----- Original Message -----
From: B Brand
To: Heart Park
Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2004 10:50 PM
Subject: Heart Park Update - December, 2004

Hello Everyone,
 
A lot has happened since our last update, most importantly, four of us filed for elective office last Monday morning:  Ellen Allan for Mayor, Dave Wiggins for City Attorney, Jim Light for District 1 Council Member, and myself for District 2.  We call our slate 'Slow Growth 4 Redondo', and all of us support Heart Park.  In fact, all of us have been fighting the massive development plans for our harbor area for over 3 years now, and if we win our seats and the advisory vote in March, we will be a huge step closer in securing some of this land for public use.
 
Also, I was interviewed through e-mail at length about the Heart Park vision by Garrison Frost of 'The Aesthetic' - http://theaesthetic.com/NewFiles/parkinterview.html - This interview makes for a good synopsis of where we are and how we got here. 
 
There are 83 more days till the March 8th, 2005 advisory vote.  Our next meeting is January 5, 2005.  That's right, 2005 is upon us.  It will be our campaign kick-off meeting leading up to the vote.  If ever you wanted to help, now is the time.  Meet us at the Beach Cities Health District, 514 North Prospect Ave, The Redondo Room, floor B, at 6:30 p.m.  We will be addressing two main goals:
 
First, we will be laying-out the strategy for the campaign itself.  I'll send out a reminder and more info the last week of December.
 
Second, we want to move forward with an initiative that re-establishes the zoning in our Harbor area that existed prior to the Heart of the City mess.  Most people don't realize that this area is still zoned for 16-55 RESIDENTIAL units per acre, and has been under a building moratorium for 1.5 years.  Our aim is to force a special election, which we are sure to win, and bring this zoning into compliance with the General Plan, something our Council has failed to do.  This is a dangerous situation and requires a definitive and binding response if we are to prevent a de-facto Heart of the City from happening.  Otherwise, once the moratorium is lifted, we run the risk of who knows what our Council would 'rubber-stamp' into that area. 
 
This initiative is already written, but we need funds for legal expenses, printing and binding that we estimate will cost $2,000.  Write a check to Friends of Heart Park for $10, $20, $50 or more and send to 125 South Broadway Redondo Beach, CA 90277. 
 
One of the ways EVERYBODY can help is to find venues where we can pitch our vision.  Homeowner Associations are great, luncheons, PTA meetings, club meetings...we will go anywhere anytime (Jim, Don or myself), even on short notice.  Just call me at 310-374-4001 or Don at 310-374-1405.
 
Finally, I picked-up the final drawings of Katherine Spitz and Associates.  Wait till you see them if you haven't already.  And get this, they are designing a t-shirt for us!  More on that later.   
 
Bill Brand
Heart Park
www.southbayparks.org
www.heartpark.org
p.s.  Attached are some aerial photos I took of the AES site recently - it was a beautiful day!  Notice the lack of open space to the east.  And remember, half this land is not in use - the tank farm has been out of service for at least 10 years.