by Kevin Cody
Nearly one dozen Redondo Beach residents, including Redondo City Councilmembers Nils Nehrenheim, and Paige Kaluderovic, asked the Hermosa City Council to rescind its two letters to the Los Angeles County Metro Board expressing support for having the C Line (Green Line) extension pass through North Redondo Beach.
“Imagine a Metro train running 300 times a day down the Hermosa Beach Greenbelt,” Redondo Beach resident Colleen Viegas told the Hermosa Council at the Tuesday, September 26 meeting.
“When Big Oil tried to take over your Greenbelt, Redondo residents supported you,” Redondo resident Jennifer Dodge reminded the council. A 2016 Hermosa ballot measure would have allowed drilling from the Hermosa City yard. The measure was defeated.
The Metro C line currently stops at the Marine Street station in Redondo Beach. Metro is weighing two options for extending the C Line route to the newly opened Mary K. Giordano Regional Transit Center in south Torrance.
The “ROW” (right of way) option would run along the railroad right of way through Lawndale and North Redondo. The Hawthorne Boulevard option would run down the center of Hawthorne Boulevard.
“The Row option will run within 350 feet of 1,652 families, including 191 seniors at Breakwater Village, and 100 seniors at Harmony Court,” Redondo resident Matt Lewis told the council. By contrast, he said, the Hawthorne route would affect 618 families, “most buffered from the sound and vibrations by businesses.”
Redondo Councilmembers Nehrenheim and Kaluderovic expressed disappointment that the Hermosa council had not consulted with the Redondo council before expressing support for the C Line extension passing through North Redondo.
“We need to get on the same page,” Nehrenheim told the council, “Yes, the Hawthorne option is more expensive. But think of this as a 100 year project.”
He compared the Hawthorne option to Germany’s and France’s post World War II decisions to underground their mass transit, though it was more costly than laying track through neighborhoods. The Hawthorne option calls for tracks to be elevated over Hawthorne Boulevard.
Kaluderovic told the council, “I’m disappointed you supported the ROW option. Redondo hopes the railroad right of way will become a dedicated bike path, creating a greener, more connected region,” she said.
“Hawthorne Boulevard is already dedicated to transit and business,” she noted.
Councilmember Dean Francois asked City Manager Suja Lowenthal why the two letters supporting the North Redondo ROW option were sent to the Metro board.
“The city council, as I recall, never took any action to support the right of way option,” Francois said.
The letters were dated June 14, 2023, and September 19, and signed by Mayor Raymond Jackson.
Lowenthal responded to Francois by stating, “The letter was sent based on a long standing practice here in the city, which predates me, that the mayor and Mayor Pro Tem are the Communications Subcommittee of the council.”
The letters expressed support for the North Redondo ROW option, she said, because the ROW option allowed “for members of the South Bay to take a one-seat ride to LAX or Downtown.”
She added that the two letters were included for council review in the council meeting agenda packets after the letters were sent.
Mayor Jackson proposed having the council discuss its position on the C Line extension at the next council meeting.
“I know that we’ve spoken to the Metro Board about the September letter — about withdrawing it — that was done earlier. This might be a good opportunity to bring that back as soon as possible for a discussion on how to proceed.”
Councilmembers Mike Detoy and Francois supported the mayor’s proposal.
City Manager Lowenthal said the issue would be placed on the agenda for the council’s next regular meeting, on October 10.
The Metro Board of Directors is scheduled to discuss the two C Line extensions options at its Thursday, October 26 meeting. ER
