The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 108, No. 47 - November 21, 2019
Inside
This Issue
Calendar of Events.............2
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................14
Classifieds..........................12
Crossword/Sudoku...........12
Entertainment....................13
Legals............................ 10,11
Letters...................................2
Police Reports.....................4
Real Estate.....................7-10
Sports.............................. 5,14
Weekend
Forecast
Chambers Salute to El Segundo
El Segundo’s Mayors, looking fine and festive: seated, left to right, Carl Jacobson, Sandra Jacobs and Gorden Stephans. Back row: Bill Fisher, Drew Boyles and Suzanne Fuentes. Photo by Marsha Hansen
For more photos see page 15.
City Council Looks at Regulations
for Short-Term Rental Operators
By Brian Simon
On Tuesday night, the El Segundo City
Council moved one step closer towards approving
Holiday Specials this Week
Only four more weeks to Christmas and
El Segundo merchants are gearing up to
provide lots of local shopping options,
so residents can beat the rush and enjoy
their family and the festivities. Village
Liquor on page 5 is offering specials
savings on various spirits to brighten
your spirits! Kelly’s Beach Hut, page
4, is ready to help you “bring the beach
inside” with brand name bags, blankets and
chairs to keep your home or patio cozy
with local beach vibe. Jewelry Source,
page 4, their Ice heats up those cold
nights with lots of sparkle. Mattel Toy
Store is on page 2 Shop the Black Friday
& Saturday Event– November 29 & 30,
2019.Receive 50% OFF* the first 50
customers, and 30% OFF* after the first
50 customers. Doors open at 9AM. Mothers
Market and Kitchen, back page, do
your holiday food shopping here. They
pride themselves on homemade dishes and
specialized plant-based food, including
tofurky! Residents, don’t let your kids miss
out! Check out our coloring contest on
page 6. Everyone wins with the Herald.
*Must hold or sign-up for a free
Mattel Toy Store membership; Discount
applies to regular priced items only; Valid
on in-store purchases only, not on tent
purchases; No other discounts or coupons
apply; Not valid on previous purchases;
Product limits and exclusions apply;
All Sales Final. •
a 17- to 18-month pilot program to
regulate short-term rentals (STRs) in town via
a permit process. City of El Segundo staff will
come back in early December with requested
revisions before potential adoption.
A public hearing on the matter brought out
both sides of the spectrum – including local
Airbnb hosts who reported that they monitor
their visitors responsibly and don’t bother their
neighbors, as well as detractors who feel that
allowing STRs will destroy the very fabric of
the community by bringing in transients who
will cause disruption through noise, parking
and trash. One of them pointed out that
Manhattan Beach made a stand to protect its
neighborhoods by banning STRs.
Planning and Building Safety Director Sam
Lee addressed the two factions, noting that
people should be able to share their homes in
an ideal world and be good hosts – but that
this isn’t always the case, as evidenced by the
infamous party house on Virginia Street that
sparked uproar in 2017.
Lee opined that banning STRs would likely
discourage outside investors from buying residential
properties and stop some nuisances, but
thought a total ban would prompt a number
of hosts to “go underground” despite the ban
and force the City to “go after them” despite
limited resources. With that in mind, staff
and the Planning Commission recommended
a trial permit process to minimize problems
through compliance.
Principal Planner Eduardo Schonborn summarized
the permit process that will require
submittal of an application and approval
pending agreement with various conditions.
Operators will also need to have a business
license. Under the permit terms, hosts must
provide a parking space for each bedroom
rented; have a 24-hour contact number; must
be the actual property owner and live on the
premises at least half of the calendar year; and
secure a $1 million liability insurance policy.
Some of the Council members had issues
with a clause to allow only one booking at a
time, as it for instance penalizes empty nesters
with multiple bedrooms who wish to rent a
few out to boost their income. One of the staff
revisions will be to allow more than one booking
but require separate permits for each bedroom.
Other components of the program include
a zero tolerance policy towards party houses.
Planning Manager Gregg McClain said just
one citation will revoke someone’s permit
for the rest of the year. A second citation will
disqualify a host from renewing the permit the
following year. Another provision prohibits
hosts from advertising their properties for large
events such as weddings and bar mitzvahs.
McClain also noted that hosts must post a
set of rules for guests and will be responsible
to keep eyesore trash off the property (e.g. on
the lawn or in gutters), and not post signage
advertising their business -- though they can
have directional signage for offsite parking
purposes. A state law going into effect in
January prohibits accessory dwelling units
to be used as STRs, with the thinking that it
would otherwise reduce available housing stock.
Staff reviews of permit applications will
ensure there are no violations on the property
and that hosts paid their utility bills and
See City Council, page 11
Friday
Partly
Cloudy
68˚/53˚
Saturday
Sunny
71˚/52˚
Sunday
Sunny
71˚/53˚
The El Segundo Herald will
be delivered on Wednesday,
November 27 for the
Thanksgiving Holiday.