Follow the noise
Dear ER:
Why would Manhattan Beach Mayor Amy Howorth say the city’s 27 year old prohibition of leaf blower use is “nearly impossible to enforce” when multiple, very audible violations occur every day in every neighborhood in plain view (“Blowing in the wind,” ER July 3, 2025)? The very simple solution is education, followed by fair warnings, then an escalating citation schedule, and ultimately, confiscation. Doesn’t anyone remember when the city used to do exactly this when the ordinance was introduced? It proved quite effective until enforcement inexplicably shifted to “on a complaint basis only.”
Gerry O’Conor
Manhattan Beach
Working on it…
Dear ER:
I live in Manhattan Beach and have been trying, without success, to have the leaf blower ban enforced. (“Blowing in the wind,” ER July 3, 2025). I have written numerous letters to City Hall, Mayor Amy Howorth didn’t bother to respond. Councilman Joe Franklin, did respond and attempted to help and is now working on a solution. Either enforce or delete this unenforced law. I am glad that an article has, again, focused on this problem and the lack of any enforcement by the City of Manhattan Beach.
Charles Didinger
Manhattan Beach
Lessons in wishful thinking
Dear ER:
The significant rise in residential property values in the Beach Cities is closely tied to the performance of our local schools—something that is well-documented and widely acknowledged. (Manhattan Beach Unified School District adopts budget, cuts 31 employee positions,” ER July 3, 2025). The Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD) has built a strong national reputation over the last 50 years. Even with economic setbacks, it has consistently ranked among the top districts in the state.
The reality we face today is the result of decisions deferred for years. Solutions were proposed long ago, and despite the efforts of thousands of residents to communicate with fellow homeowners, those warnings went unheeded or, more likely, were misunderstood. Organized opposition to school funding—including from past and current City Council members—fueled public mistrust and anger, particularly around parcel taxes, which has directly contributed to the situation we now face.
As a result, school board members and local leaders have felt pressured to concede to public sentiment, sometimes out of concern for personal or political retaliation, as seen in the recent election cycles. Unfortunately, that did not solve the funding problem.
Ignoring that reality under the guise of fiscal responsibility has consequences. Redondo Union High School has now surpassed Mira Costa in county rankings—a shift in part because of adequate funding.
More importantly, our values that contribute to understanding the need for higher education are paramount to property value, political ideology, or rhetoric about status. If we fail to fund it appropriately—without political distortion or delay—we all pay the price. It’s time we listen more respectfully to what the MBSD says that price is, rather than what we want it to be.
Stewart Fournier
Manhattan Beach
Sins of our fathers
Dear ER:
Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic is bringing up some hard truths about Redondo’s budget (“Redondo approves 2025-26 budget,” ER June 26, 2025). There is no such thing as free beach town charm. Redondo needs to take a realistic look at revenue minus expenses and make some tough choices. If the community truly wants to pay for less development with higher fees and taxes, great; otherwise, development may be needed to generate revenues. I am very comfortable with the current Redondo City Council, and I commend the Council and the mayor for having this conversation and unanimously approving a budget.
But I can’t help but wonder had city council revitalized the Galleria and/or the pier when interest rates and costs were lower if that would have helped. It seems Manhattan Village, Metlox, Hermosa Pier and The Pointe are all cash cows for our neighbors.
Marie Puterbaugh
Redondo Beach
Sunny is mostly cloudy
Dear ER:
I asked Sunny, the City of Hermosa Beach’s chatty AI bot some simple questions and it returned a bunch of useless sentences that sounded like an answer but really wasn’t (“Hermosa Beach website chatbot Sunny is not a hallucination,” ER July 3, 2025). Then it said check the website. And then it said call the City. Any human being could have answered the questions immediately. Sunny is another thing to further distance Hermosa Beach City Hall and the bureaucrats from the city’s businesses and residents. The real question is who sold this to the city and how much did it cost? And how much personal information is this AI thing able to swipe from the city’s records? It, or its company, probably has access into everything at City Hall that’s on computers. Your kids are going to have to live with all this invasive stuff implemented by politicians and bureaucrats.
In Hermosa, your license plate is tracked, and you’re video taped. It’s just a matter of time before tiny city drones will fly around your back yard and into your kitchen and who knows where else.
Maggie D.
Hermosa Beach
Row over nothing
Dear ER:
Claims that 5,000 homes would be eliminated by the North Redondo Metro ROW (Railroad Right of Way) option are nonsense (“Row over Row between Hermosa, Redondo City Councils,” ER April 3, 2025). The ROW already exists. No homes need to be torn down. No businesses or commuters need to deal with years of construction on the Hawthorne Boulevard option. Claims that the ROW option will make it easier for developers to make below market offers so they can then build tenement housing like Chicago and New York is also fantastical. The assumption that the ROW plan will reduce neighboring property values is also false. Neighborhoods close to stops on the recently-built light rail lines (Expo line to Santa Monica and the Crenshaw line, which is now part of the line in question) have become more desirable. METRO should ignore the loud minority of embarrassingly selfish and wrong NIMBYs and choose the ROW plan.
Morgan Martin
ER News comment
Marie – the harbor project was shut down by the Coastal Commission when it voted unanimously that the project had significant issues (23 pages of them) with the Coastal Act, and Redondo’s own Local Coastal Program. So the former Council failed to ensure the developer followed state and local laws. Then came the lawsuits that tied up the Council for years. The City Council approved the Galleria project years ago.
Morgan – I am not aware of anyone saying the ROW option for the Metro extension would eliminate 5000 homes. What it would do is impact 5000 homes that would experience noise hundreds of metro trains per day – day and night. Today, they endure one slow moving freight train once per day max during daylight hours.
Metro’s own analysis showed the Hawthorne option would increase ridership by over 1,000,000 riders per year and the boardings at the Galleria would increase by 47%. Shouldn’t we build our metro lines to maximize ridership over the long run rather than save money in the short term?
Will Councilman Jackson commit to support Hermosa’s No Short Term Leases in the Coastal Zone?
Where is Rescue our Waterfront org when it really needs rescuing? What a sham! How shameful the years of deception and local lies for political gain. Congrats Light! Thanks to your polarizing efforts, we have a 3.5m deficit with no lifeline in sight!
Lisa, your ad hominem attacks aside, we have a great trajectory right now.
The deficit this year was largely driven by the need to invest in city infrastructure that was neglected and in which maintenance was deferred by previous councils. But we are looking good for the future.
Riviera Village is booming – we are looking forward to the grand opening of Montauk. We are executing the Amenities Plan for the harbor – the highest revenue generator in the City. And we will soon be voting on General Plan changes designed to encourage investment along Artesia and Aviation. The City is generating lots of interest from developers in the harbor. Seaside Lagoon redesign is approved at 30% and we are working toward entitlements to start the project. Harbor Commission will soon be reviewing three alternatives for the state mandated boat ramp. California Surf Club and Mexican Riviera Cantina both opened – have you seen the parking lot lately? We are in negotiations with Marine Mammal Care Center for the Joe’s Crabshack site. New leases for existing and new tenants at the pier and International Boardwalk have been approved. We are actively marketing the Fun Factory site. We are doing repairs and renovations to the historic library in Veteran’s Park and are in final negotiations with Made by Meg to move in. Staff is busier than they’ve ever been. So, yes Lisa, lots of promising revenue generating new business and attractions in the upcoming years.
The biggest long term threat to our budget is the state housing mandates that are forcing us to replace business properties with housing. On average, commercial businesses bring in $7.60 per square foot more than high density housing… and that does not take into account the cost of services for those new residents.
As to “polarizing” effects, the evidence is not there. During the recent election I won in every District except District 1. I was endorsed by three North Redondo councilmembers. The current Council is not locked in gridlock the way it was a few years ago, so we are making lots of progress across the whole city.
Hit submit before my comment was complete. Additional impacts to this year’s budget include the negative impacts on tourism and visitors due to the tariffs and ICE raids. Tourism alone is projected to be down 18% with travel from Asian countries impacted even more. Tariffs also are projected to reduce sales tax revenues for the city as consumer prices rise and supply chains are impacted.