The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo Herald Publications - El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 104, No. 15 - April 9, 2015 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................14 Community Briefs...............3 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Film Review..........................3 Legals............................ 12,13 Letters...................................3 Police Reports.....................2 Real Estate................9-11,16 Sports.................................6,8 Weekend Forecast ESMS Eighth Grade Goes to Washington and New York Six ESUSD teacher/chaperones took seventy-one 8th graders over Spring Break to Washington DC and New York City. The students visited many famous sites in the area, including, as pictured, the White House. Photo courtesy of Al Luna. Council Approval for Lakers Facility a Slam Dunk By Brian Simon During Tuesday night’s meeting, the entire El Segundo City Council expressed its support for the Los Angeles Lakers’ plan to build a new corporate headquarters and training complex at Campus El Segundo. The two-story, roughly 120,000-square foot facility at 710 N. Nash Street will also include an exhibition venue for the Los Angeles D-Fenders NBA Development League team. Several members from the Lakers’ executive team spoke on Tuesday, including Chief Operating Officer Tim Harris who outlined the basketball franchise’s vision for its new home. He explained that the Lakers were “nomadic” prior to 1999 in that they practiced wherever they could arrange court time. Realizing the need for a stable practice space, the team moved into HealthSouth (now Toyota Sports Center) at 555 N. Nash in 2000. While he described the shared venue as perfect at that time, Harris noted that “what has become acceptable for a training facility has changed.” In addition to the ability to provide improved amenities for players, the Lakers also see the new facility as a “second home” vital for branding and recruiting. “We looked in one place—the City of El Segundo,” Harris said of the team’s search for its own building. The Lakers hope to complete the project by the spring of 2017. Project architect Jim Renne (Rossetti) displayed renderings of both the exterior and interior designs for the multi-functional facility. Among the features will be separate entries for the players/staff and the public attending D-Fenders games, signage integrated into the façade of the building, plus video boards displaying game highlights and Laker-related information. Inside amenities will include a lobby, locker rooms, lounge, practice court, courtyard and even a barber. The project necessitates several Council approvals (to be finalized in two weeks)- -including a revision of the uses allowed under the Corporate Campus Specific Plan, allowances for the new type of signage (with limitations built in on the degree of illumination and number of sponsors visible to the public at any one time), and parking considerations. The Lakers assured City staff that the project’s 276 parking spots will be more than ample and that daytime demand (212 spaces based on current usage) will not overlap evening/weekend parking (209 spaces). Meanwhile, the facility will also be scaled down from the most recently approved “2013 Revised Project” footprint for the Corporate Campus. With 133,000 square feet of combined office, athletic training facilities and the D-Fenders venue, the Lakers’ project is 81,340 square feet smaller than what is allowed. Additionally, the estimated 1,260 car trips will fall 1,083 below the maximum permitted 2,343. Staff indicated that the project will pose no new or additional impacts. Harris also emphasized that the Lakers will continue to support the community and mentioned the team’s pledges to commit $250,000 to El Segundo’s new aquatic facility construction and to assist William Yarroll in the Special Olympics Games Host City effort. Councilmember Marie Fellhauer lauded the project’s design as well as the positive economic benefits, saying that “it will only add to the character of El Segundo.” Councilmember Dave Atkinson noted that the venue will make El Segundo “more of a destination city.” Mayor Suzanne Fuentes praised the Lakers, calling them a “class organization.” She added that she hoped the team would consider including a retail component at the facility in the future. Also on Tuesday, the Council agreed to amend the City’s informal bidding procedures for certain public projects—especially smaller ones that need attention but don’t qualify as emergencies--to allow work to get done more quickly than what is now possible under the code. With the change (allowed by the State), the City Manager will now have the authority to approve projects of up to $45,000–rather than the previous $10,000 limit--without requiring cumbersome formal bidding and Council approval. To illustrate the value of the alternate bidding procedure, Public Works Director Stephanie Katsouleas used the example of an elevator repair at the Joslyn Center—an $8,000, oneday job that ultimately took several months to complete because of requirements to draft the specifications, advertise and bid out the project, approve award of the contract, execute the contract, and accept the project as complete. Under the new system, the same job would only take a couple of weeks from start to finish, thereby reducing staff time Friday Partly Cloudy 65˚/54˚ Saturday Sunny 68˚/55˚ Sunday Sunny 68˚/56˚ See City Council, page 2
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