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Y backlash stings divided MB
by Jerry Roberts
The prevailing wisdom in Manhattan Beach, such as it is, points to the well-established fact that the city needs larger, better and perhaps newer police and fire department headquarters, and the general populace, by and large, understands and accepts this.
So why, oh why, did the town’s citizens say no to Y? Measure Y was the ballot proposition that would have tapped property taxpayers through the next decade to build the new facilities along with a new city parking lot. The measure needed 66 and two-thirds percent of the vote to pass. It was defeated when only 61 percent of the turnout voted for it.
The bond issue would have meant that property owners would have had to pay almost $18 more a year for every $100,000 of assessed property value. Mailers, fliers, front-yard signs and newspaper ads countered the city’s efforts to back the $15 million bond issue. That would have been combined with $20 million that the city already has earmarked for the facilities.
One answer for the backlash seems to be the joint price tag of $35 million, which was to also cover more parking. Citizens remembered that when new safety facilities were initially being discussed in the 1990s, the price range was $14 million to $15 million.
"I was real active on this issue," said Neil Boyer, who distributed literature and signs opposing Y. "The real cost is half of $35 million. I know we need new fire and police facilities, but not at those unreasonable, pork-belly prices. I wouldn’t have minded if the cost came up to $20 million. But the city let the cost get out of hand financially."
Bill Eisen, a resident who closely scrutinizes Manhattan’s council votes, called the city’s plan "too grandiose, too palatial." He said that since city property taxes were already rising from two bond issues to pay for the rehabilitation of Manhattan Beach Unified School Board’s facilities, more taxation from the city would have unnecessarily burdened taxpayers.
The $35 million for the combined 58,000 square feet of buildings and parking meant that the cost would have been in the $600 per square foot range. Architects say that the average large commercial building costs about $60 to $100 per square foot to build. High-end residential building costs about $200 to $250 per square foot using premium materials (mahogany, for instance). Hospitals, with all of the built-in extras they require, might go as high as $500 per square foot, estimated the architects. "Never in a zillion years should those facilities cost $35 million," said one architect, "even if it requires underground parking and they go for high-end materials."
"They would have been stealing our money if Y had past," said resident activist Yuri Gurvich. "I don’t want to give them a penny more than they need."
"The bureaucrats in the city wanted to build monuments to themselves," said resident Tom Lieb. "I voted against Y. They went way out of their range."
"Get real," said resident Ira Wallis, addressing the city council, "you were hurt by the fundamental issue, cost."
While some citizens felt that they had to campaign against Y because their city was being fiscally irresponsible, other residents saw officials as being exploitative. "For the past 10 to 15 years, the facilities have been long ignored," said a First Street resident.. "They used tack-on facilities," she said about the outbuilding addition to the police station.
"And I feel the timing is off, that the city tailgated onto the Sept. 11 issue in the sudden rush to support policemen and firemen. I was appalled by that. In September, the momentum for the facilities was really pushed. The timing was exploitative," she said. "I also feel the downtown location is out of place for such an imposing police structure and presence in the small hometown community."
The city is still committed to do something for its policemen and firemen. "We’ll talk about it at the next council meeting," said City Manager Geoff Dolan. "The need doesn’t change. The council is committed to look at what the alternatives are. Council has identified police and fire as top priorities. We’re going to proceed after we find out what the different financial options are." ER