Impact of Development Is Subject of 2 Forums

The effects of burgeoning commercial development in the South Bay will be discussed at two public meetings this month in Lawndale and Hawthorne.

The Lawndale meeting will be held Wednesday. The Hawthorne meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27.

Lawndale Planning Commissioner Gary McDonald raised the issue of the cumulative impact of development at last week’s Lawndale City Council meeting. He said a number of projects in Redondo Beach and Hawthorne are expected to have a major traffic and noise impact on Lawndale, although the city has no authority over the projects.

An additional 29,900 vehicle trips a day will be generated by the projects, including the already approved Costco discount warehouse in Hawthorne, a TRW expansion in Redondo Beach and the proposed Watt Industries commercial and mixed-use development in Hawthorne, he said.

Apparently because of errors by the Lawndale Planning Department, McDonald said, the city failed to submit a response to Hawthorne’s environmental study of the Costco project. Redondo Beach and El Segundo responded to the 1986 report, he said.

Problems in the Lawndale Planning Department were detailed recently in a highly critical report prepared by the city attorney. Planning Director Nancy Owens, who resigned effective Jan. 2, was not available for comment.

McDonald asked the council to take a position on the Costco project, but the council said it first wanted to hear recommendations from the Planning Commission, which will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 14717 Burin Ave., Lawndale.

Concerns about development also will be aired at a meeting on the proposed Watt Industries project in Hawthorne at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at Dana Intermediate School, 135th Street and Aviation Boulevard.

Representatives of the Hawthorne Redevelopment Agency, the Holly Glen Taxpayers’ Assn. and the developer will participate. The proposal calls for a hotel, office and retail development west of the San Diego Freeway and south of Rosecrans Boulevard. The project is to be submitted to the Hawthorne Redevelopment Agency for approval in April, officials said.