AVP Seeking Second Hermosa Tournament in September

The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) may move a second tournament to Hermosa Beach for Sept. 17-19, pending the approval of the City Council at its April 27 meeting. If approved, the event would take place in  Hermosa north of the pier instead of in Las Vegas.

Comparable to the AVP Hermosa Beach Open each July, the new event would require a beach stadium with four other courts nearby, 11 fewer courts than needed for the Open. The event would be closed to public competition.

City Manager Steve Burrell said the timing of the tournament would entail smaller crowds and fewer city resources. "This is the first one outside of (the summer)," he said. "There most likely will be fewer concerns."

The AVP anticipates 3,000 spectators each day.

The has twice recommended that the City Council approve the tournament.

The commission first unanimously recommended approval of the AVP event at its March 23 meeting. After a complaint of improper public notice, the request was reheard and unanimously approved again April 6.

Howard Longacre, a Hermosa Beach resident, wrote a letter to the City Council and city staff saying the original agenda item was confusing and not publicly visible enough.

"This is transparency at its worst," Longacre wrote. "I call on the council to take the high road and send this matter back to the parks and recreation commission and conduct a fully noticed public hearing."

Hermosa Beach resident Jim Lissner spoke out against the tournament during the April 6 public discussion. "I think this event is too big, too cheap, too fast and too much of the same," he said.

Lissner suggested finding "a smaller event that will still fill the hotels without the huge crowds and the trucked-in infrastructure."

Commissioner Bill Sigler, who recused himself from the vote due to a conflict of interest, said volleyball and the AVP have become part of the fabric of Hermosa Beach.

Burrell said the city operates AVP tournaments and other major events on a cost-recovery model, meaning fees cover the costs for additional city services. If the tournament is approved, AVP will pay the city approximately $75,000 in fees for services such as parking, police and fire.

The commission also recommended that the City Council approve an AVP request to move its stadium farther north in front of the Beach House instead of Good Stuff.

"Large events like the AVP and Fiesta Hermosa that bring a lot of tourists to town are very welcome to our local business community because it brings them exposure and sales to new customers," said Carla Merriman, executive director of the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. "It gives us a boost in business and it gives the city a big boost in sales tax."

She said that is especially welcome after summer when crowds wane and the extra exposure can bolster local businesses.