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Building project at Aviation Triangle takes flight
by John Tawa
The
Manhattan Beach City Council voted Tuesday to approve a mixed use development
for the Aviation Triangle - the area bordered by Aviation Boulevard, Aviation
Place and 2nd Street - despite near unanimous opposition by the surrounding
neighborhoods.
"I think we need to do something with this property," said councilmember Joyce Fahey. "The site is simply not successful. It's an eyesore. I'm in favor of a project that will beautify the area, keeping in mind the traffic concerns."
The two-acre site, which is home to a commercial strip center and five single family homes in a part of town commonly thought to be Redondo Beach, has long been a visual blight on the Aviation corridor.
The property has been on the market for the past five years. During that time potential developers have grappled with how to develop it in a way that is profitable and satisfactory to the city and surrounding residents. The city discouraged a fully residential site, in part to preserve a commercial area in the city. And senior citizen living proposed for the site was found to be unworkable because of the lack of nearby services.
The project approved Tuesday consists of specialty retail shops along Aviation Boulevard totaling 12,000 square feet (4,000 fewer feet than the current strip) and 28, three-bedroom townhomes along Aviation Place and 2nd Street. The developer, Manhattan Beach Triangle LLC, hopes to break ground within six months, with completion sometime in 2002.
The council chamber was standing room only as both Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach residents came to protest a project they deemed too dense, one that would add to an already unbearable traffic situation and put children who lived in the townhomes at risk. A total of 32 people spoke against the project. A petition seeking an environmental impact report before the development goes forward had 335 signatures.
"The beauty of Manhattan Beach is single family residential," said David Callahan. "What you have here is what's in Redondo."
"This project is the straw that will break the camel's back," said 2nd Street resident Bob Zavidow. "With this project, we're looking at more problems [with traffic on 2nd Street].
Mayor Tim Lilligren disagreed.
"I can't conceive that there's going to be anything other than a miniscule increase in traffic by the 28 units that are going to be built," he said, noting that there are 19 homes on his block in the Tree Section that have virtually no impact on traffic.
The final vote to approve the project was 4-1. As part of the deal, the developer consented to pay for a crossing guard at Aviation Boulevard upon the city's request and to set aside an 1,800-square-foot recreation area within the residential development. Fahey also got the council to commit to studying traffic on 2nd Street.
Councilmember Steve Napolitano dissented.
"I'm fine with keeping the commercial use," he said. "But as far as the residential use, I would like to see it developed more Manhattan Beach and less Redondo Beach. Being Manhattan Beach, we try and develop things differently here." ER