

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