Art of the Possible Update: 2
St. Cross Episcopal Church has been in the city of Hermosa Beach for over a century - in fact, longer than Hermosa has been a city. From that day to this one we have been here to serve the community. We have long cared about our neighbors, our neighborhood, and our Hermosa Beach community.
St. Cross is an active member of this community. St. Cross participates in local St. Patrick’s Day events, provides parking on Fiesta weekends, has supported Hermosa Beach Pride the past few years, and is proud to be the locale for the HB Historical Society annual fundraising event. During the holidays we are one of the sponsors of the tree lighting, and have for years hosted a production of The Messiah for free to the community. Our clergy serve as police chaplains and have been members of Rotary and Kiwanis. St. Cross cares about the safety of the kids who walk and bike through our parking lot every day for school. We care about the dog walkers and we built a mini-dog park we call “The Divine K9 retreat center.” We love our city. Anything we do to redevelop our residential properties will be something that we believe will integrate into the neighborhood, and we would never do development without input from our neighbors.
As St. Cross continues to discern how best to use our properties (and particularly our residential properties) in line with our mission to serve the community, we intend to initiate a separate community engagement process directed at church members and neighbors to provide accurate information and invite input. We believe that whatever project(s) we eventually end up pursuing will only become better with more community involvement.
St. Cross, and The Episcopal Church in general, has always encouraged civic engagement. In this instance as well, we encourage you to learn about the issues facing the City and participate in the community engagement process as you are able.
Currently, the City is in the process of updating its housing element in accordance with California state law. This process affects St. Cross’ properties by designating both our residential and non-residential properties to be re-zoned. If the updated housing element is approved by the City Council and the state, we understand that the City will then proceed with the re-zoning process. To be clear: This does not require St. Cross to build anything; it will only change the nature of what the church will be able to build.
If you are interested in learning more about the City’s current zoning policies and aspirations, specifically about the rezoning of the St. Cross properties, the City has a website devoted to the housing element (including a FAQ answering some questions relating to our properties), which can be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/HB-
If you are interested, we also encourage you to attend the City Council meeting on July 11th, at 6:00 pm. At this meeting, the city staff will present to the City Council and the public an overview of the proposed updated housing element. We anticipate that they will address the process used to identify and assess sites, how the community was involved, the requirements from the state that initiated the process, and how the properties owned by St. Cross will be affected by the zoning change.
The City Council will not be voting on the housing element at the July 11th meeting. The meeting is an opportunity for the City Council and members of the public to learn more about the housing element and the rezoning process, and its benefits and consequences. City Council members will be able to ask questions to the representative from the planning department and community development department. Attendees also will have the opportunity to comment on agenda items.
The City’s process for re-zoning the properties to satisfy state law is separate from the process the church will use to develop its properties. The City Council will vote on the housing element at its July 25th City Council meeting. But as to whatever plans St. Cross may have in the future to develop some of our properties, the July 25th date is by no means the last opportunity for you to let your voice be heard.
If you would like to receive updates from St. Cross about the property development, please join our email list by registering here.
Peace,
Jack Tedford
Senior Warden
