Panel to Revisit Sidewalk Displays Debate

As the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission in a meeting Tuesday night discussed the appearance of downtown sidewalks and whether to allow merchants to set up outdoor displays on them, commissioners desperately looked around the room for resident feedback or input from business owners.

There was none.

"It seems like we keep opening this up, extending it, and making it more gradual, and we keep showing up to empty rooms," said Commissioner Shawn Darcy during the meeting.

The panel was tasked with discussing whether to include provisions for outdoor displays in a possible ordinance that would allow outdoor dining and other encroachments along downtown sidewalks.

The City Council last year adopted , with the exclusion of certain areas. Now the Planning Commission unanimously has decided to continue its discussion on other outdoor encroachments when it also reviews outdoor dining in its next meeting.

"This subject, for most people, isn’t a critical thing, but it’s a thing about cosmetics and what our city’s going to look like," said Vice Chairman Ron Pizer on Tuesday.

Some commissioners pointed out in their meeting that most signage and displays that would be deemed as clutter along downtown sidewalks and Pier Plaza might be appealing to others.

"My own wife says, 'Oh I love these things on the sidewalk'... and I take a totally different point of view," said Commissioner Kent Allen.

Chairman Sam Perrotti said during the commission meeting, regardless of personal opinion, there remains a need for permanent regulation of sidewalk space. He added, he remembers serving on the Planning Commission when Pier Plaza began development about 15 years ago.

At the time, "we had a vision of some type of how this would work and initially the restaurants put in outdoor dining and then gradually the retail stores started putting out items," Perotti said. "In my mind, the vision I had, I didn’t anticipate this heavy display of items in the outdoors area."

The reemerged last year when the city implemented its , which forced business owners over the summer to take down items that were on public sidewalks if they had not paid the city liability insurance and held the proper permits.

"We do need some sort of criteria or it will get worse," Perrotti told his fellow panel members, adding that he thinks the information provided in the city staff report on the issue "is a good start" (see accompanying report under photo.)

The report suggested that the commission hold a public hearing regarding the outdoor displays, and then direct city staffers to draft a possible resolution recommending that the City Council allow outdoor signage along public sidewalks, but with permit requirements, insurance, and other rules regulating encroachment size, for example.

Commissioner Peter Hoffman pointed out that the commission also could complete its task outlining outdoor display policy options for the council, "and give it as here’s our best take, but our recommendation is that you don’t take action on it."

Do you think outdoor displays—such as clothing ranks or signs—are a problem downtown? .

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