City Council Votes to Close Seaside Lagoon Temporarily

The City Council took the city staff's recommendation and decided Tuesday night to close Seaside Lagoon for the time being to avoid potential fines.

The unanimous decision came only weeks before the scheduled opening of the saltwater swimming facility and was a tough step for Mayor Mike Gin and the council members.

Redondo Beach faces a minimum potential penalty of $150,000 from the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board for alleged violations on the lagoon's discharged water from 2002 to 2008 . The city is currently appealing the penalty, which would likely increase every day the facility remained open. It decided to close it to reduce the likelihood of incurring penalties.

Since its opening in 1963 as a state recreational facility, Seaside Lagoon has been a popular summer destination among not only Redondo residents, but also visitors from neighboring cities. 

The pool uses saltwater pumped from the ocean after chlorinating it for swimmers. The water gets dechlorinated before being discharged back to the harbor.

For several years, the City Council has challenged the regional water board to relax its regulations concerning the outgoing water flow and to understand Seaside Lagoon's unique set-up as a saltwater facility, as well as its historic significance.

The city was recently presented with a new five-year discharge permit by the water board that would set even more strict limitations on metal content in the discharged water. Although Redondo Beach was also given a three-year time schedule order to ease some of the regulations while it attempts to comply with the permit, the risk of massive fines for past violations remained disconcerting. The regional board informed Redondo Beach last month that the city's potential maximum civil liability penalty could amount to $21.2 billion.     

"It should be noted that the proposed fines are for taking water from the ocean, chlorinating it, swimming in it just as millions of Californians do at the beach every summer, dechlorinating it, and returning it to the ocean," said Mike Witzansky, the city's recreation and community services director in his report to the City Council.

The council members have argued repeatedly that they have no control over the solids existing in the seawater used at the lagoon.

"It's eco green overkill," said Councilmember Steve Aspel at the meeting. "We can't continue to be blackmailed like this."

"I believe we have to fight to keep the Lagoon open for the long term. And that might mean we are going to lose it in the short term. In this economic situation that we are in, I can't support paying $150,000 in fines," Councilmember Steven Diels said.

Diels pointed out that the regional water board is funded by the fines they collect.

The temporary closure of the popular swimming facility, which attracts more than 90,000 visitors every summer, will effect the Lagoon's various programs, party rentals, special events (including the Fourth of July fireworks and the Lobster Festival), parking revenue from Redondo Beach Marina, local restaurant patronage and the hiring of roughly 45 summer lifeguards and facility attendants.

"Obviously, it is going to have an impact, but I think we will make it through with whatever we have to do," said John Parsons, former chair of the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.

Parsons said that new and potential business owners might lose their interest in coming to the Redondo Beach harbor because of the closure of Seaside Lagoon. "It'll really upset the balance economically," he said.

Mayor Gin, who administers a Facebook group called Save Seaside Lagoon, solicited help from community members. He encouraged Redondo residents to join the Facebook group, which currently has more than 300 members, and to write to the city. He said that the City Council should keep pursuing legislative solutions with the help of Assemblyman Ted Lieu. 

The city will continue to negotiate with the water board and present its case at an adjudicative hearing scheduled for next month, and an appeal process to follow if needed. 

For those who wish to comment on the temporary closure of Seaside Lagoon, e-mail the city at mike.witzansky@redondo.org. More information on the discharge permit and the water quality control regulations can be found at www.waterboards.ca.gov/losangeles