Citizens Panel to Study Project

The Hawthorne City Council this week unanimously approved plans to form a committee of residents and business owners to study the impact of a redevelopment project on their neighborhoods.

The project encompasses 960 acres in numerous parcels throughout the city. City officials are considering adding another 320 acres, for a total of 1,280 acres.

About 18% of this area has homes on it. The city does not know how many people live there, but officials said some have low to moderate incomes.

A new state law requires the city to form a committee to represent residents of the affected areas, officials said. It will consist of 21 elected representatives of homeowners, renters, business owners and community organizations.

The committee’s primary concern will be the potential relocation of low- and moderate-income families, officials said. But Bud Cormier, assistant director of redevelopment for Hawthorne, said the city has no plans to raze houses or businesses in the area.

The city will hold a meeting Sept. 26 at Hawthorne Memorial Center, 3901 El Segundo Boulevard, to discuss the committee. Elections for the committee will be held at the center Oct. 3.

Cormier said the city wants to expand the redevelopment area to increase its share of property taxes, most of which go to the county and three school districts. Under redevelopment, the schools’ and county’s shares would be capped, and future property tax increases would go to the city for improvements to streets, curbs, gutters, homes and businesses in the redevelopment district.