Sharp Public Criticism At Community Meeting on
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(Aug. 31, 2012, updated The location is the longtime site of Berth 55 Seafood, Queens Wharf Restaurant, LB Sport Fishing, the last remaining publicly accessible commercial businesses in the Port. [Update: 5:50 p.m. Aug. 31] LBReport.com saw roughly 100 attendees in the main dining room. Organizers say their sign-in sheets show just over 100 people in the main restaurant room, with roughly thirty more in an adjacent overflow room. LBReport.com provides extended on-demand video coverage below. Port of LB Executive Director Chris Lytle said the businesses were being removed in connection with the tear-down/nearby rebuild of the Gerald Desmond Bridge, and LB Fire Chief Mike DuRee and former LBPD West Division Commander Robert Luman said the site -- which houses some of the last few commercial, publicly accessible businesses in the Port, would provide land and water access and provide port and community security. PD and FD officials referred to what (to our knowledge) had been previously referred to as a new fire station as a combined police/fire facility and at one point called it a "security campus." (Fire Chief DuRee and former Commander Luman exited an hour into the meeting to attend a 7 p.m. community budget meeting [Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal's second budget meeting while other FD/PD officials handled the frequently barbed audience comments and questions.) Multiple audience comments questions and disputed the officials' explanations, with some occasional audience jeers and laughter audible. A number of audience members with maritime backgrounds questioned the site's accessibility for fire vessels. Another said the Port was catering to large corporate tenants who don't live here while pushing aside locally small businesses that serve the community. One speaker called the Port's action a land grab [ed. note: it's Port land, which the Port has for decades leased to the businesses]. Larry Maehara, who owns Berth 55 Fish Market & Seafood, spoke in mainly non-confrontational terms about his family business. He was followed by Michael Redlew (photo below), General Manager of LB Sport Fishing, who delivered sternly worded comments. Some excerpts of Mr. Redlew's statement: We are here today to ask Councilman Garcia, Mr. Chris Lytle, the Port Executive Director, and the authorities at the Harbor Commission as well as Mayor Foster, to step in and save the businesses at Berth 55. We fully understand the need for public safety and Port security. We do not argue this need. But we also understand the need to impress upon you the horror we feel as small businessmen, working class citizens and tax payers when we see the Port so accepting of the fact that shutting down perfectly good and functioning businesses is an acceptable method of achieving their end. The loss of jobs and careers, equity in the vessels, and the negative impact on the retirement income of your very responsible 81 year old lease holder are unacceptable costs to put on the people here... PoLB Exec. Dir. Lytle responded by indicating that as early as 2008, the Port had indicated that the location wasn't consistent with the Port's future plans. He said the business that was the signatory to the Port's lease had agreed to vacate the area, with the Port agreeing to absorb demolition costs, by October. Sharply worded audience comments continued for much of the roughly two hour meeting. No audience member spoke in support of Port staff's proposed plan. The Port's actions thus far have been propelled by Port staff. [Sept. 1 UPDATE: LBReport.com has noticed that the item was scheduled for closed session Harbor Commission discussions on May 14, 2012 and June 4, 2012: "Closed session pursuant to Section 54956.8 of the Government Code for conference with real property negotiator Karl Adamowicz to discuss terms of mutual termination of Lease at 555 Pico Avenue. The negotiating party is the Maehara family."] Meanwhile, the City Council is poised to vote on the Port's FY13 (Harbor Commission approved) budget by September 15. [The Port's budget includes a transfer of over $16 million from the Port to LB's Tidelands fund, which pays for multiple Council-controlled shoreline/beach area spending items)]. Among those present in the audience, listening but not speaking, was Harbor Commissioner and longtime WLB resident Nick Sramek. Also present, and likewise listening but not speaking, was Vice Mayor Robert Garcia (second from left in photo below), who remained for the entire meeting, watching closely from a side wall. After the meeting, he spoke briefly with LBReport.com, reiterating his hope that a way could be found to accommodate Port security as well as maintain the local businesses (details to follow). Near the end of the meeting, West Long Beach Association boardmember John Taeleifi tried to strike a diplomatic note, asking PoLB Exec. Dir. Lytle to extend an approaching Port-set October deadline for the businesses to exit. Mr. Lytle said he appreciated the public dialogue and discussion but offered no direct response either way to the request. Further to follow on LBReport.com. Related LBReport.com coverage:
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