Lawndale Tribune
AND lAwNDAle News
The Weekly Newspaper of Lawndale
Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - December 7, 2017
Take Home a Kitty for Christmas
When it comes to holiday gift ideas, what could be more purr-fect than a new kitten? Madeline, featured above, is just one of many adorable felines waiting to be adopted through Kitten Rescue. Check out our
Pets column for information on her and other furry friends.
Council Approves Development
Agreement for New Activity Hub
By Haleemon Anderson
aware of holiday predatory behavior, saying
The Lawndale City Council moved one step
criminal acts are often committed by couriers
closer to seeing Hawthorne and Manhattan
and charitable organizations. “And be careful
Beach boulevards converted into a hub for
on the roads,” said Tardy. This season is
community life and activity, unanimously
projected to have the highest traffic and
authorizing an exclusive negotiating
travel volume since 2005.
agreement (ENA) with the developer at
In public comments, Connie Turner,
Monday’s meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Daniel
Government Relations Manager for SoCal
Reid chaired the meeting in the absence of
Edison, introduced her replacement, saying
Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles.
she will miss Lawndale. The new manager, Vic
The ENA with Frontier Real Estate
Knoll, will take on the role and is currently
Investments runs 180 days. Reid reported
transitioning from the Rosemead office.
the anchor tenant, Rock & Brews restaurant,
Library Manager Jose Parra announced an
has put up $25,000 to cover administrative
expansion of the fine-free library card, and
costs. Several residents spoke to the location’s
holiday programming on December 16, at
value, saying the lot is being devalued by
2 p.m. The event will feature a magician,
the City of Lawndale.
said Parra. Toddler activities at the library
Reid corrected the notion that the City
have moved for Fridays at 10:30 a.m. Teen
owns the property. The lot is a leftover
activities continue every Tuesday at 4 p.m.
from the days of Community Development
A public hearing was opened on item G.
Department grants and is owned by the
12, a proposed fee schedule change for the
Successor Agency, a City-run entity under
City’s Planning Department. Shawn Moore,
State of California oversight that was phased
Director of Community Development,
out two years ago. “This is a State Department
reported fees have not been updated since
of Finance property,” said Reid. “We cannot
2001. The proposal includes raising set
raise it or sell it at any other price.” The
fees for various City-provided services,
Council unanimously approved the ENA.
including site plan reviews, shed fees, zoning
Captain April Tardy gave the public safety
verification and others. The change would
report for November 5 through December 3,
allow many deposit-based fees to be based
reporting a decline in Lawndale’s crime rate.
on hours. “Site plan reviews are [currently]
“This holiday season, Lawndale is safer for
$100,” said Moore. “We spend on average
its residents and the surrounding community,”
14 hours.” With a new fee schedule, staff
said Tardy. She noted a 15 percent decline
hours, along with Planning Commission
in “part one crimes.” These felony-level
time, would be calculated into the increase.
crimes include robberies, burglary, assault,
Resident Randall Abrams said he agreed
motor vehicle theft and acts of violence.
with increasing the fees, but cautioned they
Tardy encouraged the citizens to continue
be reasonable. “You don’t want to discourage
good safety practices. “If you see it,” she
residents from applying,” said Abrams. Pam
said, “report it.” She warned citizens to be
London said she hoped raising fees would
not get in the way of new developers and
construction coming into Lawndale.
Moore said staff surveyed surrounding cities
and wanted to bring the fee increase in line
with the amount of time needed by staff to
complete application protocols. “Currently,
the fee schedule is mostly being subsidized
by the City,” said Moore. The Council voted
unanimously to consider adopting a new fee
schedule.
In a public hearing on the closure of Blue
Bonnet Mobile Home Park, one resident
spoke about the need to make comparable
housing affordable. Irene Rosales, who said
she has lived at the site for 23 years, spoke
passionately about being relocated. “The
Resident Relocation Resources was supposed
to provide ‘like for like’,” she said. “What
we are being offered is not comparable.”
Rosales appeared to have a small group
with her in support, although no one else
spoke. She asked the Council to have the
property manager rework the plan to reflect
current prices in the city. She said she and
her son still want to live in Lawndale.
The Lawndale City Council meets the first
and third Monday of every month, unless
otherwise noted. The Council generally alters
its schedule to accommodate the holiday
season in November and December. To
that end, action was approved to cancel the
upcoming meeting on January 2, 2018, and
to hold the first meeting of the new year on
Tuesday, January 16.
The next regular Council meeting, the
last meeting of 2017, will be held Monday,
December 18, at 6:30 p.m. in the Lawndale
City Hall Council Chambers. •
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................5
Classifieds............................3
Finance..................................4
Hawthorne Happenings....3
Legals............................... 6-7
Looking Up...........................2
Pets........................................8
Police Reports.....................3
Seniors..................................4
Sports....................................5
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Partly
Cloudy
72˚/53˚
Saturday
Partly
Cloudy
78˚/55˚
Sunday
AM Clouds/
PM Sun
79˚/54˚