Hawthorne Press Tribune
The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne
Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - July 12, 2018
Inside
This Issue
Calendar of Events.............3
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................7
Classifieds............................3
Entertainment......................2
Food.......................................8
Hawthorne Happenings....3
Lawndale..............................4
Legals............................. 4,5,6
Looking Up...........................7
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Sunny
77˚/67˚
Saturday
Mostly
Sunny
76˚/67˚
Sunday
Partly
Cloudy
76˚/68˚
Sgt. Cognac Says Goodbye to PD
During his last day before retiring from the Hawthorne Police Department after a 26-year career, Sgt. Chris Cognac (on the left, with Lt. Robbie Williams on the right) did a drive around the city.
They wanted to take one last “selfie” in front of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Photo Courtesy of Hawthorne PD. •
Mayor Blocks Move to Convert
Zone to High-Density Residential
By Derrick Deane
Following a healthy debate amongst his
colleagues, Mayor Alex Vargas was able to
continue his long-running stance against highdensity
residential projects in town at Tuesday’s
Hawthorne City Council meeting. The issue
this time centered on a vacant, 13,253-square
foot commercial-zoned parcel located at 11415
York Ave. that was to be converted to an R-3
high-density residential area pending approval.
An R-3 zoned property allows for more than
two units to be built on the site.
Planning Director Brian James noted that the
area had been a long-running law enforcement
and maintenance issue for the City of Hawthorne
and stated that building the residences would
help ease the necessity for such services. “Not
only is it a vacant lot, but it’s also a constant
enforcement issue,” James said. “Weed abatement,
trespassing, dumping, illegal parking…
so having this put into productive use would
be a big relief for staff.”
The parcel has been vacant for 25 years
since the 105 Freeway had been built, with
initial intentions of putting in a billboard.
When those plans fell through early on, the
parcel stayed empty and remained zoned as a
commercial area. “It’s not a viable commercial
site and the only access is through a residential
neighborhood to a cul-de-sac,” James said.
The proposed project called for a four-unit
residential structure to be built on the parcel
with ample parking for residents. Two units
would be attached while another two would
be detached, with sizes ranging from 1,600 to
1,700 square feet. Each would have had its
own private open space and meet all current
parking requirements.
“Because it’s also adjacent to the freeway,
that’s also a concern,” Councilmember Angie
Reyes English said. “I know we’ve had numerous
reports to us in terms of large homeless
encampments, cleanups and actual costs that
accrue to the City that we have to pay out of
our pocket. I think residents would be upset if
it was a commercial use [because if] it were
a commercial use, it could be operational in
a number of forms.”
Vargas, however, didn’t waver in his decision,
holding steadfast to his opposition to
high-density residential projects in the city.
“My concern is the high density,” he said. “I’ve
always mentioned it and even though we’ve
written that extra step for people to come to
the Planning Commission to apply as part of
the process, the fact that we’re labeling it R-3
allows for the opportunity to occur there in an
area that’s already impacted. Parking situations,
crime, shootings, and to aggravate the problem
with another example of high density is not
conducive to what we’re trying to achieve to
try to give residents a high quality of life.”
Vargas asked why the area couldn’t be
changed to an R-1 or R-2 zone and stated
that there was an almost automatic propensity
for the city to have to debate high-density
residential proposals without considering
alternative options.
An R-1 and R-2 zoning would restrict the
land to either a single family home or, in the
case of an R-2, a maximum of two units.
“High-density housing in Hawthorne in the
situation that we’re in now is not appropriate,”
Vargas said.
Vargas went to the extent of hypothesizing
that a developer could come in and buy
up all the homes on the block and build a
massive apartment building. In such a case,
City Manager Arnie Shadbehr noted that any
change from what was being proposed would
have to filter its way through the Planning
Commission again before getting a final vote
from the City Council.
“It’s my hope that we are looking at people
to better the city,” English said. “If this is a
property that has been vacant for some many
years, I don’t see why we would not allow an
opportunity to better it.” English added that
the City Council needed to have a little more
faith when it came to development projects,
especially any potential mixed-use proposals
that could be brought to them. “We need to
give opportunities to individuals. Not everybody
is a bad apple. It’s really sad that has been
pretty much said up here. I don’t know this
[developer]. I hope this person wants to better
the community and develop it and pay lots of
development fees and ultimately do whatever
it takes to get this to what it needs to be. If
not, here we are again with, ‘No, no, no, no.’
Hawthorne’s going to continue to grow. We’re
either going to help in that or we’re not.”
Both English and Councilmember Olivia
Valentine, while expressing some concern for
the zoning conversion, ultimately voted in favor
while Vargas was the lone vote against. With
only three members on the dais, a unanimous
vote would have been needed to approve the
project.
Mayor Pro Tem Hadir Awad excused himself
from the vote and discussion due to potential
conflict of interest and living near the proposed
project. Councilman Nilo Michelin was absent
from the meeting. •