Page 8 November 19, 2020 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
El Gringo from page 3
something we recreate at the others. The
sisters also attribute Bill with “having his
finger on the pulse of the industry” from the
very start. With over 30 years of experience
as a restauranteur, Graw has always erred
on the side of caution, and the design of
the ES location speaks to its fast-casual approach
that works well within the scope of
social distancing.
For instance, along with takeout options,
the architecture of the ES location has an
open roof that qualifies their main dining
space as “outdoor” seating. Booths were
already installed, and to adhere to new
COVID-19 measures, the team only had
to build new glass partitions between the
tables. The front of the restaurant also allows
for a wide opening to the street, creating an
outdoor concept that helps customers feel
the fresh air, but also gives them a sense
of security.
“People are so comfortable and quiet that
they don’t realize they’re technically eating
outside,” Whitney explains. “And it’s also
Sister-managers Sadie (left) and Whitney (right) Fraker at El Gringo’s in El Segundo.
very accommodating all the way around. The
customers have been so awesome—we have
a steady stream of regulars and new faces
that we love to see,” says Sadie.
To help people feel even more at ease, El
Gringo does temperature checks at every
location for customers entering, and they’re
also collecting customer information for dinein
parties to abide by new contact tracing
measures set up by the city.
Sadie recommends their tasty Xcholti
soup—a hearty Mexican soup with chicken,
Patrons socially distanced at El Gringo’s El Segundo location.
rice, avocado, tomato and cilantro. Whitney
also loves the carnitas tacos with rice and
beans. For kids, there are some other American
classics like French fries and hamburgers.
It’s also worth noting that El Gringo can
do several vegan variations of their meals to
satisfy anyone with certain dietary restrictions.
El Gringo is open 11 AM to 9 PM daily
at all locations. Their patio is also open to
full-service dining Thursday to Sunday from
4 PM to 9 PM. Visit elgringo.com for more
information. •
City Council from front page
changes in consumer behavior that evolved
in the new millennium caught retailers and
developers off guard.
The current development agreement is tied
to vehicle limits, which any high-density
housing quickly threatens to exceed, the
developer representatives said Tuesday. El
Segundo officials acknowledge both the retail
slump at stores and the industry’s move
toward “lifestyle centers” that better meet
the expectations of consumers who have
more choices than 15 years ago when the
El Segundo retail center anchored by Whole
Foods, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Best Buy
first opened.
Even after city officials agreed three years
ago to loosen the restrictions on the two
centers, the property managers continue
to have difficulty finding new tenants to
replace those who have left or gone out of
business, according to information from city
staff. Opening up the two shopping centers
to more diverse uses likely would result in
some loss of sales taxes, but it comes with
a tradeoff. Business-tax collections could
increase as new service-oriented tenants
and professionals set up shop, city planners
believe. Plus, employees at those non-retail
establishments can be expected to shop and
eat where they work, pumping some sales
taxes back into the city’s coffers.
The developers are asking the City Council
to raise the allowable use of non-traditional
businesses at the two properties to a 60-40
mix of retail and restaurants compared to
other types of businesses that don’t collect
sales tax, such as real estate brokerages,
financial services and health care providers.
The Planning Commission favors making the
change, and council members expressed no
objections during Tuesday’s night presentation
and public hearing. Because the agreement
between the developer and the city is written
into an ordinance, the council must approve
the request.
That vote could come at the next council
meeting on December 1. City staff studied
the proposed change and found it complies
with El Segundo’s General Plan goals for land
use and economic development. Attracting
other employers to the Pacific Coast Highway
property would help maintain a high-quality
retail center near where people work and also
create new office space within El Segundo.
The change also should diversity the city’s
tax base, along with its retail and commercial
sectors, and help the center to succeed.
Stuart MacDonald, Vice President for
regional development with Federal Realty,
described the 38.5-acre Plaza as a stable roster
of tenants. The center managed to replace
one retailer with a more robust one, Nordstrom
Rack. And a bank location, which is a
non-sales tax business, was converted into a
store occupied by the cosmetics retailer Ulta.
When COVID-19 came along in late February,
it acted like “a can of gasoline on top of
an already burning fire,” said Jeff Kreshek,
who oversees West Coast leasing for Federal
Realty Investment Trust. It’s not all doom and
gloom, he explained, as consumers seek out
shopping experiences that The Plaza and The
Point can deliver as they reinvent themselves.
Bankruptcies by high-profile retailers with
stores in El Segundo - including J. Crew
- coupled with chain-wide store closures
planned by Anthpologie and others add to
the challenges of shopping centers. The silver
lining in all of this is that retail spaces taken
over by personal services - health, beauty and
financial - continue to be “Amazon proof,”
Kreshek told the council.
Another commercial property occupied the
council’s attention on Tuesday. El Segundo is
the only city opposed to the airport expansion
at Los Angeles International, and Councilman
Lance Giroux reported that while the airport
public-relations staff is informing the public
about the benefits of the project, there are
downsides for the residents of El Segundo.
LAX officials want to add two concourses
by 2029 that will increase air traffic and
passengers using the nearby airport, he said.
Los Angeles World Airport officials last
week briefed local leaders on the scope and
benefits of enlarging the nation’s secondbusiest
airport. The construction, estimated
to cost $6 billion and take seven years to
complete, will have a huge impact on El
Segundo, Giroux learned. “Just from the
construction piece alone,” he added.
El Segundo officials are drafting a response
and listing concerns about the airport expansion
and have until mid-February to enter
them into public comments. One of those
concerns is that larger planes will service the
new concourses, which could add as many
as a dozen gates for arrivals and departures.
The passenger capacity at LAX could grow
by 50 percent over the next two-and-a-half
decades. “All of this is going to have a profound
effect on us,” said Giroux, who sits on
the 19-member Los Angeles Area Advisory
Committee representing South Bay cities.
The cities of Hawthorne, Inglewood, and
Westchester have indicated they don’t oppose
the airport expansion plan, leaving El
Segundo to fend off the negative environmental
impacts. Increases in jet noise, traffic, and
airborne emissions from airport operations
are among the consequences that El Segundo
officials will protest in their comments for
the public record. The city already won a
concession from the airport authority, which
gave El Segundo an additional two months
to file its objections.
El Segundo residents are encouraged to
learn about the planned expansion of the
airport and to contact the City Manager’s
Office for assistance registering their concerns
about how the lengthy construction project
and higher passenger volumes will affect
the quality of life for people living on the
southern perimeter. LAWA’s public-relations
staff has posted fact sheets and answers to
frequently asked questions on their website.
The link is found on the El Segundo city news
announcements, posted on November 10.
Other items discussed at Tuesday’s council
meeting included:
• Mayor Boyles read a proclamation for
United Against Hate Week, taking place
November 30 through December 6. The
observance recognizes Los Angeles County’s
diversity and celebrates the differences within
individual communities. El Segundo officials
embrace the event’s goals to promote social
justice, inclusion and safety for all.
• Councilwoman Carol Pirsztuk revealed
plans in the works for an alternative annual
Christmas Parade. The parade will be reimagined,
not canceled in 2020, to be safe and
still comply with emergency orders from Gov.
Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles County’s
health officer, she said. The Chamber of
Commerce, the Rotary, the Kiwanis and the
Parks and Recreation Department will partner
to create a parade experience.
Floats will be decorated and set up at the
Rec Park, where the trunk-or-treat was staged
for Halloween. The plan is to create a drivethrough
holiday parade experience, according
to the councilwoman. Instead of the floats
moving down Main Street, spectators will be
the ones moving through the exhibit area in
their vehicles. Schools, churches and local
clubs are invited to enter a float and make
2020 an uplifting community celebration for
this holiday season.
• Shad McFadden was chosen as chair
of the new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Committee. According to Deputy City Manager
Barbara Voss, he is the current AYSO
commissioner for the El Segundo region
and a leader in the community. McFadden
said the nine-member DEI panel has held
two meetings and looks forward to gathering
input from the community and pushing
forward with its task from the City Council
to identify and recommend changes that
will make El Segundo an even better place
to live and work.
• The council ratified changes to the city’s
internal organization, which combines existing
departments, including Library Services
and Parks and Recreation. While department
names have changed, the services they provide
the public remain the same. •