Mayor Mike Gin vetoed the city council’s 3-2 decision to direct staff to develop a plan for a citywide advisory vote on whether or not residents want AES to repower the power plant on Harbor Drive.
Although the meeting was intended to be a continuation of a months-long discussion regarding the possible rezoning of the AES site to disallow industrial uses, the council mostly discussed the possibility of a community-wide vote.
“It’s not that complicated, really,” said council man Bill Brand. “Either no you don’t, or yes you do.”
[scrollGallery id = 365]Council member Matt Kilroy argued that spending a potential $250,000 exploring zoning regulations would be a waste of money. He said that sending a message to the California Energy Commission would be better done with the current citizen-led initiative underway opposing the plant – especially because the Commission can supersede the city’s zoning.
Brand said immediate financial considerations are dwarfed by the long-term implications of making the right decision.
“This is really important for the city of Redondo Beach and the waterfront,” said Brand. “We should be spending money on this and finding ways to fund doing the right thing as we go forward.”
Councilmen Steve Aspel and Steve Diels opposed the community-wide vote, but Councilman Pat Aust joined Kilroy and Brand in support for the proposal. Gin then vetoed the motion out of concerns that its costs would come from the Capital Improvement Budget. Gin also expressed his readiness to engage AES in discussions to find a mutually agreeable resolution on the site.
“Once you engage the property owner you can come with a win-win situation,” said Gin. “They are in the driver’s seat, they control the land.”
Councilmember Pat Aust cautioned the mayor about discussions with AES.
“AES is not our friend,” said Aust. “They’re only going to tell us what they want to tell us… They want a way that they’re gonna make money. Right now we’ve wasted 14 years and millions of dollars on this issue alone. Let’s move forward.”
According to AES president Eric Pendergraft, AES is planning on submitting their repowering plans in August. Because of the tight time frame, the council has been intensely debating the future of the 53 acres along the city’s waterfront, trying both to understand the labyrinthine repowering process and what role the city can play in determining land-use at the AES site.
.“I’m for what the majority of the people of Redondo Beach want to do,” said Aust. “If this is going to be the issue of the next 50 years, we should at least have the answer to that question. Is the city of Redondo Beach for or against the power plant?”
