Letters to the Editor 1-30-25

Housing shadow

Dear ER:

Yes, the State’s Density Bonus law permits developers to build high-rise apartment buildings along the Sepulveda Corridor (“Transparency in criticism,” ER Letters, January 23, 2025). For instance, there is one Manhattan Beach developer who wants to build a 7-story apartment building at 2301 Sepulveda Boulevard, towering over residential homes on Oak Avenue. Some believe the City has no discretion. Not true! Our City does have a great deal of discretion. 

First, the City can amend its Housing Element to move the Residential Overlay District from the Sepulveda Corridor to the Rosecrans Corridor, the south side of Rosecrans between Aviation and Sepulveda.  

In response to the State mandate to zone for an additional 776 residential units in its latest Housing Element, the City created a Residential Overlay District in our Sepulveda Corridor with more than 65 commercially zoned properties being rezoned residential. That is 65 potential high rise apartment projects for developers to impose upon residents who live in adjacent neighborhoods, utterly destroying the quiet enjoyment of living in their homes.  

The solution is simple: move the Residential Overlay District from the Sepulveda Corridor to the Rosecrans Corridor. A Residential Overlay District in the Rosecrans Corridor would not result in high rise apartments impacting an adjacent residential neighborhood. Also, the two shopping centers need to be removed, and they could be with mixed use development. Finally, the Kinecta site on Rosecrans already has a proposed apartment project for 582 multi-family apartment projects, covering most of our State goal of building 776 new residential units.

Additionally, the City can disapprove any proposed high rise apartment project that “…would have a specific, adverse impact upon the health and safety.”  However, the City needs to adopt a process to make such an analysis for these types of high-rise apartment projects. To date, the City has not done so.   

Mark Burton

Manhattan Beach

Best, and Safest Little Beach City

Dear ER:

As a City, we are proud to host a number of hallmark Hermosa Beach events, including the Surfers Walk of Fame, the Sand Snowman Contest and this past year’s return of the Hermosa Beach Concert Series. We also regularly partner with local organizations on various special events that attract residents and visitors alike, including Fiesta Hermosa, Locale 90254: Octoberfest, The Rams Draft Experience, Movies at the Beach and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Each time the City hosts or partners on an event, our top priority is ensuring the safety of participants, attendees and the broader community.

To achieve this, and as outlined in the Special Events Policy Guide adopted by the City Council, the City requires event producers requesting street closures to adhere to a comprehensive traffic control plan. This plan must include detailed illustrations of all road closures, detours and the precise placement of crash-tested barricades, gates and signage to provide perimeter security and protect those within the event area.

Each plan is thoroughly reviewed by both the City’s Police and Public Works Departments to ensure safety standards are met prior to the event. Once the plan is approved, event producers are responsible for securing and deploying these barricades and other safety tools, which are then inspected by the Public Works Department’s professionally licensed traffic engineer to confirm effectiveness and proper positioning.

These measures are not optional or “nice-to-haves”—they are essential public safety standards that safeguard lives and shield the City and local taxpayers from potential liability. They mitigate risks ranging from inattentive drivers to mental health crises and even intentional threats, which are unfortunately more common today than a decade ago. 

The City remains committed to supporting event organizers as they navigate these processes. Since 2021, we have worked closely with local organizations, including the Hermosa Beach Chamber, to ensure these security measures are expected and in place. While we understand that plans and costs do change, our current requirements have not changed from those used for last year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

We commend our partner organizations, City staff and previous City Councils for working together to require and implement these essential safety measures, which reflect our shared responsibility for public security and event success. Together, we are working to ensure that Hermosa Beach continues to feature its unique set of special community events while safeguarding the well-being of our residents and visitors.

Suja Lowenthal

City Manager

City of Hermosa Beach

Go ask grandpa

Dear ER:

Discussing the concept of duality with my grandson on how opposites like good and bad coexist made me reflect on how Hermosa Beach approaches engagement and decision-making. Here are recent examples that highlight both strengths and opportunities for improvement:

Town Hall Meeting

The Good: Mayor Dean Francois and Mayor Pro-Tem Rob Saemann showed commitment by brainstorming with the community on critical issues and concerns like fire safety at the Mayor’s recent town hall meeting.

The Bad: After the first hour, the City Manager was absent to take notmnes or engage, and the Brown Act limits a majority of the councilmembers from discussing their views together.

Civic Facility Project Stakeholder Meeting

The Good: The City values community input and includes residents in discussions.

The Bad: The City could have saved significant money by engaging earlier, as there is clear opposition to this project. While updates, beautification, better parking, and enhancements to Pacific Coast Highway and Pier Avenue are needed, trust in the City’s ability to execute major projects is low, especially when small projects, like bathroom remodels, are delayed or over budget.

The Opportunity for Change

Times have changed, and people expect cities to adapt. Modern technology offers tools for more efficient and meaningful engagement, yet the City often views public feedback as complaints. This perception must change to rebuild trust.

A Better Approach

1. Prioritize local Input: Emphasize the use of community survey results and outreach efforts for developing new policies and decisions. Avoid relying on comparisons to other cities or recommendations from consultants.
2. Analyze with technology: Utilize technology to organize community feedback or decision-making.
3. Streamline meetings: Incorporate summarized community input as bases into staff reports. This ensures residents feel their voices are heard.

The balance between good and bad highlights room for improvement. People expect cities to deliver results efficiently. By prioritizing community voices and embracing modern tools, Hermosa Beach can foster trust, meet expectations, and drive meaningful progress.

Ed Hart

Hermosa Beach

New wave voter

Dear ER:

I’m a Redondo Beach District 2 resident and a 21-year-old college student studying political science, after graduating from Redondo Union High School in 2022. If there’s one thing they teach you in government class, it’s that people, especially in my generation, often believe elections only happen every four years. Well, that’s certainly not true for our city, which is holding elections in March 2025.

This is such an important time for our city of Redondo Beach, the Beach Cities, and our State. I urge everyone not only to pay attention but to actively spread the word about these upcoming elections. We’ll be choosing a new mayor and new city councilmembers.

Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi and State Senator Ben Allen will both be terming out in 2026, as will Governor Gavin Newsom. Despite the governor forecasting a budget surplus for the state, the University of California and California State University systems are facing nearly an 8% reduction in state funding. It’s no wonder so many people question why Americans seem to be voting against their own interests when even the most liberal state continues to gut public education. At this point, voters are no longer surprised to see school bond measures on their ballots year after year.

On top of that, the California Democratic Party is electing new delegates—myself included —who will vote for new party leadership. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Party is holding its chairmanship election on February 1, 2025.

I know it’s easy to tune all of this out, but please stay tuned. These are people with a lot of power over our lives, and democracy is stronger when those who can vote are aware that elections are even happening.

Michael Lee-Chang

Redondo Beach