Big Production Over ‘90210’ : Television: Judge will decide if show can continue to film in Hermosa Beach. Some residents call the activity disruptive and say it violates zoning rules.

In the horror movie “Carrie,” a telekinetic teen-ager went on a rampage at a high school that, in reality, was the Hermosa Beach Community Center. And in the TV show “Hunter,” the gumshoe protagonist dodged bullets and chased cars in scenes shot on Hermosa Beach streets.

But whether Kelly Taylor from “Beverly Hills 90210” will be allowed to make out with Dylan McKay at a posh Hermosa Beach apartment remains in doubt. On Tuesday, the issue fell into the hands of Torrance Superior Court Commissioner Abraham Gorenfeld.

Gorenfeld is expected to decide by the end of next week whether to block further filming of the series at a house on The Strand, where three of the show’s characters are scheduled to take up residence for the show’s fourth season, starting Sept. 8.

A group of Hermosa residents, upset that the new season’s filming for “90210” has been going on in their neighborhood, sued the city last month to force it to revoke the show’s film permit. At a hearing Tuesday, they contended that the onslaught of production equipment, crews, actors and extras is too disruptive and violates city zoning ordinances.

“We have a very dense neighborhood, with homes built right next to each other,” attorney Jim Hamilton told the judge. “All of the (production) trucks come right up to your front door,” said Hamilton, who lives in the neighborhood and is representing the residents.

Hermosa officials, however, fear that the controversy could scare other producers away from the town, if it hasn’t already.

“How far should we take this?” Steve Quintanilla, an attorney representing the city, argued at the hearing. “Will filming also be banned in open space or other non-residential areas? . . . A lot of the growth (of the film business in Southern California) is being retarded by local opposition.”

Spelling Entertainment, which produces the show, has indicated it will not film in Hermosa again if the city loses the case.

“(Producers) aren’t going to want to go into a city where there will be difficulty at the front door,” said Mary Rooney, the acting city manager. “The impact already has been felt.”

Already shot are scenes in which characters played by Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth and Brian Austin Green pick out an apartment. If Gorenfeld blocks further shooting, story lines will have to be changed. One idea: The characters get evicted.

“We’re trying very hard to keep a cohesive story,” said Paul Waigner, a producer for the show. “We don’t need extraneous story lines.”

Not all residents want to pull the plug on the show. Outside the courthouse Tuesday, about two dozen residents and business leaders expressed support for the filming by saying it in ZIP codes. Several signs said: “90254 Loves 90210.” The rally was an attempt to overcome negative publicity from the controversy and convince the producers that Hermosa is film-friendly.

“We don’t want this to set a precedent so a handful of residents can dictate whether filming is done in the city,” said Carol Hunt, executive director of the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce.

The city could lose up to $30,000 in revenue from “90210” alone, in addition to sales tax dollars and the visibility that comes from having popular shows come to town.

Since the mid-1970s, when much of “Carrie” was shot at the Community Center, the city has enjoyed a steady stream of revenue from film production. The executive producer of “Hunter,” Stephen J. Cannell, also brought episodes of the TV shows “Riptide” and “The A Team” to town. “Baywatch” shot scenes at the Surf Festival last weekend.

“We’ve had car crashes, all kinds of stunts and low-flying helicopters,” Rooney said. “You had a lot more than high school graduates holding hands.”

But for plaintiffs in the suit, the sight of a flying saucer landing at night on their beach was enough evidence to fear further filming. The scene was part of “My Stepmother Is an Alien,” which shot at the same house that “90210” used in its two days of shooting.

“I certainly do not wish to drive film production out of the state,” Hamilton said. “But this is a limited point we are making.”

Hamilton said the producers might have shot elsewhere in the city if they had canvassed his neighborhood first. They would have discovered that more than 60 residents were wary of the production, he said.

“This industry seems to think they are a special case,” Hamilton said. “They can come in and film in a residential area, when no one else can do that, certainly not without a public hearing.”

Producers, however, say that Jim Bell, the owner of the house at 3500 The Strand, notified many neighbors of the shooting before the city permit for it was issued. “Beverly Hills 90210,” they say, always tries to take into account the concerns of residents who live near shooting locations. Filming is allowed only between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

“We do not want to be disruptive,” said Gail Patterson, vice president of production at Spelling Entertainment. “But we want to go where we are welcome.”

Lights, Camera, Action!

“Beverly Hills 90210” isn’t the only source of filming in Hermosa Beach. Portions from movies and TV series have also been shot in the tiny coastal city:

Movies

“Carrie”

Community center used for movie’s rampaging finale.

“My Stepmother Is an Alien”

Spaceship landed on beach.

Television Series

“Baywatch”

Many beach shots, including a recent surf festival.

“Hunter”

Lead character’s house located near beach.

“The A Team”

Car chases and other action scenes.

“Riptide”

Also included shoots in King Harbor in Redondo Beach.