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The HBNA Newsletters for February 2007
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The HBNA Newsletter for March 30, 2007 Hermosa Beach, this past Monday at 10am: Carjack suspect pulled out a metal knife or razor and held it to the victim's throat. Hermosa Police made an arrest after a man allegedly cut two people with a knife or razor during a failed carjacking on Monday. The incident began when house painters working on Ingleside Drive left their keys in their van, and then one of the painters’ found a man sitting in the driver’s seat with the engine running at about 10 a.m., police said. The man told the painter “I have a big truck coming through and you need to move your van.” The man slid over, and the painter hopped in behind the wheel and drove about 10 feet. Then the man pulled out a metal knife or razor and held it to the painter’s throat saying, “Keep driving or I will kill you,” a police report stated. The painter hopped back out and another painter suffered a cut on his arm as he struggled with the man. The man then tried to cut the first painter’s throat, injuring him on his arms and one hand, a police report stated. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1806.htmRegarding Pier Plaza - Ten Years Later . . .What Are The Results? The result, though, has been an abundance of bars and restaurants that leaves a heavier emphasis on nightlife in town, said Councilman J.R. Reviczky, who voted to create a specific plan years ago. Councilman J.R. Reviczky, "It's a beginning," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, we tried it one way and I think we could have done better. ... The end result was certainly not my vision of what would happen."
HB Council seeks more control of Pier Plaza - Majority apparently would like to have greater latitude in determining future businesses in the bustling area. Hermosa Beach city officials hoped for success when they approved plans more than a decade ago to turn lower Pier Avenue into an open-air piazza decked out with palm trees, metal benches and nautical-style lighting. And they got what they wanted: Pier Plaza today is a hefty sales tax generator for the city and a bustling hot spot filled with families looking for food and sunshine during the day, and young party animals searching for a drink and a good time at night. But officials now want more control of the thriving downtown's future. On Tuesday, they initiated the lengthy process of creating a specific plan that will allow the City Council to set special guidelines for development in that area. A special district would give the city more discretion over the types of businesses permitted in the area, as well as control building and parking standards, said Councilman Michael Keegan, who pitched the plan Tuesday. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2105.htm
Compare the Crime Statistics since the 1997 HB Pier Plaza Renovation for: Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and El Segundo
The Sharkeez Rebuild . . .The new watering hole will be 5,600 square feet, have two floors with a larger patio and a retractable skylight. Commission moves Sharkeez expansion plans forward - Aloha Sharkeez will soon be more than just the burned-down bar on Pier Avenue thanks to a resolution passed from the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission at its March 20 meeting. It's been almost a year since the popular watering hole became known as “Sharkeez inferno” when it burned down in an early morning blaze. However, according to the new plans, the remodeled Sharkeez will be 2,000 square feet larger than its original structure. Damage from the fire will not allow the building to be repaired; therefore, owner Greg Newman will have to reconstruct the bar from the ground up. The new watering hole will be 5,600 square feet, have two floors with a larger patio and a retractable skylight on the upper floor. However, food and alcohol will not be served past midnight on the top floor. The building will not exceed the 30-feet height limit and according to the resolution, the new structure will minimize impact on ocean views for surrounding residents. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4007.htm
Neighbors speak in support of Club 705 - It was a packed house at Hermosa Beach's City Council meeting when dozens of people showed up in favor of allowing Club 705 to keep its regular business hours. Despite the crowd, City Council members, who granted the club's owner a public hearing extension to the April 10 meeting, asked everyone to hold their testimony. At the April 10 hearing, council members will either support the appeal of the club's owner or side with the Planning Commission's decision to modify the business's hours and use of space. Residents of all ages and backgrounds gathered inside the City Council chambers. Most, according to a show of hands, were ready to testify to the council that they were now OK with upper Pier Avenue's only nightclub. However, before the public hearing could get started, a lawyer representing the owner of the club stood before the council and requested that the public hearing be held at the next council meeting in two weeks. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4107.htm
What Do You Think? NEW ALCOHOL OUTLETS IN HERMOSA BEACH. A GOOD IDEA? What is your opinion on expanding alcohol outlets on Pier Plaza, Upper Pier Ave and PCH? Read the Opinions of other Hermosa Beach residents and include your own. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/forum/forum.php?which=HBsurvey
Hermosa police arrest man for suspicion of carjacking after stolen van crashes - Hermosa police make arrest in MB after stolen van crashes - A transient drove off in a painter's van Monday in Hermosa Beach but crashed into two cars in Manhattan Beach when police tried to stop him. The man was arrested on suspicion of carjacking, theft and assault with a deadly weapon. A transient drove off in a painter's van Monday in Hermosa Beach but crashed into two cars in Manhattan Beach when police tried to stop him. The 51-year-old man, just four months out of prison, was arrested after the van rolled over in the middle of Rosecrans Avenue at Park Way, Hermosa Beach police Sgt. Paul Wolcott said. The painter had been working in the 2900 block of Ingleside Drive in Hermosa Beach when someone got into his truck at midmorning and stole it. He was held without the possibility of bail because he was on parole. The nature of his conviction and his name were not available. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2205.htm
HB Mother Robbed at Gunpoint in front of her children and at home -
Police identify suspects in Hermosa home invasion - Two men suspected of barging into a home and robbing a woman at gunpoint in front of her children are identified. Two men suspected of barging into a Hermosa Beach home and robbing a woman at gunpoint in front of her children were identified today as Hawthorne residents. Asi Muimui Sekona, 29, and his cousin, Fine Teumohenga Sekona, 36, were arrested Tuesday afternoon at the end of a chase in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach police Sgt. Paul Wolcott said. Fine Sekona is suspected of putting a gun to the woman's head and demanding cash and jewelry after he and his cousin entered her 35th Street home in Hermosa Beach shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday. The Sekonas fled, but were caught when police gave chase into a dead-end street in Redondo Beach. Asi Sekona broke his leg when he smacked into a patrol car that blocked his path as he tried to run away. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2205.htm
The date of the AVP tour in Hermosa Beach was moved to the third weekend of May, a full two months earlier than in previous years.
HB AVP Open fees won't change this year - But volleyball event's dates are moving -- to May -- and permit to add more paid seating was just for July. South Bay beach volleyball fans can count on another year of mostly free admission to the Hermosa Beach Open after all. The tournament's owners will continue charging admission to a quarter of spectators at this year's tournament, rather than the 90 percent of fans approved last month by the California Coastal Commission, said Dave Williams, market director for the Association of Volleyball Professionals. The AVP has agreed to charge 25 percent of spectators admission in exchange for moving Hermosa Beach's tournament up a couple of months, said Teresa Henry, South Coast District manager for the Coastal Commission. Traditionally a July event, this year's tournament is now scheduled for May 17-20 to accommodate a recently added tournament stop in Long Beach. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2305.htm
Wind downs power lines, sparks home fire - Talk about being in the right place at the right time. The Hermosa Beach Fire Department was at one traffic accident when the collapse of power lines and a house fire erupted near the scene. At approximately noon on March 27, the Fire Department responded to a three-car traffic collision on Pacific Coast Highway and about Eighth Street. At approximately 12:30 to 12:45 p.m. as firefighters were clearing the scene of the accident, whose victims suffered only minor injuries, firefighters noticed power lines had arced causing a blue light with white smoke. “We isolated the area, made sure nobody walked through the area and the residents in the area were safe as Edison de-energized the wires and clipped the wires from the poles. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3906.htm
Divorcing robber strikes a local bank - The “Irreconcilable Differences Bandit,” who robbed a Hermosa bank on March 9 saying he really needed the money, has been linked to nine other bank robberies in the greater LA area since Dec. 22, the FBI said. He also is being sought in a Dec. 14 street holdup in Beverly Hills in which he allegedly used a revolver. In Hermosa, the robber walked into the Union Bank of California at 1401 Pacific Coast Highway about noon, wearing a blue blazer, a blue scarf and a blue baseball hat with white trim. He allegedly patted his side and told a teller he had a gun and presented a note demanding large bills. FBI spokeswoman Laura Einmiller said the robber told the teller, “I’m sorry I have to do this, but if I didn’t really need the money I wouldn’t be doing this.” http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1907.htm
S ome business owners were concerned that if too much change happened, rents would be raised and some of the city's older businesses would be forced to leave.Pedestrians, traffic, parking top concerns - Upper Pier Ave. Town Hall meeting - The March 24 meeting was well-attended, attracting roughly 50 business owners and Hermosa Beach residents who were there to voice their opinion and listen to what others had to say regarding plans for upper Pier Avenue. Scott Cooper, owner of Jackson's Bistro located on upper Pier Avenue, said that parking is the critical issue. He suggested a centralized valet service or shuttle services. “The future for Hermosa Beach is unbelievably bright,” said Cooper, who opened Jackson's in 1999. “We just have to be smart about it.” Attendees at the meeting seemed most concerned about pedestrian safety, traffic flow and parking. However, some business owners were concerned that if too much change happened, rents would be raised and some of the city's older businesses would be forced to leave. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4107.htm
Hermosa Beach is ordered to reinstate fired police officer - Adopting a hearing officer's recommendations, the County Civil Service Commission has unanimously agreed that former Hermosa Beach police officer Todd Lewitt should be reinstated to his job and receive back pay. Lewitt, 41, was terminated in November 2005 on grounds he tried to sneak a gun through security at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, and lied about it. Lewitt, though, claims he was actually fired because of his public battle with department management. The city objected to the hearing officer's findings, but the commission voted Wednesday to adopt the officer's recommendations and ordered that Lewitt get his job back. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2505.htm
AVP tourney moves to May - The Association of Volleyball Professionals recently announced that the popular beach volleyball tournament will come to Hermosa Beach a little bit earlier this year, leaving local officials with less time than initially expected to prepare for the popular event. In a statement issued on March 5, AVP's chief executive officer Leonard Armato indicated he was “pleased” following the release of the association's 2007 schedule. The announcement pushes up the date of the tour's Hermosa Beach event to the third weekend of May, a full two months earlier then was previously indicated in documents submitted to the California Coastal Commission. The documents were part of a request to the commission seeking permission to increase the amount of paid seating at its Hermosa Beach event from 24 percent to 100 percent. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3906.htm
HB Council changes rules for business parking - The Hermosa Beach City Council approved a parking ordinance that will allow local businesses to pay in-lieu fees and provide less parking than the current mandated requirement for some downtown businesses. The City Council debated for more than an hour at its March 13 meeting about whether to adopt an ordinance dealing with parking for Pier Plaza businesses. After a contentious discussion that saw one member of the council accuse a colleague of “taking it personal,” and a resident issuing a warning that the city would face a referendum if it approved the amendment, the council voted to adopt the ordinance by a 4-1 vote. In particular, the amendment exempts pier plaza buildings that “exceed a one-to-one gross floor area to building site ratio” from providing a minimum of 25 percent of the required parking on-site. Though the amendment pertained to every business on the pier plaza, the initial impetus behind the proposal was a desire by local officials to expedite the reconstruction of Aloha Sharkeez, which burned down in a fire last May. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4107.htm
Referendum targets plaza parking rule - City Hall watcher Jim Lissner has launched a referendum drive to overturn a city ordinance that eases some parking requirements for Pier Plaza businesses. The City Council earlier this month exempted new or rebuilt businesses on the pedestrian Plaza from a requirement to provide on-site parking, instead allowing them to pay into a city fund for future parking lots. The council’s decision allows a new and expanded Baja Sharkeez to pay into the fund rather than providing five on-site parking spaces. Sharkeez’ owner plans to rebuild after fire gutted the business last May. Lissner, a frequent critic of what he sees as a saturation of alcohol-serving businesses in Hermosa and resulting rowdiness and noise, has until the second week in April to gather signatures from 10 percent of the town’s registered voters, who number about 1,400 people. If he is successful, the council could either reconsider its decision or see the matter placed before Hermosa voters. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1907.htm
Glen Ivy's request to serve beer and wine denied - The Hermosa Beach Planning Commission denied Glen Ivy's request to serve beer and wine at the spa at its March 20 meeting. Located in the Hermosa Plaza on Pacific Coast Highway upstairs from 24-Hour Fitness, Glen Ivy Day Spa is a traditional spa with massages, facials and other body treatments. However, one thing they have not been permitted to serve their guests is alcohol. Mari Markell, director of sales and marketing for Glen Ivy Hot Springs Inc., explained that at the other Glen Ivy locations where beer and wine are permitted, it is served only to guests receiving spa treatments and it is not a prominent feature of the spa. “We don't advertise it and it's not on any of our Web sites,” Markell said. “In fact, last year we only made $450 profit from the sale of wine, so clearly it is not a money maker for us. That is not the reason we serve it.” Despite Markell's rationale, all Planning Commissioners agreed it would not be wise to grant the spa a conditional use permit allowing it to sell beer and wine. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4007.htm
Hermosa is told to reinstate officer fired in gun dispute - The Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission has unanimously ruled that the Hermosa Beach Police Department wrongly fired Officer Todd Lewitt, and must reinstate him with back pay. The ruling upholds an earlier decision in Lewitt’s favor by a commission hearing officer. City officials said they were awaiting written notice of the ruling last Wednesday before determining whether to challenge it in Superior Court. Lewitt’s attorney, Corey Glave, said the city’s chance of a successful challenge would be “slim at best.” The Civil Service Commission ruled that Lewitt’s firing was based on a false accusation that he tried to sneak a loaded handgun past an airport metal detector. Lewitt has said he believes police officials wanted to fire him as retribution for criticisms he has leveled against the department. Lewitt was fired after he was accused of sneaking a handgun past security at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana on Aug. 14, 2005. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2505.htm
HB City Council wrap - Sharkeez - Hermosa Beach City Councilman J.R. Reviczky pulled the Planning Commission meeting minutes from the consent calendar at the City Council's March 27 meeting, so that residents could speak about the commission's approval of the expansion of Sharkeez. One resident said he was unhappy about the Planning Commission's decision to approve the added square footage of Sharkeez. However, several other residents, including an employee of Bank of America, which neighbors the bar, spoke in favor of the approved expansion. “I often need a place where I can take my clients to lunch and Sharkeez is the place I go. Since it burned down, I don't know where to take them,” the Bank of America employee said. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4207.htm
Knocking over coin-operated laundries may be a low-rent crime, but two alleged thieves arrested Thursday by Hermosa Beach police are suspected of doing it in style. Hermosa Beach officers said they discovered a thick wad of $1 bills and up to $300 in loose quarters inside a stolen, brand-new Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle the men allegedly were using. The men were booked on suspicion of auto theft and detectives were working to tie in burglary charges against the pair. Considering the nature of the loot -- a variety of tools commonly used in burglaries and empty laundry bags recovered from inside the vehicle -- police suspect the men had been burglarizing Laundromats, Detective Steve Saylor said. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2505.htm
Activist: Pier Plaza parking unfair - A Hermosa Beach resident has launched a referendum drive to challenge a city ordinance that eases parking requirements for Pier Plaza businesses. The City Council gave final approval Tuesday to the ordinance that exempts those businesses from having to provide a certain amount of on-site parking as long as they pay fees to the city. Activist Jim Lissner now has 30 days to gather signatures from about 10 percent of registered voters in town -- about 1,400 people. A longtime opponent of bars in town, Lissner argued that the ordinance would ease the way for more taverns to build in town and should be limited to other types of businesses like offices and retail stores. He also said Planning Commission and City Council discussion of the ordinance was not properly publicized. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2505.htm
City may look at webcasting meetings - Though Hermosa Beach was quick to embrace the Internet by offering free Wi-Fi access, the city has been slow to broadcast its meetings via the Web. Also known as streaming video or webcasting, the service has quickly become the norm in governments at the state, federal and local levels. Just recently, the California Coastal Commission jumped on the bandwagon and broadcast one of its meetings on the Internet, the first time it has done so in the agency's 30-year history. Among local municipalities, five cities currently provide streaming video services to their residents - Carson, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Torrance and Rancho Palos Verdes. “I'm very interested in doing that,” said Councilman J.R. Reviczky, of broadcasting meetings online. “I like what Torrance did.” He added that the item will appear on a future agenda, most likely sometime after May. “Next year's budget,” he said. “There's no money in the budget for it this year. I'm going to prepare it for the budget (after the fiscal year ends).” http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4207.htm
Sharkeez 2nd Floor Expansion is Approved.
Sharkeez's plans to expand move forward - Factions both for and against the expansion of a popular pier plaza establishment known as Aloha Sharkeez appeared before the Planning Commission to voice concerns about the project. After a dramatic public hearing that touched upon some of the core issues facing Hermosa Beach, the commission signed off on plans to expand the business by a 4-1 vote. Commissioner Ron Pizer voted against the motion. The decision was a clear victory for the owners, Ron and Greg Newman, who own and operate a number of Sharkeez restaurants across Southern California. Both testified before the commission Tuesday night to present their vision for the new business, a two-story, 5,600-square-foot building. During public comments, Ron spoke while his son Greg displayed artists' renderings of the new building on a nearby projector. “We designed the building to be kind of a Spanish colonial building,” said Newman. Newman also argued that allowing an expansion of his business would give other business owners on the plaza an incentive to follow suit. “I think this building is going to add a lot to the city,” said Newman. “It's going to cause a lot of other businesses to upgrade their business.” http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4007.htm
AVP "Hermosa Open" Allowed to Charge for Beach Volleyball Seating.
Sharkeez expansion hits bump with panel - Structure will be rebuilt, but commission's decision limiting outdoor area's hours may alter plans. In a contentious meeting Tuesday, the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission approved a plan to rebuild a charred cantina bigger than ever, but also ordered a condition that Sharkeez proprietors said could make expansion plans all for naught. Co-owner Greg Newman says he will appeal a requirement that a proposed open-air second-story eating area must close at midnight while the rest of the bar below can stay open until 2 a.m., an order he said makes it impossible to expand the nightspot by nearly 50 percent as planned. If the City Council sticks with the commission's decision, Newman said he would likely scrap the expansion plans and rebuild Sharkeez to match its original configuration before an early morning blaze ravaged the Pier Plaza bar May 9. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2505.htm
Police capture suspects in Hermosa home invasion - One man suffers a broken leg while running from police officers. Another man is found hidden nearby. Two men suspected of breaking into a Hermosa Beach house and robbing a mother at gunpoint in front of her children were captured Tuesday following a chase into Redondo Beach, police said. One of the men broke his leg when he tried to escape on foot and smacked into a police car blocking his path, police said. The other was arrested hiding behind a Jacuzzi in a backyard, Hermosa Beach police Sgt. Paul Wolcott said. The mother was home with her young children on 35th Street near Manhattan Avenue when the two men burst in through her open front door shortly after 5 p.m. One of the men put a gun to the mother's head as her children watched. They robbed her of jewelry and cash, Wolcott said.The woman called police as the gunmen fled in a silver Ford. A Manhattan Beach police officer spotted the car on Manhattan Beach Boulevard at Sepulveda Boulevard. The alleged robbers saw him and sped away, triggering a chase into Redondo Beach, Wolcott said. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2205.htm
Sharkeez p Makeover in the works for Pier Plaza's Sharkeez - The owner of the burned-out bar wants to increase its size and add a retractable skylight. Commissioners will vote on the matter tonight. After nine months of darkness, a once hot Hermosa Beach nightspot could rise from its ashes bigger than before if proprietors get their way tonight. The city's Planning Commission will decide if the owners of Sharkeez can rebuild the fire-ravaged cantina and increase its floor space by more than 50 percent. Plans call for a taller and wider two-story structure with a reconfigured interior, including a retractable skylight on the second floor to allow for outdoor dining. But much of the extra 2,000 square feet will be devoted to larger, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant bathrooms and elevators, and a staircase, owner Greg Newman said. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2505.htm
MOMS, others get beautiful - Volunteers including Hermosa Beach MOMS have planted seven ficus trees and 25 flax shrubs on the greenbelt near Second Street, as Act No. 38 in the Hermosa Centennial’s “100 Acts of Beautification.” That’s 38 acts down, 62 to go. The 6-foot trees will grow to heights of about 25 feet and the shrubs will grow to about 6 feet in height. The plants were purchased by the Friends of the Park community group, and the city public works staff lent its expertise to the project. “We want to polish up the city and leave Hermosa Beach in even better condition for the next 100 years,” said Michael DiVirgilio, a city public works commissioner who chairs the 100 Acts Committee. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead2007.htm
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Sharkeez wants to expand by more than 50 percent - Later this month, members of the city's Planning Commission will consider a request by the proprietors of a popular pier plaza establishment known as Aloha Sharkeez to expand their business by roughly 55 percent. In light of this, the founder of the business recently began lobbying commissioners in anticipation of the upcoming hearing on Feb. 20. In particular, a proposal was recently submitted to the city requesting an increase in the size of the building by approximately 2,000 square feet. The property's owners, Ron and Greg Newman, are also requesting approval to provide outdoor seating on both the first and second floors of the building. But a roadblock soon appeared after local officials reached a determination that the fire damaged more than 50 percent of the building. Under the old zoning code, nonconforming commercial properties, of which Sharkeez was one, were required to conform to current code standards upon their reconstruction from a calamity. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4007.htm
From HB Planning Commission – Sharkeez request for; Precise Development Plan, Parking Plan, Conditional Use Permit and Text Amendment for “in lieu” parking. City of Hermosa Beach document: http://www.hermosabch.org/departments/building/agenmin/pc20070220/7.pdf
New Alcohol Outlets at the: Hermosa Pavilion at 1601 Pacific Coast Highway Glen Ivy Day Spa – New On-Sale Alcohol License – Requested Conditional Use Permit to allow On-Sale beer and wine in conjunction with a day spa. Total floor size of 13,000 square feet. Public Hearing scheduled for the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission meeting on March 20, 2007. http://www.hermosabch.org/departments/building/agenmin/pc20070220/14c.pdf Still Water Contemporary American Bistro – New On-Sale and Off-Sale Alcohol License – Approved by the Hermosa Beach City Council on December 12, 2006 http://www.hermosabch.org/departments/cityclerk/agenmin/cca20061212/5a.pdf Still Water Contemporary American Bistro – Conditional Use Permit to allow On-Sale ABC license for restaurant, Off-Sale ABC license for wine shop with wine tasting. Total floor size of 8000 square feet - Approved by the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission on August 15, 2006. http://www.hermosabch.org/departments/building/agenmin/pc20060815/6.pdf
What Do You Think? MORE ALCOHOL OUTLETS IN HERMOSA BEACH. A GOOD IDEA? What is your opinion on expanding alcohol outlets on Pier Plaza, Upper Pier Ave and PCH? Read the Opinions of other Hermosa Beach residents and include your own. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/forum/threads.php?id=201_0_7_0_C
A Police Department report listed 507 responses by officers in the downtown in 2006, including 354 reported as disturbances, 42 as loud music, 41 as medical aids, 28 as batteries, 21 as theft, one as rape, one as kidnapping and one as assault.
HB Nightspots move to police themselves - Owners of popular downtown nightspots are getting together to “police” themselves and cut down on excessive noise and rowdiness, in hopes of preventing stricter regulation by the city. “What we’re doing is coming together to put down some ground rules we will follow,” said Fred Hahn, owner of Patrick Molloy’s on the Pier Plaza, a member of the Hermosa Beach Restaurant Association, made up of 15 to 20 mostly downtown restaurant owners. Hahn said city officials’ concerns are reasonable. He said he would be concerned himself if he lived in a nearby Strand home and was subjected to loud noise at 2 a.m. “We all understand that,” he said. “We are trying to curb it.” The City Council last month began considering the new level of regulation, in the form of an entertainment permit each restaurant or bar would have to apply for. The permits would spell out what, if any, live entertainment an establishment would be allowed to offer, and list the allowable hours for entertainment as well. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1806.htm
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New members named to Pier Committee - Among the people chosen to serve on an all-volunteer committee charged with shaping the future of Pier Avenue are two local architects, a business owner, a certified public accountant and an owner of a local art gallery. That committee, known as the Upper Pier Avenue Committee, received an overwhelming response from the public following an announcement to fill five additional seats on the panel. Jerry Gross, Ken Klade, Kim MacMullan, Dean Nota and Larry Peha were named as the five newest members of the panel at the committee's last meeting on Feb. 15. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Carla Merriman was also named as an “ex-officio” member of the panel, who would serve alongside others on the committee but who will have no voting rights. The additional members were chosen following an informal interview process in which each applicant was given three minutes to address the panel. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4107.htm
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. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3706.htm
Will the following new law promote the expansion of Pier Plaza by not requiring on-site parking? TO EXEMPT BUILDING SITES ON PIER PLAZA FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE A MINIMUM OF TWENTY-FIVE (25) PERCENT OF PARKING SPACES ON SITE. http://www.hermosabch.org/departments/cityclerk/agenmin/cca20070227/5b.pdf City of Hermosa Beach - Public Notice Hermosa Beach City Council Public Hearing on Feb. 27, 2007AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING HERMOSA BEACH CITY COUNCIL
http://www.hermosabch.org/departments/cityclerk/agenmin/cca20070227/ PUBLIC HEARINGS - TO COMMENCE AT 7:30 P.M. Notice is Hereby Given that the City Council on the City of Hermosa Beach shall hold a public hearing on Tuesday, February 27, 2007, to consider the following: 2. Private Text Amendment to exempt building sites on Pier Plaza from the requirement to provide a minimum of twenty-five (25) percent of parking spaces on site when in-lieu parking fees are paid for buildings exceeding a one-to-one gross floor area to building site ration.(Community Development Department, Tel. 310-318-0240) Memorandum from Community Development Director Sol Blumenfeld dated February 27, 2007. http://www.hermosabch.org/departments/cityclerk/agenmin/cca20070227/5b.pdf Said Public Hearing shall be held at 7:30 P.M., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard in the City Hall Council Chambers, 1315 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Any And All Persons interested are invited t participate and speak at this hearing at the above time and place. RECOMMENDATION: Waive full reading and introduce ordinance to amend the Zoning Ordinance. Has the Quality of Life Gotten Better or Worse in Hermosa Beach?
Read the Opinions of other Hermosa Beach residents and include your own. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/forum/threads.php?id=191_0_7_0_C
HB Planning Commission Public Hearing: TEXT 06-5 -- Status report in regard to a Special Study to initiate a General Plan Text Amendment, General Plan Map Change, and Zone Change for Civic Center, City Yard, Community Services, and the Community Center properties (continued from January 16, 2007 meeting). http://www.hermosabch.org/departments/building/agenmin/pc20070220/12.pdf
What’s Your Opinion?
Build a 400 Car Parking Garage for Upper Pier Ave? A Good Idea? Should the City of Hermosa Beach make changes to the “Open Space Zone” requirements in order to build a 400 multi-level car parking garage next to the City Hall?
Read the Opinions of other Hermosa Beach residents and include your own. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/forum/threads.php?id=200_0_7_0_C
HB Police target crimes of ‘opportunity’ - Police Chief Greg Savelli urged Hermosans to combat opportunistic criminals by locking homes and cars, keeping an eye on their neighborhoods, and taking steps such as carving personal identifying marks into their skateboards. After examining the Police Department’s crime statistics covering 2006, Savelli said much of the preventable crime in Hermosa is perpetrated by the opportunistic rip-off who preys on the unlocked garage, the unlocked car, the valuables sitting out on the car’s back seat instead of tucked away in the truck. “We’re seeing crimes of opportunity. It’s the open door, the open car,” Savelli said. “People find they have a sense of safety in our community, and they might not realize that people walking through our community sometimes take advantage of that sense of safety,” he said. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1907.htm
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