Housing Density and Beach Cities

I have been reading recently in the L.A. Times and elsewhere about the serious and increasing problems of traffic and noise pollution in our beach communities. While a number of so-called experts are proposing expensive “solutions” to these problems, they are ignoring the fact that the best cure is often prevention. And, there is only one way to prevent noise pollution and traffic congestion from getting any worse: to maintain or reduce housing density.

Due to ever-increasing housing density, our once-charming beach towns are becoming miniature Daly Cities.

Quaint neighborhoods that once had a variety of styles of homes and large beautiful trees are being replaced, block by block, by cookie-cutter architecture. The sad story has now been repeated hundreds of times: a charming older house on a large lot is torn down and is replaced with two “tall and skinnies.” In with this ever-increasing density, we get more pollution, more noise and traffic.

What used to be quiet residential streets, such as Prospect Avenue, are now miniature highways for commuters. The congestion and noise pollution are horrible. Plus, these soaring, densely packed tall and skinnies are blocking sunlight from our sidewalks and streets.

Rather than look for expensive “solutions” to our ever-worsening noise pollution and traffic congestion problems, why don’t we get some politicians in office who will control the housing density in our beach communities? It is obvious the builders won’t control themselves.

Soon there will be no more 50-foot-wide lots. The only thing left will be the 19-foot-wide, high-density houses with minimal landscaping. We have to do something now or one day we will wake up and find ourselves living in Daly City south. Every fourth house will be identical, the density will be incredible and intolerable, and the traffic and noise pollution unbearable. We will ask ourselves, why didn’t we save our communities when we had the chance? Well, we still have a little chance now, but people have to act to save the 50-foot-wide home lots rather than just cry about the lot-splitting and ever-increasing density.

BOB ADAMS

Redondo Beach