Hawthorne Press Tribune
Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - April 26, 2018
Inside
This Issue
Calendar of Events.............3
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................5
Classifieds............................3
Entertainment......................2
Finance..................................7
Hawthorne Happenings....3
Lawndale..............................4
Legals............................. 4,6,7
Looking Up...........................5
Pets........................................8
Seniors..................................7
Weekend
Forecast
Baseball Great Visits Hawthorne
Former USC, Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles star Don Buford came by Hawthorne High School last week to give the team a clinic on batting and bunting. Photo: Hawthorne High.
City Council Approves Two Hawthorne
Airport Noise Code Amendments
By Derrick Deane
On Tuesday, noise at the Hawthorne Airport
once again led the discussion at the City
Council meeting. This time the topic centered
on a couple of amendments to the Hawthorne
Municipal Code – Resolution 7972, which
would add policies that address noise-sensitive
uses near the airport and direct a regular
update of the Airport Noise Compatibility
Study; and Ordinance 2157, which would
amend the zoning map to establish boundaries
of the Airport Overlay Zone.
The Airport Overlay Zone is divided into
two sections, with the larger portion (Airport
Overlay Zone 2) enclosed by 120th Street
to Birch Avenue and then down to Jack
Northrop Avenue. Airport Overlay Zone 1 is
immediately across the street from the airport.
“When the planes take off -- especially
those wonderful jets -- they fly over [Ramona
Avenue], so there is a lot of noise,” said
resident Alex Monteiro, who had a small
plane crash in one of his townhomes. “When
they did the presentation last meeting, they
only talked about the landing area. But on
taking off, they’re supposed to make a turn
on Hawthorne Boulevard…but they are taking
off over us.”
City Manager Arnie Shadbehr said that the
Noise Compatibility Program was a result
of the noise study that the City did for all
of Hawthorne and agreed that “95 percent
of the take-offs are to the west.” Shadbehr
added that he is aware that there are many
pilots who violate noise abatement protocol.
“We are going to publish it one more time
and distribute it among pilots. The problem
with it is that we don’t have enforcement
power. So we can distribute the information
and tell the tower manager to announce it
for all pilots to be aware that when they
reach Hawthorne Boulevard, they make a
210-degree turn south toward the ocean.”
In addition to pointing out that some pilots
disregard the rules, Shadbehr noted there are
other factors that sometimes come into play
including air temperature, wind velocity, mechanical
issues, and air traffic that may delay
the protocol. “We are working to promote
this and will continue to promote this, but
unfortunately the FAA does not give airports
any enforcement power,” he said. “They don’t
get involved with this themselves because of
safety issues. If they made the turn mandatory
and something happens like there is a crash,
then the FAA is directly liable.”
Shadbehr explained that having the airport
in the city also means that there are some
things that residents will just have to come
to terms with as part of living here. “Unfortunately,
it is what it is,” he said. “We cannot
have the perfect situation where we have an
airport and the surrounding neighborhood
doesn’t hear anything. I live close to an
airport myself. Some people get bothered
by it, some don’t.”
The two amendments approved by the
City Council, minus Nilo Michelin who was
excused absent, pertained to new development
and construction. Any new construction, which
would include remodeling or reconstruction or
additions on residential properties, must provide
sound insulation to meet an interior noise level
of 45 decibels. “It doesn’t apply to a garage
and it doesn’t mean you have to retrofit your
home,” Planning Director Brian James said.
“It’s only if you’re doing an addition or an
expansion or you’re rebuilding your home.”
The amendment also requires that if a
residential property is sold, the seller must
disclose that the airport is nearby and
would also prohibit the introduction of new
noise-sensitive land uses. “That means the
introduction of anything that doesn’t exist
there now,” James said. “It wouldn’t apply
to the reconstruction or redevelopment of a
land use that is already there -- so if someone
wanted to come in and build a hospital
in an area and a hospital does not exist, it
would not be allowed, but you could rebuild
or expand your home.”
On a lighter note, Councilmember Angie
Reyes English took time to thank citizens
and her colleagues for another successful
Service Provider Fair last weekend. It was
the ninth year that English had organized
the fair that connects citizens with various
service providers and departments in the city.
“I want to thank all of those who took part
in the Service Provider Fair,” English said.
“It was a great showing. It is something that
is very dear to me.”
In addition to informing residents about
various services available in town, the event
also gave away food, shoes and bikes. “Approximately
800 pairs of shoes were given
out last Saturday and we gave out shoes and
food to a total of 1,405 people,” John L.
Jefferson, senior pastor at Del Aire Baptist
Church, said.
“I can’t say enough for all of the support
-- especially the donations that came in to
ensure that we had everybody fed,” English
added. “It’s because of the service that we
provide to our community that it keeps growing
and growing. It’s not about me. It’s about
what we’re offering to our community.” •
Friday
Sunny
62˚/55˚
Saturday
Sunny
63˚/54˚
Sunday
Sunny
65˚/55˚
The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne