Mr. Fox made the statement, for which he received applause, during audience questions at last night's (June 13) meeting of the Alamitos Beach Neighborhood Ass'n. Roughly 100 people attended the meeting at Bixby Park (VIDEO coverage coming) to hear a single agendized item: a presentation by Mr. Fox on a City Hall-instituted Broadway "road diet" (reduced vehicle lanes, slowed traffic and added a bollard-adjacent bike lane) that Mr. Fox charged has damaged Broadway businesses, led to accidents and created public safety issues.

Photo by Max Pearl

[Scroll down for further.]

A few hours later, Mr. Fox webposted a statement on Facebook detailing his decision.

Mr. Fox was invited to speak by the Alamitos Beach Neighborhood Ass'n's president who said Councilwoman Pearce had been unresponsive her group's concerns on the issue. Councilwoman Pearce wasn't present at last night's meeting.

[UPDATE 9:45 a.m. June 14] On Friday morning, Mr. Fox issued a release reiterating these points and further charging that "despite advertising herself as a progressive, she has totally failed to support a reform agenda. The number of initiatives emanating from her to increase accountability, transparency, and responsiveness in city government is exactly zero. Instead, she has served as the handmaiden of special interests, like the developers seeking to exploit our communities. And her environmental record is even worse, putting corporate interests ahead of the health of our people."

In the release, Mr. Fox said: "I have put my blood, sweat, and toil into this district for more than three decades, and while retirement was an option, I could not look away from today's urgent need for new leadership. I won't lie and say it was an easy decision, but when I truly set my mind to a task, many will vouch, I always get it done. I am determined to turn the page on all the chaos and neglect we've suffered from in the last few years and to be that breathe of fresh air so many have told me they are desperate for." [end UPDATE]

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At Thursday night's meeting, Mr. Fox charged that the Broadway road diet has harmed Broadway businesses (owners of Park Pantry and Merry's Fashion With Passion in the audience agreed; he separately told LBREPORT.com that in recent weeks he's walked the Broadway corridor and held a meeting at his Broadway home that drew multiple Broadway business owners angered by the "road diet.") Mr. Fox said the "road diet" had led to accidents (by his unofficial count 57 in the past 35 days), created ADA and Coastal Zone legal issues (for which he said he has retained legal counsel) and charged that road diet created public safety issues by, among other things, leaving LBFD fire hoses too short to reach fire hydrants [LBREPORT.com is independently checking this with LBFD.]

Mr. Fox said incumbent Pearce had shown herself unresponsive to these issues, predicted the City might offer minimal incremental changes but said he seeks nothing less than the swift removal of what he listed as especially harmful aspects of the road diet (VIDEO coming.)

Mr. Fox said that he has retained legal counsel to pursue remedies in response to the City's actions (he cited ADA, then Coastal Commission issues, and said "We have an attorney, and I am suing them.") Mr. Fox also indicated that he is planning a demonstration -- that he suggested might involve drivers intentionally slowing their driving along part of Broadway -- to visibly show their extreme displeasure with the "road diet." He said that City Hall's insistence on implementing "road diets" had caused problems beyond Broadway in the Alamitos Bay marina area [near 2nd/PCH], an issue now fought by Ann Cantrell, Melinida Cotton and others.] He also noted that an L.A. City Councilman [under threat of a recall] agreed to remove a strongly opposed West L.A. "road diet."

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Mr. Fox charged that incumbent Pearce's conduct is part of a larger issue in which the City of Long Beach is currently operating in an autocratic, undemocratic manner. He cited Pearce's 2018 vote approving increased 2nd district building heights despite the objections of 2nd district residents. He likened that vote to actions of a 1980's 2nd district Councilman (ultimately removed in a grassroots campaign by Alan Lowenthal) who allowed developers to tear down single family homes and install 2nd district "crackerbox" multi-unit density that has left 2nd district neighborhoods with a chronic lack of parking. Mr. Fox, who has involved in the crackerbox density battle, said it was a factor in his 2017 decision to revitalize LB's Council of Neighborhood Organizations that sparked a citywide revolt against city-staff sought increased density in a new city Land Use Element.

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At the height of the battle in January 2018, Mr. Fox briefly obtained paperwork and nomination signatures to challenge re-election of first-term incumbent Robert Garcia, but chose not to file the papers after Garcia agreed (on deadline filing day) to hold meetings in each Council district on the LUE and signed a statement saying he believes rent control doesn't work. A year later, re-elected Mayor Garcia supported a recently-enacted tenant relocation assistance ordinance, backed by Councilwoman Pearce and opposed by Mr. Fox (who owns a number of properties. At last night's meeting, Mr. Fox didn't publicly criticize Mayor Garcia and aimed his criticism at Councilwoman Pearce.

Also present in the audience and speaking briefly from the floor was announced-2nd district candidate Jeanette Barrera. Ms. Barrera acknowledged issues with the Broadway road diet but stopped short of saying she favors its removal. She indicated she favors discussion of currently unspecified longer-term solutions.

One person at the meeting, Chris Nolte, spoke in defense of the road diet (while acknowledging issues with its current design), saying it offers certain safety benefits for bicycle riders that deserve consideration. He drew audible audible displeasure. Outside the meeting room, the individual told LBREPORT.com that he owns the Propel bike shop on Broadway.

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