Letters to the Editor 1-8-2026
Local knowledge
Dear ER:
Why does Redondo hire consultants from outside areas (“Art plans solidify on Redondo’s Artesia Boulevard,” ER Jan. 1, 2026)? We need homegrown people who know the South Bay, Valley, Pasadena, LA or Hollywood type people coming up with ideas from those areas. The Artesia corridor does not need to be politicized for one group or another. Let’s make this about the citizens of our great city. We deserve a great Artesia Boulevard for all, young to old.
Jaysen Surber
Redondo Beach
Fresh idea
Dear ER:
North Redondo Beach is a dense, well populated area. It would be a great place for a Farmers Market (“Redondo grass roots group angles for Artesia farmers market,” ER Jan. 1, 2026). The Library parking lot isn’t the biggest spot, but it would be a good start. Trying to sign the petition, but I’m getting hung up on the address field FYI.
Chuck Tipton
Redondo Beach
Give me one example
Dear ER:
It is absurd to accept Redondo Beach Planning Commissioner Wayne Craig’s remark about the Commission not being obstructive because it has approved 400 units this year (“Redondo Planning Commission cites parking, denies 49-unit building,” ER Jan. 1, 2025). Both of those projects – the Galleria and PCH & Vincent – were approved only due to their requirement by State law. The Planning Commission in both cases tried and failed to find a way to reject them.
The Commission in this case simply found a purported reason to deny this project, which will be appealed to the City Council and hopefully will not ultimately subject the city to yet another lawsuit due to its intransigence. If this Commission is in fact in favor of any housing that is not single-family, I challenge commissioners to cite any recent instance where they have approved multi-family housing without some effort from the Commissioners to first find reason to deny.
Alex Fineman
Redondo Beach
Decisions baked in
Dear ER:
The December 18 Planning Commission decision on 401–417 Pacific Coast Highway didn’t happen in a vacuum. Over the past few years, Redondo Beach has significantly reshaped how its advisory commissions function — from mid-term removals of commissioners to the consolidation or elimination of advisory bodies, and the City Council’s adoption of new Rules of Conduct that the Planning Commission did not vote to adopt.
Those structural shifts influence how land-use decisions are evaluated long before any individual project reaches a public hearing. Regardless of whether someone supported or opposed this particular project, December’s vote raises a broader question about process and consistency. Are land-use decisions being reviewed under clear, objective standards with a balanced range of perspectives applied citywide? That question matters not just for this address, but for future projects as well — especially given the legal and coastal constraints many commenters have rightly highlighted.
Pat Healy
Redondo Beach
Gem of an idea
Dear ER
Thanks for the great restaurant reviews by Richard Foss (“In praise of specialists — a Japanese-Italian fusionspot and a pizzeria,” ER Jan. 1, 2026). Minor correction: Redwood Pizza is not where Henry’s Gem Cafe used to be. The Gem was a few doors west, at the crosswalk. Buona Vita remodeled the place after Henry left.
Joe Hellerman
ERNews comment