Palos Verdes Peninsula News
Saturday, July 26, 2008
From the Editorial Staff  

Memo to RHE: Get it done

 It's been many moons since the Rolling Hills Estates City Council began a discussion about beautifying Deep Valley Drive in the city's commercial district between Hawthorne and Crenshaw boulevards. Mayor Frank Zerunyan wasn't even on the council when talk of making the street more pleasing to the eyes and more pedestrian friendly began. But Zerunyan said it all during Tuesday's council meeting when he proclaimed, “We need to get it done. We need to move on this.”

Indeed, it's high time the city made this project a reality. When the work is complete, residents can look forward to a variety of trees and shrubs, environmentally friendly water-runoff collection and a safer pedestrian environment, as well as benches made with recycled plastic, custom-designed news racks, trash cans. planters and pole-mounted streetlights. Deep Valley will become a much nicer place to stroll.

But at the rate RHE is moving, the people who would like to take a walk in the area could be in rest homes by the time the project is complete. Part of the problem which Zerunyan made a not-so-subtle reference to on Tuesday, is that city officials get into the habit of micromanaging such endeavors. Making suggestions, such as recommending solar-powered lighting, is one thing. But when officials and committee volunteers start talking about the color and makeup of benches and the location of trashcans, there is a problem.

City staff and RRM Design Group - the agency spearheading the project - are the experts here. Officials need to let both parties do their jobs if they expect the renovations to be completed in a-timely fashion.

There also is a sense of urgency because, as Councilwoman Susan Seamans pointed out, developers who are, building in the area or interested in doing so need to know what the changes will look like, not to mention if they'll have to pay for at least some of them. It was gratifying to hear council members speak with that sense of urgency on Tuesday. The Peninsula News implores officials to get moving on a project that will help transform the city's downtown into an attractive place for shopping and strolling.

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