Palos Verdes Peninsula News
Thursday, October 25, 2007
by Chris Boyd 

Developer hopes to bring silver lining to city

Residents still express worries about the medical building proposed on Silver Spur Road.

    RHE — City Council members, planning commissioners and residents during a workshop on Tuesday got another look at the proposed Silverdes medical office building at 828 Silver Spur Road in Rolling Hills Estates.

    Since a prior workshop on Aug. 28, applicant and property owner Rick Edler made changes to the project, including reducing the number of suites from 23 to 16 and going with 43-percent lot coverage instead of 64 percent. Edler also reduced the number of parking spaces from 157 to 132 and relocated primary access to the building to Silver Spur Road — a smaller, 10-space parking lot is proposed off Little Silver Spur Road.

    “Almost all the traffic is diverted now onto Silver Spur,” Edler said, adding that the change takes a “tremendous load” off nearby Beechgate Drive and Little Silver Spur.

    “I’ve seen very few developers make the comprehensive changes to a project [like] this one,” said City Councilman Steve Zuckerman. “I think this person has really listened to the public and the comments at the prior workshop.”

    Zuckerman said he’d prefer residents visit their doctors’ offices at a local building rather than make the drive to cities off the Hill. “This traffic will be spread throughout the day and prevent people from having to drive to Torrance and back,” he said.

    While Edler still wants to build a 54-foot tower — that’s 10 feet above the city’s maximum height allowed by code — he eliminated three of four requests for variances. “I think it adds a tremendous amount to the architectural feeling,” Edler said of the tower.

    “I’m pleased to see you reduced the scale of [the project],” said Councilwoman Judy Mitchell.

Parking, traffic worries

    Residents continued to express concerns about the proposed development. “I’m not sure that’s enough parking,” said Rancho Palos Verdes resident Ruth Hattersley, who lives above RHE’s business district that stretches between Hawthorne and Crenshaw boulevards. “I’m concerned about the number of parking spaces and the width these parking spaces provide.”

    Hattersley said she worries that people will park across the street in the Town & Country shopping center parking lot — where Longs Drugs and Bristol Farms are located — or on RPV streets.

    “Parking and traffic are huge concerns,” said RPV resident Elise Klein. “I have been inconvenienced to the point at the [former] McDonald’s site (current construction is taking place there) where I have called and complained.”

    Added Hattersley, “We’re just going to end up with cement all along Silver Spur.”

    RPV resident Harpal Dhama asked if project proponents have looked at traffic patterns and volume in the area. “All that will be part of the environmental impact report,” said architect John Waldron. “You’ll have a chance to see all these studies as part of the public process.”

    “[There will be] far less [traffic] than a gas station, I can assure you of that,” Edler said, referring to the former Arco station off Silver Spur.

    Another RPV resident, Steve Zurnacian, had concerns about noise from rooftop air-conditioning units.

    “We’re more screened, in terms of our equipment, than anything that’s out there now,” Waldron said. “You’ll hear your neighbors’ air-conditioning unit before you hear ours.”

    Zurnacian and other residents said soil stability is an additional major worry. “There’s a safety concern there, obviously,” he said.

    Waldron said crews are doing the necessary soil studies. “Geology is very different all throughout the Peninsula,” he added.

    “My only concern is, since I live at the top, you’re moving my base,” said RPV resident Bernadette Hertel. “This [neighborhood] can slide down Silver Spur … When the [Ocean Trails] golf course was built, they did all the studies.”

    “I’m more concerned during the construction phase — all that noise and all that traffic,” said Beechgate resident Robert Fong. “Please address that issue in your assessment.”

    Planning Director David Wahba said the city will develop a traffic plan for work trucks going into and coming out of the area, as well as designated parking for contractors. Crews are limited to work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Wahba added.

    RPV Mayor Tom Long noted that most of the residents affected by the project are from his city and asked what RHE officials would do to ensure they get their input. “I remain confident that you will continue to be the good neighbors you’ve been in the 14 years since I’ve lived here,” Long said.

    Wahba told residents to leave their street and e-mail addresses with staff so that the city can contact them about upcoming Planning Commission and City Council meetings.

    “If anything, we want to bend over backward to be open and transparent,” said RHE Mayor Susan Seamans. “We are trying to bring something to our community that will be of benefit to everyone.”

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