The HBNA Newsletter for February 26, 2007

HB Mother w/Kids, Robbed at Gunpoint in Home.  Fine Sekona is suspected of putting a gun to the woman's head and demanding cash and jewelry.

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  

Sharkeez 2nd Floor Expansion is Approved.  The decision was a clear victory for the owners.

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.

AVP scores with decision on beach volleyball ticket sales - Coastal panel's ruling on charges in Hermosa Beach could affect Manhattan decision.  The California Coastal Commission decided Wednesday that owners of the Hermosa Beach Open can charge 90 percent of attendees admission at the annual volleyball tournament this summer, a decision that could also affect admission to the Manhattan Beach Open.  The decision squeaked by the commission on a 6-5 vote.  After long complaining tournaments were not profitable on South Bay beaches and threatening to abandon the area completely, the Association of Volleyball Professionals proposed to charge all spectators admission fees at the tournament scheduled for July 20-22.  The commission staff initially balked, though, recommending instead that the panel stick with an admission ratio of 25 percent paid, 75 percent free.  After hearing public testimony, Commissioner Larry Clark, also a Rancho Palos Verdes city councilman, immediately suggested charging three-quarters of attendees admission and letting the rest in free.  Discussion ensued, but just before the vote, Commissioner William Burke made a friendly amendment, upping the ante to a 90 percent paid-admission policy.   http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2505.htm

Sharkeez Co-owner Greg Newman says he will appeal a requirement that a proposed open-air second-story eating area must close at midnight.

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  

Two men suspected of breaking into a Hermosa Beach house and robbing a mother at gunpoint in front of her children

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  

AVP may charge admission for all spectators on the concluding three days of the Hermosa Open pro beach volleyball tournament this summer. 

Full paid seating for Hermosa Open? - The California Coastal Commission next week will discuss whether the AVP may charge admission for all spectators on the concluding three days of the Hermosa Open pro beach volleyball tournament this summer.  The commission staff has recommended that the commissioners deny the AVP request, and instead continue to allow the AVP to charge for 24 percent of the seating instead of 100 percent. The commissioners are scheduled to discuss the matter Wednesday, Feb. 14, in San Diego.  Last year the commission rejected an AVP request to charge admission for 16 of the 255 matches.  “The commission found that this proposal was inconsistent with the public access and recreation policies of the [state] Coastal Act because it did not ensure that at least 76 percent of the seating for each of the 255 matches played was free,” a commission report stated.  The Coastal Commission is charged with preserving free access to the state’s beaches. 

  http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead2007.htm  

Sharkeez plans call for a taller and wider two-story structure with a reconfigured interior, including a skylight on the second floor to allow for outdoor dining. 

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  

“We want to polish up the city and leave Hermosa Beach in even better condition for the next 100 years,”

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  

A proposal was recently submitted to the city requesting an increase in the size of the building by approximately 2,000 square feet.

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  

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  

The Upper Pier Avenue Committee, received an overwhelming response from the public following an announcement to fill five additional seats on the panel. 

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  

Are there plans to construct a new 400 car parking structure on land directly adjacent to City Hall?

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 

“We’re seeing crimes of opportunity. It’s the open door, the open car,” Savelli said. 

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  

Cardinal Investments, bought the property upon which stand the 50-year-old Hermosa Beach Donuts building and, the Classic Burger building, on Hermosa Avenue near 15th Street, and announced plans to tear down those structures

Burger joint might stall development - A local firm’s push to replace two decades-old downtown buildings with a contemporary office complex and upscale restaurant might have hit a snag in the form of a nine-year lease.  The firm, Cardinal Investments, bought the property upon which stand the 50-year-old Hermosa Beach Donuts building and its 30-year-old neighbor, the Classic Burger building, on Hermosa Avenue near 15th Street, and announced plans to tear down those structures and build a 19,000 square-foot office building and 2,800 square-foot restaurant. In October, the City Council approved the new construction.  http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead2107.htm  

The incident led to the hospitalization of 5-year-old Connor Kelca, who was sleeping in the bottom part of a bunk bed that October morning. He was treated at Harbor UCLA Medical Center for a broken femur.

Man pleads not guilty to driving truck into home - A man who allegedly drove a pickup truck into the front of a Hermosa Beach home and fled the scene pleaded not guilty at a recent arraignment, setting the stage for an upcoming trial to begin in March.  Redondo Beach resident Ruben Vargas, 43, was arrested by Hermosa Beach police and charged with a felony count of leaving the scene of an accident after he allegedly drove a pickup truck into a home in the 900 block of Beach Drive. A witness claimed that the driver of the truck drove into the home not once, but twice before driving away.  The incident resulted in a pile of debris and plaster strewn across the front room of a residence occupied by the Kelca family. The incident also led to the hospitalization of 5-year-old Connor Kelca, who was sleeping in the bottom part of a bunk bed that October morning. He was treated at Harbor UCLA Medical Center for a broken femur and released the day after the incident.   http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4107.htm  

Paid seating at MB volleyball events gains momentum - Association may be able to charge 90 percent of spectators at beach tournaments pending final approval.  It took years of complaints of lost revenue and threats to bail out of South Bay tournaments, but the Association of Volleyball Professionals scored its second victory in a week when Manhattan Beach opted Tuesday to loosen its regulations over paid seating at beach events.  About a week after the California Coastal Commission permitted the association to charge admission to 90 percent of spectators at its Hermosa Beach tournament, the Manhattan Beach City Council followed suit and unanimously voted to amend its Local Coastal Plan -- a set of guidelines for coastal development and use -- to allow a similar set-up at its annual tournament.  But the AVP shouldn't start printing tickets just yet.   http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2305.htm

AVP seeking paid admission from commission - The Association of Volleyball Professionals is requesting approval from the Coastal Commission to increase the number of people it may charge admission to at its Hermosa Beach event from 24 percent to 100 percent on three out of the four days it holds its tournament in the beach city. Tournament officials are also seeking a five-year conditional permit instead of a one-time event permit, according to a commission staff report. Tickets would range from $10 for students to $40 for reserved seats. In addition, the report stated that the amount of correspondence the commission received expressing support of the association's proposal outnumbered the amount opposing it by roughly 50-to-1.  One of the fundamental responsibilities of the California Coastal Commission is to safeguard access to the state's coastline.  http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3906.htm  

HB takes 'paving paradise' too far - At Tuesday's meeting (Feb. 20), the Hermosa Planning Commission will consider Aloha Sharkeez' application for a 56 percent expansion. The parking plan proposed for the expansion is entirely "in lieu" -- Sharkeez will pay for spaces that the city will build at a later date -- and if approved, will bring us a big step closer to building another parking structure. If the commission approves it, the application will be up for final approval at the Council meeting Feb. 27.  Also at the Council meeting will be the hearing of a "private text amendment" to allow all other Pier Plaza businesses to expand, ala Sharkeez, with only "in lieu" parking.  Back to Tuesday's Planning Commission meeting: It will also include the third attempt to re-zone city-owned land for some undisclosed purpose. Could it be for parking?   http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2505.htm  

Letters - Not enough parking - Hermosa's City Council is aiding downtown commercial owners and outside developers in maxing-out restaurant/bar structure additions and new condo-office/restaurant structures without requiring sufficient on-site parking, ensuring more negative impacts and costs for the residents.  Absent a hotel and surf shop businesses downtown, the additional Hermosa public safety costs, related to the downtown's late-night bar and cab zone activity, significantly exceed any day-to-day city revenue generated there. Hermosa's council understands this but refuses to show its residents an audit. A cost/benefit analysis of ongoing negative costs of Hermosa's downtown is always avoided, especially by council members who accept campaign contributions and probable endless stroking of their egos from vested downtown interests while ignoring the city as a whole.  http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3906.htm   

City receives 26 applications for Upper Pier Avenue Committee - The city recently received a surprisingly large number of applications from people hoping to serve on an all-volunteer committee charged with shaping the future of Pier Avenue. Among the 26 individuals who stepped forward to vie for a spot on the Upper Pier Avenue Committee are a former California deputy attorney general, a restaurant manager, several local architects, a former member of the City Council and an employee of the television game show “The Price is Right.”  Initially, the Upper Pier Avenue Committee was described by local officials as an “ad hoc” or “design oversight committee.” Its mission was later changed, though, to conduct a “comprehensive study of the entire Pier Avenue ecosystem.” It was formed last fall by a 4-1 vote of the City Council and consisted of six members, two each from the council, the Public Works Commission, and the Planning Commission.   http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4107.htm  

Upper Pier Avenue study needs HB residents - The Hermosa Beach City Council is seeking five additional members to join a committee to study possible improvements to upper Pier Avenue.  The committee currently consists of Councilmen Pete Tucker and Kit Bobko, Public Works Commissioners Dan Marinelli and Janice Brittain, and Planning Commissioners Ron Pizer and Peter Hoffman.  Interested residents, business operators and property owners are urged to contact the city clerk’s office at 1315 Valley Dr., or 310-318-0204, for applications and information. The deadline for applications is 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12; postmarks not accepted.  http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4107.htm  

H.B. Commissioners take another look at downtown - Local officials expressed concern with the current situation on the pier plaza during last month's Planning Commission meeting, but commissioners ultimately declined to pursue any measures that would significantly alter the status quo. Instead, the commission opted to issue a stark warning to businesses on the plaza and in the downtown area - shape up, or prepare to ship out.  Every year, the Planning Commission is charged with reviewing conditional use permits from downtown area businesses as part of the city's annual review process. That process originated following a decision by the commission in 2003 to combine permit reviews for several different establishments into one meeting at the beginning of the calendar year.   http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3606.htm  

Hit and Run Driver Strikes 4 people exiting a “party bus” near Pier Plaza at Beach Drive and 11^th St.

Injuries follow dispute - At least one broken bone was suffered when four passengers emerging from a “party bus” were struck by a vehicle following a verbal dispute, police said.  According to a preliminary investigation, the incident began early Saturday morning when riders in a double-decker bus heading to downtown Hermosa got in a dispute with four people in a black Jeep Cherokee.  The bus parked in the area of Beach Drive and 11^th Street to unload its passengers about 12:30 a.m.  The Cherokee drove by, and it occupants “flipped off” bus passengers, police said.  The Cherokee was driven away only to return, striking four people who exited the bus, police said.  Paramedics treated the injured people at the scene, and according to preliminary police reports, at least one person suffered a broken leg.  The Cherokee later was discovered parked on Valley Drive and the investigation is continuing.   http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1806.htm  

The HBNA Newsletter for February 3, 2007

About Town - Raise for HB manager - The City Council has approved a three-year contract raising the salary of City Manager Steve Burrell to $200,000 for the final year. Burrell, who has served as city manager for 14 years, will see his current $170,000 salary raised $10,000 each of the three years.  Previously the council has renewed Burrell’s contract on a yearly basis. The move to a three-year pact was made for Burrell and other city employees to make the process less time consuming, officials said.  http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1806.htm  

Upper Pier Avenue study needs HB residents - The Hermosa Beach City Council is seeking five additional members to join a committee to study possible improvements to upper Pier Avenue.  The committee currently consists of Councilmen Pete Tucker and Kit Bobko, Public Works Commissioners Dan Marinelli and Janice Brittain, and Planning Commissioners Ron Pizer and Peter Hoffman.  Interested residents, business operators and property owners are urged to contact the city clerk’s office at 1315 Valley Dr., or 310-318-0204, for applications and information. The deadline for applications is 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12; postmarks not accepted.  http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept4107.htm

H.B. Commissioners take another look at downtown - Local officials expressed concern with the current situation on the pier plaza during last month's Planning Commission meeting, but commissioners ultimately declined to pursue any measures that would significantly alter the status quo. Instead, the commission opted to issue a stark warning to businesses on the plaza and in the downtown area - shape up, or prepare to ship out.  Every year, the Planning Commission is charged with reviewing conditional use permits from downtown area businesses as part of the city's annual review process. That process originated following a decision by the commission in 2003 to combine permit reviews for several different establishments into one meeting at the beginning of the calendar year.   http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3606.htm