Neighborhood cooties
Dear ER:
One of the major points missed by the neighbors reacting to the proposed rezoning of the St Cross campus (“Neighbors oppose St. Cross property upzoning,” ER June 29, 2023) is that state law requires all cities – including our beloved Hermosa – to have a housing plan. The upzoning of St. Cross is an integral part of Hermosa’s proposed housing plan. As I understand the rules, failure to have such a plan means a builder can ignore local development guidelines to build affordable housing. Opponents don’t want an “albatross project similar to the 79-unit Highrose” project in neighboring Manhattan. The irony here is that failing to have a housing plan means exactly that a developer can build such an albatross project. This fact has, I think, been lost in all the fury over having a project that might let people with cooties live near us.
Greg Breen
Hermosa Beach
Just the facts, ma’am
Dear ER
Is the current strategy overly alarmist in its attempt to connect an armed robbery on the Manhattan Beach Strand to New York District Attorney Alvan Bragg? Why is it so important to convince the citizens of Manhattan Beach that crime is rampant in town when it is not? Robberies have occurred on The Strand, and throughout Manhattan Beach for decades, and many of us learned about the June robberies through news outlets the next day. “Nixle” or social media cannot prevent such incidents. The role of the Police Department is not to exacerbate widespread panic when an incident happens; it’s quite the opposite. That’s why we have level-headed commanders and field supervisors with hundreds of years of combined experience working 24/7 who are well-versed in emergency protocols to ensure public safety. I have no objection if someone wants to address the issue of crime in our town from a political perspective; it’s responsible and keeps us informed. However, it is crucial to speak the truth about the matter. The truth is that Manhattan Beach remains as safe as ever, despite the reactive tendency to report incidents on platforms like Nextdoor and share alarming newsletters on social media. FBI statistics support this fact. Let’s stop trying to scare the citizens of Manhattan Beach with sensationalized reporting of incidents as if they are unprecedented. Instead, let’s commend our local law enforcement for their professionalism, as incidents typically associated with other neighborhoods several blocks away stand out in our town. Chief Johnson upholds this tradition of professionalism, and it seems extreme to highlight with such unfounded verbosity that a “Nixle” text did not reach the public. Our leaders must show rational, calm, and knowledgeable restraint over small, and ultimately insignificant details.
Stewart Fournier
Manhattan Beach
Walk in my shoes
Dear ER:
A letter writer describes the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Pier Avenue as “mucked up,” causing gridlock from Pier to Artesia to the north and to 190th to the south (“Traffic 101,” ER Letters June 29, 2023). These traffic lights and their timing include one very important factor not mentioned in the letter — pedestrians. These streets are not highway roads. These streets are neighborhood streets, which State law requires offering equal, easy and especially safe access to pedestrians, including time for pedestrians to cross the streets safely, without right turning cars threatening their safety. I invite anyone to walk with me and try to cross this intersection by foot, and experience the vehicles that turn onto Pacific Coast Highway without anyattention to pedestrians who are in the crosswalk. The pedestrians include our neighbors, kids on tricycles, bicycle riders of all ages, wheelchair bound riders, parents pushing baby carriages, dog walkers, visitors to our city, and anyone else who would like to get to the other side of the street. I cannot recount the number of times I have been walking in the crosswalk when impatient, inattentive, thoughtless vehicle operators have come within inches of me as I was walking in the crosswalk. The inches are not 10 inches but rather one or two inches. We all share the right to be safe as we venture on our city streets.
Gila Katz
Hermosa Beach
Taken for a ride
Dear ER:
Beach Cities Health District plans to convert 400-feet of road and alley into bike lanes. The problem is that BCHD plans to spend at least $1.4 million in Measure M (county half cent sales tax) on that 400 feet. That’s $290 per inch. The South Bay needs over 200 miles of bike path. That would cost over $3 trillion using BCHD’s project cost as a metric. How did this happen? One reason is that neither Metro, which funded the project with Measure M funds, nor South Bay Cities Council of Governments, which approved the project, conducted any cost-effectiveness analysis. Measure M’s sales tax collects $1 billion per year. Do none of the other projects have cost analyses?
Mark Nelson
Redondo Beach, CA
New visions
Dear ER:
Congratulations to BeachLife Music Festival founder Allen Sanford (“BeachLife’s Sanford is Redondo Beach Mayor’s Person of the Year,” ERNews July 1, 2023). So deserved. We can’t wait to see his vision come true for more exciting events at the Redondo Beach waterfront. Sanford’s wife Colleen did an awesome job of naming the festival. Congrats also to Mayor Bill Brand for his stewardship in non commercialization of King Harbor.
Dennis Duke Noor
Manhattan Beach
Bountiful and beautiful
Dear ER:
Special thanks to Redondo Beach Community Garden founder Brianna Egan, garden manager Angela Klipp, project manager Carl Leach, landscape specialist Mike Garcia, Mara Lang, and all the Gardens Committee members for their vision and hard work (“Redondo celebrates first community food garden,”). Thanks also to Jim Light and the South Bay Parkland Conservancy for their help and sponsorship.
Barbara Epstein
Redondo Beach
Manhattan Music Man
Dear ER:
What a tragic loss to the music world, to the South Bay, to the Dietz family (“Beloved music teacher Pat Dietz dies in accident,” ERNews July 1, 2023). Pat was such a gifted musician, and such a patient teacher. He and his wife Carol were a fantastic couple who raised four great kids. It just makes me cry.
Amanda Rose
ERNews.com
Smile gone
Dear ER:
What horrible news (“Beloved music teacher Pat Dietz dies in accident,” ERNews July 1, 2023). I am going to miss Pat’s smiling face for sure. We always ended our conversations with a laugh and of course his smile.
Jerry Olson
ERNews.com
More than a teacher
Dear ER:
Pat taught my son Sam the mandolin. He was a fantastic teacher, as well as one amazing human being (“Beloved music teacher Pat Dietz dies in accident,” ERNews July 1, 2023). I’ll really miss his smiling face behind the counter.
Jefferson Graham
Manhattan Beach
Dear ER:
In response to “Neighbors oppose St. Cross property upzoning, ER June 29, 2023.
Name withheld by request
