HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC_Minutes_1962_02_19MINUTES OF AN ADJOURNED MEEI'ING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
HERMOSA BEACH, held at the City Hall on Monday, February 19, 1962, at
7:30 p.m.
ROLL CALL ... Present ... Comm. Noble, Johnson, Viault, Hai.es and Chairman Fredricks.
R-3 SURVEY
Bud M. Trott, Chief ~lding Ins~ector.
John E. Stevens, City Engineer.
Absent M Connn. Black and Locken.
The Building Inspector submitted a partial survey of property zoned R-3,
compiled in his office in response to a request by the Commission on ·
December 11, 1961. This survey had bee~,desired in order to assist the
Commission in arriving at a proper lot area requirement for the RM3 zone.
It was the feeling of the Commission that the material presented would not
serve its purpose, and the Chairman directed that this particular aspect
of the project be stopped, and that the matter be placed back on the agenda
for a workshop or public_ hearing.
ZONING -SOUTHWEST PORTION OF CITY
Consideration of southwest portion of ·Hermosa Beach relative to request to
City Council for funds to employ professional consultant for assistance in
proper zoning in relation to harbor development.
Discussing boundaries of the area to be studied, the City Engineer said the
alignment to the east of Ardmore has not been definitely settled and that
there would probably be some compromise between Redondo Beach and Hermosa
Beach, Herondo probably splitting the two towns. Comm. Viault suggested
including property as far east as necessary to encompass the lands adjacent
to our projected road system in the Ardmore-Valley area. The City Engineer
advised some attention had been given these roadways, but a re-alignment
would depend somewhat on the use of the Mamie, Inc., land, wluch has been
before the Commission for some months. Comm. Johnson suggested the east
boundary to be Pacific Coast Highway, and Comm. Noble agreed that a plan
or study should go'farther than that proposed for Second and Valley or
Second and Hermosa, including the influence on the proximity. Chairman
Fredricks felt that any study should include the north side of Second Street,
and information regarding the effect of the harbor development on this part
of town including traffic, the type of use the harbor i s liable to be put to,
the type of services and things of that nature that might follow the harbor
development; whether the land zoned f!=)r :manufacturing would have any bean ng
in relation to the harbor development. Anticipating that there might be
some objection to doing anything as lax-ge as this, what would the minimum
requirements be that would satisfy the Commission, Cormn. Viault asked.
Chairman Fredricks mentioned one minimum as relates to the effect of the
harbor on this part of town,. Comm. Viault asked if there could be precise
planning for only• two or three block areas, the beach to Hermosa Avenue,
or to Ardmore Avenue, or Manhattan Avenue, would this be sufficient? The
Chairman answered that if these limited areas were all that c.ould be studied,
he would stil l want to know the answers.
It boils down to the fact, Co:rnm. Hales said, that we are asking a planning
consultant to work on this area and define the best use in relation to the
harbor; the consultant through his study would detennine what would be
Planning Commission 2 Jebruary 19, 1962
Zoning -Southwest Area Contd
good, potential use of this land, traffic being one problem that would be
involved. The Commission should be fairly specific, according to Comm. ViaultTs
opinion, at least in a general overtone as to the density of development
desired, giving some direction on the type of development the Commission feels
the city is interested in having., One limiting factor would be to say that
the present ordinance would goverri9 having the 3--story height in mind, Comm. Hales
said. C onun. Vi aul t said this might be premature, but eventually, whether the
city staff or professional planners assisted the Commission, it would be
necessary to delineate for these people.
Comm. Johnson questioned if it is the Commission's purpose primarily to get
some idea of what might be needed in the vicinity of the harbor and whether
it can be fitted into what is in this area, or whether, after the findings,
some of the land should be changed to a potential classification. Coimn. Noble
felt because of the requests for zone changes and variances in the area, the
Commission needs to know the feasibility of any proposed zone changes in the
area and its proximity, and an intelligent, planned, predetermined method of
approaching these areas £s necessary in order for the Conmrl.ssion to have
adequate and unbiased opinions concerning some of the-requests that have been
presented to the Commission. And, Chairman Fredricks., added, this would allow
alternatives as to how to go on what is there nmf and how it lends itself to
whatever is suggested.
Chairman Fredricks asked if it would not be proper, in drafting a letter to
the City Council, to say that the Commission feels there is a need to have
an intensive study along the lines that have been suggested, and that the
Commission requests that the Council consider the use of the city staff on
the basis of their availability and what that cost would be to the city,
or as an alternative, seek outside help. We are saying we would like to have
this, and that this type of study would be of valua to anyone on the Commission
if it could be made available. '1
The Chairman opened the meeting to the public, Mr. Tom Stevens being the first
to speak. As a represen~ative of the Citizens for Private Domain group,
Mr. Steyens opposed obtaining outside consultants. The existing zoning was
apparently designed for an essentially residential ~omnrunity and might need a
second .look because of the harbor situation, but his group feared an outside
planner would be the first step in the wrong direction~ Mr. Philip Matson,
2420 Hermosa Avenue, voiced his opinion that any traffic survey would have to
be made in the summer, that the harbor is now only one~eighth developed, and
that the remainder of the development has not yet been decided, and any survey
made of the Hermosa Beach area on the basis of the harbor at this time might
be completely useless after the harbor is finished. Speaking later on during
the meeting, Mr. Matson mentioned the marine manufacturers coming from the east
and ~ooking for manufacturing land close to harbor areas.
Planning Connnission 3 February 19, 1962
Zoning~ Southwest Area Contd
Mr. Carl J. Hoyers 174 Lyndon Street, reaction was that the Commission
should not plan for one man's property but for the City of Hermosa Beach.
His interest is in building a residence on property included in that under
discussion and would like to see the city move ahead and settle some of
these matters.
Mrs~ Dorothy Sterrett, 97 Hermosa Avenue, asked what the suggested plan
entailed and whether property owners would have anything to say as to ::-2
what would be done with their property. ChJrirman Fredricks assured her that
this would not contemplate the ·confiscation of anyone's property and was in
no way connected with a master plan;which is an entirely different thing
including city wide studies, economic surveys, etc. Mr. Hugo Lizza thought
it might be ill advised at tbi s time to come Jup .with something that would
deviate from the present zoning ordinance. Mrs. Louise Kline asked that
thought be given to the possibility of the Mamie, Inc., land being used
for a high school, since one of the pl.ms for the unification of high schools
did not include Hermosa Beach~
Comm. Viault moved that the information that has come before the Commission
this evening be compiled and presented to the members of the Commission for
action at the next regular meeting. The ·motion was unanimously approved on
second by Comm. Hales.
OFFSTREET PARKING ORDINANCE
Attention was given a draft of~ proposed offstreet parking ordinance, and
after discussion and decisions on approximately half the draft, the Chairman
directed that this item be<lplaced on the March 12 agenda as the last item.
ADJOURNMENT AT 10:45 p.m.