Comments of the Week: Metro and Parking

NIMBY, or "not in my backyard," were some of the local responses this week to a proposed extension of Metro's Green Line in neighboring Redondo Beach and a precise development plan for a parking lot on Hermosa Avenue, which the Hermosa Beach City Council has decided not to approve.

Hermosa Beach Patch readers weighed in on the two proposals. Here are some of their comments:

Green Line Extension Proposal

A next door in Redondo Beach for residents to comment publicly on a proposed extension of Metro's Green Line here in the South Bay.

Locals also commented on Patch:

• The final speaker of the night, Terry Destefano, said that she was offended by the 'talk about an "element." Who is this element that we're talking about,' she asked. 'Remember, we're all somebody else's element. It almost sounds like some polite, racist term.' Bingo Miss Destefano. That's what this is all about, kudos for having the guts to say it. Hermosa Beach is 86.93 percent Caucasian—0.83 percent African-American—8.07 percent Hispanic. — wrote .
• Hermosa is such a great place to live because of its small town feel. I don't want throngs of outsiders coming to the Beach Cities whether it's from Calabasas or Compton. I refuse to apologize for that. It's ironic that Ms. Destefano accuses others of being racist, yet she is actually the only one who brings up the issue of race. Is David Gonzalez a racist because he doesn't want people from the Galleria throwing rocks at his house? If someone doesn't think this is a worthwhile public project it doesn't make them a racist, and anyone making accusations like that should be ashamed of themselves. — wrote .
• Sorry to break this to you Joe. This is America and you have no say in what people come to the Beach Cities. I welcome all people, no matter who they are or where they are from. If you don't care for who is visiting, you have the option of moving. — wrote .
• We do have a say as to how our tax dollars are used. I agree with Joe. You have to keep in mind the context of this conversation. We're discussing using public money for a construction project that will benefit some and not others. No one is proposing that we turn the South Bay into a walled city. It seems there are some uppity opportunists that want to inject race into a debate about trains, there's no excuse for that. — wrote .

Parking Lot Proposal

The to uphold a Planning Commission decision to deny a development plan for a parking lot to be built at 1429 Hermosa Ave.

While some Patch readers applauded the council decision, others argued that parking is a need in the downtown area:

• Kudos to the council members for voting down the project in the interest of the local residents. Councilman Bobko had some sympathy for the property owner, but he made little sense in his presentation and the 100 signatures on the petition prevailed, as they should have. Any 'new plan' should include less of an impact on the locals, not more. — wrote .
• I live a block up from this location on Manhattan Avenue, and frankly parking is already a big problem, particularly during weekends and events. Quality of life would certainly be improved for my family with the addition of spaces in the downtown area. This lot has been sitting empty and dusty for more than two years now? I look forward to a compromise solution and encourage more action to relieve our city's parking problems. — wrote .

Coming up: Check Patch on Sundays for our weekly roundup of the latest Hermosa Beach headlines in the Week in Review.