What is the Harbor Village Plan Initiative? The Harbor Village Plan Initiative gives the voters of Redondo Beach the opportunity to approve a plan that will rezone the 50-acre property where the AES power plant now operates and allow it to be transformed into an attractive mix of homes, retail shops, restaurants, offices and a hotel — plus at least 10 acres of permanent open space. It will provide the economic means to shut down and remove the existing power plant, opening up new vistas to the coast and increasing surrounding property values. Imagine for the first time in over 100 years, no power plant on the waterfront.

Does this mean the power plant is no longer needed?New electricity generation is definitely still needed in the region, and new power plants must be built in strategic locations to meet the long-term need. If the community supports the new “Harbor Village Plan,” we will focus our efforts on meeting those electricity needs through new power plants at other Southern California locations. This has been a difficult decision for us, but is one that we think benefits the community and one which we believe can work.

Redondo Beach’s “Harbor Village Plan”

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For years, AES has fought to continue operating a plant on this property — why has it suddenly changed its mind?Of course, as a power company we have an obligation to generate electricity to keep the lights on in the communities we serve — and we take that responsibility very seriously. At the same time, we have always expressed an interest in working with the city and community to explore alternatives that would allow the responsible elimination of this particular power plant in an economically feasible manner. We have never stopped these discussions or our own research and explorations — even during the ongoing process for the proposed Redondo Beach Energy Project before the California Energy Commission.

While we have been making great progress in securing permits to build a new, modernized plant in Redondo Beach, we have been continuing to work very hard to identify an alternative that would be economically viable, while creating a brand new vision for the Redondo Beach waterfront — in other words the “perfect balance” of open space and economic development. The Harbor Village Plan Initiative is that vision.

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Why was the community not consulted in the development of the plan?The city and community have contributed significantly to the creation of the Harbor Village Plan. Representatives of the city and community have spent hundreds of hours over the years discussing and evaluating multiple studies and proposals for alternatives to the power plant, with options ranging from a large regional park to 1,600 condos on the power plant site. The Harbor Village Plan was crafted with these conversations, and history, in mind, and it strikes a reasonable balance between economic development, open space and a unique blend of residential living — including a quiet, charming, single-family neighborhood and a Harbor front mix of retail shops, restaurants and offices with residential space above, plus a hotel. It was designed to be a win-win and, ultimately, the voters of Redondo Beach will decide whether they support the plan.

Will an environmental review of the Harbor Village Plan be conducted?Yes. The initiative specifically requires the creation of a Master Development Plan and the completion of an environmental and traffic analysis consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act. The Master Development Plan and Environmental Impact Report are both subject to City Council approval before any proposed project can move forward.

Does the City Council have the ability to set conditions on the future development, such as operating hours, noise limits, etc.?Yes. Certain uses, such as restaurants, bars and entertainment establishments are subject to conditional use permits, which allow the City Council to place restrictions on proposed projects prior to granting use permits. In addition, the City Council must also approve the entire Master Development Plan and Environmental Impact Report for the property, which also provides an opportunity for the Council to receive community input and set conditions on elements of the entire project.

Is the Harbor Village Plan part of the CenterCal project?No, these are two completely separate projects. However, due to their close proximity, prior to the submission of our plan to the City, we met with CenterCal to share information and make sure the two projects complement each other. In addition, the environmental review that is required of each project must take into consideration the cumulative effects of both developments.

How similar is this plan to the previously defeated “Heart of the City” plan? Not even close. The Heart of the City proposal allowed nearly a thousand more homes, with buildings as high as 80 feet, and about twice the commercial development. Plus, the Harbor Village Plan requires at least 10 acres of permanent open space, which is THREE TIMES the amount required on the AES property in the Heart of the City plan.

Will traffic in Redondo Beach be impacted by the Harbor Village Plan?The plan was intentionally designed to avoid some of the most intensive traffic generating uses, such as large office buildings and major shopping centers. Residences and hotels do not generate the same number of automobile trips as conventional commercial uses, and we have placed appropriate limits on the amount of homes and restaurants in order to further reduce automobile trips. The plan also incorporates pedestrian-only boulevards and bike lane connectivity to encourage alternate forms of transportation and limit traffic.

Even with these accommodations, before any development can occur the City Council will need to approve a Master Development Plan for the site, which will include a comprehensive traffic analysis to determine the impacts around the entire area.

If the required environmental analysis forecasts any significant traffic impacts, we will work with the City to identify and implement improvements to help address these issues.

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What is the timeline for demolition of the plant? And to build the Harbor Village?If approved by voters, removal of parts of the plant could begin as early as 2017, with the entire facility demolished as early as 2021. The existing units must continue operating until that time to meet contractual obligations for electricity generation, and allow time for replacement generation to be built. The entire process of Coastal Commission review, City approval, full demolition and completion of the new Harbor Village is estimated to take 7-9 years.

Who is responsible for cleaning up the land?Currently, AES is responsible, but there is no specific deadline for its completion and it’s subject to having the economic means to perform the work. The proposed initiative would provide enough value to fund the removal of the existing facilities and clean up of the site.

Will the transmission lines and switchyard be removed as well as the power plant?Ultimately, AES does not have control over the future of this equipment, as the transmission lines are owned by Southern California Edison (SCE), and they also have a permanent easement for the onsite switchyard. However, the initiative has been written in a way that allows for their removal, should SCE determine that they are not needed.

What will happen to the Wyland Wall?We hope to preserve this important and beautiful local icon. We have already met with the Wyland Foundation and the wall can be digitized and re-created either somewhere on the property or elsewhere along the waterfront.

What will happen if the initiative doesn’t pass?If the initiative doesn’t pass, we will resume our plans to permit and build the new Redondo Beach Energy Project, to help meet the state’s need for additional natural gas generation in the Western LA Basin.