Lines upset El Segundo, Hawthorne

Daily Breeze (Torrance, CA) - Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sandy Mazza ; Staff Writer

Hawthorne fancies itself more like its neighbors along the South Bay coast, not communities to the east extending all the way to Compton. 

And that's why city officials and some residents are seething over new boundary proposals for Hawthorne's political representation in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento. 

With the 2008 passage of Proposition 11, a 14- 

member redistricting commission was created to set new district lines for congressional and state Assembly and Senate districts. 

Tentative maps from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission - based on 2010 census figures - again place Hawthorne in congressional and Senate districts with portions of South Los Angeles, Athens and Compton. The city has aspired to be grouped with its coastal neighbors, but that occurred only in the proposed state Assembly map. 

Likewise, El Segundo leaders are concerned about where the community landed in the redistricting of Assembly boundaries. The city is cut off entirely from coastal neighbors to the south. 

The commission will present a final draft of the boundaries by Aug. 1, and the new district maps must be approved by Aug. 15. 

Hawthorne Mayor Larry Guidi, concerned about guilt by association with communities that have unflattering reputations, doesn't like what he sees in the draft proposals. In fact, he says they could "destroy the economic growth of the city." 

"They used to call us Compton West because of all the murders and all the apartments," Guidi said. "Now businesses feel safe because it's considered the South Bay." 

Members of city homeowners groups and elected officials traveled to Sacramento last week to ask the redistricting commission to place the city in coastal South Bay rather than inland districts. And the City Council called a special meeting Tuesday to pass a resolution opposing the district maps as currently drawn. 

"If we previously weren't (in a district) with the (coastal) South Bay cities, we should correct that now," Hawthorne Councilman Alex Vargas said. "We have SpaceX, that's a great company that's growing right now and, in due time, will take over NASA with regard to rockets. We're the hub of the aerospace industry. 

"Now is not the time to put us in an area such as South-Central, Compton, Watts." 

North Hawthorne Community Association member Estella Villanueva goes so far as to say she's concerned about her property value if the commission approves the current draft of the maps. 

"We do not want to redistrict with the South-Central congressional district," Villanueva said. "I commute to work for an hour because I do not want to live in South-Central. We are middle-class residents and homeowners. Please respect our wishes to preserve our property values, city and school boundaries." 

El Segundo officials are similarly concerned that they will be lopped off from the southern beach cities that they have so long been associated with. The City Council passed a resolution last week asking to remain in the South Bay districts with Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance and cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. 

The currently proposed district lines would take El Segundo out of Assemblywoman Betsy Butler's 53rd District and instead group it with Hawthorne, Marina del Rey and Inglewood. 

"There were discussions about carving out Los Angeles International Airport, Westchester and El Segundo as part of a district that extends out to Inglewood," El Segundo Mayor Eric Busch said. "We have common interests with the South Bay cities. El Segundo's effective representation could be reduced because we don't have many common interests with Inglewood and Westchester." 

Hawthorne is currently represented by state Sen. Rod Wright in the 25th District, which includes Compton, Gardena, Lawndale and South Los Angeles communities as well as the Palos Verdes Peninsula. If the current draft is approved, the district would lose the Peninsula and pick up more of San Pedro and Carson. 

The proposed new Assembly district found favor among Hawthorne City Council members. It groups Hawthorne with Lawndale, Inglewood, El Segundo and Marina del Rey, among others. 

Tony Quinn, a redistricting expert and co-editor of California Target Book, said Hawthorne appears more contiguous with the South Bay beach cities. 

"It really is more of a coastal city, and it really has more in common with the Torrance area," Quinn said. "I've always thought of Hawthorne as a working-class area, and I can see why they would want to be with the beach cities and other cities like them - Gardena, Lawndale." 

Quinn said the commission's early decision to create skinny, elongated coastal districts is flawed. 

"There was always a district that covered all of the South Bay cities, and it kind of makes sense because they're all kind of the same," Quinn said. "They should have been more sensitive to the needs of the whole beach area. There are too many pieces that are not united." 

Hollyglen Homeowners Association President Sean Walsh said Hawthorne is attracting more young, professional families and upscale housing, and that should be reflected in the redistricting. 

"This is about three things - perception, resources and representations," Walsh said. "No taxation without representation. People that are elected should reflect the people in their districts. The people in our district are more like the South Bay than people farther east." 

sandy.mazza@dailybreeze.com