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Commission approves Redondo Union volleyball matches; staff recommends case-by-case approach rather than expanding outdoor fitness program
Summary
Staff told the commission it does not recommend adding a new tier to the outdoor fitness permit program for local school uses. The commission approved Redondo Union High School's 2025 volleyball matches on Hermosa courts and staff said it will negotiate any needed agreement with the school.
The Parks and Recreation and Community Resources Advisory Commission on Jan. 7 approved Redondo Union High School’s 2025 volleyball matches on Hermosa Beach courts and received staff’s evaluation of whether such requests should be handled through the city’s outdoor fitness permit program.
Lisa Nichols, Community Resources Director, presented staff’s recommendation after completing a feasibility review. Staff concluded the outdoor fitness permit program — originally created to allow private fitness instructors and contract-class providers to use city facilities — is not the best mechanism for recurring school competitions or tournaments. Nichols said staff instead recommends evaluating requests from local schools on a case-by-case basis and negotiating a separate agreement or joint-use memorandum with any school when needed.
"Staff does not recommend adding a new tier to the outdoor fitness permit program for this exact purpose," Nichols said. She described a proposed staff workflow: if the city can accommodate a requested time and space, staff would negotiate terms with the school and bring any agreement forward for council consideration.
At the meeting staff also noted a calendar arithmetic correction: approving the Redondo Union matches for 2025 would result in 16 event days in March — one day above the policy guide maximum of 15 — so the commission would need to approve an exception to the special-events policy for March if it wished to proceed. The commission approved the matches and the staff report was received and filed; the vote was 5-0.
Commissioners asked staff to pursue negotiations with Redondo Union and explore whether joint-use arrangements with schools could accommodate programming needs while protecting city facility capacity. Members also emphasized the city should prioritize requests from nearby school districts (Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach) because of existing patterns of beach use by those schools.
Staff said it would continue to negotiate with Redondo Union, return with an agreement if appropriate, and include any necessary terms (insurance, scheduling, maintenance responsibilities) for council consideration. The commission’s action keeps the matches on the 2025 special-events calendar while staff continues negotiations.
