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 - November 10, 2016 City Council Approves Ordinance Amendments to Future Developments, Parking By Derrick Deane On November 8, the Hawthorne City Council voted unanimously to approve two ordinances to increase the minimum required commercial floor area for mixed-use developments in the city as well as add regulations for nonconforming residential structures and add provisions for parking variances and shared parking agreements. Ordinances 2127 and 2128 passed after lengthy discussion and public comment and also included a presentation by Hawthorne Interim Planning Consultant John Ramirez. The proposed amendments will increase the size of mixed-use or high-density projects to three acres; enhance setback and landscape standards for mixed-use and highdensity projects abutting one- and two-story residential structures; update parking standards for multiple-family and single-family uses; and make modifications to the minimum residential unit sizes. “One of the goals of these amendments is to try and implement best planning practices whenever we have an opportunity,” Ramirez said. “Some of these practices include ensuring that new projects are comprehensive in nature and integrated in design, provide open space and off-street parking, and provide walkways and amenities for contemporary living. That’s a fancy way of saying that they look good, make sense, they provide all the resources that they need and that they’re compatible with the existing surrounding property.” Ramirez noted that another goal was to conserve money by not overextending the existing utilities or infrastructure. He added that the design of the projects should be large enough to make a distinction between public and private spaces while avoiding creating nuisances such as noise, light and traffic. “There are a lot of cities in the area that tend to have a lot of apathy,” Ramirez said. “That’s not the case in Hawthorne. We’ve heard from a lot of people who care about what is going on here and what we’re doing as staff to promote the best and well-being of the future of the city.” Ramirez pointed out that the amendments successfully addressed some of the challenges found in a market study of the Downtown Hawthorne Specific Plan. “There’s significant east/west division in the city,” he explained. “There’s parcelization of Hawthorne Boulevard. There’s perceptions of crime and a perception that the City is unfriendly to business. There’s a lack of parking and there’s a lack of anchor and destination uses along Hawthorne Boulevard.” Ramirez added that one of the land use patterns along Hawthorne Boulevard is a mix of “a time where there was a street car active throughout the city. So you see small, shallow, narrow properties.” Ramirez explained that as transportation evolved, the parcel pattern changed as development spread from the center of the city into the suburban areas--but in the process left small and narrow parcels that are “a challenge to develop.” Overcrowding in units was another issue that influenced the amendment. “One of the advantages of being in Hawthorne is its location,” Ramirez said. “Although we’re not by the beach immediately, we’re still pretty close. We have to be in a position where we have something more to offer our potential new residents in the city.” Mayor Pro Tem Angie Reyes English sought to clarify how the ordinances will affect the City and also understand the impact on small businesses. She added that she has heard the concerns of the community, participated in the creation of the Specific Plan and that “it has been an ongoing challenge with regards to housing.” English went on to ask Ramirez about the increased parcel size. “What do you say to those who have been long-standing businesses that are less than three acres? It seems to me that we’re limiting potential development because now we have a set minimum. I want to be inclusive. I want others to have opportunities--and let me tell you, right now there are a lot of businesses that are holding onto their property because they see the future growth not just in Hawthorne, but the surrounding areas.” Ramirez suggested that one of the ways the City can assist current businesses is to help find ways to consolidate properties. “One of the things that we know is that there is a lot of small property owners, and in the long term we see a huge benefit to getting these property owners to work together and consolidate their properties for a development that benefits both them--because their property values will go up- -and also benefit the City through high-quality development.” Mayor Alex Vargas added his support for the amendments before they were approved saying, “The people who have been excluded have been the residents and the people who own homes. That’s why we’ve had free reign for people to come here in the city and build whatever the heck they wanted.” The Mayor continued, “That’s why you have Moneta Gardens. That’s why you have the problems. That’s why our police department can’t attend to calls in other parts of the city because they have so many calls in Moneta Gardens. That was created because people up here in this Council from previous administrations had real estate interests at the same time while they were serving the community.” Vargas added that the amendment was an attempt to reverse the issue as much as possible. “At this point, this is something that is initiated on this end. I think we’re listening to the community. There’s no lie--there’s no parking. We have 32 preferential parking areas. That’s reality.” Vargas also took a moment to point out Councilman Nilo Michelin’s absence during “another important vote” and said he and his colleagues would address the matter at an upcoming meeting. “This has happened too many times,” the Mayor said. “Critical decisions, there’s always one person on this dais that’s absent. I hope the rest of this Council will address this individual because it has been three times when we’ve had critical votes that this person could not even come to the meetings.” • Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................2 Classifieds............................3 Entertainment......................5 Finance..................................3 Hawthorne Happenings....3 Legals................................ 6-7 Looking Up...........................4 Pets........................................8 Sports....................................4 Seniors..................................2 Weekend Forecast Friday Sunny 77˚/57˚ Saturday Partly Cloudy 77˚/58˚ Sunday Sunny 80˚/60˚ LESD Students Participate in South Bay Hackathon The Hackathon was created with the goal to connect students to local professionals and to engage students in applied STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activities, help the students build the necessary skillset needed to succeed in competitive college and career engineering pathways, and inspire young people to choose STEM careers. Eighty students from four area schools were challenged to figure out how an astronaut stranded on a remote planet could send an emergency message to colleagues. Photo provided by Lawndale Elementary School District
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