Locals only

https://easyreadernews.com/letters-to-the-editor-2-23-23/

Dear ER:

Beach Cities Health District CEO Ton Bakaly said in a recent Easy Reader article that if BCHD simply tore down the hospital, it would need to cut services by 17 percent. Clearly, BCHD could simply cut non-resident services, maintain District resident services, and not destroy surrounding neighborhood character with a commercial office building by PMB. So why is BCHD planning to put a 110-foot tall, 300,000 square foot building on the north and east edges of the site in order to service non-residents? It makes no sense. BCHD needs to preserve the neighborhoods, curtail 100 percent of non-resident services, and reduce its fat executive overheads to fit inside of a 17 percent reduced budget. That would provide 100 percent of current services to District residents with no further destruction of surrounding privacy and property values.

Mark Nelson

Redondo Beach

What’s good for Catalinais good for Prospect

Dear ER:

On January 26, 2023 the Redondo Beach City Council voted to disapprove the Catalina Village project at 100-132 N Catalina (“Council denies Catalina Village Project,” January 26, 2022). The Council determined it was not in compliance with various City and State codes. The Council is to be commended for its decision in overturning the analysis errors of the Planning Department staff, which found the project to be in compliance. In order to avoid another appeal situation with the PMB privately developed, owned and operated project on public, Beach Cities Health District land, the Council should provide clear guidance to the Planning Department staff regarding its review of the proposed, over 100-foot tall, nearly 300,000 square foot commercial development abutting residential neighborhoods.

Mark Nelson

Redondo Beach

DD the BCHD

Easy Reader 12-1-22

https://easyreadernews.com/letters-to-the-editor-12-1-22/

Dear ER:

The Beach Cities Health District is attempting to lease three acres of public use land to PMB, a private developer. The deal is identical to what Redondo Beach Unified did with the old school site on Knob Hill. RBUSD leased three acres to Kensington senior living, also a private developer. RBUSD leased the land for 99 years and BCHD is leasing for 95 years. Redondo Beach Ballot Measure DD, approved in 2008, requires a vote of the people whenever there is a “major change to allowable land use.” A major change is defined as an act that will “change a public use to a private use.” DD specifically applies to “land allocated to the Beach Cities Health District.” The City Council ruled that the RBUSD leasing of three acres to Kensington for a private, $10,000 per month rent assisted living, converted a public use to a private use and required a vote of the people. Yet BCHD makes the false claim that it is exempt from Measure DD. We need to hold our public agencies accountable when they lease public land for five generations to private companies for commercial use. And that accountability is a public vote under Measure DD.

Mark Nelson

Redondo Beach