EL SEGUNDO HERALD March 30, 2017 Page 3 Curveball Alters Planning Commission Action on Accessory Dwelling Units By Liz Spear Garages May Be Removed From the Equation Pending state legislation threw an unexpected and perhaps welcome curveball at the El Segundo Planning Commission Thursday night when City staff delivered the news that garages may not have to be considered as potential Accessory Dwelling Units and thus might be exempt from California’s new ADU law. In its previous meeting two weeks prior, the Planning Commission had been told they faced deciding upon the better of two evils due to a new law that took effect January 1 after Governor Jerry Brown signed it earlier in 2016. At that meeting on March 9, Planning Manager Gregg McClain said the new legislation required the City to allow every single-family property in El Segundo’s R-1 zone to have or construct an ADU without requiring any additional parking because each of these properties is within a half-mile of public transit. The concern, according to McClain, was that garages could now be converted to ADUs, which would then conceivably bring an even greater shortage of parking to a city in which spots can be difficult to find. Thursday night, McClain told the commissioners, with all five present, “There are a number of pending bills in Sacramento that are going in and tweaking the section that applies to Accessory Dwelling Units and we would like to spend some time to study the language of these and try to assess their likelihood of approval because at least one of them we’re aware of may have the opportunity to make favorable changes to the draft ordinance that we’ve presented. So what we’re going to do is request that you open the podium to public testimony today and then at the end of that, we’ll take the information and process it. But, also, we’re going to ask that you continue to a future date and then give us a chance to come back with possible amendments.” The announcement of the pending bills pushed back the previous timeline for getting a new ordinance before City Council for review and adoption. Thursday night, the Planning Commission continued the public hearing on the matter that began at its March 9 meeting and continued it, per city staff’s recommendation, to its second meeting in April on Thursday, April 27. City staff had hoped for Council to hold a public hearing on Tuesday, April 18 during the regularly scheduled meeting, and for Council to act on the ordinance at its Tuesday, May 2 session. The effective date for the new ordinance would have then been June 1. At least two members of the public who addressed the Planning Commission Thursday night have pending or in-progress construction and were concerned about moving forward with their building and/or plans since once a new city ordinance is passed, they could then enhance their plans by adding facilities such as a cooking area (which wasn’t allowed at the time their building plans were approved) or second-floor storage once the new ordinance defined the allowable square footage of an ADU. Commissioner Brenda Newman asked staff to explain what had happened between March 9 and the current meeting so the public would understand why the City’s ordinance regarding ADUs was being delayed. “There are at least four bills that are pending that are addressing Police Briefs Traffic Briefs ESPD Urges Homeowners the part of the government code that deals specifically with ADUs,” said McClain. by Alleys to Mark Addresses CITY OF EL SEGUNDO CITY COUNCIL Volunteers Needed! The City Council is currently accepting applications for the following Committees, Commissions and Boards (CCB) positions. Immediate Openings Environmental Committee One position Capital Improvement Program Advisory Committee One position Terms Expiring Soon Recreation and Parks Commission Two positions expire May 30, 2017 Environmental Committee One position expires June 30, 2017 Planning Commission One position expires June 30, 2017 Senior Citizen Housing Corporation Board Two positions expire June 30, 2017 Library Board of Trustees Two positions expire June 30, 2017 Investment Advisory Committee One position expire August 30, 2017 Capital Improvement Program Advisory Committee One Position expires November 30, 2017 If you are interested in applying and would like more information, please log onto the City’s website at www.elsegundo.org. Applications are also available in the City Council Office at City Hall, 350 Main Street. Community Briefs In order to enhance service and response time, the El Segundo Police Department is reaching out to those with homes, apartments, condos or townhouses with alley access. The ESPD noted that it is “very important to have your address number on the front, as well as the alley side, of your home. Addressing on the alley side makes it easier for police officers to find your home quickly during an emergency.” Especially in emergency call situations such as when an intruder is on a particular property, officers may need to surround or enter the property from the front and the rear. Trying to locate the proper back entrance requiring police response wastes valuable time. The ESPD suggests that addressing for the front and rear of properties should be highly visible from the driving surface, a minimum of four inches high, of contrasting color to the background, and illuminated during hours of darkness. Those requesting more crime prevention information or to schedule a free security survey may call ESPD’s Crime Prevention Analyst Laurie Risk at 310-524-2274. Los Angeles CPC Recommends Approving LAX Project Amendments The Los Angeles City Planning Commission (CPC) on March 23 recommended the LA City Council approve zone change requests and amendments to various municipal planning documents in conjunction with the use and development of Los Angeles World Airports’ (LAWA’s) proposed Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). These recommendations were made during a special joint meeting of the CPC with the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC). Amendments were approved for four separate plans: the LAX Plan, the Westchester- Playa del Rey Community Plan, Mobility Plan 2035, and the LAX Specific Plan. The amendments also included zone changes to various properties located within the various plans. Collectively, these amendments permit the construction of LAMP’s several primary components, which include: an Automated People Mover (APM) system with six stations that would transport passengers between the CTA and the other main project components located east of the CTA; a Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility (ConRAC); and two new Intermodal Transportation Facilities, which include public parking and passenger drop-off and pick-up areas. LAMP would also include planned roadway improvements throughout the LAX area. To provide access to the Metro regional rail system, the APM system would incorporate a station at the Intermodal Transit Facility where it interfaces with Metro’s Airport Metro Connector station at 96th Street/Aviation Boulevard. The BOAC certified LAMP’s Final EIR during its previous meeting on March 2 following public comment. Prior to the Final EIR, LAWA prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) for LAMP in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which was released on September 15, 2016. The official comment period for the Draft EIR ran from September 15 through November 15, 2016. Two public meetings were held in October 2016 that allowed the public to learn about LAMP and its components, with attendees able to submit comments following presentations from LAWA staff and consultants. For more information about the proposed LAX Landside Access Modernization Program, visit www.connectinglax. com and www.facebook.com/connectinglax. See Accessory Dwelling Unit, page 4 Assault with a Deadly Weapon Against a Police Officer On March 25 at 4:45 p.m., an El Segundo Police Officer and his K9 partner were driving in to work from the Inland Empire. The officer was traveling westbound on the I-10 freeway in Pomona when he was rear-ended by a man driving a white Dodge Durango. As the officer changed lanes, the vehicle followed behind and rear-ended him again. The officer was rammed several more times as he attempted to evade the vehicle. The suspect vehicle eventually sped away in reverse on the freeway and exited on Indian Hill Boulevard in Pomona. With the assistance of Pomona PD and the California Highway Patrol, the suspect was eventually located. He admitted to officers he intentionally rammed the El Segundo Police car. The officer was injured as a result of the assault and treated at an area hospital where he was released a short time later. The police dog was not injured. David Glen Dennison, a resident of Pomona, was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon against a police officer, assaulting a police dog, criminal threats, and DUI. He was booked at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Walnut Station. The California Highway Patrol - Baldwin Park station is handling the arrest and investigation. • Imperial Highway Resurfacing May Cause Delays Near LAX The City of El Segundo has notified Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) officials of a major resurfacing project that started Monday, March 27 that will restrict traffic on eastbound Imperial Highway between Sepulveda Boulevard and Hornet Way for approximately one month. The majority of the work will take place weekdays, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., and require the closure of most lanes on eastbound Imperial Highway, as well as occasional full closures that could restrict access to the Interstate 105 eastbound on-ramp at Hughes Way. Paving work will take place over one full weekend, tentatively set for Friday night, April 8, through Sunday, April 10. One lane will remain open when possible, and emergency vehicles will have access if needed. Motorists can bypass the work via eastbound Maple or Mariposa avenues to northbound Douglas Street. The work will not affect westbound Imperial Highway. The project involves the removal of four inches of the road surface, which will then be replaced with rubberized asphalt concrete. The work is weather-dependent and subject to delays. Airport officials recommend travelers plan ahead and allow more time for possible detours. Updates on real-time traffic conditions in and around LAX are available by following the Los Angeles Airport Police (@LAAirportPD) and LAX Airport (@flyLAXairport) on Twitter, as well as through the WAZE traffic app. More information about the project is available from the City of El Segundo at (310) 524-2361. • See Community Briefs, page 14
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