Appealing the Ruling on Redondo Pier

A recent news article (Times, Jan. 25) reported that Superior Court “Judge” Abraham Gorenfeld has ruled that Redondo Beach must rebuild its damaged pier.

I phoned the Torrance courthouse and learned that “Judge” Gorenfeld simply does not exist. There is however a “Commissioner” Gorenfeld.

The difference between a judge and a commissioner, though mainly technical, is very significant in view of the findings that were made, and the reasoning used to support them.

If Commissioner Gorenfeld had done his own homework completely, I’m certain that he’d have realized that current problems are the direct result of far too many “expedited” decisions in the past. Decisions that were strongly influenced by the plaintiffs in this very case, or their representatives. These hurried decisions have ultimately been proven to be terribly contrary to the best interests of the public, who must now pay the cost of correcting them.

One must ask if Gorenfeld did any research on this issue himself, or whether he simply relied upon his law clerks’ opinions and issued them as his own.

Commissioner Gorenfeld relied on repairs voluntarily made by the city in 1968 as setting a precedent requiring the city to fully rebuild, rather than simply repairing. What he apparently overlooked is that the city has learned a lot more since 1968 as a result of very costly lessons, and its thought process is more mature now with respect to the pier. We have learned that the pier and harbor is an extremely hazardous location. We don’t want to repeat past mistakes. We don’t want to see any more people die because of (poor) planning or construction, and under the current leases we can’t require more stringent standards without fear of being sued by the lessees, in order to make us pay the costs of better safety.

The impacts of this decision may well carry on after all of our lifetimes. If we accept it, we will be forced to keep rebuilding the pier every time nature damages or destroys it, without regard to the overriding concerns of safety.

I strongly urge all council members to support an appeal to the commissioner’s decision. I especially urge council members Terry Ward, Ron Cawdry and Kay Horrell to put their predisposition of “pier support” aside, in the best interests of Redondo Beach citizens.

If we win an appeal, and subsequently choose to rebuild a pier, we can negotiate new, safer terms and leases that protect us as a condition of reconstruction.

We won’t even have that option if we accept the commissioner’s ruling.

MICHAEL F. FORD

Redondo Beach

Editor’s Note: Gorenfeld’s official title is “Judge Pro Tem,” which is synonymous with “Commissioner.” The title means that Gorenfeld has been selected by the presiding judge of the superior court to sit temporarily as a judge, at 85% of a judge’s salary. However, in the pier case, as in most other cases, both parties stipulated that Gorenfeld would sit as judge. Hence the title.