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Commission backs AAU beach volleyball championship for November with conditions to protect beach tennis
Summary
The Parks & Recreation Commission recommended the city council approve a proposed AAU Hermosa Beach Holiday Championships in November, asking organizers to shrink the event footprint, avoid impacting permanent beach tennis courts and accommodate existing contract classes; staff estimated roughly $4,000 in direct revenue.
The Hermosa Beach Parks & Recreation Commission voted July 7 to recommend the city council approve a proposed AAU Hermosa Beach Holiday Championships for November, provided the event does not impede the beach tennis community and makes accommodations for the city’s contract classes.
Staff told commissioners the application, submitted in June, would use the north and south volleyball courts and could affect beach tennis courts; the staff report recommended asking AAU to reduce its footprint, leave permanent beach tennis courts in place where possible and file an event notification within a 500‑foot radius. Staff estimated the event would generate about $4,000 in direct revenue to the city, with other fees to be determined later.
Christine Lennon, AAU national tournament director, described the proposal as “kind of a scaled down version of what our national event here is in July,” aimed at collegiate club teams competing in pairs. Denny (Denny Lennon), participating remotely, said AAU can adjust its format and court count and expects to stagger play so fewer teams are on the beach at a time.
Commissioners pressed staff and organizers on logistics: how many courts the producer would actually need, how temporary courts would be sited, and whether the event would conflict with contract classes that routinely meet on weekend mornings. Staff said the recommendation would require AAU not to hold games during class times and, if permanent courts must be removed for the event, to provide temporary courts outside the commercial zone or leave at least three permanent courts in place.
A member of the public who joined the meeting virtually asked whether the $4,000 figure reflected indirect city costs like staff time and processing; staff acknowledged those are factors that can affect the net financial impact and that special‑event fees and caps could be adjusted if the event exceeded thresholds.
After discussion, the commission adopted a motion recommending council approval with the stated conditions — protecting beach tennis and accommodating contract classes. The motion was seconded and the chair announced it carried; the transcript did not include a full roll‑call tally.
The matter will now move to the City Council consent calendar for an agreement that staff said is required before the Parks & Recreation Commission can hold its full operational review in August.
