b) REPORT 20-0235 REVIEW OF CITY COVID-19 MEASURES AS
REQUESTED UNDER "OTHER MATTERS" AT THE
APRIL 14, 2020 CITY COUNCIL MEETING
(City Manager Suja Lowenthal)
This letter is to express my desire for the City of Hermosa Beach to reconsider the recent ordinance closing all access to the beach and ocean and to please consider an alternative to the current total prohibition on all beach access and ocean activities. San Diego County has recently reopened it's beaches strictly for exercise purposes allowing running, surfing, paddling, kayaking, swimming, and fishing. This seems like a responsible loosening of the current restrictions in an effort to allow more people access to safe, socially distant activities that will offer some people more mental and physical well being. San Diego has not proposed to open the beach for people to sunbath (like in Huntington) or play sports in which people would group together in a single, specific spot (unfortunately volleyball). These strict restrictions regarding beach usage should be easy to police as anyone camped in one place would be ask to continue on. People will not be allowed to use the beach as a social setting but instead using the beach as an entry point into the ocean or a run. This requirement to move along would hopefully prevent Hermosa from becoming the "next" beach destination.
Obviously based on my point of view, I am a local Hermosa surfer, and also a paddler who has completed several Catalina Classics. I feel the Hermosa City Council has a good understanding of surf culture in this city and would understand that local (and experienced) surfers will police the lineup ourselves to ensure that people are 6 feet apart (as surfers want space anyways to catch a wave, as well as, beach breaks spread crowds out as their is no single takeoff spot like at Trestles). Also, meteorologically the Spring and Summer months do not bring waves to Hermosa as Catalina Island blocks any incoming South swells unlike Malibu or Huntington. Meaning, that even if the ocean is open to surfing, swarms of people will not descend here because there most likely will not be any waves for people to ride when they get here. It's flat till November and is a reason paddleboarding has such a history and following in the South Bay.
None of us know how long this quarantine will go on but soon we all need to start thinking of how we can return to our normal lives in a safe and responsible manner. Re-opening the ocean and beach for fitness activities seems like a non-threatening first step. Thank you for your service and consideration.
Dear members of the City Council:
This letter is to express my desire for the City of Hermosa Beach to reconsider the recent ordinance closing all access to the beach and ocean and to please consider an alternative to the current total prohibition on all beach access and ocean activities. San Diego County has recently reopened it's beaches strictly for exercise purposes allowing running, surfing, paddling, kayaking, swimming, and fishing. This seems like a responsible loosening of the current restrictions in an effort to allow more people access to safe, socially distant activities that will offer some people more mental and physical well being. San Diego has not proposed to open the beach for people to sunbath (like in Huntington) or play sports in which people would group together in a single, specific spot (unfortunately volleyball). These strict restrictions regarding beach usage should be easy to police as anyone camped in one place would be ask to continue on. People will not be allowed to use the beach as a social setting but instead using the beach as an entry point into the ocean or a run. This requirement to move along would hopefully prevent Hermosa from becoming the "next" beach destination.
Obviously based on my point of view, I am a local Hermosa surfer, and also a paddler who has completed several Catalina Classics. I feel the Hermosa City Council has a good understanding of surf culture in this city and would understand that local (and experienced) surfers will police the lineup ourselves to ensure that people are 6 feet apart (as surfers want space anyways to catch a wave, as well as, beach breaks spread crowds out as their is no single takeoff spot like at Trestles). Also, meteorologically the Spring and Summer months do not bring waves to Hermosa as Catalina Island blocks any incoming South swells unlike Malibu or Huntington. Meaning, that even if the ocean is open to surfing, swarms of people will not descend here because there most likely will not be any waves for people to ride when they get here. It's flat till November and is a reason paddleboarding has such a history and following in the South Bay.
None of us know how long this quarantine will go on but soon we all need to start thinking of how we can return to our normal lives in a safe and responsible manner. Re-opening the ocean and beach for fitness activities seems like a non-threatening first step. Thank you for your service and consideration.