RDA MINS 20000905 MINUTES
RANCHO PALOS VERDES REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
REGULAR MEETING
SEPTEMBER 5, 2000
The meeting was called to order at 8:54 P.M. by Chair Byrd at Fred Hesse Community Park,
29301 Hawthorne Boulevard.
PRESENT: Ferraro, Lyon, McTaggart, Stern, and Chair Byrd
ABSENT: None
Also present were Executive Director Les Evans; Assistant Executive Director Carolynn Petru;
Agency Attorney Carol Lynch; Planning, Building & Code Enforcement Director Joel Rojas;
Director of Public Works Dean Allison; Finance Director Dennis McLean; Director of
Administrative Services/Agency Secretary Jo Purcell; and, Recording Secretary Jackie Drasco.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
Member Ferraro moved, seconded by Member Stern, to approve the agenda as amended to
continue the Groundwater Analysis in Abalone Cove and Portuguese Bend item to the meeting
on October 3, 2000. Motion carried.
APPROVAL OF CONSENT CALENDAR:
Member Stern moved, seconded by Member Ferraro, to approve the Consent Calendar as
follows:
Minutes (301)
Approved the minutes of August 1, 2000.
Continuing Appropriations and Budget Reductions (602 x 1900)
(1) ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. RDA 2000-10, A RESOLUTION OF THE RANCHO PALOS
VERDES REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. RDA 2000-07, THE
BUDGET APPROPRIATION FOR FY 2000-2001, TO CONTINUE CERTAIN EXPENDITURE
APPROPRIATIONS FROM FY 1900-2000. (2) ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. RDA 2000-11, A
RESOLUTION OF THE RANCHO PALOS VERDES REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AMENDING
RESOLUTION NO. RDA 99-10, THE BUDGET APPROPRIATION FOR FY 1900-2000, TO
REDUCE THE BUDGET FOR CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS.
July 2000 Treasurer's Report (602 x 1900)
Received and filed.
Resol. No RDA 2000-12 - Register of Demands (602 x 1900)
ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. RDA 2000-12, A RESOLUTION OF THE RANCHO PALOS
VERDES REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ALLOWING CERTAIN CLAIMS AND DEMANDS AND
SPECIFYING FUNDS FROM WHICH THE SAME ARE TO BE PAID.
The motion to approve the Consent Calendar carried on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Ferraro, Lyon, McTaggart, Stern and Chair Byrd
NOES: None
ABSTAIN: Lyon, on August 1 Minutes as she was not present at that meeting.
# # # # # # # # # # # # #
Groundwater Analysis in Abalone Cove and Portuguese Bend (1204 x 1900)
Council consensus was to continue this item to October 3, 2000.
Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Restoration Project (1101 x 1900)
Executive Director Evans presented the staff report of September 5, 2000 and the
recommendation to approve the concept of an environmental restoration project along the
shoreline of Portuguese Bend, request the Army Corps of Engineers to hold in abeyance the
Draft Feasibility Study until the issues of most beneficial location of a protective structure and
source of funding could be further studied; and, authorize the Chair to sign a letter indicating
this action.
Council discussion centered on the unacceptability of the breakwater 400 feet from the shore;
the difficulty in determining the toe of the slide, even with GPS; funding for the project; the
possibility of mitigation credit from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach for restoring
marine habitat; the history of the project, including costs to the RDA, sources of funding, and
the fact that this had always been a mitigation project. It was argued that the project changed
from slide abatement to habitat restoration and that the RDA should have realized some time
ago that this would not be an acceptable project.
Speaking in opposition to installation of the breakwater as proposed by the Corps of Engineer
were: Tony Baker, 16 Limetree Lane; Debbie Baker, 16 Limetree Lane; John McCarthy,
(Portuguese Bend Club Homeowners Association President and Klondike Canyon Geologic
Hazard Abatement District Member) 105 Spindrift; Kim Redfield, 6 Peppertree Drive; Mary Ann
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September 5, 2000
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Hunter, 31 Narcissa Drive; Daniel Pinkham, #1 Narcissa Drive; Irwin Helford, 127 Spindrift
Lane; Vic Quirarte, 29369 Quailwood Drive; Jess Morton (Audubon Society), 787 West 4th
Street, San Pedro, CA 90731; Dr. Suzanne Lawrence-Miller (Director of the Cabrillo Aquarium),
2919 S. Alma Street, San Pedro, CA 90731; and, Gerlinde Ryan, 3224 Barkentine Road.
RECESS & RECONVENE:
At 10:16 P.M., Chair Byrd declared a recess. The meeting reconvened at 10:27 P.M.
Additional speakers opposing the installation of the breakwater as proposed by the Corps of
Engineer were: Alyda White (League of Women's Voters), 32614 Coastsite Drive; Barry
Holchin, 5818 Ironwood Street; Jim Knight, 5 Cinnamon Lane; George Spatola, 32614
Coastsite Drive, Unit H; Angelika Brinkmann-Busi (California Native Plant Society), 2141 W. 35th
Street, San Pedro, CA 90732; Dr. Alan Miller (marine ecologist), 2919 Alma Street, San Pedro,
CA 90731; L. D. Vivian (Sierra Club), 2324 W. 37th Street, San Pedro, CA 90732; Andrew Ely,
112 Spindrift Drive; Steven Cummins, 81 Yacht Harbor Drive; Bill McLaughlin, 4157 Maritime
Road; Jim Randall, 27415 Larchbluff; Randee Wood, 111 Spindrift Drive; Holly Cain, 52
Avenida Corona; Jeanne Smolley, 56 Limetree Lane; Daphne Clarke, 10 Peppertree Drive;
Steven Mirich, 4 Kumquat Lane; and, Ted Serandos, 4112 Sea Horse Lane.
A summary of the speakers' comments was as follows: Many felt that the project should be
abandoned, not continued; that noticing to the public was inadequate and therefore there was
not enough time for public input; that there were doubts about whether habitat will be restored;
that habitat is doing well now; and, that there was a risk of destroying tidepools. Some
speakers felt that they would like the slide stopped but not at the risk of destroying natural
beauty; that this was a dishonest project because Corps' goals (marine habitat restoration) and
City goals (slide abatement) were different; that it would be better to find funding for slide
abatement project; that the project would harm rather than help the environment; and, that there
was no information as to whether breakwater might activate another slide. Several felt that
there should be no breakwater regardless of the distance from the shore; that the project
provided no plan for monitoring nor mitigation for damage; that environmental reports were
based on invalid comparisons; that building an expensive breakwater to reduce maintenance of
Palos Verdes Drive South was not equitable and maybe a toll road was the answer; that a
Coastal Commission report stated that this project would not enhance marine habitat; that
construction would require many heavy truckloads over a fragile road; that the beautiful view of
the cove would be destroyed by this manmade structure; that some property owners did not
want slide stopped because it preserved open space; and, that one resident recently purchased
his home in the area in spite of the slide.
Steve Fine, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said that from the beginning the feasibility study was
directed to environmental habitat and that most environmental agencies agreed that the slide
contributed to the degradation of the kelp forest. He felt that the study had value and that the
Corps proposed a technically sound project, although there were potential impacts; that there
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September 5, 2000
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had been public input; that it was unfortunate that the location of the toe of the slide had not
been determined. He said that this was a challenging problem to solve and that the Corps was
disappointed that the project does not meet the needs of the RDA of Rancho Palos Verdes but
of course the project would not go forward unless it was acceptable to the RDA.
Council discussion focused on aesthetics; construction and maintenance costs; whether the
project would restore the shoreline and marine habitat; and, whether it would provide slide
abatement. It was argued that the project was never going to provide an acceptable, honest
solution because the Corps' goal was marine habitat restoration and the RDA was interested in
slide abatement; that the project could not be economical justified; that environmental groups
felt the study was inadequate and provided incorrect reference points for comparisons; and that
another project directed toward landslide abatement would be more appropriate.
RECESS & RECONVENE:
At 11:35 P.M., Chair Byrd declared a recess. The meeting reconvened at 11:39 P.M.
Member McTaggart moved to approve the concept of an environmental restoration project
along the shoreline of Portuguese Bend, request the Army Corps of Engineers to hold in
abeyance the Draft Feasibility Study until the issues of most beneficial location of a protective
structure and source of funding can be further studied; and, authorize the Chair to sign a letter
indicating this action.
Council discussion focused on revisions to the letter to better express the Council's intent. It
was argued that if the project was not going to be abandoned entirely that the letter simply state
that it would be held in abeyance without details.
Member Ferraro seconded the motion if the letter was revised per Council discussion. The
maker of the motion agreed.
The revised motion carried on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Ferraro, Lyon, McTaggart, and Chair Byrd
NOES: Stern
Member Stern moved to disband the ad hoc committee that addresses this and have whatever
workup there is on this brought into the RDA directly and no longer have it proceed through the
ad hoc committee.
The motion died for lack of a second.
Member Stern moved, seconded by Member McTaggart, to require that that ad hoc committee
be required to give written summary reports of all the activities, such as meetings with the
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Corps.
The motion carried on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Lyon, McTaggart, and Stern
NOES: Ferraro and Chair Byrd
AUDIENCE COMMENTS:
Lois Larue, 3136 Barkentine Road, 3136 Barkentine Road, expressed her disappointment that
the Council had voted to hold the breakwater project in abeyance despite heavy speaker
opposition.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 12:02 A.M. on the motion on Chair Byrd.
Chaff
Attest:
A . .�
Agency Secretary
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