by Robb Fulcher

As Redondo Beach officials ponder the reconstruction of the harbor area near the 52-acre AES power plant, officials in neighboring Hermosa Beach have their doubts about the sweeping "Heart of the City" plan.

Hermosa Mayor Kathy Dunbabin complained that traffic from the project would "unfairly burden" Hermosa.

A draft environmental impact report states that the project could result in an additional 28,859 daily vehicle trips, with more than 16 percent of the traffic passing through Hermosa and Manhattan Beach.

"It is essential that you evaluate the impacts of these trips by conducting an analysis of major intersections along Hermosa Avenue, Manhattan Avenue, Highland Avenue, Valley Drive and Ardmore Avenue within our cities," she wrote in a letter to the Redondo Beach Planning Commission.

The planning commission last week recommended that the city council approve the environmental impact report, while Dunbabin wants Redondo officials to withhold approval until further traffic mitigation plans are made.

Hermosa officials also oppose a rezoning that would increase the maximum density of development in the refurbished area.

A report by Sol Blumenfeld, Hermosa’s community development director, states that the "Heart of the City" would require a zoning change to allow 55 condo units per acre, a large increase from the current maximum of 33 condos per acre.

Hermosa Councilman Sam Edgerton called the "Heart of the City" a "glorified condo project" that would erect jam-packed housing just south of the Hermosa line.

The plan calls for at least 1,500 residential units on land currently used as a tank farm by AES, according to the report.

Although the plan calls for commercial as well as residential development, Edgerton predicted that Redondo officials would in the end sacrifice the commercial element and "do what Redondo Beach has always done–build more condos."

Edgerton called such development "a beehive in the making" and "another Marina del Rey." The homes would be occupied by "singles on the rebound" and couples with no children, creating a high resident turnover, he said.

Edgerton also decried the planned zoning change.

"They will say that Hermosa Beach is denser, which is true because we have smaller lots than our neighbors. Hermosa Beach used to be a tent city," Edgerton said. "If they follow their current course they’ll exceed Hermosa in density."

The "Heart of the City" plan calls for Harbor Drive, which passes between the power plant and the Redondo Beach Marina, to be "redesigned as a waterfront main street" with a "village core" of shops, restaurants, and "civic and entertainment uses" to attract residents and visitors, according to Blumenfeld’s report.

A portion of AES site would become a "grand boulevard" serving as the "primary access route to the ‘Heart of the City,’" the report states. ER