Local Elections : Hermosa Left Frustrated by Rejection of 3 Zoning Plans

Voters in Hermosa Beach rejected all three propositions aimed at deciding what to do with the city’s only vacant beachfront land, so the long-debated issue returns to a frustrated City Council.

Most of the council members said Wednesday that they have not decided what they will do. Most expressed frustration over the election results.

“Frankly, in my exasperation I would just as soon drop the whole subject,” said Councilman Chuck Sheldon. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Mayer Jim Rosenberger agreed. “The results told us that the citizens of Hermosa aren’t any clearer than we are on what to do with that property,” he said, adding that taking the question to the voters again has not been ruled out.

The three propositions, X, Y, and Z, were designed to let the voters decide on zoning for the Biltmore site, which is just under an acre. Then the City Council could sell it to help pay for the recently purchased Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway right of way that bisects the city.

Of the three, Proposition X, which would have zoned the lot for residential use, came closest to winning with 43% “yes” votes. Proposition Y, which would have zoned it commercial, received 13% “yes” votes, and Proposition Z, which would have allowed a luxury hotel, received 36%.

With three propositions dividing the vote, it was no surprise to the proponents that none of the measures got a majority.

“I won a lot of bets because I predicted none would win,” said Sheldon, who was a strong proponent of Proposition Z.

Rosamond Fogg, treasurer of Save Our Coastal Community, a community organization that supported Proposition X, saidshe, too, was not surprised by the results but expressed hope that the vote will give the council guidance.

“I think the results should tell the council that a residential development should be taken seriously,” she said.

Sheldon disagreed. “The only thing the election told us is what the people don’t want,” he said. “They don’t want residential, they don’t want commercial and they don’t want a hotel.”

Mayor Pro Tem June Williams said the results indicate that voters want to keep the site as open space for use as a park. She said the other council members have demonstrated opposition to making the lot a park.

The Biltmore site has been a source of debate almost since the Biltmore Hotel was condemned and razed in 1965. Five elections have been held on development proposals since 1972, including a high-rise hotel and a time-share condominium project. All have failed.

The site is now zoned for a specific hotel plan that was rejected in 1985 by the voters. Rosenberger and Sheldon said the council probably will act to change that zoning so adjacent landowners can move ahead with other development projects.