Redondo Voters May Get to Vote on Pier’s Future

Redondo Beach voters will probably have a say in whether and how to rebuild the city’s pier, despite a judicial ruling last month that the battered landmark must be restored, officials said Saturday.

After a four-hour closed session that took place as pickets outside City Hall demanded that the Jan. 25 ruling be appealed, several City Council members said that whether or not the city appeals, the pier issue will probably end up in some form on the November ballot.

“I think (the ballot idea) has good support,” said Councilman Stevan Colin, who said he will propose a referendum Tuesday, when the the council is scheduled to vote on the appeal question.

In the two years since the horseshoe-shaped pier was nearly destroyed by fire and storms, city officials and residents have debated whether it should be rebuilt. Opponents of restoration say the pier was an eyesore that drew crime to the community. Supporters note that the city has never been without a pier.

During the last city election campaign, three council members and the mayor promised to put the issue to a referendum. Afterward, the city asked for a judicial ruling to clarify its obligations under its contract with pier leaseholders.

When Torrance Superior Court Judge Pro Tem Abraham Gorenfeld held that the city was obligated to rebuild, the referendum idea seemed moot. Even if the city were to appeal and win, no ruling would be likely until long after the deadline for the 1990 ballot.

Colin, however, said that even with an appeal pending, the city could vote on what to do if the appellate court finds that the pier need not be rebuilt after all. At the very least, he said, voters could be asked what design they prefer for a new pier.