Hermosa Beach : Expansion Approved

After a year of negotiations and several public hearings, the City Council this week approved a plan that allows the Vasek Polak BMW dealership at 2901 Pacific Coast Highway to expand into a portion of the alley between Gould Avenue and 30th Street.

The council directed the city staff to write a final development agreement that includes several conditions proposed by residents and businesses in the area. Among other things, Vasek Polak has agreed not to unload new cars on the street outside the dealership, to minimize noise by limiting outdoor speakers and buzzers and to not dump any material into gutters.

The city agreed to permit expansion into the alley in exchange for a commitment from Vasek Polak that the dealership will remain in Hermosa Beach for at least 10 years, will provide on-site employee and customer parking and will complete all of its renovations within two years. If the dealership should leave the site after 10 years, the alley will revert to the city, according to the agreement.

City officials were eager to accommodate Vasek Polak, fearing that the dealership, which also operates Audi-Porsche and Subaru dealerships in the city, might leave Hermosa Beach if it was unable to expand. The dealership provides about $600,000 in sales tax revenue to the city each year.