The newly elected and re-elected took their seats at the dias at Tuesday, but had little time to bask in the light of their accomplishment, as a downtown hotel project awaited the approval of the Hermosa Beach City Council.
With council member Justin Massey recusing himself from discussion of the H20 Hermosa — formerly titled the Clash — the newly constituted council deadlocked, 2-1, on a resolution sustaining the Planning Commission’s prior approval of the plan. Newly seated council member Jeff Duclos cast the no vote.
Per the municipal code, at least three votes were required to approve the resolution or to reverse it. With the deadlock, the commission’s approval became final.
Duclos said he ultimately supported the project, but sought to push approval to the council’s January meeting to gather more community input on the project.
“We’re comparing this to Shade, but it’s not Shade,” Duclos said. “Shade Hotel is not surrounded on three sides by residents.”
Mayor Pro Tem Hany Fangary said he supported giving more consideration, but said developer Raju Chhabria’s concerns over losing financing if the project were delayed convinced him to oppose the motion to continue.
Mayor Carolyn Petty, as well as most residents who spoke at the meeting, supported the project, citing Chhabria’s record and the effect rejecting it could have.
“The decision [to oppose the project] could have a chilling effect on future businesses,” Petty said.
