Hermosa Beach commission approves Clark Building use policy, sends rates to City Council

The Hermosa Beach Community Resources Advisory Commission on Tuesday approved a staff recommendation to forward a new Clark Building use policy and reservation rate schedule to the City Council for final action.

The policy governs the renovated Clark Building’s hours, amenities, rental fees and insurance and includes new options such as limited on-site parking, amplified-sound permits and rules for serving alcohol. Commission approval sends staff recommendations to the City Council for consideration at its February 28 meeting.

Staff said the Clark Building renovations are part of the city’s capital improvement program project CIP 689 and are expected to be complete in April. Lisa Nichols, Community Resources Director, told commissioners the proposed policy was developed from an analysis of past uses, a review of comparable municipal facilities and the building’s new amenities, including a banquet hall, meeting room, kitchen, projector and audio system. Nichols said some fees were new because spaces that previously did not exist (meeting room, projector) are now available.

Under the proposed policy, rental hours for indoor facilities remain 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; amplified sound would be allowed only between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. with a Hermosa Beach Police Department permit. Reservation holders may request up to four parking spaces for an additional fee and may request approval to serve beer, wine or champagne; if approved, the reservation holder must use an ABC-licensed caterer (Type 58 or Type 91) and obtain daily ABC permits or be an eligible nonprofit approved by ABC. Nichols said the city may require additional staff or security at the reservation holder’s expense for events that include alcohol.

The proposed fee schedule lists mandatory fees for banquet-hall reservations, an application fee and a security deposit. Optional fees apply for use of the kitchen, meeting room, projector and audio, and for staff setup/tear-down. Staff said the security deposit is due at the time of application and that “remaining fees” are due two weeks prior to the reservation; staff clarified the security deposit is refundable if cancellation is made before the 15th of the month prior to the reservation, but is forfeited for later cancellations because the city finalizes staff scheduling by that date.

Commissioners asked staff to confirm the dates when comparable facilities set their rates so the council understands how current the benchmarking data are. Commissioner questions also covered insurance language and whether liquor-host liability is optional or mandatory; Nichols said the city’s risk manager drafted the policy language and staff would follow up to confirm mandatory insurance requirements and clarify wording.

Public commenters expressed mixed views. Laura Pena suggested more flexible hours for special events, clearer thresholds for required security, and a tiered cancellation refund structure. John Burry said he feared the aggregate of new fees could price out many residents and urged creativity in discounts for local businesses and nonprofits.

Vice Chair Peyser Maines and other commissioners noted the city had not raised reservation rates substantially for many years beyond CPI adjustments and said the revised rates reflect the need to maintain and operate a renovated facility. The commission’s motion asked staff to provide the dates for the comparable cities’ rate changes and to consider the clarifications and suggestions made during the meeting when preparing materials for council.

The commission approved the staff recommendation on a 4-0 voice vote and directed staff to forward the policy and fee schedule, with the requested clarifications, to the City Council for action on Feb. 28.