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LONG POINT DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL 2000

by Jim Knight

On April 27, 2000 the "revised" Long Point Development proposal on the old Marineland site has been resubmitted to the RPV Planning Dept. The $170 million plan is comprised of102 acres of the privately owned Long Point property, already approved for a 400 room hotel and 9 hole golf course, and a proposal to use 68 acres of land currently owned by the public surrounding the RPV city hall. The public lands would be used to move 4 of the 9 holes previously approved on the Marineland site, with the addition of a practice facility, in order to make room for an additional 32 privately owned villas and 50 detached casitas on the developer's site. The casitas are triple keyed so this really translates to 150 additional casitas.

Although the developers in their first proposal said that 18 holes of golf was absolutely necessary to make a go of the project, they now say that can do it with 9 holes. The new proposal no longer converts the Interpretive Center land or Subregion 1, (located within the CPH Ocean Front Estates development at the end of Hawthorne Blvd.) into golf.

York and Associates and CPH had signed an agreement just months before unveiling their first proposal in 1999 to convert this 30 acres of public land in Subregion 1 into golf despite the fact that was required under the Fish and Wildlife's 4d permit to be revegetated as Coastal Sage Scrub for CPH's development mitigation. The removal of Subregion 1 as a golf course in the new proposal is probably a result of this substantial violation of mitigation requirements.

But the new proposal still has the largest controversy carrying forward from the first proposal; the use of publicly owned land around city hall for golf.

Some of the issues surrounding the proposed golf use of these lands in the public trust are:

-The property was deeded to the city of RPV by the Federal Government with the expressed covenant that it be used "for general public use". The $100-$200 fee that would be charged for a round of golf would not include the "general public".
-Currently the RPV General Plan delineates this public land as passive recreational use. Golf does not include passive use but rather is categorized as active recreational use.
-The Natural Community Conservation Program (NCCP) includes the public lands around city hall. A finalized map and subsequent approval by the City Council has not been made yet. It is uncertain what, if anything, the developer can build in this area without the NCCP in place.
- A press release from the developers indicated that the new project could bring in as much as $3-$4 million annual revenues to the RPV budget from hotel taxes alone. With this figure, and the current city budget at a surplus, the argument for the leasing of public lands in Upper Point Vicente Park for golf seems to be unnecessary fiscally.
-The way the golf courses are designed on the city property, they run very close to Palos Verdes Dr. South and it is unknown what measures, if any, could be taken to protect citizens driving along the road from errant golf balls smashing car windows.
-The needs of golf greens will create a significant increase in the quantity of water introduced to this area. Even though the developer claims there is no geological issues on the city property, it remains to be seen how the land will respond to the unnatural addition of significant amounts of water, especially if a major waterline should burst undetected. The Ocean Trails developer also assured the public that their golf project was safe and ended up with a tremendous landslide. Had it happend only a few weeks later when it was scheduled to open to the public, there could have been human lives lost.
-There would be a significant change in the quality of water for this area. The heavy chemical dependency of golf courses would introduce significant amount of fertilizers, herbicides and/or pesticides or rodentcides. This, combined with the added urban runoff from paved areas, and the addition of more car activity, could seriously affect the wildlife and marine habitats in the area. For the marine habitat just a few hundred yards from these golf courses, nitrogen/phosphorus rich fertilizers could create an environment that favors the growth of algae, which in turn produce toxins and/or starve oxygen from the water. Other deadly pathogens and bacteria can also flourish as a result these fertilizers. The increased number of pathogens, combined with a weakened immune system from the urban runoff, could spell disaster for the local marine life. For more information on the effects of urban pollution on marine life, contact Major Marine Disturbances at http://head.unh.edu/index.html or The Aquatic Botany Laboratory at North Carolina State University at www.pfiesteria.org. Also, in the May-June 2000 edition of Audubon magazine there is an excellent article on the subject. These pollutants and/or pathogens also can have serious effects on human activities in the water. Additional beach closures may be required, affecting local enjoyment and pride in the coastline and turning tourist dollars away.
The terrestrial wildlife could also be affect by this chemical dependency of golf courses. The new plan has taken the Upper Point Vicente Coastal Sage Scrub habitat and divided it into narrow strips between the proposed golf courses. Not only will this effect the nesting for birds such as the gnatcatcher, but the insects that birds feeds on will no doubt stray beyond these habitat parameters into this chemical cornucopia to be found in golf courses. Even if it does not kill the adult bird, reproductive patterns and/or vulnerable young can be affected. Other seed-feeding birds will be attracted to pesticide granules and treated seeds. Raptors such as the red tailed hawk, owls or falcons could feed on pesticide-poisoned prey. Gophers are a known problem with golf courses and any rodentcidel eradication program for gophers using the common anticoagulant Brodifacoum could lead to massive poisoning of raptor or scavenger birds. Brodifacoum (d-CON, Talon-G) is a vitamin K inhibitor and creates internal bleeding causing a slow death for the gopher leaving it easy prey for the raptors. It is also bioaccumulating and can cause the same symptoms within the raptors. Chemical warfare is no stranger to golf courses. Diazinon, an organophosphate, applied to golf courses on Long Island, NY in the early 1980's killed 700 brant geese, 28% of the local wintering population. After several other ecological disasters associated with golf course use of Diazinon, the EPA finally banned it for golf courses although it is still available to homeowners. As of this date, the developers of Long Point has not addressed how they will handle the ongoing management of chemicals for the golf course and what impact it might have on wildlife or humans in the area.

It remains to be seen how public and the City Council will deal with this controversial use of publicly owned open spaces for golf. On the developer's side, a press release sent out to RPV residents by the developer, says that, besides building a world class hotel, their golf use of this public land will bring in revenues to the city. Trails, parks, and open space will be located both on their private property and the publicly owned land.

On the other side, if campaign promises mean anything, it seems as though all of the council members that were elected last year would be opposed to golf on city hall property.
Doug Stern was one of the most out spoken on the subject.
John McTaggert flat out said "I think that the developer ought to get on with the plan he purchased with the land five years ago. That plan did not include the use of any of the Point Vicente site at City Hall".(Campaign literature)
Barbara Ferraro "I am pleased to receive the endorsement of the Sierra Club, which, as most people know, seeks to preserve all natural resources. If I had a magic wand, I'd preserve all of the remaining open space in RPV. As urbanization of the L.A. basin increases, we on the PV Peninsula are keenly aware of the pastoral, rustic nature of much of our Peninsula and the tranquillity this provides. I have asked the city manager to study the possibility of creating an Open Space Commission to manage the acquisition and preservation of city-owned property." (PV News 10/14/99)

And a majority of their consituents are against golf on this city land. Save Our Coastline II is 2,500 signatures strong with this opposition. Most opponents are not against the existing entitlements of a hotel and 9 holes of golf within the privately owned Marineland site. Most of the opposition is due to the revision of those original entitlements displacing the exclusive game of golf from the developers land onto land that is publicly owned and is sensitive habitat for threatened species.

The developer placed a well thought out bid on this site at an RTC auction in 1995 and it can only be assumed that they knew what they were doing with the original entitlements on this land. Displacing the original golf use on their land onto public land is viewed as just an attempt to gain additional profit beyond the original profit calculated in that1995 bid.

Many say open space is an irreplaceable asset that could be too costly to replace now or at any time in the future. Former RPV mayor Tom Hollingsworth once said "if he had it his way, he would buy up all of the remain open space- its just that it is to costly."

Parks and open spaces provide the largest educational setting outside of schools. The rich marine life off the Palos Verdes coast and the natural habitat along the hillsides are treasured places waiting for exploration and learning for young and old. They are part of our heritage; a place to rejuvenate. They are part of our public health.




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