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Hermosa Beach
News for 2007
Top Stories on This Webpage: Starting April 5,
2007
Read the complete news stories, just below
on this webpage:
Letters - Too much
alcohol -
Hermosa residents, get
involved. Sign the “Lissner Referendum.” There's enough liquor downtown.
Police, fire, paramedic and lawsuit costs related to alcohol downtown is
drinking Hermosa's treasury dry with millions being wasted providing
public safety there. Hermosa's small-town quality is being destroyed.
Hermosa's beach culture has been lost to bar culture. City money needed
for neglected infrastructure, safety and tranquility is being diverted to
policing thousands of bar-hoppers for bar operator profits.
A burned-out lower Pier Avenue bar has
been given every opportunity and more to accomplish a restoration and
return to business without having to provide a single additional parking
space or pay a single dollar for parking to the city. Its owner instead
now prefers to increase by 2,000 square feet his alcohol-dispensing square
footage on top of his present 3,600 square feet. Hermosa's council
has thus thrown all logic to the wind and agreed that more alcohol square
footage is OK for lower Pier Avenue. It has thoughtlessly and ignorantly
changed the city's law and implicitly agreed to build the owner's
additional required parking for this bar expansion on city-owned land.
Bars have consequences
-
Our
City Council has recently made a series of decisions that will facilitate
bar expansion downtown. While we sympathize with the impetus (i.e., the
Sharkeez fire), we have to ask, “Is allowing any bar to expand a good
thing for Hermosa?” Bigger bars equal more crime, drunk drivers,
litter and burdened police. Bars have consequences on the community. If we
want those consequences to be winning “Best Bar Town” every year, then our
City Council is succeeding. It recently passed an ordinance allowing
expanding downtown businesses to pay fees in lieu of providing additional
parking. This ordinance not only facilitates expansion of Sharkeez, it
clears the way for any bar to expand in the future. Is this
favoritism or bad planning? How are establishments with bouncers, full
bars and open until 2 a.m. being classified as “restaurants” and then
being allowed to pay their way out of parking? Jim Lissner is
circulating a petition to overturn this ordinance. We urge voters to sign
it and send a message to our City Council that we're not OK with the
downtown bar situation. If you have not received his mailer, contact
Lissner at
jim@vivahermosa.com. Signatures are needed by April 9.
Supporting the
referendum -
Last week, Sharkeez's Ron Newman wrote, “Do not sign the referendum...” He
also wrote, “Property owners on the plaza have the right to rebuild their
building...” Newman does have the right to rebuild the one-story bar he
had. But he doesn't automatically have the right to add a second story for
use as more bar. Newman said I should not interfere with the actions
of our elected officials. Three weeks ago, four councilmen gave him and
anyone else on the plaza who wishes to do so permission to build a second
story. Now that they see the referendum being circulated, those elected
officials seem to be realizing their mistake. At their meeting last week,
they suddenly resurrected an idea rejected by the council 10 years ago and
voted to look into creating a specific plan for the downtown. The Daily
Breeze on March 29 quoted Councilman J.R. Reviczky as saying about the
downtown, “The end result was certainly not my vision of what would
happen.” Frankly, for the council, the horse is gone and the barn
door is still open. It has no legal way to take back its March 13 action
that will allow Sharkeez and other plaza bars to double up. But the people
have a way - a referendum. If you live in Hermosa, you should have
received a referendum petition in your mailbox a few days ago. If you
didn't, you can download one from
www.vivahermosa.com/ We have one week.
Compromised by
contributions -
In
a recent letter, Ron Newman, owner of Sharkeez's, stated that he felt that
the city of Hermosa Beach would be best served by allowing the City
Council to “do its elected job” in deciding whether or not the proposed
expansion of Sharkeez is warranted. This idea is in the best interest of
all concerned provided any and all council members recuse themselves if
they have a conflict of interest or have received campaign contributions
from Newman. While all of us can appreciate the need to be active in our
local city politics, we need to be careful that the thoughts, processes
and actions of its elected officials are not compromised by politics but
rather act in the best interests of the city and its citizens.
HB Zoning change hints at new facilities -
Officially speaking,
there's nothing in the works for a new high-priced facility like the one
that houses both of Manhattan Beach's Police and Fire Departments. Nor are
there any plans to construct a new parking structure on land directly
adjacent to City Hall. But though you'd never know it from talking to
local officials, a proposal aired at last week's meeting of the Planning
Commission appears to be laying the groundwork for the city to move in
precisely that direction.
The proposal, dubbed a
“special study” by Community Development Director Sol Blumenfeld, calls
for the city to rezone four of its properties - the Civic Center complex,
the City Yard, the Community Services building and the Community Center.
With the exception of the City Yard, which is currently categorized in the
“Light Manufacturing Zone,” each of these properties is designated “Open
Space.”
Under current zoning
requirements, “open space” properties live up to their name by including
strict restrictions upon structural improvements. For example, an OS-zoned
property may only have a maximum of 10 percent of its land used for
parking. Any buildings are not allowed to exceed 25 feet and their
footprint may only take up 10 percent of the particular OS-zoned lot.
Letters -
Lax parking requirements -
Hermosa
Beach is digging a deeper downtown parking deficiency hole with the Planning
Commission's rubber stamp of a 30-plus-foot-tall, four-level, flat-roofed,
35-unit commercial-condominium project at 15th and Hermosa Avenue. Among a
litany of concerns is the city's day/night shared parking calculation requiring
less than one parking space on site per condo. Two condos are restaurants; one
is 3,000 square feet, the other 1,500 square feet. Thus 35 condo owners, two
being the restaurant condo owners, will have less than one parking space each.
Two other projects have an intensified-building-usage shared parking concept;
however, those are each under single ownership and better parked in the first
place. This project, with 35 independent owners crammed in, has no practical
opportunity for 35 shared parking plans. The developer and city are burying
their heads in the sand rather than facing reality that this project lacks
sensible parking.
Letters - Hidden
agenda? At the Hermosa Beach council
meeting Nov. 28, Sam Edgerton talked so long against going back to four
lanes on Pier Avenue that councilmen put aside the will of the people.
The restriping will be done after a car count on two lanes; then a month
later, a car count on four lanes. The people living on Loma, Eighth
and Monterey have been heavily impacted by the traffic. I'm sure other
streets have been impacted as well. In my opinion, the hidden agenda
for Pier Avenue is two lanes for traffic, enlarge the sidewalks for tables
and chairs so bar business can be outside as well as in, extend the
Tenderloin District as close to Pacific Coast Highway as possible.
The future for the people of Hermosa Beach is very bleak.
Pier Avenue striping project -
Though the council decided to return Pier Avenue to a
four-lane road in October by a 4-1 vote, six residents appeared Tuesday
night to urge the council not to do so.
“With a committee coming up
it doesn't make too much sense to spend money to go back to four lanes,”
said Larry Peha. Local resident Shirley Cassell wasn't buying it.
“The people on Monterey and Eighth Street have been waiting for seven
weeks,” said Cassell. “No more fooling around because somebody up here is
trying to get this thing carried forward and forward and forward.”
Councilman Kit Bobko
agreed. “I don't think we can go back and ‘reneg' on the vote that was
taken. Let's get this done.”
Club 705
-
A public hearing to consider revocation or modification of the conditional use
permit for Club 705 was continued until the Planning Commission's next meeting
in December.
The
proprietors of the business appeared briefly at the onset of Tuesday's meeting
but left shortly thereafter once it became clear that the matter was continued.
Local officials blamed proper notification as the reason behind the delay. A
placard that is required to be posted on the premises for a certain period of
time prior to the public hearing was not done so until this week, putting the
city on questionable legal grounds had the owners decided to challenge the
matter in court.
HB City Council wrap -
Neighborhood brawl - Local resident Eric Conrad addressed the council about an
incident that occurred near his house at the intersection of Eighth Street
and Ardmore Avenue. According to Conrad, a crowd of approximately 20
people chased an individual down his street sometime last week, engaging
in a physical altercation. After he was “beat unconscious,” the crowd fled
after being alerted to the presence of police officers. The victim was
allegedly driven away by acquaintances while still unconscious.
Police Chief Greg Savelli addressed residents'
concerns. He stated that the department's response time was approximately
two minutes and 20 seconds. According to Savelli, the incident arose from
a neighborhood party. “My plan is to talk to that homeowner,” said Savelli.
Residents want Pier Avenue back to four
lanes -
Local residents appeared
en masse last Wednesday night to deliver a clear message to the city about
the Pier Avenue Striping Project - return it to the way it was.
Bowing to
community pressure, the Public Works Commission voted unanimously to end
the test along upper Pier Avenue and return the street to its original
condition, excluding a stop sign at the intersection of Bard Street and
Pier Avenue. As with all recommendations from city commissions, the
City Council will have the final say in the matter. The council is
expected to consider the striping project at one of its two meetings in
October. In addition, the council will be asked to decide upon a
body known as the “Pier Avenue Enhancement Committee,” an ad hoc committee
charged with overseeing the recommendations found in a 1994 study known as
the Downtown Implementation Plan.
The study divided the
city's business district into three categories: Lower Pier, Hermosa and
Upper Pier. It listed two goals for Upper Pier: To create a comfortable
shopping environment for the community and visitors; and to ensure that
there is a design link between Upper and Lower Pier so both areas work
together and enhance the character of downtown.
Letters -
Changes harmed other neighborhoods -
The question should not be
whether we like the changes to Pier Avenue or not, it's more about what
the test has done to our neighborhoods. One cannot deal with the proposed
Pier Avenue changes separately without including the changes the proposal
makes to Eighth Street and others. They are reflecting the test more than
Pier Avenue. It has been awful, dangerous and unacceptable. Also the worst
times are in the morning and evening commute times, and on warm weekends
when a lot of beachgoers and other walkers are trying to fight their way
down and up Eighth Street with all the extra heavy car and truck traffic
on this street. Guaranteed, it will be a serious accident on this street
that will really open people's eyes on Eighth Street between Valley and
PCH.
View the CBS-TV Channel 2 news story on the Pier Plaza Assaults . . .
Women attacked in 3 incidents
near Pier Plaza in Hermosa Beach -
Police fear two late-night
incidents in the vicinity of bars are the work of one man, who may have also
committed a 2004 assault in the same area. All three women were walking alone.
Police in Hermosa Beach issued
a warning Thursday for women to avoid walking alone late at night from Pier
Plaza bars following two attacks that might be related to a brutal assault last
year. Investigators speculate that the man -- dubbed the "Late Night
Attacker" -- was attempting to rape his victim Sunday when he grabbed her as she
walked on Monterey Avenue in the south end of the city. "We don't know
what the motivation for the attacks is," Sgt. Paul Wolcott said. "They haven't
actually been completed but ... the intent of the attacker was for sexually
assaulting the victim."
The Beach Reporter – April 5, 2007
Hermosa Beach - Letters to the Editor
Too much alcohol
Hermosa residents, get involved. Sign the
“Lissner Referendum.” There's enough liquor downtown. Police, fire,
paramedic and lawsuit costs related to alcohol downtown is drinking
Hermosa's treasury dry with millions being wasted providing public safety
there. Hermosa's small-town quality is being destroyed. Hermosa's beach
culture has been lost to bar culture. City money needed for neglected
infrastructure, safety and tranquility is being diverted to policing
thousands of bar-hoppers for bar operator profits.
A burned-out lower Pier Avenue bar has been
given every opportunity and more to accomplish a restoration and return to
business without having to provide a single additional parking space or pay
a single dollar for parking to the city. Its owner instead now prefers to
increase by 2,000 square feet his alcohol-dispensing square footage on top
of his present 3,600 square feet.
Hermosa's council has thus thrown all logic
to the wind and agreed that more alcohol square footage is OK for lower Pier
Avenue. It has thoughtlessly and ignorantly changed the city's law and
implicitly agreed to build the owner's additional required parking for this
bar expansion on city-owned land.
Residents and businesses in town know well
that there is already too much alcohol concentrated downtown. Fill out and
return the referendum form you received by mail. You will be giving the City
Council the moral fortitude it needs to break the insidious grip alcohol
businesses evidently have over them. Do this immediately as time is
extremely short for this referendum's success.
Howard Longacre, Hermosa Beach
Supporting the
referendum
Last week, Sharkeez's Ron Newman wrote, “Do
not sign the referendum...” He also wrote, “Property owners on the plaza
have the right to rebuild their building...” Newman does have the right to
rebuild the one-story bar he had. But he doesn't automatically have the
right to add a second story for use as more bar.
Newman said I should not interfere with the
actions of our elected officials. Three weeks ago, four councilmen gave him
and anyone else on the plaza who wishes to do so permission to build a
second story. Now that they see the referendum being circulated, those
elected officials seem to be realizing their mistake. At their meeting last
week, they suddenly resurrected an idea rejected by the council 10 years ago
and voted to look into creating a specific plan for the downtown. The Daily
Breeze on March 29 quoted Councilman J.R. Reviczky as saying about the
downtown, “The end result was certainly not my vision of what would happen.”
Frankly, for the council, the horse is gone
and the barn door is still open. It has no legal way to take back its March
13 action that will allow Sharkeez and other plaza bars to double up. But
the people have a way - a referendum. If you live in Hermosa, you should
have received a referendum petition in your mailbox a few days ago. If you
didn't, you can download one from
www.vivahermosa.com/ We have one week.
Jim Lissner, Hermosa Beach
Bars have consequences
Our City Council has recently made a series
of decisions that will facilitate bar expansion downtown. While we
sympathize with the impetus (i.e., the Sharkeez fire), we have to ask, “Is
allowing any bar to expand a good thing for Hermosa?”
Bigger bars equal more crime, drunk
drivers, litter and burdened police. Bars have consequences on the
community. If we want those consequences to be winning “Best Bar Town” every
year, then our City Council is succeeding.
It recently passed an ordinance allowing
expanding downtown businesses to pay fees in lieu of providing additional
parking. This ordinance not only facilitates expansion of Sharkeez, it
clears the way for any bar to expand in the future.
Is this favoritism or bad planning? How are
establishments with bouncers, full bars and open until 2 a.m. being
classified as “restaurants” and then being allowed to pay their way out of
parking?
Jim Lissner is circulating a petition to
overturn this ordinance. We urge voters to sign it and send a message to our
City Council that we're not OK with the downtown bar situation. If you have
not received his mailer, contact Lissner at
jim@vivahermosa.com. Signatures are needed by April 9.
Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, Hermosa
Beach
Provide meetings on Internet
I support Councilman J.R. Reviczky's idea
of providing City Council meetings live on the Internet.
Because meetings would become easier to
watch (and re-watch), solutions like this encourage participation and help
to make government business more transparent.
That is why I call upon the council to take
it even further by implementing additional web-based solutions that enhance
communications between the city and its residents.
We only need to look at nearby cities for
examples. In Torrance, council meetings are broadcast live online and
immediately afterward, the entire meeting is made available to watch again
at any time. Even better, when watching an archived meeting, residents can
go directly to the agenda item of their choice. No fast-forwarding required.
Long Beach goes a step further by also
offering residents the opportunity to subscribe to receive an e-mail
notification on more than 80 city topics of their choosing. Imagine getting
an e-mail letting you know the city is about to discuss a topic that's
important to you.
The technology is certainly there, and
while we may not need 80 topics in Hermosa Beach, residents deserve to have
ample opportunity to be active in their city government.
Michael DiVirgilio, Chairman, Public Works
Commission, Hermosa Beach
Compromised by
contributions
In a recent letter, Ron Newman, owner of
Sharkeez's, stated that he felt that the city of Hermosa Beach would be best
served by allowing the City Council to “do its elected job” in deciding
whether or not the proposed expansion of Sharkeez is warranted. This idea is
in the best interest of all concerned provided any and all council members
recuse themselves if they have a conflict of interest or have received
campaign contributions from Newman. While all of us can appreciate the need
to be active in our local city politics, we need to be careful that the
thoughts, processes and actions of its elected officials are not compromised
by politics but rather act in the best interests of the city and its
citizens.
Gary Doane, Hermosa Beach |
|
The Beach Reporter – December 14, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
Zoning change
hints at new facilities
By Chris Yang
Officially speaking,
there's nothing in the works for a new high-priced facility like the one
that houses both of Manhattan Beach's Police and Fire Departments. Nor are
there any plans to construct a new parking structure on land directly
adjacent to City Hall. But though you'd never know it from talking to local
officials, a proposal aired at last week's meeting of the Planning
Commission appears to be laying the groundwork for the city to move in
precisely that direction.
The proposal, dubbed a “special study” by
Community Development Director Sol Blumenfeld, calls for the city to rezone
four of its properties - the Civic Center complex, the City Yard, the
Community Services building and the Community Center. With the exception of
the City Yard, which is currently categorized in the “Light Manufacturing
Zone,” each of these properties is designated “Open Space.”
Under current zoning requirements, “open
space” properties live up to their name by including strict restrictions
upon structural improvements. For example, an OS-zoned property may only
have a maximum of 10 percent of its land used for parking. Any buildings are
not allowed to exceed 25 feet and their footprint may only take up 10
percent of the particular OS-zoned lot.
In the case of the city's properties, such
requirements make future additions or upgrades virtually impossible. It is
for this reason that the city appears to no longer be satisfied with current
restrictions and is thus attempting to alter the status quo.
According to a staff report
presented to the commission last Wednesday, the properties in question would
either be rezoned to a new more flexible designation known as “Public
Facilities,” or kept in their respective categories and placed in a special
“Public Facilities” overlay in the city's General Plan.
“This just simply allows the city to use
public property and institutional buildings that are located on public
property to make improvements,” said Blumenfeld. “At this point, there is
this anomaly in the zoning ordinance, the general plan, that really prevents
the city from moving forward with plans.”
Well, sort of. Plans depicting the location
of two new buildings to be built at the City Yard were included in
Blumenfeld's staff report. No one on the commission questioned why plans
could be drawn up for properties zoned “Light Manufacturing,” but not for
those designated “Open Space.”
By that late hour, opposition to
Blumenfeld's proposal was nonexistent among the commissioners, who urged the
Planning Department to move full-steam ahead.
“I'm all in favor of it,”
said Commissioner Ron Pizer. “I think it's a good idea.”
Pizer reiterated his support in a
conversation by phone several days after the meeting.
“Maybe there's a conflict between the
general plan and our zoning,” said Pizer. “What they're trying to do is to
have a plan for City Hall, for that complex. They should have a plan.”
He added that any future development of the
Civic Center is at least several years away and contingent upon the city's
relationship with the current occupant of the lot at 552 11th Place, a
public storage facility.
“It's five years away before anything could
happen,” said Pizer. “I think there's several years before that land is
available (for use).”
But if the public storage facility is to
remain as a tenant for the next few years, why then are local officials
including the three OS-zoned properties in the study with the City Yard,
which is scheduled for improvements right away?
“We just have the land,” said City Manager
Steve Burrell. “The City Yard Š is moving forward, we just kind of do them
all at once.”
That is precisely the problem for some
residents. Former councilman Gary Brutsch served at a time when many sites
within the city were designated as “Open Space.” He believes the city should
not consider rezoning its properties unless it has a clear idea of what it
wants to do.
“It was the purpose of preceding councils
to establish Open Space zones (because) it allows greater quality of life,”
said Brutsch. “I'm not sure I would support anything that moves toward
greater density.”
He also questioned the assumption that the
city's need for parking, touted by many officials, should trump the city's
need for open space.
“The city has had great opportunity to
purchase land to build parking structures. Now because municipal government
says ‘we've defined a need,' we're going to make the city more dense because
of it?” said Brutsch. “I think that's flawed ... Let's not make the town
more dense because we need more parking. I think we have to look at rules,
find out why they were established and follow those rules.”
Brutsch is not alone in his critique. Local
activist Jim Lissner sat through hours of testimony and deliberations before
rising to address the commission last Wednesday night to oppose the study.
“I think we maybe have the cart before the
horse here a little bit,” said Lissner. “I don't see the citizenry behind
this project. So why are we fiddling with the zoning if we don't even have a
bona fide project?”
With no one else present to support him,
the commission found little merit with Lissner's argument and voted
unanimously to proceed with the proposed study. The matter will return for
the commission's consideration at its next meeting Jan. 16.
|
|
The Beach Reporter – December 7, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
We Get Letters
Lax
parking requirements
Hermosa Beach is digging a deeper downtown
parking deficiency hole with the Planning Commission's rubber stamp of a
30-plus-foot-tall, four-level, flat-roofed, 35-unit commercial-condominium
project at 15th and Hermosa Avenue.
Among a litany of concerns is the city's
day/night shared parking calculation requiring less than one parking space
on site per condo. Two condos are restaurants; one is 3,000 square feet, the
other 1,500 square feet. Thus 35 condo owners, two being the restaurant
condo owners, will have less than one parking space each. Two other projects
have an intensified-building-usage shared parking concept; however, those
are each under single ownership and better parked in the first place.
This project, with 35 independent owners
crammed in, has no practical opportunity for 35 shared parking plans. The
developer and city are burying their heads in the sand rather than facing
reality that this project lacks sensible parking.
The city acting as prostitute is extorting
from the developer $200,000 for seven nonexistent parking places it will
never supply given the shortage of parking waiting for a years-away parking
garage. The developer is foolish to participate in this extortion. The
developer would do better to submit a common-sense, less intensive design
with realistic parking than being hustled by Hermosa Beach. This city has
screwed up many developments and created the city's parking problems with
its lax parking requirements. The project will be a pain for everyone
already suffering from the severe parking shortages.
Howard Longacre, Hermosa Beach
Political maneuvering
The restriping of Pier Avenue to four lanes
was approved Oct. 10 at the Hermosa Beach council meeting. Councilmen J.R.
Reviczky and Sam Edgerton now appear to be employing a stalling tactic to
extend the time to reinstall the four lanes with high hopes of maintaining
the two-lane striping configuration.
Why are these two councilmen defying the
overwhelming majority of the Hermosa Beach citizens? Do they have an agenda
to keep the said two lanes with hopes of wider sidewalks providing more
tables for enlarged cafes?
Sidewalks are for pedestrian use. Don't
they recall at the Hermosa Beach Public Works Commission meeting Sept. 20,
25 Hermosa Beach residents spoke? Twenty-three citizens were against the
two-lane configuration and only two were in favor of the new configuration.
We do not need an extension of the lower
Pier promenade to an upper Pier Avenue with more serious problems. The
Hermosa Beach Police and Fire departments prefer the clean four lanes, more
expedient emergency calls with faster results. The will of the Hermosa Beach
residents has spoken. Put back the four lanes on Pier Avenue now. This is
nothing more than a political maneuver for whose benefit?
Roger Eldon Bacon, Hollywood Riviera
Hidden agenda?
At the Hermosa Beach council meeting Nov.
28, Sam Edgerton talked so long against going back to four lanes on Pier
Avenue that councilmen put aside the will of the people.
The restriping will be done after a car
count on two lanes; then a month later, a car count on four lanes.
The people living on Loma, Eighth and
Monterey have been heavily impacted by the traffic. I'm sure other streets
have been impacted as well.
In my opinion, the hidden agenda for Pier
Avenue is two lanes for traffic, enlarge the sidewalks for tables and chairs
so bar business can be outside as well as in, extend the Tenderloin District
as close to Pacific Coast Highway as possible.
The future for the people of Hermosa Beach
is very bleak.
The continuation of the restriping for
another couple of months is all about control and ego.
Edgerton is forcing his one vote to control
the city and council, yet the four votes the other members had and used
don't seem to count.
Shirley Cassell, Hermosa Beach
Time to move on
It is time to stop draining money from
programs in our Hermosa schools to pay for legal defense. I am writing to
implore the supporters of the CRSE lawsuit to stop this constant legal
action against our schools and to allow our tax dollars to be used for
education. Five times the anonymous CRSE supporters have been before the
California courts to sue the district, to appeal lawsuits or to request
stop-work injunctions. All five times the courts have ruled in favor of the
district. The money to pay for this legal defense comes directly out of the
general fund of our budget-strapped school district. This money should be
financing programs like teacher salaries, music and class-size reduction.
A majority of Hermosans voted for the
school construction and it is time to go with the majority opinion. The CRSE
has exercised the legal right to dissent - several times. Now, let's go
forward with the majority's wishes and start working together to maintain
and improve our school system. The construction is under way after a long
democratic and public process. Because of CRSE delays, my children will not
have the opportunity to use the gymnasium, the new library and media center,
or the two new science classrooms, but thousands of future Hermosa students
will enjoy these new school facilities.
I hope that the CRSE will drop its Supreme
Court appeal. The CRSE is continuing to cost our children money that would
be better spent on education.
Teena Moody, Hermosa Beach |
|
The Beach Reporter – November 30, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
HB City
Council Wrap
By Chris Yang
Pier
Avenue striping project -
Though the council decided to return Pier Avenue to a
four-lane road in October by a 4-1 vote, six residents appeared Tuesday
night to urge the council not to do so.
“With a committee coming up it doesn't make
too much sense to spend money to go back to four lanes,” said Larry Peha.
Local resident Shirley Cassell wasn't
buying it. “The people on Monterey and Eighth Street have been waiting for
seven weeks,” said Cassell. “No more fooling around because somebody up here
is trying to get this thing carried forward and forward and forward.”
Councilman Kit Bobko
agreed. “I don't think we can go back and ‘reneg' on the vote that was
taken. Let's get this done.”
The council agreed and once again voted to return
Pier Avenue to a four-lane road, but only after a new traffic count is
completed. The council decided on a 30-day time period to conduct the count,
after which the street will be returned to its original configuration. The
vote was 4-1, with Mayor Sam Edgerton as the lone “nay” vote.
Zoning code amended - After a lengthy public hearing, the council agreed by a
4-1 vote to amend the city's zoning code to allow nonconforming commercial
properties to rebuild in the case of a calamity. Councilman
Michael Keegan voted in favor of amending the zoning code but acknowledged
it might create an incentive to commit arson. “I support approving this
tonight but ... I don't think all the owners know this but there's an
incentive to even create arson under some of this, because if you have a
nonconforming building that's over the height limit - you can burn it and
build it back brand new. That's not the case with the Newmans, theirs is a
total different situation.”
Bobko was the lone voice of dissent. “Generally as a
rule, nonconforming uses are uses that we want to gradually amortize out of
existence,” said Bobko. “I would be in favor of at least breaking this
ordinance into two different ordinances, one for commercial and one for
residential.” Councilman J.R. Reviczky echoed Bobko's comments. “I would
prefer doing this in pieces, if that's possible, because I have difficulty
with the residential portion of this,” said Reviczky. “I want the
residential part completely looked at again because I think there's a lot of
issues beyond paragraph (a) that need to be reviewed.”
Though Reviczky voted to pass the amendment, he
immediately introduced a motion to have the Planning Commission review the
ordinance again. “My motion would be that we send this thing back to the
Planning Commission specifically to look at the residential portion of this
ordinance and also to study the ramifications of this ordinance affecting
more than just the C-2 zone,” said Reviczky. The vote passed by a 3-2 vote,
with Edgerton and Tucker dissenting.
Public Works Commission - The council interviewed four applicants for the Public
Works Commission before Tuesday's meeting. The council appointed Julian Katz
and Brian Koch to the commission. The appointments are four-year terms.
Keegan thanked outgoing Commissioner Victor Winnek for his service on the
commission. Winnek reapplied but was not chosen. |
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The Beach Reporter – November 23, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
HB Planning
wrap
By Chris Yang
Club
705 -
A public hearing to consider revocation or modification of the conditional
use permit for Club 705 was continued until the Planning Commission's next
meeting in December.
The proprietors of the business appeared
briefly at the onset of Tuesday's meeting but left shortly thereafter once
it became clear that the matter was continued.
Local officials blamed proper notification
as the reason behind the delay. A placard that is required to be posted on
the premises for a certain period of time prior to the public hearing was
not done so until this week, putting the city on questionable legal grounds
had the owners decided to challenge the matter in court.
Pier
Striping Project - Local residents can expect to see the return of Pier
Avenue to a four-lane thoroughfare on either the weekend of Dec. 4 or Dec.
11. Plans are currently being drawn up by the Public Works Department to
present to the City Council at its next meeting on Nov. 28, after which the
work on the busy street is expected to proceed.
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The Beach Reporter – November 16, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
HB City
Council wrap
By Chris Yang
Ethics training -
Public officials from various bodies packed City Hall before the council's
meeting on Tuesday to hear City Attorney Mike Jenkins discuss a new law that
went into effect on Jan. 1, AB 1234. Officials from the City Council,
School District and various members of the El Segundo city bureaucracy
attended the event, which was required by the new law.
Pier striping project
-
Local residents Shirley Cassell and Howard
Longacre both inquired about the status of the return of Pier Avenue to a
four-lane thoroughfare. The council agreed by a 4-1 vote to return the
street back to a four-lane road in October. “It has been five weeks since
council voted to put Pier Avenue back to four lanes,” said Cassell. “I think
that tonight this council better direct Mr. Burrell and staff to get
somebody down there to restripe that street.”
Councilman J.R. Reviczky explained the
delay, stating, “While this council voted to restripe the Pier, it also
directed staff to bring back the plan before they did that, and that's what
we're waiting for. The plan will be ready next meeting. Because it can't go
back exactly the way it was before, because the parking places before didn't
meet Caltrans specification, we needed a new plan.” A spokesperson with the
city clerk's office confirmed that the matter will not return to the council
and the changes will be enacted shortly, though she could not confirm when
that would be.
Lot
merger rehash - The council voted unanimously to have the Planning
Commission consider the issue of merging lots within the R-1 zone. The city
agreed to notify any property owners affected by the change, along with
those properties within 300 feet of the affected parcels. “I think it
deserves a little more discussion,” said Reviczky. “I think these 35 people
have a right to know what is going on.”
“The Planning Commission would provide
notice at its January meeting,” said City Manager Steve Burrell. “We would
provide notice at the second February meeting. Following the adoption of
this policy change, we would then proceed to deal with each of the 35
properties by then providing the specific notices.” The matter is expected
to return to the council in February after consideration by the Planning
Commission.
Kiwanis clock -
City staff presented the council with two options on the location of a clock
donated by the Kiwanis Club. The clock was originally to be mounted on the
east side of the pier plaza in conjunction with the creation of a wall, but
after several residents objected to the wall the council decided to instead
place the clock in another location.
Earlier this week, local officials placed a
mockup of the clock at one of the two places being considered, near the
entrance of Loreto Plaza. After several members of the Kiwanis Club appeared
to urge that the clock be placed closer to Hermosa Avenue, the council voted
by a 3-2 vote to do so. The clock will instead be mounted just inside the
bollards on the east end of the plaza.
Cool Cities -
Local resident Nikki Tempest urged the council to sign on to the Sierra
Club's “Cool Cities” club, a program to assist municipalities become more
energy-efficient. “I really encourage everybody to get educated on this,”
said Mayor Sam Edgerton. “It's not flipped-out liberal theory or anything
like that, it's for real.”
Vending machines -
The council agreed with a proposal by the Community Resources director to
place six vending machines at various locations within the city. Under the
terms of the agreement, the city will receive a lump sum payment of $25,000
from the Coca-Cola Bottling Company and approximately 41 cents per unit
sold. A variety of drinks will be sold for $1.50. All proceeds from the
sale of beverages will be placed into the city's centennial account. The
agreement is to last for one year, after which time the city will reconsider
the matter.
Noble Park light -
The council punted on the issue of whether to place a light in Noble Park
and instead gave the matter to the Public Works Commission. Councilman Pete
Tucker inquired whether two smaller lights could be placed in the park
instead of one large one, so that light would not flood the area and bother
local residents. The council urged the commission to include any new lights
into a larger plan to refurbish the park.
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The Beach Reporter – November 9, 2006
Letters to the Editor
Thanks for participating
Thank you for being part of a
Show of Hands for Hermosa. Everyone involved had fun and was part of a very
unique community event.
When Hermosa Beach
Neighborhood Watch was first invited to join in on the planning for this
event, we were thrilled with the opportunity to collaborate with a group of
creative and inspiring people such as Maureen Ferguson, Laura Raymond, Dick
McCurdy, Rick Koenig and Mike Flaherty. From that very first September
opportunity for residents to put their handprints on the grey skate park
walls, a magical experience began to blossom into a colorful expression of
the people.
We would not have been able
to accomplish such a task without the volunteers and Public Works staff. I
would like to thank the Community Resources team, JOL Designs, Tracy
Hopkins, Nancy Amato, Al Benson, Janice Brittain, Jeff Smith, Jan Barylski,
Michael DiVirgilio, Danay DiVirgilio, Carol Lawson, Jen Sandoval, Susan
Blaco, Nancy Nickels, Kit Bobko, Cathy McCurdy, Pat Love, Jennifer
Rosenfeld, Jennifer Chew, Mary Goshtigian, Karen Renner, Terry and Fred
Bose, Andrienne Slaughter, J.R. Reviczky, Mishell Balzer, Janine Bozeman,
Jeff Maxwell, Marsha Halford, Jim Gierlich, Sharon Rosenberger, John Horger,
Sue Horger, Claudia Castro, Dave Largent, Terrie Sanchez, Terrill Burnett,
Kathy Bergstrom, Kimberlee MacMullan, Bree Hopkins, Bob McEachen, Paul
Amarillas, Annie Seawright-Newton, Gloria Vialpando, Christine Hollander,
Sally Field, Ray Karimoto, Howard Seeb and Joel Geffen; also the Kiwanis
Club of Hermosa Beach and Hermosa Arts Foundation for their support of the
project.
Kelly Kovac-Reedy, Hermosa
Beach
Questions about expenses
AB 1234, an ethics law signed
by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2005, is designed to reduce personal expense
reimbursement abuses by politicians and other government officials. It took
effect Jan. 1 and necessitates that Hermosa council members receive two
hours of AB 1234 ethics training in 2006. The council members have delayed
this almost until the deadline. Several meetings ago attorney-councilman Sam
Edgerton even bragged that he didn't need more ethics training, having taken
plenty already; however, City Attorney Michael Jenkins admonished him to the
contrary.
The councilmen also still
receive a $350-per-month car allowance in breach of the purpose of AB 1234.
Short of Jenkins finding the councilmen a legal loophole, they apparently
will need to return the car-allowance payments received in 2006 and submit
actual car expense reports as related directly to their council duties if
they desire such reimbursement. Except for fewer payments received by the
new councilman, Kit Bobko, each councilman should return about $3,500 to
Hermosa's city treasurer.
Incredibly, during the Oct.
24 meeting, the councilman (with Peter Tucker absent) voted without any
discussion a 77-percent increase to their compensation. Edgerton coyly voted
“No” while knowing full well the increase would pass, yet made no attempt to
decline such increase for himself or any financial relation to be seated on
council when the increase takes effect. Edgerton then condescendingly
predicted this letter calling attention to his disingenuous vote on raising
its compensation.
Incidentally, it is the
city's money that Hermosa's councilmen remind the people they carefully
watch.
Howard Longacre, Hermosa
Beach
Keep
Pier Avenue two lanes
Hermosa Beach needs to retain the new,
two-lane restriping of upper Pier Avenue by the Public Works Department. Not
only does it slow down the speeding motorists and make it safer for
pedestrians, but it adds a more charming downtown/retail atmosphere to the
city.
If you look both north (Manhattan Beach)
and south (Redondo Beach) of us, you will note that the heart of their
downtowns both have two-lane streets. Both towns also have thriving
downtowns with a wonderful mix of retail, restaurants and office space.
Traffic counts proved no increase in cars
on adjacent streets from the new design, and flow on upper Pier Avenue is
not impaired by it.
Let's retain the new format and give it a
year or two to prove itself to attract more pedestrians, diners and shoppers
by being a more inviting, charming, mellow street. Hermosa has become an
international tourist destination and the new format will further promote
that.
Unfortunately, the majority of Hermosa
residents who liked the new format for upper Pier Avenue didn't voice their
support so all that was heard by the City Council and Public Works were a
few shrill obstructionists, afraid to improve Hermosa.
Lisa and Robert Arnett, Hermosa Beach
Residential streets were
affected
As one of the “tiny, vocal few,” one of the
“shrill obstructionists” as Andrew and Leanne Clifton called us, I appeared
before the City Council to ask that Pier Avenue go back to four lanes. As a
point of information, 10 people are not a “tiny vocal few” considering that
we represented a good percentage of the longtime residents of Eighth Street
between Ardmore and Pacific Coast Highway. We have been seriously affected
by the restriping; the traffic has increased considerably on our section of
Eighth Street according to one of the studies that was passed around. Our
group appeared at the Public Works meeting so it should have come as no
surprise to the Cliftons that we also appeared before the City Council. Pier
Avenue may have been enhanced by the restriping but it made our lives more
difficult and we have a perfect right to point out that when you change one
street, it affects others. Ours is a residential street; Pier Avenue is a
commercial street. We believe that the city must find other ways to enhance
Pier Avenue - ways that do not adversely affect the neighboring streets.
Joan M. Arias, Hermosa Beach
Change was an
improvement
What a pleasure it has been crossing Pier
Avenue with my children without fearing for our lives. Thank you.
I hear the City Council is considering
changing Pier Avenue back to four lanes based on increased traffic on Eighth
Street. Please continue to look at the traffic issues and resident
complaints of each street as there are traffic/parking issues all over town
but the change to Pier Avenue has been an improvement. Pier Avenue is a
dead-end street. One lane in each direction is sufficient. Let's try to
respect the pedestrian. Please stay strong; two lanes is a good decision.
Dana Cantelmo, Hermosa Beach
Needs a longer study
I am concerned that the city will make a
decision regarding Pier Avenue based on a group of vocal citizens who
disagree with the project. Though I understand that not everything can be
put to a vote, this project deserves further consideration.
It is time we slow or stop the amount of
traffic that can now barrel freely into the center of our small town. In the
summer months, Hermosa residents have to put up with the noise and traffic
brought on by such events as the two Fiestas, volleyball tournaments and
beach traffic. It is time to slow down the pace of the choking car fumes,
noise and herds of people.
Manhattan Beach has done just fine with
Manhattan Beach Boulevard closing down to two lanes, one in each direction.
Hermosa needs to do the same thing. It will bring a much more
pedestrian-friendly environment to our city, encouraging foot traffic and
more retail businesses instead of the tiring and annoying bar scene.
Give Pier Avenue a chance to become more
peaceful and more enjoyable. Give restriping a longer chance to prove
itself.
Pim Murphy, Hermosa Beach
Board made a choice
With regard to the building of the gym at
Hermosa Valley School, there have been so many letters written, so many
opinions shared and so many arrogant responses from Gregory Breen, president
of the Hermosa Beach School Board.
I am not a member of CRSE but I am a
neighbor of Valley School. The most important fact for me is that the
Hermosa Beach School Board chose to build a gym rather than build the
much-needed classrooms. It's as simple as that.
Stacy Moulton, Hermosa Beach
Sleeping better at night
How good of Miyo Prassas to take time away
from polishing her halo (Letters, Nov. 2) and how good of her to let us know
that the reason that the Committee for Responsible School Expansion is
continuing to sue the Hermosa School District (notwithstanding its five
losses to date) is to preserve the integrity of our initiative process. Gee,
and I figured that cause of action was an afterthought since they never
brought it up at all in any of our settlement conferences, indeed not at all
until they filed suit. I've been pretty selfish in fretting about the $2
million their lawsuit has cost the district, when after all we're looking at
pretty important constitutional principles here. I can sleep better at night
knowing that the altruistic members of CRSE are looking out for me.
Greg Breen, President, Hermosa Beach School
Board
Misleading the public
Last week, Miyo Prassas unequivocally
stated here that 59 percent of the $13.6 million in Measure “J” funds will
be spent on the gym. Wrong. I would chalk it up as an innocent mistake had I
not been subjected to years of misinformation from her and other CRSE
members. Instead I can only conclude that it is yet another attempt to
mislead the public.
Now for the facts. Although the exact
number cannot be calculated because separate bids were not obtained for the
gym/ classroom portion of the new building (which will also house a
library/media center and two additional classrooms, and have reinforced
footings to someday build the additional classrooms that had to be cut due
to the delaying tactics of the CRSE and the resultant escalating prices), we
do know that the new building will cost about $10.7 million; the
gym/classroom constitutes approximately 60 percent of the new building based
upon square footage; and as she well knows, since her CRSE tried to force
the school to decline this money, $1.5 million of the gym costs are paid by
a state grant conditioned on building the gym, not bond proceeds (yes, if
successful they would have cost the school yet another $1.5 million). Sixty
percent of $10.7 million less $1.5 million (totaling $4.92 million), divided
by $13.6 million, yields 36 percent, not 59 percent. She overstated it by
about 63 percent. Honest mistake, or another attempt to mislead?
Consider this the next time you read
another letter from the CRSE.
Kelly Kinnon, Hermosa Beach
Board did listen, just
didn't agree
CRSE's claim the Hermosa School Board did
not listen to the surrounding neighbors during the planning process for the
new construction at Hermosa Valley School is outrageous. The board bent over
backward to hear everyone. Environmental Impact Reports were commissioned,
alternate plans were considered, mediations were held. Just because the CRSE
did not get its way does not mean its concerns were not considered. To
suggest otherwise is insulting to the board members who work hard to improve
our schools and to the Hermosa Beach citizens the CRSE is attempting to
mislead.
The CRSE members can demonstrate their
claim they have the best interest of the school at heart by reimbursing the
school for the $140,000 in legal fees we (yes, the taxpayers of Hermosa
Beach and their children) have been forced to waste on what four judges have
ruled a meritless lawsuit. By taking their case to the California Supreme
Court after four consecutive defeats, the CRSE continues to waste the
Hermosa Beach taxpayers' money and the Hermosa Beach School Board's time.
Jennifer Alvarado, Hermosa Beach
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The Beach Reporter – October 26, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
HB City
Council wrap
By Chris Yang
Donations -
The council acknowledged a donation from local resident and Public Works
Commissioner Janice Brittain in the amount of $500. Another donation was
received from the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce in the amount of $3,000.
The funds were raised at this year's Fiesta Beer Garden. Both donations will
be used to pay for the city's centennial celebration.
HBPD electronics
purchase -
Funds totaling approximately $15,000 were appropriated by the city to pay
for a “base station radio unit,” “six remote desk top units,” a “Blackberry
communication system” and another Dell computer for the Hermosa Beach Police
Department.
Slurry seal -
The council held off awarding a contract worth approximately $148,000 to
Pavement Coatings Company for work that includes crack sealing, slurry
sealing, and the replacement of traffic striping on both Aviation Boulevard
and Prospect Avenue.
The council's decision was delayed until
its meeting on Nov. 14 and was enacted to accommodate the installation of
trees along Aviation Boulevard.
“The reason why we want to change this, we
want to sequence the work that is going to be done on Aviation with the new
trees and so forth, and let this follow it,” said City Manager Steve
Burrell.
Pay
raise -
By a 3-1 vote, the council agreed to increase its monthly pay from $300 to
$530 a month. Mayor Sam Edgerton was the lone dissenting vote. “I guess I'll
get another letter from Howard Longacre for voting no,” said Edgerton.
Councilman Peter Tucker, who did not attend Tuesday night's meeting, opposed
the pay raise at the council's previous meeting on Oct. 10. The increase
becomes effective in November 2007.
Pavilion car wash -
The council once again assumed jurisdiction over a decision by the Planning
Commission to approve a business within the Hermosa Pavilion. The council,
which had previously assumed jurisdiction over the commission's approval of
an upscale restaurant, did it again in the case of the Pavilion's car wash.
The Planning Commission approved the car wash by a 3-2 vote. “This would be
pushed into that meeting so we have all the issues preserved and no doors
shut on the issue that relates to the parking plan,” said Edgerton.
The public hearing encompassing both the
car wash and the restaurant, which was originally to be heard Dec. 12, was
again postponed until sometime next year.
Kiwanis lease -
The city agreed to continue leasing the property at 2515 Valley Drive to the
Hermosa Kiwanis Club for another 25 years. The agreement calls for the lease
to begin Aug. 12, 2006, and end Aug. 11, 2031, “unless earlier terminated as
provided herein.” In return for use of the property, the Kiwanis Club agrees
to pay the city rent in the amount of $1 per year.
Holiday parking -
The council agreed to offer three hours of free parking between Wednesday,
Nov. 22, and Monday, Dec. 25. The rule applies only to the silver meters
located in the downtown area.
Public Works Commission
- In
other city business, two seats on the Public Works Commission expire at the
end of this month. Interviews, which were originally scheduled to occur
before the council's meeting Tuesday, were rescheduled until the council's
Nov. 28 meeting.
Four applicants applied
for the open positions - Julian Katz, Brian Koch, Sean Krajewski and Victor
Winnek. Winnek is currently a member of the commission and is reapplying for
his seat. Commissioner Robert Beste did not reapply for his seat.
Vending machines -
A potential agreement between the city of Hermosa Beach and the Coca-Cola
Bottling Company was placed on the agenda for the council's Nov. 14 meeting.
Community Resources Director Lisa Lynn will present the proposal to the
council. For more information, see a story that ran in The Beach Reporter
Oct. 11, titled “City looks at sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola.”
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The Beach Reporter – October 12, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
HB City Council
wrap
Pay
raise - Instead of the 100-percent raise requested by Councilman
Michael Keegan, the council agreed to a raise from $300 per month to $530
per month. The vote was 3-2 in favor of the measure, with Edgerton and
Tucker dissenting.
“I think this 100-percent raise is way out of
order,” said Tucker.
Pier
striping project
-
By a 4-1 vote, the council
agreed with a recommendation by the Public Works Commission to end the test
along upper Pier Avenue and return the street to its original configuration.
Edgerton was the lone voice of dissent.
“Your own agenda doesn't count,” local resident
Shirley Cassell said to the council. “You people should never have done
this. I don't know what the hell got into you guys.”
Councilman Kit Bobko reiterated his call for a
“comprehensive study of the entire Pier Avenue ecosystem.” He advocated the
creation of a steering committee to “decide what it is that we want to do.”
The committee will include two members from the Public Works and Planning
commissions, as well as other members of the community.
According to Public Works Director Rick Morgan's
staff report, the city will appropriate not more then $20,000 to return Pier
Avenue to its original configuration.
Neighborhood brawl - Local resident Eric Conrad addressed the council about an
incident that occurred near his house at the intersection of Eighth Street
and Ardmore Avenue. According to Conrad, a crowd of approximately 20 people
chased an individual down his street sometime last week, engaging in a
physical altercation. After he was “beat unconscious,” the crowd fled after
being alerted to the presence of police officers. The victim was allegedly
driven away by acquaintances while still unconscious.
Police Chief Greg Savelli addressed residents'
concerns. He stated that the department's response time was approximately
two minutes and 20 seconds. According to Savelli, the incident arose from a
neighborhood party. “My plan is to talk to that homeowner,” said Savelli.
Meistrell tribute -
In honor of the recent death of Bill Meistrell, Mayor Sam
Edgerton presented a certificate of recognition to the Meistrell family.
Local businessman Roger Bacon joined Meistrell's brother Bob to offer some
thoughts about the famous waterman during an intermission.
Coke
sponsorship agreement - The council pushed a decision on the installation of nine
vending machines back to its next meeting Oct. 24. The potential agreement
with the Coca-Cola Bottling Company calls for a “donation” of $25,000 to
help fund the city's Centennial.
Pier
plaza clock - “I just don't understand the wall,” said resident Dallas
Yost. The council agreed, deciding to forgo the creation of a wall along the
east edge of pier plaza. A clock donated by the Kiwanis Club will instead be
placed at the center of the plaza and will be surrounded by benches.
On the issue of a runaway vehicle, the council
agreed to consider upgrading the bollards currently in place to prevent an
accident similar to the one in Santa Monica. “There is a remote possibility
that a vehicle could lose its brakes and cause a problem,” said City
Attorney Mike Jenkins.
Long
meeting - Tuesday's meeting was the longest council meeting in
months, adjourning shortly before 1 a.m. “We need to make it policy that if
we go past 12:30 a.m., there is no closed session,” said Edgerton.
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The Beach Reporter – September 28, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
Residents want
Pier Avenue back to four lanes
By Chris Yang
Local residents appeared en
masse last Wednesday night to deliver a clear message to the city about the
Pier Avenue Striping Project - return it to the way it was.
Bowing to community pressure, the Public
Works Commission voted unanimously to end the test along upper Pier Avenue
and return the street to its original condition, excluding a stop sign at
the intersection of Bard Street and Pier Avenue.
As with all recommendations from city
commissions, the City Council will have the final say in the matter. The
council is expected to consider the striping project at one of its two
meetings in October.
In addition, the council will be asked to
decide upon a body known as the “Pier Avenue Enhancement Committee,” an ad
hoc committee charged with overseeing the recommendations found in a 1994
study known as the Downtown Implementation Plan.
The study divided the
city's business district into three categories: Lower Pier, Hermosa and
Upper Pier. It listed two goals for Upper Pier: To create a comfortable
shopping environment for the community and visitors; and to ensure that
there is a design link between Upper and Lower Pier so both areas work
together and enhance the character of downtown.
The plan included nine recommendations, one
of which was reducing Pier Avenue from a four- to two-lane road.
In light of this, Morgan used his time to
separate the highly unpopular striping project from the other
recommendations within the study, perhaps in an attempt to keep the project
alive. “Whether we do two lanes or four, we're still going to want to
incorporate amenities,” said Morgan. He added that the city has
approximately $2 million of Proposition C funds saved to use on upper Pier
Avenue. The 1994 proposal estimated the cost of improvements to upper Pier
would run approximately $1.5 million.
Some residents, like Eric Bails, issued a
fiery denunciation of both the striping project and the city's larger goal
of revitalizing upper Pier Avenue. He sarcastically remarked that altering
Pier Avenue's configuration during the summer would not solve the street's
drainage problem, drawing chuckles from the crowd. He concluded by stating,
“In sum, we don't know the cost, we don't know the benefits and we don't
know why the city is doing this. Fix the drainage and enforce the traffic
laws!”
But the award for the
evening's most unruly speaker went to Redondo Beach Public Works
Commissioner Dean Francois. Francois was more than two hours late, appearing
shortly before 10 p.m. after most of the crowd had left and the commission
was busy deliberating the issue. Chairman Victor Winnek refused Francois'
request to speak, advising him that the time for comments on the striping
project was over. Francois exploded.
“This is a violation of the Brown Act!”
said Francois.
“Please sit down,” said Winnek. “You're out
of order.”
“I'm not out of order!” replied Francois.
“You're late,” said Commissioner Dan
Marinelli.
After sitting down for a few minutes,
Francois returned to the dais and continued his tirade.
“I'm Dean Francois! You are in violation of
the Brown Act,” he yelled.
Winnek pointed out that public comments
would be taken just before the meeting adjourned, hinting that Francois
should wait until then to speak. But Francois left shortly thereafter.
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The Beach Reporter – October 5, 2006
Letters to the Editor
Changes harmed other neighborhoods
The question should not be whether we like
the changes to Pier Avenue or not, it's more about what the test has done to
our neighborhoods. One cannot deal with the proposed Pier Avenue changes
separately without including the changes the proposal makes to Eighth Street
and others. They are reflecting the test more than Pier Avenue. It has been
awful, dangerous and unacceptable. Also the worst times are in the morning
and evening commute times, and on warm weekends when a lot of beachgoers and
other walkers are trying to fight their way down and up Eighth Street with
all the extra heavy car and truck traffic on this street. Guaranteed, it
will be a serious accident on this street that will really open people's
eyes on Eighth Street between Valley and PCH.
Steve Pinard, Hermosa Beach
Contributing to congestion
Regardless of how many lanes Pier Avenue
ends up with, the city should be proactive to help ease traffic congestion.
Twice last week, in high traffic areas, I observed parking enforcement
blocking lanes of traffic while issuing street-sweeping citations.
First, on the south side of Gould, a single
car sat on street-sweeping day. Rather than park his chariot in front of or
behind the offending car, our city official chose to park in the eastbound
lane next to the violating vehicle. This caused all of us leaving Hermosa
via Gould to attempt to pass his vehicle by crossing into the opposing lane.
We were further hindered by the fact that we were facing uphill, and could
not see traffic approaching over the crest of the hill. It was a very unsafe
situation, and caused unneeded congestion.
Last Thursday, I was southbound on Monterey
Avenue, just past Eighth Street, when parking enforcement blocked the
northbound side of the road. At that time, a person who was moving their
offending vehicle at the last minute performed a three-point U-turn and
parallel parked just opposite the parking enforcement cart. This caused both
directions of Monterey to be blocked, and southbound lanes backed up past
the intersection at Eighth Street.
In both cases, there were ample spaces in
front of and behind the offending cars. In both cases, parking enforcement,
either by policy or personal decision, blocked traffic. In both cases, I was
avoiding Pier Avenue due to recent lane revisions.
Glenn Forbes, Hermosa Beach
Likes the two-lane
configuration
Changing four-lane streets to two-lane plus
bicycle lanes worked on The Esplanade and Grant. It has improved safety, the
environment, slowed drivers and encouraged alternative transportation modes
such as cycling.
While I believe that two lanes with bike
lanes can work on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach, the council acted too
swiftly on this two-lane test without a complete plan in place and
insufficient public comment. Staff gave a City Council presentation without
it being on the agenda.
The next day, the Public Works Commission
was asked to take public comment. Public Works felt obligated to recommend
ending the test and bringing the street back to four lanes in reaction to
many who complained of taking longer to drive a short distance, or
complained of increased traffic diverted to other streets. However, the
meeting was not a public hearing and was agendized to discuss public input.
It ignored the fact that it is probably safer with two lanes. The commission
could not deal with safety or the diversion of traffic problems. There were
incomplete data and traffic studies to compare to pre-existing conditions.
I caution the wisdom of returning to four
lanes, since it is safer with two lanes. The city should beware of potential
liability in changing this back.
In making changes to our streets, we must
be able to answer yes to the following question: Have we done what we can to
improve safety, the environment, and encourage pedestrian/bicycle and
alternative transportation modes?
Dean Francois, Redondo Beach
Keep on trying
Santa Barbara is the most beautiful city in
the western half of the United States. The reason it is so beautiful is that
the citizens and their representatives work to make it better. They don't
work toward higher population or wider streets. They work to make their city
better.
State Street in Santa Barbara is one of the
wonders of our country because car traffic has been whittled down to one
narrow lane in each direction, and what used to be asphalt is now
people-friendly and beautifully landscaped sidewalk. The locals love it and
the businesses absolutely thrive.
The Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica
is being studied by city planners far and wide. The people who live and work
in Santa Monica absolutely love it. The reason it is so wonderful is that
there are no cars there.
If the good people who are in charge of
envisioning the future of Hermosa Beach didn't get the striping just right
on Pier Avenue this time, that's OK. They are trying, and with our help they
will succeed. Do not listen to people who are upset because the last mile of
their commute takes them an extra 90 seconds now. They're upset about their
commute and that is their problem.
On behalf of myself and my family, I would
like to thank the people of vision in Hermosa Beach and ask everyone else to
offer suggestions and encouragement, and to ignore those who don't.
Keith Hemstreet, Hermosa Beach
Council right to not extend hours
The Hermosa Beach City Council is to be
commended for refusing to extend the operating hours for Mediterraneo
restaurant to 2 a.m. Too often, restaurants on the Pier Avenue plaza convert
to bars and nightclubs when their operating hours are extended to 2 a.m. We
have enough bars and nightclubs on the plaza and the surrounding area.
I also find it disingenuous that the owner
of Mediterraneo, Tommy Short, should say that, “We were very, very touched
and inspired by the heavy turnout by the people to honor our restaurant and
managers and staff.” Short is the same person who “honored” his employees
several years ago by abruptly closing Brewski's, the predecessor to
Mediterraneo, without any notice. One wonders if he could be trusted to not
convert his restaurant to a nightclub/bar if he had longer operating hours.
Fred Huebscher, Hermosa Beach
Government is
dysfunctional
In an attempt to garner $800,000 to pad
their bloated bureaucracy, Hermosa officials attempt to pass off their
tortured interpretation of city code as justification for a ransom payment
for rebuilding a fire-ravaged business. Meanwhile, the hypocrisy of the city
officials is laid bare by the blatant illegal reduction in parking just
across the street. Indeed, the city has all but financed the reconstruction
of a change of use from what was an annex to the Sea Sprite Motel, complete
with off-street parking, to a summer rental apartment absent any parking.
City Code Section 17.044.040 clearly states
that additional parking requirements generally apply to a change of use. So
while Sharkeez sits as an ugly burned-out hulk in the middle of the city's
prominent business district, the return of the business exactly as it was is
trumped by the greed and malfeasance by those who pretend to enforce the
law, both in respect to parking requirements and subsequent disputes arising
out of their actions. The eyesore on the promenade serves testament to a
totally dysfunctional city government.
Robert Benz, Hermosa Beach
Against vending machines in parks
Hermosa Beach is accepting donations for
the city's centennial in 2007. Most are given without strings attached.
Others require a contract to be approved by the City Council for a one-time
sponsorship deal such as Kraft Foods' largest beach blanket event.
A particularly disturbing “donation” will
be considered by the council Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 7:10 p.m., the Coca-Cola
sponsorship contract. The donation requires a contract permitting commercial
vending machines to be placed in the city's parks that will dispense $1.50
and $2 canned drinks.
Once these vending machines are installed
in the parks, the city's addiction to the token revenue will make them very
difficult to be eliminated as were the advertising bus benches 18 years ago
and their numbers will likely grow year by year.
This donation is not a revenue-raising
method in the people's best interest. The cash revenue will come from the
city's own children and their parents visiting the city parks or cash from
children walking to and from school, which may be meant for their lunch or
other, cash spent for overpriced sodas of dubious value.
Vending machines in the parks will add a
policing burden. They're a target for graffiti, break-ins, other problems
and an attractive nuisance to be avoided like the plague.
Note the meeting date and notify your
elected council members that this is an idea even more far-fetched than the
Pier Avenue lanes reduction, which coincidentally will also be discussed
during the Oct. 10 council meeting.
Howard Longacre, Hermosa Beach
Against PCH restaurant
Our City Council will conduct a public
hearing to evaluate the feasibility of a land-use application at 1601
Pacific Coast Highway. The applicant proposes an 8,000-square-foot mega
restaurant-bar-liquor store operation in close proximity to residential
neighborhoods and school.
This land use will have an occupant
capacity estimated to range between 500 and 600 persons. Nuisance conditions
will become a chronic problem due to a parking plan that inadequately
services the building. In application, when parking strategies and
speculative projections fail, irreversible traffic and parking impacts
develop. The high-impact restaurant-bar can only sustain itself from
attracting a daily influx from outside our community. This generates high
traffic volumes and heavy parking demands.
The only alternative is to deny this
land-use designation rejecting the high-impact usage in favor of low-impact.
Revise and simplify the parking plan to accommodate 100 percent
self-parking.
Residents safeguard neighborhood from
radiating impact. The public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct.
10, in City Council chambers on Valley Drive.
Patty Egerer, Hermosa Beach
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The Beach Reporter – September 28, 2006
Hermosa Beach
Letters to the Editor
Back
to four lanes
As the Public Works Commission is
recommending by unanimous vote after several hours of public testimony, the
four lanes should be put back on Pier Avenue immediately. The R/UDAT study
is as outdated for use as a planning tool as I am an outdated elected
official, having been on the City Council at that time. Was this just in
preparation for widening the sidewalks for outdoor dining, therefore
allowing further extension of the pier plaza party scene? Certain
restaurants on upper Pier Avenue are already being allowed to block the
sidewalks with dining tables, forcing pedestrians into the streets. In my
opinion, sidewalks should be for use by pedestrians, baby strollers and
wheelchairs; not dining tables and outdoor displays of merchandise. The
lanes do not need to be cut down to two to make the much-needed storm drain
improvements and crosswalk safety enhancements.
Kathleen L. Midstokke,
Hermosa Beach
A
tree for Creighton
Former Hermosa Beach mayor, council member
and lifetime resident Roger Creighton departed life on his own terms. He saw
the town as a child through to being a senior as it changed from 1938 to
2006.
Most everyone who had any conversings with
Creighton came to deal with his in-your-face demeanor. It was not always
initially clear whether he was on your side on an issue or not but
eventually you figured it out.
You don't need to look far in Hermosa Beach
to see the results of his many decades of civic involvement, be it the
reduction in residential density resulting in dilapidated apartment
buildings being recycled into fewer single family residences, the creation
of South Park where condos might otherwise have been built, the keeping of
large-scale hotels from the downtown, the greenbelt purchase from the
railroad for what now seems like a bargain and seeing it made all usable and
green, or ridding the town of advertising bus benches, and on and on.
Creighton was unquestionably very unique and he never profited a nickel
other than from that which flows from a city that maintains some semblance
of a quality of life.
Those who had a connection with Creighton's
many efforts and others are reminded they may make a contribution toward a
tree to be planted in the city, “Roger's Tree,” in care of the law office of
Angelo and DiMonda, 1721 N. Sepulveda, Manhattan Beach 90266.
Howard Longacre, Hermosa Beach
Won't support
squandering money
The California state court failed to
protect taxpayers with its recent ruling regarding Proposition 39. Once
again, the court found the School Board to be sacrosanct in its dealings
with the community.
The Hermosa Beach School Board failed to
adhere to city ordinances such as open space, height limits or parking space
requirements. It chose to ignore California state educational
recommendations of playground open space per student. It ignored state bond
disclosure requirements, failing to make public a joint-use agreement with
the Beach Cities Health District. It failed to require the Beach Cities
Health District fund 25 percent of the gym as a joint-use partner in order
to be eligible for $1.5 million of state matching funds. It was not required
to specify a budget in dollar amounts or percentages of bond money for items
listed in Measure “J” or “A.” It was not required to fund all of the items
listed on the bond measure, thereby baiting the public with a lovely wish
list, but switching priorities and using the pretext of items being not
feasible after bond passage.
School boards operate with little or no
outside controls over policy and bond funds, and can choose to satisfy only
a small special-interest group rather than operating for the greater good of
the school community. Without strict controls by the state, taxpayers may be
less willing to support a school district in which a school board is allowed
to consistently squander away public money.
Julieane Suworski, Hermosa Beach
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The Beach Reporter – September 21, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
Early Pier
Ave. presentation rankles some residents
By Chris Yang
It was called a “sales
pitch,” an “informational thing” and a “selling mechanism.” Whatever it was,
a presentation on Upper Pier Avenue by Public Works Director Rick Morgan at
Tuesday night's Planning Commission meeting did not go unnoticed, drawing
the objection of several residents who did not appreciate the gesture.
Morgan's appearance drew attention
primarily because city officials invited residents (prior to that time) to
the Sept. 20 (the night after Tuesday's presentation) Public Works
Commission meeting to receive testimony about the Pier Avenue Striping
Project. But when the agenda for this week's Planning Commission meeting was
posted on the city's Web site earlier this month, it also included an item
under “Oral/Written Communications” that addressed the issue. The item
consisted of a staff report with documents addressed to the “Honorable
Chairman and Members of the Public Works Commission” and that were dated for
the meeting on Sept. 20.
Commissioner Sam Perotti took issue with
the implication that the presentation was a sales pitch. “I think this
presentation is merely some information for the commission, and it's no
different than if we had a presentation by an energy consultant who wanted
to discuss ways to make homes more energy-efficient.” He added, “I think
people are making a lot more to this than it deserves ... It's not a sales
pitch. It's informational.” Community Development Director Sol Blumenfeld
also addressed the issue, describing the presentation as a “prelude to the
actual hearing tomorrow.”
When Morgan finally began, he prefaced his
remarks by stating, “I have come primarily for information to provide to the
commission and also to receive any comments the commission may have that
they'd want to convey (at) the following public meeting.” He added, “I do
apologize if folks got confused as to which meeting to come.” Then, in what
he termed as “practice” for the meeting on Sept. 20, Morgan provided
examples of streets from other cities like Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and
San Clemente.
He concluded by stating,
“The proposal I'm going to take to the council after the Public Works
Commission (Wednesday) night is that the subcommittee from the Planning
Commission participate with the subcommittee from the Public Works
Commission and the subcommittee from the council to guide this thing
through.” Two members of the Public Works Commission's subcommittee, Daniel
Marinelli and Janice Brittain, attended the meeting Tuesday night to observe
the presentation.
Prior to the meeting on Sept. 19, City
Manager Steve Burrell denied the claims of several residents that the item
was placed on the Planning Commission's agenda to pre-empt or dilute
opposition to the public meeting the following day. “Rick is going to invite
them (the Planning Commissioners) to the meeting,” said Burrell. “The
Planning Commission will not be making any recommendations.”
Following Morgan's remarks, four people
rose to address the Planning Commission. “I'm just upset that this was put
on this meeting other than down on the staff items as a ... it's been a
presentation, it's been a sales pitch and it shouldn't have been,” said
local resident Howard Longacre. “The people who are coming tomorrow deserve
to hear this first.” |
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The Easy Reader – September 14, 2006
Letters to
the Editor
You can’t change Pier’s stripes
Dear ER:
During Hermosa’s birth, city traffic flow planners designated Santa Fe Ave
(Pier Ave.) as a primary traffic artery. Primary streets are necessary to
handle higher volumes of present and future vehicular travel.
The restriping of Pier Ave. and reduction of its intended traffic flow
function from a primary traffic artery to a secondary traffic corridor has
caused unnecessary traffic congestion on Pier Ave. To seek relief from this
unnecessary traffic disruption in residential neighborhoods residents and
visitors alike are forced to use secondary residential streets. This
increase of traffic multiplies the safety risk to all Hermosa’s,
particularly its youth.
Good traffic planning is critical to the safety of our citizens. The city
council must conclude the Pier Ave traffic test. The council majority must
refute Councilman Sam Edgerton’s assertions that the implementation of the
results of this traffic reconfiguration test will benefit our residents.
This assertion flies in the face of thoughtful logic and surely does not
benefit Hermosa’s residential community.
Gary Brutsch
Hermosa Beach
Hermosa's stripe tease
Dear ER:
Robb Fulcher's story regarding the Pier Avenue four-lane to two-lane,
reconfigured striping test brought to attention that a few in power seem
absolutely hell-bent on jamming a two-lane Pier Avenue upon the city's
people (“Hermosa residents to chart future of Main Drag” ER Aug. 31, 2006).
Widening sidewalks for more eating/drinking, display of clothing racks, and
placement of other "merchandise" on Pier Avenue public sidewalks, with
traffic congestion and intrusion be damned. However, exactly which residents
will be charting the decision? The councilmembers and their friends? Now
that many Hermosans, visitors, and especially the cabbies, are using
shortcuts through residential neighborhoods to avoid Pier Avenue, the
council may want the main drag to be a wall-to-wall black concrete slab like
lower Pier Plaza with the non-existent curbs, while asserting there would be
lanes and parking spaces, but of course never having meant it. (That was one
of the council's deceptions fostered during the Pier Plaza approvals.)
Fulcher's report also indicated councilmember(s) said the people needed to
be better sold on its two-lane design. Better propagandized? Some on council
must assume the average IQ of Hermosa residents and business people are
lower than their own.
Per Fulcher's report, the council, evidently to avoid hearing directly from
angry Hermosans, will further insulate themselves from the two-lane issue
and drag it out by directing the people back to the council's puppet Public
Works Commission on Wednesday, September 20 at 7 p.m. for a repeat public
hearing on the two-lane blunder. There the council will likely try to
orchestrate support and attempt to neutralize resistance.
The people have already spoken, so why does the council need to further
waste the peoples' time? Doesn't the council get it? And by the way, all
this is not about road flooding, pavement condition, sidewalk condition, or
pedestrian safety as some council members have disingenuously alluded to in
their comments. Those issues are incidental and an excuse for spending at
least $6 to $10 million of the peoples' money on the widening of city
sidewalks for nighttime eating and drinking, while dumping more traffic
impact into the residential areas.
Hermosa's Public Works director and city manager will be expected to include
in their staff report for the September 20 public hearing all the letters,
emails, and documentation of the phone calls they and the council have
received from the people regarding the two-lane striping matter. That’s
because those were the communication methods they and the council have been
directing the people to use rather than coming to the meetings in person.
Those are important public testimony and hopefully are not being sifted from
the records and placed out of the peoples' view.
Howard Longacre
Hermosa Beach |
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The Beach Reporter – September 21, 2006
Hermosa Beach – Crime Watch
ASSAULT.
Someone was allegedly stabbed while patronizing a pier plaza establishment
between Sept. 9 and Sept. 10. After exiting the restroom of a bar, the
victim allegedly noticed a crowd of people leaving the establishment in a
hurried fashion. He reportedly noticed a warm feeling on his lower back some
time after leaving the bar. After being driven to a local hospital, doctors
treated his wound, which was 4 inches wide by 2 inches deep. The victim
reportedly did not know when or where he was stabbed.
GRAND
THEFT.
Three individuals allegedly used deception to inappropriately obtain custody
of another person's dog. The incident reportedly occurred at the Pier Plaza
on Sept. 16 at 4:45 p.m. According to the official crime report, the victim
recently purchased a new puppy for $1,000. While standing on the pier plaza,
he was allegedly approached by three individuals inquiring about buying the
puppy. After entering a discussion with the three individuals, the victim
entered a plaza establishment, leaving his dog with an employee of the
store. While gone, the three individuals approached the employee and
obtained custody of the dog by indicating they were friends with the owner.
BIKE
THEFT.
Two bikes were stolen from a parking stall in Hermosa Beach between Sept. 5
and Sept. 10. The victim reportedly locked and secured his mountain bikes at
parking stall No. 44 at 6 p.m. Sept. 5. When he returned Sept. 10, he
noticed the cable lock had been cut and the bicycles were missing. The
mountain bikes were worth approximately $1,100.
THEFT.
Someone reportedly stole a victim's IRS refund check out of a parked car on
15th Street between 2 p.m. Sept. 11 and 10 a.m. Sept. 12. The check was
allegedly placed in the victim's backseat of her unlocked vehicle. The
vehicle was parked in the parking lot of the victim's apartment complex on
15th Street.
RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY.
Someone reportedly entered a residence on Second Street between Sept. 10 and
Sept. 14 to remove a Compaq laptop from the building. The victim allegedly
left for several days, leaving her French doors closed but unsecured. The
laptop was allegedly sitting on her living room table, which was visible
from the street. According to the crime report, no other items were taken
from the premises and no ransacking was present. |
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The Daily Breeze – September 20, 2006
Hermosa Beach – Police Log
Attempted Assault With a Deadly Weapon:
11:33 p.m. Sept 12, 00 block
of Pier Plaza. Employees of Dragon said a man, who was denied entry due to
intoxication and who had threatened to stab employees with a pen, later
entered the club as bouncers were otherwise occupied and struggled with
employees as he was being physically escorted outside, where a wooden was
knocked over. The employees said that during the incident the man swung a
money tray from the podium and a plastic chair from another establishment at
them. The man was arrested on suspicion of attempted assault with a deadly
weapon and battery. The officer said as he was arresting the man, the man
grabbed and twisted one of his fingers.
Robbery:
10:10 p.m. Aug. 24, 1600
block of Hermosa Avenue. The victim was walking when two men asked him
directions to Manhattan Beach. After the victim replied, the men demanded
the victim’s bag, wallet and watch at knifepoint. The victim complied in
fear.
Vandalism:
9 p.m. Aug. 25, to 11 a.m.
Aug. 26, 00 block of The Strand. A “large boulder” was thrown through the
windows of a residence, landing in a living area. A neighbor heard noise
around 1:30 a.m.; the neighbor’s patio furniture was moved. |
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The Daily Breeze – September 1, 2006
Friday Letters to the Editor |
HB road-striping experiment a failure
Hermosa Beach's
City Council, residents, businesses and visitors know well that the upper
Pier Avenue two-lane road-striping re-configuration is a failure. Fifty
thousand dollars in staff and implementation costs will have been expended,
although it could have been an even more costly mistake had concrete been
poured for the experiment. Many residents and business people indicated
prior to this mistake that it was not a wise or necessary re-configuration.
Many also warned the council, in another
experiment, that turning off a percentage of street lights was not a bright
idea. Thousands of dollars were wasted on that trial, too. Hermosa's council
often seems to have no use for what residents or even business people have
to say as they're busy "moving the city forward." In fact, they are forcing
ideas on the people and businesses regardless of whether they're wise or
not, rather than dealing with the mundane of paving Hermosa's streets, most
of which are in horrible condition, and reducing the escalating and costly
necessity of policing Hermosa's bar district.
The council spends $100,000
every day. It fritters away $50,000 as if it were pocket change. It
frittered away $45,000 in staff and consultant time to assess residents and
mostly daytime businesses an additional street-lighting tax via a ballot
measure that the property owners promptly voted down. That assessment was
most likely to further subsidize the millions of dollars per year
necessitated for late-night public safety of Hermosa's bar district.
Residents and business
people for years have warned Hermosa's council members in public and private
that they were creating a late-night policing headache for the city with
their gratuitous liquor approvals, but again the council simply did not
appear to listen to the people as they were busy "moving the city forward."
-- HOWARD LONGACRE
Hermosa Beach |
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The Beach Reporter – August 31, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
Public Works
set to look at Pier Avenue striping project
By Chris Yang
City officials recently
announced that the Public Works Commission will consider the highly
contentious issue of Pier Avenue's striping project at its next meeting
Sept. 20.
Public Works Director Rick Morgan raised
the issue publicly on at least two separate occasions, once during the Aug.
8 meeting of the City Council and again near the end of the Aug. 16 meeting
of the Public Works Commission. In addition to these verbal announcements,
an employee with the Public Works Department sent an e-mail Aug. 23 to
various officials within city government that included a copy of the public
notice for the meeting. The announcements mark the final stages of the
striping project, which began when the Public Works Commission approved
reducing Pier Avenue from a four-lane to two-lane road in January.
Shortly after the changes were first
implemented June 7, local officials received an onslaught of negative
comments from people opposed to the street's new configuration. Later that
month, Mayor Peter Tucker jokingly told The Beach Reporter that the new
configuration led some drivers into a “Devil's Triangle” - upon entering the
mobile home park north of Pier Avenue, drivers would never come back out.
After the street's initial transformation,
the city justified the changes by posting a public notice on its Web site
stating the project's goals were to “produce a more pedestrian-oriented
gateway streetscape” and to “correct drainage problems” along upper Pier
Avenue. Tucker even went so far as to describe the area as a “flood zone”
during the winter months. The notice went on to declare in large boldface
type that “THIS IS ONLY A TEST” and if it was deemed “unacceptable to the
community,” the project would be “terminated” and Pier Avenue would be
returned to its “original configuration.” In addition, the Daily Breeze
reported in June that Morgan stated the “experiment” was intended to last
for six months but could be shortened if the “outcome is unfavorable.”
Several weeks after the
restriping, city officials recognized that the street's new configuration
created several problems and authored a report that recommended the
narrowing of the center turning lane from 20 feet to 15 feet. It also
suggested that the merger of westbound traffic should be pushed past Bard
Street. These changes would help to keep traffic at the intersection of Pier
Avenue and Valley Drive from backing up to Pacific Coast Highway, and to
provide the Fire Department with another lane to use when eastbound lanes
were blocked with traffic.
At the City Council's June 27 meeting,
Morgan presented the report to the council. He conceded that most of the
responses received by the city were negative and that the community
disagreed with an assessment by the city's traffic engineer that “everything
seems fine.” But despite the seemingly inconsistent nature of these
statements and the city's public notice, which indicated the test would be
terminated if deemed “unacceptable to the community,” Morgan concluded his
remarks by stating “staff cannot recommend going back to the way it was.”
The council subsequently agreed with Morgan's assessment and approved the
expenditure of an additional $8,015 to pay for implementing the staff's
recommendations.
When asked last week about the results of
the latest changes, Morgan voiced support for the striping project. “When I
came to Hermosa, something that struck me was all the stop signs,” said
Morgan. “It makes you look at the other driver's eyes before you go. I think
slowing folks down through our one beach area is perfectly appropriate.” He
added, “In July, we retweaked the striping, and it solved about 90 percent
of the problems. Any delays above Valley and Ardmore are strictly caused by
the stops above Ardmore.” Morgan also implied that though the striping
project would be the only item on the agenda at the commission's Sept. 20
meeting, the final decision on the matter would be made at a later time
between members of the City Council and Public Works Commission.
The upcoming decision will have a large
impact on people like Jed Sanford, the owner of the Union Cattle Company
restaurant. As one of the businesses located along Pier Avenue, Sanford
initially supported the changes to the busy thoroughfare. “For me
specifically it has a huge impact,” said Sanford. He agreed that traffic
from the street's restriping was an issue, but stressed that the city's
eventual goal of revitalizing Upper Pier Avenue was of the utmost
importance. “Any revitalization of that area is clearly a positive. The
question is can it be done without affecting the ability of people to get
around the city?” |
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The Beach Reporter – August 31, 2006
Hermosa Beach – Crime Watch
THEFT.
A patron of a Pier Plaza establishment allegedly was the victim of a purse
thief Aug. 27 at 10:07 p.m. Before going to the dance floor, the victim
reportedly left her purse under a sweater on the chair at her table. After
returning, she discovered the purse was missing and immediately notified the
bar's staff. An employee with the bar subsequently detained an individual
outside the bar who was allegedly observed “ransacking” a woman's purse. The
suspect was later arrested by police officers later that night.
ROBBERY.
A man was allegedly the victim of a robbery by gunpoint Aug. 27 at
approximately 5 a.m. While walking northbound near the 1300 block of the
Strand, an individual was allegedly approached by two men. One of the men
reportedly asked for a light. After responding that he did not have one, the
other individual said, “Give your wallet then.” At this point, someone
allegedly brandished a small-caliber handgun. The victim told police that he
handed over his wedding band and had his necklace ripped from his person
while wearing it. The two suspects then fled the scene.
THEFT.
Someone reportedly stole a bag and towel from the beach Aug. 26 between 1:30
and 2 p.m. While visiting the beach near Second Street, the alleged victim
went to the restroom, and left her bag and towel on the sand. When she
returned, both items were gone. A Samsung C-670 cellular phone worth
approximately $100 was in the bag.
THEFT.
Someone reportedly stole a backpack from the beach Aug. 10 between 12:30 and
1 p.m. The owner of the backpack allegedly entered the water while leaving
her backpack on the sand. The victim allegedly returned to find the backpack
missing.
ROBBERY.
Someone walking northbound on Hermosa Avenue was reportedly the subject of a
robbery by knifepoint. The incident allegedly occurred Aug. 24 at 10:10 p.m.
While walking on the sidewalk, the victim was approached by two individuals.
One allegedly asked for directions to Manhattan Beach. After responding, the
other individual then said, “What's in your bag?” At this point, his cohort
brandished a knife with a 4-inch blade. The victim was then told to give his
wallet and watch to the men. |
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The Beach Reporter June 8, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
Three council
candidates boycott forum
By Dave Eisenstadt
Three of the four
candidates who battled for the City Council seat filled after Tuesday's
voting touched off a pre-election day dustup when all but one skipped a
televised political forum hours before it began.
The surprising move by a trio of political
challengers - rejecting an election-eve appearance before voters - turned
what was slated as a candidates' forum into a discussion between an
office-seeker and the audience.
The Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Association
organized the event, which was planned as the watchdog group's first
political forum. Candidates Patrick Kit Bobko, who was declared the winner
of Tuesday's election, Jeff Maxwell and Jeff Duclos told the association
they would not attend via e-mails sent some six hours before the broadcast.
Janice Brittain, an education administrator, was the sole attendee.
Al Benson, head of the neighborhood association,
said he was puzzled by the timing of the withdrawal - and that it wasn't one
or two candidates skipping the event but three of four. Benson ran and lost
for a council seat last November.
They gave me six hours notice, Benson said. They
have the right not to show up at the forum but if they really have problems,
they could have given me a call.
The neighborhood association is best known for its
efforts to highlight what they see as problems resulting from a too-raucous
lower Pier Avenue scene. The group contends crime, especially violent
incidents, has shot up with the increasing popularity of the bar-laden
strip.
The candidates, however, complained the event was
less a political forum for those vying for office than a platform for the
group.
Bobko said his schedule was just too packed on that
day to attend the forum and downplayed the notion that the three candidates
acted together to undercut the event.
To be perfectly frank, that was not the case, said
Bobko. As much fun as these forums are, I have other things to do and
simply can't get to everything all the time.
Bobko noted that he and the other candidates already
participated in three similar forums. They were sponsored by the League of
Women Voters, Leadership Hermosa and the Chamber of Commerce.
Still, Bobko, the two others who cancelled and
Brittain briefly met the night before and discussed withdrawing from the
forum. Bobko said the group discussed the matter but stressed that it was
chitchat rather than guerilla political tactics.
While it's clear we didn't show up, it wasn't a
concerted effort, Bobko said. What we're talking about is someone taking
personal offense.
While Duclos declined to return telephone messages
seeking comment, Brittain said weightier issues were at play.
Bottom line, I gave my word and I live up to my
word, she said. It's the integrity of it - as a council person you have to
deal with all audiences.
Brittain and others, however, said the group's
material was freighted with its point of view and too detailed for the
occasion.
It was like a term paper, she said.
Benson said the group misread his intent and short-shrifted
pressing issues.
I'm disappointed that they had this little powwow
on this issue and made a collective decision behind my back, he said. I'm
worried about crime - and they don't want to answer those questions.
Of the candidates involved, Brittain was the only
one on Tuesday's ballot who did not run last November.
The seat opened when the election's winner, Howard
Fishman, declined the post when his wife became ill.
In that contest, Councilman J.R. Reviczky triumphed
with Duclos finishing fourth, Bobko fifth and Maxwell seventh among a field
of 10 candidates vying for three council seats. |
|
The Daily Breeze April 12, 2006
Assault With a Deadly Weapon:
2:06 a.m. April 9, 00 block of Pier
Avenue. Police arrested one man on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon
for allegedly hitting and kicking the victim, who was taken to a hospital for
treatment. A second man, who may also have hit the victim, left with a third
man. A second victim told police that she was punched while trying to stop the
incident. The second victim said the incident began when she and another woman
were waiting for a taxi, three men were flirting with them and the male victim
asked the men to leave.
Stabbing / Assault With a Deadly Weapon:
2:45 a.m. April 8, Ardmore Avenue and
Fifth Street. A man who police said had an approximate 10-inch cut on his
stomach said he was walking south on Fifth Street when a man walked up behind
him, asked how he was and what was up, then stabbed him and fled. The man said
he then walked to a hotel and called his girlfriend. The report noted that the
victim was uncooperative and initially refused medical treatment.
The Beach
Reporter April 6, 2006
Hermosa Beach Crime watch
|
ASSAULT / ATTACK. A man was reportedly assaulted by two men in the 1300
block of Manhattan Avenue April 1 around 2:06 a.m. The man told police
he was with friends at a nearby restaurant and left around 2 a.m. to eat
some food. The victim stayed behind outside the restaurant for unknown
reasons and began to walk north on Manhattan Avenue. The next thing he
remembers is waking up in the hospital. A witness was standing near
Manhattan Avenue and 14th Street looking toward the restaurant located
near the corner of Pier and Manhattan avenues. The witness noticed a
black pickup pull out of the underground parking lot near the
restaurant. Two men got out of the truck, grabbed the victim and threw
him on the ground in the middle of the street. One of the suspects
kicked the man in the face as he fell to the ground and continued to
kick him in the head while he was motionless on the ground. The other
suspect punched him in the face. The witness ran toward the scene and
discovered that the victim was his friend. The suspect ran back to the
truck and began to get inside as the witness followed after them. He
began to write down the license plate number when the suspects got back
out of the truck and looked at him. The suspects got back inside and
drove away, and the victim was transported to a nearby hospital. Doctors
said he suffered small fractures to his sinus area and also sustained a
bump on the back of the head, some bruises and two black eyes.
COLLISION. A woman was reportedly hit by a man riding a bike in the
3500 block of The Strand March 31 at 8:49 a.m. The woman was walking
toward the stairs at 35th Street when she was hit by the bike and fell
to the ground. Police noticed that her face and lip were swollen and she
had a tooth knocked out. The woman also complained of pain in her elbow,
hands and wrists that were used to break her fall. The man said he was
riding north when the woman walked out in front of him. He yelled at her
to move but could not avoid the collision. He hit the woman and landed
in the sand but did not sustain any injuries. He estimated he was going
about 15 mph.
STOLEN CAMERA. A camera valued at $440 was reportedly stolen from
either a car or garage in the 1000 block of Eighth Street March 24 at 10
a.m.
STOLEN MUSIC. An Apple iPod valued at $300 was reportedly stolen from
the center console of a car parked in a driveway in the 800 block of
Seventh Street between March 31 at 11:15 p.m. and April 1 at 11:30 a.m.
The victim believes she left the car unlocked.
CAR VANDAL. A nail was reportedly placed under a tire of a car
belonging to a man living in the 500 block of Prospect Avenue either
April 1 or 2. The victim said he has had nine nails removed from his
tires in the past year, and that his car has also been egged and the
front damaged. He suspects his neighbor who has been accused of
vandalizing another neighbor's car in the past.
|
Manhattan Beach crime
watch |
|
|
ARMED ROBBERY. On March 31 at about 12:30 a.m., a man was robbed at
gunpoint near 35th Street and Blanche after parking his car. The victim
parked his car on 35th Street and unloaded several items from the trunk
of his car, including a duffle bag. The victim then started walking
eastbound on 35th Street toward Blanche. He saw a light-colored sedan
drive westbound on 35th Street when he neared the corner of Blanche. He
was approached from behind by the suspect, who pointed a gun at his head
and told him to drop his property on the ground. The victim dropped his
wallet, keys, gym bag and sweatshirt to the ground. The suspect told the
victim to run southbound on Blanche, which the victim did. The suspect
took several of the items. The victim saw the suspect leave in the car,
but did not know if he was also the driver. The victim told police that
he feared for his life.
|
Redondo
Beach crime watch |
|
|
ROBBERY. Police reportedly arrested a man April 1 at about 6:30
p.m. who had robbed a car earlier that morning. Undercover officers were
near Artesia Boulevard and Mackay Lane when they saw a subject with
outstanding arrest warrants walking in the area with a companion. As
uniformed officers approached them, the two subjects ran in opposite
directions. The suspect with the warrants was found hiding nearby in a
driveway on Mathews Lane and was taken into custody without incident.
The undercover officers followed the second suspect into a nearby
business and detained him. Officers responding to this call recognized
his description from an auto burglary that had occurred earlier that day
at about 2:30 a.m. on Haynes Lane in central Redondo Beach. The suspect
in that crime was wearing a distinctive sports jersey similar to the one
worn by this suspect, and he matched the other descriptors. Officers
arrested him for suspicion of burglary. Subsequent investigation
resulted in the recovery of property from the early morning burglary. |
|
|
Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach Crime Close-Up. Years 1998 to 2004
Crime Stat Comparison http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HB%20CrimeNews%202006%201.htm
The Daily Breeze
July 29, 2005
Women attacked in 3
incidents near Pier Plaza in Hermosa Beach
|
Police
in Hermosa Beach issued a warning Thursday for women to avoid walking alone
late at night from Pier Plaza bars following two attacks that might be
related to a brutal assault last year.
Police
fear two late-night incidents in the vicinity of bars are the work of one
man, who may have also committed a 2004 assault in the same area. All three
women were walking alone.
The woman described the man as white, 6 feet 2 inches tall and 220 pounds
with a stocky, muscular build and light-colored hair. He was driving a gray
or charcoal-colored four-door coupe, possibly a Cadillac or other large
luxury car. If you have any information, please contact the HBPD at
310-318-0332.
By Larry Altman
Daily Breeze
Police in Hermosa Beach
issued a warning Thursday for women to avoid walking alone late at night
from Pier Plaza bars following two attacks that might be related to a brutal
assault last year.
Investigators speculate
that the man -- dubbed the "Late Night Attacker" -- was attempting to rape
his victim Sunday when he grabbed her as she walked on Monterey Avenue in
the south end of the city.
"We don't know what the
motivation for the attacks is," Sgt. Paul Wolcott said. "They haven't
actually been completed but ... the intent of the attacker was for sexually
assaulting the victim."
The victim was walking
alone at 2:15 a.m. on a well-lighted sidewalk when a muscular man confronted
her. The woman kneed the man in the groin, allowing her to escape, police
said.
The woman described the
man as white and 5 feet 10 to 6 feet tall.
Police believe the attack
is related to a July 8 incident when a man tried to drag a woman into his
car.
According to detectives,
the woman was walking home from the downtown area in a dimly lighted alley
near 10th Street and Monterey at 3:30 a.m. when she was accosted. The man
tried to drag her to a car, but she fought with him, using her keys as a
weapon. She escaped and ran.
The woman described the
man as white, 6 feet 2 inches tall and 220 pounds with a stocky, muscular
build and light-colored hair. He was driving a gray or charcoal-colored
four-door coupe, possibly a Cadillac or other large luxury car.
Detectives believe the two
recent incidents are related to the March 8, 2004, attack on a woman who was
dragged into a stairwell and beaten.
Police did not know if the
man intended to sexually assault or rob her. Nothing was taken from her
purse.
The woman was knocked
unconscious in the attack, which occurred on 10th Street east of Bayview
Drive. The man ran when a resident looked out a window.
Police said women should
avoid walking in dimly lighted alleys or streets at night, and should not
walk alone.
"We don't know if he is
seeing females in the bars and waiting for them to come out and following
them or if he just is cruising by and sees them and tries to grab them,"
Wolcott said.
Wolcott said victims
should do all they can to avoid being forced into a car.
Police issued a
computerized sketch of the man in the hope that someone might be able to
identify him.
Some bar operators have
become aware of the attacks and are making sure employees and customers are
safe.
"We make sure we walk all
of our employees here to their cars at the end of the night," said Chris
Saufua, a manager at Patrick Molloy's. "If (customers) are regulars or
drinking too much, we walk them to a cab. We don't let them walk out of here
drunk." |
|
KCBS-TV Channel
2 News at 5 PM -
Hermosa Beach
Police Issue Warning To Women -
Broadcast on
7/29/05 at 5pm.
Hermosa Beach
Police detectives believe the two incidents may be linked to a March 8, 2004,
attack on a woman who was dragged into a stairwell and beaten.
View the CBS-TV Channel 2 news story on the Pier Plaza Assaults . . . You
need Windows Media Player in order get the audio/video of this CBS-TV news
story reported by Paul Dandridge.
HERMOSA BEACH, Calif.
(CBS)
Hermosa Beach police are warning women to avoid walking alone from Pier Plaza
nightspots following two attempted assaults possibly committed by the same man
who attacked a woman last year.
Detectives told the Daily Breeze that they believe the man -- dubbed the "Late
Night Attacker" -- was trying to rape a woman when he grabbed her as she walked
on Monterey Avenue in the south end of the city early Sunday. The victim was
walking alone at 2:15 a.m. on a well-lighted sidewalk when a muscular man
confronted her. The woman was able to escape by kneeing him in the groin, police
said. On July 8 about 3:30 a.m., a woman was walking home from the downtown
area in a dimly lighted alley near 10th Street and Monterey Avenue when a man
tried to force her into a car, the Daily Breeze reported. That woman also
managed to escape. If you have
any information related to the incidents, please call Detective Robert Higgins
at 310-318-0341.
The Beach Reporter - February 3, 2005
Hermosa
Beach
News
Annual police report cites
2004 crime stats (2/3)
By Whitney
Youngs
According to Hermosa Beach's
annual statistical report for 2004, major crime in most categories exhibited a
downward direction compared to 2003, but just like in 2003, there was a
continued upward trend in the category of the number of adults arrested.
According to the report, of the
major crimes reported - murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft and auto
theft - the police documented 714 crimes in 2004 compared to 752 crimes reported
in 2003.
"It's always been described to
me over the years that our crime rate is somewhat flat and I think this year's
report is still somewhat characteristic of that," said Hermosa Beach Police
Chief Mike Lavin. "We are up in a few categories, we are down in a few others.
There are no real significant changes."
Police reported no murders this
year compared to one last year while sex crimes declined from 11 cases in 2003
to seven cases in 2004.
The murder reported in 2003 was
that of Hermosa Beach resident Joel Bues, 25, who was killed in his car at the
intersection of Pier Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway in March 2003 at
approximately 12:45 a.m.
Bues was shot to death while
driving his BMW, which he pulled up to a red light at the intersection in the
outside left-hand turning lane. Police were never sure if the shooting was a
random act of violence or if Bues knew the suspect.
According to the report,
robbery rose slightly with 20 cases reported in 2004 compared to 13 in 2003.
Assaults increased by only
three cases from 140 in 2003 to 143 in 2004. On the other hand, burglary reports
declined by three cases from 143 in 2003 to 140 in 2004.
Theft, which includes grand and
petty thefts, and auto theft also declined in 2004. In the area of theft, police
reported 388 cases in 2003 compared to 359 in 2004; and in auto thefts, police
had reported 80 in 2002 and 56 in 2003, which are both up from 2004's 45
reported cases. DUI reports also decreased from 285 in 2003 to 164 in 2004.
"I not sure exactly why we have
seen a drop in DUIs," said Lavin. "We still participate with the South Bay DUI
Task Force which deploys every month. In addition to that, we are still out
there doing our own thing."
Police continued arresting more
people this year with 1,388 adults arrested. The figure continues to grow each
year, setting new records in more than a decade. Police arrested 1,315 adults in
2003, which had already constituted the highest number of arrests since 1991.
"I think the large number of
arrests is a result of the activity downtown," added Lavin. "It brings us an
awful lot of business.
I'm not sure if we are
necessarily seeing larger crowds. My impression is that the size is very much
the same over the years. What we are seeing is a very transient crowd - a lot of
different people who are circulating through just in the different people we
arrest. People who are in the area have heard about Hermosa Beach and want to
come check it out."
Juvenile arrests in 2004 were
reported at 20 compared to 28 in 2003.
Police once again reported no
fatal traffic accidents in 2004, 2003 or 2002; and reported 60 injury traffic
accidents in 2004 compared to 88 in 2003. In the downtown area, the Police
Department has had to staff foot patrols in the downtown area virtually every
night of the week, which is an indication that the area has become more active
during the week as well as the weekends.
"It remains busy on the
weekends, in particular, but even now during the week it's busy, busy enough
where we would never staff foot patrols down there at night we are now staffing
them about six nights of the week," explained Lavin.
"We almost have to maintain a
presence down there to kind of keep things under rein. People get intoxicated
and start fighting, and if we weren't down there to stop it, we would see our
misdemeanor batteries escalating into felony assaults with deadly weapons.
Someone could even go to the
point of killing someone else just because they are in a drunken stupor and
they're doing something really stupid. So really one of the real basic missions
of the officers down there is to try and stop those disturbances from getting
out of hand."
The number of police calls for
service decreased this year from 32,241 to 30,215 while the number of
disturbance calls rose from 3,025 to 4,201. The number of parking citations also
increased from 46,800 to 51,137.
Hermosa Beach
Crime Statistics - 1998 to 2004
Criminal Adult Total Calls Disturbance
Burglary Robbery Assaults DUI Citations Arrests For Service Calls
1998 -- 113 17 77
150 562 608 19,951
3,199
2004 -- 140 20 143
164 1,419 1,388 30,215
4,201
Crime Categories That Have
Shown an Increase from 1998 thru 2004
Criminal Adult Total Calls Disturbance
Burglary Robbery Assaults DUI Citations Arrests For Service Calls
Up
Up Up Up Up
Up Up Up
23.9 % 17.6 %
85.7 % 9.3 % 152 %
128 % 51.4 %
31.3 %
Source: The Hermosa Beach Police Department
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