Redondo Beach City Council votes to pass on harbor project to Harbor Commission

REDONDO BEACH一Redondo Beach City Councilmember Nils Nehrenheim’s motion to present a two-phase plan with a concurrent but separate project for Moonstone Park to the Redondo Beach Harbor Commission was not passed at Redondo Beach’s City Council meeting on Jan.12.

The motion was beat out by Laura Emdee’s substitute motion to wait for a recommendation from the Harbor Commission before proceeding with the King Harbor revitalization project, which passed with a three to two vote.

Nehernheim’s motion came after Stephen Proud, the waterfront and economic development director and staff director for the Harbor Commission, presented a preliminary proposal to the Redondo Beach City Council, for possible action regarding the master plan for the King Harbor revitalization project.

Proud’s proposal was a preliminary outline of the revitalization of King Harbor, that would include: A location and design for a public Boat Landing; A replacement for the sports fishing pier; A design and layout for Seaside Lagoon Park; A waterfront promenade connecting Mole C to the Horseshoe Pier; Replacement of Basin 3 docks; A location and design for dinghy docks; Location and design for a hand launching facility including the consideration of a zero-depth launch option.

Proud’s first focus is on the placement of the public boat landing, calling it the “lynchpin” that would allow a center for other amenities to be built around it.

“It certainly makes sense to get started on a master plan and recreational amenities its long overdue,” said Redondo Beach City Mayor Bill Brand. “And it’s a different approach than Redondo’s taken in the past. Redondo’s looked to the big development plan to come in and work around what the community wants and here we start with what the community wants and make it clear to private development what we are looking for and what we want to see and get it going on our own.”

Proud recommended that they gain input from the Harbor Commission on the development of public amenities and a master plan for the King Harbor revitalization and then come back to the council with a draft request from a marine engineering consultant.

Neherenheim proposed the council could recommend a two-phase plan prioritizing the public boat-landing, the sports fishing pier, and Seaside Lagoon.

Phase two would incorporate the revitalization of Basin 3, the creation of dingy docks, and a hand-launching facility. These two phases would be separate but concurrent with a project to revitalize Moonstone park with its own plan and funding.

Members of the public chimed in including Roger Carlson who agreed with using the boat ramp as a starting point to work around and seemed eager to get started on a master plan for the project. James Light, a member of the Harbor Commission, seemed eager to expedite the project and hit the ground running.

Emdee and Neherenheim seem to agree on the amenities that should be prioritized but disagreed strongly on the method.

The proposal will be kicked over to the Redondo Beach Harbor Commission and then brought back to the city council. The Redondo Beach Harbor Commission will meet on Feb. 8 at 6 p.m.