The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo Herald Publications - El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 106, No. 16 - April 20, 2017 Inside This Issue Centennial Salute...............2 Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................16 Community Briefs...............3 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Entertainment......................6 Legals............................ 15,17 Obituaries.............................2 Real Estate................8-14,19 Sports....................................5 Weekend Forecast El Segundo High School Drama Department Spring Musical The El Segundo High School Drama Department will present the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” on April 20, 21, 22 at 7 p.m., and April 22 at 2 pm. in the ESHS Performing Arts Center, located at 640 Main Street. Photo credit by: Alex Turner, ESHS. • City Council Looks to Change Name of Sepulveda to PCH By Brian Simon During its Tuesday night meeting, the El Segundo City Council directed staff to take the next steps to change Sepulveda Boulevard’s Planning Commission Greenlights Beer/Wine License, Condo Project By Liz Spear Potential changes to the Downtown Specific Plan to pave the way for more residential use, an application for approval to sell beer and wine at a pizza joint, and a four-unit condominium development were the main topics at the April 13 El Segundo Planning Commission meeting. And in an unusual wrinkle, though all five commissioners were present, they only got to vote as a five-member panel on one agenda item--an application to build four residential condo units with a semi-subterranean parking level. The other two items, which involved a downtown business and the entire downtown and nearby areas, meant either one or two commissioners stepped down momentarily and took a seat in the audience due to living and owning a business nearby and/ or owning property or living near the area covered by the Downtown Specific Plan. The evening’s most-discussed agenda item was a proposal to remove the requirement that upper-floor residential units in downtown El Segundo be occupied by the first-floor business tenant/owner. This matter was also the one that eliminated the most commissioners from the discussion since three of them (Brenda Newman, Carol Wingate and John Nisley) live or own property in the downtown area. Because three commissioners See Planning Commission, page 20 name to Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) within El Segundo limits. Councilmember Don Brann asked for his colleagues’ support on the item and to move forward with the process now, although the City continues to wait for some concrete answers from Caltrans (which maintains the State-owned roadway) on the matter. When the topic came before the Council in early February, direction was for staff to update an original 2014 survey of area businesses and contact the El Segundo Chamber’s Government Affairs committee for input. That committee indicated it would not commit to a position on the name change until seeing the survey results (which in 2014 were about an even split in favor and against the PCH action). Interim Public Works Director Ken Berkman reported that he reached out to Caltrans to learn if requirements to get the agency’s go-ahead are the same as before, or if the City must conduct a new business survey. With the Council’s decision Tuesday, staff will come back with a resolution of support for the name change and hope to have more clarity from Caltrans by then. Berkman indicated that it would take 12 to 18 months to complete necessary street signage and postal service changes. Councilmember Mike Dugan was the lone dissenting vote. While “not opposed” to the idea of changing to PCH, he wanted to ensure that Sepulveda businesses support the move. Additionally, he argued that it doesn’t make sense to proceed if the City of Manhattan Beach doesn’t follow suit to keep PCH contiguous— or else it will result in “having a street name change every couple of miles.” Mayor Suzanne Fuentes thought the actions could be done “concurrently” and added, “I don’t make decisions for El Segundo based on what Manhattan Beach likes.” Two speakers addressed the topic during public communications, with Alex Rose from Continental Development Corporation (CDC) reiterating that company’s “enthusiastic support” for the name change as a way to reinforce El Segundo’s marketing efforts. He indicated that CDC continues to press Manhattan Beach on PCH. Local resident and business owner Ron Swanson said it would be “a waste if Manhattan Beach doesn’t do it,” but otherwise thought the PCH concept would be “an excellent move” that “goes with the flow of Silicon Beach” and identi- Friday Sunny 76˚/59˚ Saturday Mostly Sunny 75˚/59˚ Sunday Partly Cloudy 72˚/57˚ See City Council, page 15
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