Local News in Brief : Eligibility to Vote Is Declared

Councilman Steve Andersen has announced that he will be able to participate in Hawthorne City Council decisions on the proposed $170-million Watt development at Rosecrans Avenue and the San Diego Freeway.

Andersen had previously declared himself ineligible to vote on the high-rise office and hotel project because of a conflict of interest. As a lawyer, he had represented a development company that was once involved with the project.

Andersen’s vote could be crucial because four of five council votes are needed to condemn property for the development. At one point, while Andersen was ineligible to vote, Councilwoman Ginny M. Lambert put her vote in question by saying “I cannot, in my conscience, vote for a development that sacrifices the integrity, peace and safety of 1,100 families.” She later said she might favor the project if traffic improvements were made to satisfy neighbors’ concerns.

Lambert’s remarks caused a furor among fellow council members, who noted that about five years of planning has gone into developing the 20-acre site. The project, proposed by Watt Investment Properties Inc., is expected to generate hotel and sales tax revenues of $800,000 a year for the city.

Andersen said at Monday’s council meeting that he would not discuss how he would vote on the Watt development. The city is still negotiating final details of the project with the developer, he said.