Dear ER
The Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) has created an unnecessary controversy over previously disclosed, state-mandated changes to the General Plan Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in Redondo Beach (“BCHD Campus plan at risk,” ER March 28, 2024). These were presented to the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) in at least three meetings in 2022.
For the Chair and some members of the GPAC claiming two years later they didn’t know this until last week is ridiculous. At best, it shows some GPAC members didn’t bother to read the agenda materials or attend meetings. The failure to be aware is on them, not on anything nefarious by the City of Redondo Beach. GPAC chair Nick Biro has been and still is a consultant for the BCHD. Does anyone truly believe Biro didn’t inform BCHD what was happening two years ago.
The bitter truth is post-COVID BCHD realized they cannot secure funding for their project. It’s just too expensive and risky to lenders, even after BCHD gave away most of the ownership to outside entities.
This latest PR effort appears to be a distraction to cover up for gross mismanagement. To date BCHD has spent over $12 million of taxpayer’s money developing this project and no lender appears to want any part of it. BCHD management and the District’s elected Board are frantically scrambling to find a scapegoat to keep their jobs. Time to blame the City of Redondo Beach.
Jessica Gonzales
Redondo Beach
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