TRAFFIC, SAFETY, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

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• The proposed project will expose residents, the public, and nearby schools to a minimum of 5 ACTIVE years of demolition and construction, hazardous cancer-causing pollutants, noise, vibration, and daily disruptions. 

  • Towers Elementary school with 600+ school children aged 4-10, teachers and staff is located just 350 ft. downwind from the demolition and construction site

  • Beryl Heights Elementary school with 450+ school children is ~900 ft. away

  • Redondo Union and West High schools with over 5,000 students combined are 0.3  and 0.7 miles away.

• Increased traffic, congestion and safety issues will overwhelm nearby neighborhood streets and all major surrounding thoroughfares and intersections in the cities of Redondo Beach and Torrance

• Negative impacts will be felt both during the 5+ years of active demolition and construction and after completion and operation of the massive 24/7 RCFE and parking structure.

• Hazardous VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and carcinogens were found on the site. According to the Phase II Environmental Assessment Report by Converse Consultants dated 2/26/20. 

  • PCE (perchloroethylene) was detected in 29 of 30 samples, with findings of levels in amounts up to 150 times the allowable residential screening level identified. 

  • Chloroform was detected in four samples at a maximum of over 13 times the allowable residential levels. 

  • Benzene was detected in two samples at over 7 times the allowable residential levels.

• 15 required CEQA categories in the Environmental Checklist were listed at the highest potentially "significant" hazardous level in the 2019 NoP.These include:

  •  Aesthetics

  •  Air Quality

  •  Biological Resources

  •  Cultural Resources and Tribal Cultural Resources

  •  Energy

  •  Geology and Soils

  •  Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  •  Hazards and Hazardous Materials

  •  Hydrology and Water Quality  Land Use and Planning
     Noise and Vibration
     Population and Housing

  •  Public Services
     Transportation
     Utilities and Services System

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INCOMPATIBLE WITH SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS

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• The BCHD proposed buildings are too large, too high and wholly incompatible with the surrounding neighborhoods, and disruptive for the location. The proposed construction makes the buildings on the site are more than 250% larger than currently exists.

• Though BCHD claims the revised version of the campus is "smaller, more compact" the Phase 1 design is actually TALLER (6 stories vs. 4) and LARGER (a total of 253,700 sq. ft. vs. 160,000 sq. ft.) than the 2019 Phase 1 RCFE design (ref: p. 21 of NoP).

• BCHD is the ONLY neighborhood incompatible use of a P-CF zoned site in Redondo Beach. It should be retired and changed into a compatible use.The other 6 P-CF zoned parcels besides BCHD are: Andrews Park, North Branch Library, Grant Fire Station, Broadway Fire Station, Beryl Maintenance Yard/Police Range, and Kensington 2-story assisted living. 

• The proposed 6-story, city blocks-long assisted living building and 8-story parking garage will block views, reduce sunlight, ocean breezes and impact the privacy of all surrounding homes.​

• The 11-acre construction site sits on a bluff, 30 ft. above street level, and another 30 ft. above homes to the east. 

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BCHD - MISSION CREEP AND NON-TRANSPARENCY 

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• BCHD’s new “refined” version includes never-before-seen elements including a taller 6-story RCFE, new 8-story parking structure, and a proposed new community pool. These major elements were not in the 2019 NoP and not subject to public comment for the DEIR to address.

• BCHD BoD approved the new “refined” version just 3 business days after posting rudimentary thumbnail sketches of the new project and at the same meeting it was presented to the Board of Directors and the public. A promised "study session" with the public was cancelled.​

• Though they claim to encourage public input, BCHD BoD voted to change its policy to further limit public input as its first action at the June 24, 2020 BoD meeting, just 1 week after receiving 110+ comments opposing the project at the June 17 BoD meeting.

• BCHD is BOTH the Lead Agency and Certifier/Approver of its own EIR. They can cite “overriding considerations” to un-mitigatable hazards, which are already  included in a budgeted line item in BCHD EIR financials.

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POOR USE OF TAXPAYER FUNDS

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• The public health district has strayed far beyond its mission, now planning to "gift" public land private developers for it's massive $374M assisted living project. 

• BCHD plans a 20/80 business partnership where they retain only 20% interest.

• BCHD is using $7.6M of taxpayer money for HLC real estate development planning 

• According to the Market Feasibility Study performed by their consultants MDS

  • 80% of target renters are from outside the Beach Cities 

  • Only 9% of the target renters live in Redondo Beach, 100% of the POLICE & FIRE costs will hit Redondo Beach services.

• BCHD refuses to take responsible actions that any public entity is required to do - live within their means and reduce expenses when necessary

• Redondo Beach public services such as Fire Department/Paramedics will be excessively taxed with the 24/7 operation of the proposed 325-bed assisted living and 400+ PACE program.

• South Bay Hospital - the only construction ever voter-approved on the site, was sized exclusively for the Beach Cities. 

• BCHD's seismic consultants clearly stated that there is no legal obligation to retrofit the 514 hospital building and that it can likely be used until 2040. Ultimately, retrofitting and remodeling the building is clearly a responsible choice without spending $374M.

 

Despite mass public opposition, and now the effects and ramification of the pandemic, BCHD is moving forward in the process.

Please let your elected officials, decision makers, and others affected know that you oppose this project; they must take the responsible action.

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