Hermosa Beach City Council
July 28, 2026

2.0 Historic Context
16 ASM Affiliates
construction of the building (including vaults, fixtures, and decorations) was $75,000 (approximately $1,500,000 adjusted for inflation), marking an investment made in the community, from which the community would in turn benefit with the presence of a new bank in a central location (Hermosa Beach Review 1929b). The opening of National Bank of Hermosa Beach on December 9, 1922, was an immediate success. After the grand opening, president of the bank E.J. Young reported that 560 depositors had placed a total of $105,462.90 in the bank’s vaults (approximately $2,000,000 adjusted for inflation), immediately cementing the prominence of the bank within the community (Hermosa Beach Review, 1922c).

Despite the immediate notoriety of National Bank of Hermosa Beach, internal turmoil would eventually lead to the arrest and prosecution of E.J. Young (Hermosa Beach Review, 1927; Los Angeles Times, 1929a). Shortly after Young’s resignation, the National Bank of Hermosa Beach was purchased by the Pacific National Company (otherwise known as Pacific National Bank) in 1927, although the name and daily operations of the bank did not change (The Daily Breeze, 1927). Eventually, the Pacific National Company merged with Bank of America, and the Bank of America purchased the National Bank of Hermosa Beach in 1929. The loss of the local bank was understood at the time and historically to have been a result of the general bank failures of the Great Depression. The presence of Bank of America then appeared to “mean much to the future of the community” as a symbol of economic stability in an uncertain period (Hermosa Beach Review, 1929a; Hermosa Beach Review, 1957). Bank of America purchased and opened many branches in Los Angeles County during this time period, and the purchase of the National Bank was announced in tandem with the opening of four new Bank of America branches across the South Los Angeles County area (Los Angeles Times, 1929b). On November 30, 1929, the National Bank of Hermosa Beach closed its doors for the final time, and on December 2, 1929, Bank of America opened for business at 90 Pier Avenue (Hermosa Beach Review, 1929b). The Hermosa Beach branch of Bank of America then operated out of the same building for the next 95 years, until the branch closed in early 2024.

As Hermosa Beach progressed from a small town to a small city, the 90 Pier Avenue has been renovated multiple times applying different architectural styles and aesthetic preferences for institutional buildings.

The building sustained three eras of distinct re-design and re-development: the Pompeiian style era (1922- 1937), the Neoclassical style era (1937-1953), and the Modern style era (1953-c.1990).

The Pompeiian Style Era (1922-1937)
The first photograph of the building was published in the Los Angeles Times in 1923 as part of an article describing the growing communities of Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Manhattan Beach (Figure 5). In comparison to photographs taken in 1930 upon the opening of Bank of America, no exterior alterations are visible. As such, the style of the building remained largely unchanged within this period.

Upon the near completion of the building at 90 Pier Avenue in July, the Hermosa Beach Review described that the “name blocks [were] set in place,” the “tile was on,” and the “marble [was] rapidly going up” (Hermosa Beach Review, 1922b). These elements were fully realized by the December opening of the building, where the Los Angeles Times described 90 Pier Avenue as “the last (sic) work in bank architecture,” with a Pompeiian style exterior and what was described as a “Roman style” interior, designed by famed Italian artist Fausto Tasca (Los Angeles Times 1922b).

The day after the grand opening of the National Bank, the Hermosa Beach Review fully described in detail the exterior and the interior of the new building. Boasting that the building was “declared by experts to be one of the finest buildings of its type in any city of similar size in the United States,” the exterior featured “marble and tapestry brick,” and “a beautiful mural entitled Hermosa painted in oil” by Italian artist Fausto Tasca.

2.0 Historic Context and Overview
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 17
The interior, also designed and painted by Tasca, featured ceiling frescoes and wall panels in deep hues of red and blue, “white marble and dark mahogany” fixtures and furniture, and “black and white design in mosaic tile” on the lobby floor. The description also indicates the presence of a mezzanine that featured “iron rail…carried down in the stair balustrade” and was the location of the offices of the president, the directors’ room, and two rest rooms. The entrance of the building itself was flanked by two waiting rooms, one for ladies and the other for gentlemen, the interiors of which were supplied with furniture and rugs from local Hermosa Beach businesses. The lighting fixtures were additionally noted to have been designed by a local firm.

Although research did not reveal any interior photographs of the building, various photographs that were taken of the intersection of Hermosa and Pier avenues through the 1920s and the early 1930s confirm the exterior descriptions of the building and also reveal additional details (Figures 6-10).

The exterior columns appeared to be marble, although it is unlikely that the columns were composed entirely of marble, but rather a thin marble cladding (based on the subsequent transformation of the exterior façade in the mid-century). Exterior lighting fixtures were centered in the marble columns and appear to be composed of wrought iron. Facing Hermosa Avenue were five large windows, which appear to be wood, vertically sliding, sash windows (as one window appears to be partially open in Figure 7).

Two large windows are present on either side of an arched entryway on the Pier Avenue facade. Multicolored brick was present at the base of the building along all sides. A different style of brick is visible in the historic photographs along the upper portions of the building, which was likely what “tapestry brick” or “tile” were in reference to in the descriptions of the exterior façade. This material is contemporarily referred to as glazed terracotta tiling.

The glazed terracotta tile-front of the building is likely where the “Pompeiian Style” term originated. The tile-front is characterized by accents of darker colored glazed terra cotta tile against lighter glazed terracotta tiles. Rectangular geometric forms are found centered along the top of the glazed terra cotta tile front where the name of the building or the owner of the commercial block could be identified (the quality of the photos prevents this distinction from being confirmed). On each corner of the building facing the street are sculptural elements of spheres, and stylized accents are present against the terracotta tile front.

What was not mentioned in the early descriptions of the building, however, is that the National Bank of Hermosa Beach (and later the Bank of America) was not the only commercial entity to occupy the building. The original design of the building featured the bank entrance and an additional storefront facing Pier Avenue, and two storefronts on the southernmost area of the building facing Hermosa Avenue.

The storefront facing Pier Avenue occupied the same amount of space as the entrance to the bank, although the long rectangular windows belonged only to the bank. This storefront instead featured windows (most likely for ventilation) above the store entrance area, and standard storefront shop windows from the era. Similarly, the storefronts facing Hermosa Avenue occupy about half of the façade, featured windows likely for ventilation above the shop entrances, and what appears to be standard storefront shop windows from the era. Historic photographs as well as newspaper advertisements reveal that there were two distinct storefronts facing Hermosa Avenue during this era of the building’s design.

Finally, the southern façade (which in the present faces a parking lot) is revealed to be an exposed plain brick exterior, different from the brick along the lower level of the building and the glazed terra cotta tile (brick) of the upper exterior cladding. There are two windows along this façade, in addition to the shop window associated with the commercial store, that are no longer extant in the present design of the building.

2.0 Historic Context
18 ASM Affiliates
The Neoclassical Style Era (1937-1953)
Despite local hypotheses that the initial design of the bank changed as a result of the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, research revealed that the major alterations to the design of the building occurred in 1937.

Detailed in the Redondo Reflux, the “extensive remodeling” included a “greatly enlarged” and “elaborate” façade and an extended interior floorspace that now included one of the storefronts along Hermosa Avenue. Because the entrance into the bank changed locations as a result of these alterations, the article notes that the “famous mural” painted by Tasca would have to be removed. Although the article comments that the mural “may be donated to the city for hanging in the council chamber,” research did not reveal that this action was ever taken, nor did it reveal any photographs of the mural.

Photographs taken of the building around 1940 reveal these extensive changes (Figures 11-12). Notably, the primary entrance into the building facing Pier Avenue was extensively altered as described above.

Likely wishing to do away with the dual waiting rooms that characterized the initial design of the bank lobby, the primary entrance shifted to the center. A new large rectangular window was constructed in the place of the original entrance area, and a rectangular entrance portal was constructed in the center of the façade facing Pier Avenue. Along the top of the entryway was lettering that read “Bank of America,” and larger additional lettering also reading “Bank of America” was present on the upper glazed terra cotta front close to the northeastern corner of the building. A smaller transom window was constructed over the primary bank entrance, and since the new entrance required the replacement and movement of windows, it was likely at this time that all the windows of the building associated with the bank were replaced. It appears that the commercial store fronts facing Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue retained their original windows despite the alterations enacted to the bank.

While the columns maintained their marble appearance, the lighting fixtures were removed. The rectangular decorations that may have read the building name, and the sculptural decorations along the façades, were also removed with this era of renovation. Interestingly, the brick that was at one point painted darker than the surrounding brick in order to add to what was called a “Pompeiian” decorative style were also removed, or were painted in this period to be the same color as the rest of the façade.

Notable alterations are also visible along the façade that faces Hermosa Avenue. The shape of the windows are more noticeably altered along this façade as they appear to be narrower than before, and a square metal decorative piece beneath the windows was added. The removal of one of the storefronts facing Hermosa Avenue necessitated the construction of an additional window (another detail that indicates that the windows were completely replaced at this time) and the construction of additional marble columns to maintain the aesthetic congruity of the façade. The two new columns that were constructed as a result of these alterations do not retain the metal circles found on the other columns, where the light fixtures of the original design were placed. Where the entrance of the commercial store would have been along Hermosa Avenue, instead is now a blank wall area with no windows. The 1940sera photograph reveals that at this time a city bench was placed along the blank wall, and a vent is seen directly above the area.

Although research did not reveal any photographs taken of the interior of the building from this era, a Sanborn Map drawn in 1946 revealed the general layout (Figure 13). This revealed that the commercial store facing Pier Avenue occupied a long rectangular space that ended where the original storefront facing Hermosa Beach was before the bank took over that space. It also indicates that there was an interior entrance between the bank and the commercial space facing Pier Avenue. This map also reveals that the commercial store facing Hermosa Avenue occupied the entire lower area of the building, ending just before the end of the neighboring building, where there is presently a rear exit and short alleyway to what is now the rear parking lot area.

2.0 Historic Context and Overview
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 19
A 2025 survey of the building revealed that the present stairwell is located against the eastern exterior wall that was described above as a blank space with no windows, and that the mezzanine featured two bathrooms with waiting areas (a common feature of bathrooms from before the mid-century that has largely been abandoned). These extant details indicate that the original stairwell, that was described upon the bank’s opening as featuring wrought iron rails, was removed and new one was constructed in the present location during this renovation. It is unlikely that the bathrooms moved location, as the initial descriptions of the building described the existence of two bathrooms along the mezzanine. Likely, the stairwell existed in an entirely different part of the building, and while the present mezzanine may be in the same general area as the initial design, it is clear that major alterations to the mezzanine occurred once the bank began to occupy additional lobby space.

The Modern Style Era (1953-c.1990)
In June of 1953, the Daily Breeze reported that the 90 Pier Avenue building was undergoing “alterations and additions,” completed by Capital Company of Los Angeles at the cost of $25,000 (approximately $300,000 adjusted for inflation). Because the footprint of the building itself has not been altered, these additions likely refer to the two remaining commercial store fronts facing Hermosa Avenue and Pier Avenue. A photograph taken of the building in 1955 reveals these changes (Figure 14). Maintaining the previous iteration of the visible brick along the façade and marble columns, the Bank of America now occupies the entirety of the primary façade, with much more centered lettering above the primary entrance into the building from Pier Avenue.

Comparing the present floor plan of the building to the 1946-era Sanborn Map, the result of the building transforming from a multiple-retail space to a single-retail space is still visible in the present layout (Figure 15). This is particularly exemplified in the still-visible support beams that once separated the bank lobby from the commercial store facing Pier Avenue, or in the back room/office area that the commercial store facing Hermosa Avenue once occupied.

Multiple storefronts attached to large commercial brick buildings were commonly constructed throughout Los Angeles County in the 1910s and 1920s. As the surrounding cities and county began to expand giving commercial retailers more space to construct stores, and as the automobile allowed consumers to travel more widely for shopping, the need to have multiple storefronts in one building diminished, and brick buildings with multiple store fronts were increasingly seen as old-fashioned. Coupled with the city-wide initiative during this period to modernize the commercial areas, the decision to remove the other storefronts may have come from a desire to “upgrade” a highly visible building in one of the identified important intersections of the city of Hermosa Beach.

This is likely when the present windows were installed. A 2025 survey of the building revealed that all the windows have the same profile, and the same aluminum border-siding that is common to windows placed in the mid-century. The original brick that was present along the base of the columns and along the foot of the building, visible in historic photographs through the previous periods, was likely replaced during these alterations. The metal decorative panel, described above as existing below the marble columns, is no longer extant in this era, and is instead replaced by red brick. The red brick also rises higher than it did in previous iterations of the building, leading to the conclusion that it was replaced and re-constructed, rather than added to. The original height of the brick base is still visible on the southeast corner of the building in later photographs.

As more contemporary buildings were constructed in the immediate vicinity, particularly the demolition the 1913 building on the northwest corner of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue for a new bank building, the design of 90 Pier Avenue was modernized as well. The Los Angeles Assessor Records indicate that the building was re-assessed in 1967, the same year that the owner of the building indicated in local

2.0 Historic Context
20 ASM Affiliates
newspapers that there was a desire to re-instate a sign on the roof of the building. Together, these details indicate that this was likely when further design alterations to the exterior of the building occurred.

The columns, after these alterations, no longer had any indication of marble. It remains unlikely, given that two new columns were added in the 1937 iteration of the building and that the marble disappeared in this iteration of the building, that these columns were ever fully constructed of marble. It is more likely that the columns were lined with a thin layer of marble or marble tile. It was also at this point in time that stucco was added to the exterior, covering the columns and removing the visible presence of the brick on the fronts of the building. The rear southern façade of the building, in this iteration, additionally received stucco exterior cladding to hide the exposed brick that was visible in a previous design iteration. The brick band along the fronts of the building was maintained under the stucco, although the stucco gave it a more rounded appearance. Thus, the building gives the impression of smooth, unadorned, surfaces that were favorable in the 1960s, and would have at the time been seen as ‘modern.’ It was additionally in this era, in 1961, that the 90 Pier Avenue building, along with other buildings along Pier Avenue, received an accompanying parking lot after the demolition of nearby buildings between 11th Street and the 12th Street alley. With the accompanying alterations that removed the presence of other commercial stores, it was during this era that the building evolved from its initial presence as a building supporting local commercial downtown shopping to supporting the intersection as a destination for commercial businesses as a shopping center.

Late photographs from the 1980s reveal that the commercial space facing Hermosa Avenue was converted into what appears to be a separate entrance into the building (Figures 16-17). The windows above the entrance were likely placed during the initial alterations of the interior space in 1953. A 2025 survey revealed that the angled entrance into what was originally the commercial store at the southwest corner was maintained (likely from the original 1922 design of the building), and the interior space that the entrance would have led to revealed many design details from the mid-century. Because there was no direct connection from the main lobby area to these rear areas except behind the counter in the service area of the building, this may have been an employee entrance area, or the entrance to a type of business the bank supported that was outside of the main lobby.

Contemporary Era (c.1990 – Present)
This is largely the appearance the bank maintains in the present. One major alteration that has occurred since the mid-century, however, was that the bank appears to have been re-sided again, since the initial stucco siding that occurred in 1967. This was noted during the 2025 survey, where a layer of stucco was observed to be beneath another layer of stucco, and that the decorative band now wraps entirely around the building, replicated for visual continuity on the sides where it did not initially exist (Figures 18-19).

This is concurred in several areas of the building, where close observation reveals where the original 1922 decorations ended and the new stucco decorations took over (Figure 20). While the 1953 alterations maintained a visual end to the façade facing Hermosa Avenue and there is a visual discrepancy between the recessed, plain, un-adorned southern wall facing the parking lot and the continuation of the façade design that briefly wraps around the southwestern corner, this is not visible in the present. There is no longer a visible recession, and the exterior decoration continues across the entire southern façade. Based on a c.1985 photograph of the building, this latest alteration likely occurred in the 1990s, when ATM vestibules were added to the area that was once the entrance of the commercial store facing Hermosa Avenue. This is likely, as the inclusion of ATM vestibules would have required the partial demolition of the southern facing brick wall to install the ATM. It is likely that it was during this period that the building received another layer of stucco cladding, further smoothing out the exterior surfaces and removing the recesses that once characterized the southern side of the building.

2.0 Historic Context and Overview
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 21
In the present, there are very few original features of the building, as it has been remodeled and renovated many times throughout its history. A 2025 survey of the building did not reveal any indication that any of the interior details described in the 1922 bank opening remained, and the historic materials observed in the mezzanine and the rear areas of the lobby were likely from the 1953 renovation of the building. The brick that once characterized the exterior of the building is now entirely covered by multiple layers of stucco, and the marble cladding has since been removed from the columns and the bases have been cut for a new brick foundation along the lower section of the building.

2.0 Historic Context
22 ASM Affiliates
Figure 4. Groundbreaking on the southwest corner of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue. Courtesy of the Hermosa Beach Museum.

Figure 5. Photograph of 90 Pier Avenue, published in the Los Angeles Times on December 2, 1923.

2.0 Historic Context and Overview
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 23
Figure 6. Photograph of 90 Pier Avenue in the Pompeiian Style Era as a National Bank of Hermosa Beach. Photograph taken at unknown date, likely c.1925. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

Figure 7. Photograph of Pier Avenue, with portions of 90 Pier Avenue visible as a National Bank of Hermosa Beach in the Pompeiian Style. Photograph taken at an unknown date, likely c.1925.

Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

2.0 Historic Context
24 ASM Affiliates
Figure 8. Photograph of Pier Avenue, with portions of 90 Pier Avenue visible as a National Bank of Hermosa Beach in the Pompeiian Style. Photograph dated 1932. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

Figure 9. Photograph of the primary façade and entrance area into 90 Pier Avenue as a Bank of America in the Pompeiian Style. Photograph taken c.1930. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

2.0 Historic Context and Overview
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 25
Figure 10. Photograph of the Hermosa Avenue side of 90 Pier Avenue as a Bank of America in the Pompeiian Style. Photograph taken c.1930. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

Figure 11. Photograph of the primary façade and entrance as a Bank of America in the Neoclassical Style. Photograph taken at an unknown time, likely c.1940. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

2.0 Historic Context
26 ASM Affiliates
Figure 12. Photograph of the façade facing Hermosa Beach as a Bank of America in the Neoclassical Style. Photograph taken at an unknown time, likely c.1940. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

Figure 13. Detail of Sanborn Map drawn in 1946, portraying the intersection of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library.

2.0 Historic Context and Overview
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 27
Figure 14. Photograph of the intersection of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue in the Modern Style, with additional commercial stores removed. Photograph dated 1955. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library.

Figure 15. Comparison of 2025 floorplan of 90 Pier Avenue (right) against 1946 Sanborn Map displaying the location of the commercial spaces.

2.0 Historic Context
28 ASM Affiliates
Figure 16. Photograph of 90 Pier Avenue in Modern Style. Photograph taken at an unknown time, likely c.1985. Courtesy of facebook.com.

Figure 17. Photograph of the intersection of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue in the Modern Style.

Photograph taken at an unknown time, likely c.1985. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

2.0 Historic Context and Overview
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 29
Figure 18. Location where exterior cladding is peeling, revealing stucco. View of west façade.

Figure 19. Location where exterior cladding is peeling, revealing stucco. View of west façade.

2.0 Historic Context
30 ASM Affiliates
Figure 20. Detail of primary façade, where the original brick decoration is cut (lower band) and new stucco decoration is extended (blue band). Also visible are the metal panels likely implemented after the Long Beach earthquake to bring the building up to earthquake code.

3.0 Methodology
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 31

3.0 METHODOLOGY
The Secretary of the Interior has issued standards and guidelines for the identification and evaluation of historic properties (Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation [48 FR 44720–44726]), which are used to ensure that the procedures utilized are adequate and appropriate. The identification and evaluation of historic properties are dependent upon the relationship of individual properties to other similar properties (NPS and ACHP 1998:18-20). Information about properties regarding their prehistory, history, architecture, and other aspects of culture must be collected and organized to define these relationships (NPS 2009), which is the intent of this cultural resources inventory. Projects in compliance with CEQA to identify historical resources follow the same professional standards and guidelines.

Intensive surveys are used to precisely document the historical resources within a given area or when information is needed for particular properties for later evaluation and treatment decisions. Such surveys entail the documentation of the types of properties that are present, the precise locations and boundaries of all identified properties, the method of survey (including the extent of survey coverage), and data on the appearance, significance, and integrity of each property (NPS 2009).

3.1 FIELD METHODS
A pedestrian survey within the API was completed on November 18, 2025, by ASM Architectural Historian Madeline Gonzalez to document 90 Pier Avenue. During the survey, multiple photographs were taken of the property (interior and exterior) to document the resource and its setting. The building’s plan, architectural features, condition, and historical integrity were noted. The general setting as well as architectural features of the surrounding buildings were additionally noted. An architectural description of the building, including photos, is provided in Chapter 4. DPR 523 series site record forms were prepared to document this field survey and are provided in Attachment A.

3.2 RESEARCH METHODS
To develop the appropriate historic context from which to evaluate the property, ASM Architectural Historian Madeline Gonzalez, M.A. conducted archival research for information on the history of the property. To determine the site-specific history, ASM requested building permits and reviewed publicly available Los Angeles County Assessor’s records. Additional sources consulted to develop the site-specific history included newspapers.com, the information publicly available from the Hermosa Beach Museum, and photographs catalogued within the Los Angeles Public Library. ASM also consulted various articles from online sources concerning the local history of Hermosa Beach, and the history of the Bank of America in order to develop the appropriate context.

3.3 HISTORICAL IMAGE REVIEW
Historical aerials from 1952, 1953, 1963, 1972, 1980, 1985, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2022 were analyzed on historicaerials.com, as were historic topographic maps dated 1896, 1901, 1904, 1927, 1934, 1943, 1949, 1951, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1963, 1968, 1981, 1985, 1996, 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2021.

The subject parcel appears fully developed in the first historical aerial from 1952, and it is apparent that no significant changes to the footprint are evident since 1952. The topographic maps do not show structures, only street layouts and other infrastructural features. Therefore, while the topographic maps reveal little information in regard to the development of the subject parcel over time, it reveals a great amount of

3.0 Methodology
32 ASM Affiliates
information regarding the development of Hermosa Beach overtime. ASM then analyzed topographic maps and later aerial photographs when available to understand the commercial and residential development of Hermosa Beach throughout the twentieth century (Figures 21-26).

Figure 21. Detail of 1924 Topographic Map of Hermosa Beach, revealing the residential and commercial development of the area.

3.0 Methodology
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 33
Figure 22. Detail of 1934 Topographic Map of Hermosa Beach, revealing the residential and commercial development of the area.

Figure 23. Detail of 1952 aerial photograph of Hermosa Beach, revealing the residential and commercial development of the area.

3.0 Methodology
34 ASM Affiliates
Figure 24. Detail of 1963 aerial photograph of Hermosa Beach, revealing the residential and commercial development of the area.

Figure 25. Detail of 1972 aerial photograph of Hermosa Beach, revealing the residential and commercial development of the area.

4.0 Survey Findings
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 35

4.0 SURVEY FINDINGS
A survey of 90 Pier Avenue was conducted on November 18, 2025, of the interior and the exterior of the building. The buildings constructed at the intersection of Hermosa and Pier avenues were also noted for context, as were the buildings constructed on Pier Avenue between Hermosa Avenue and The Strand.

Exterior
90 Pier Avenue was constructed with a primary façade facing Pier Avenue, on the southwest corner of the intersection of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue. The exterior façade of the building features textured semi-rough stucco exterior cladding on all sides, with an exposed brick base facing Hermosa Avenue and Pier Avenue. The building is rectangular in form with a horizontal emphasis along Hermosa Avenue. The building also features a flat roof, although the roofing materials could not be determined from the ground survey (Figure 26).

The primary façade facing Pier Avenue features a centered primary entrance, four windows and a transom window, and six columns (Figure 27). The base of the façade is composed of exposed brick, which rises to about 40-inches (approximately half the height of the entrance door). The primary entrance area is centered in the façade between two columns, and features a single metal door with glass panels and a sidelight. There is some space between the door and the transom window (which would have been the space for the business signage), and the smaller transom window features three glass panels and appears to be horizontally sliding with a simple profile metal frame. Additionally flanking the primary entrance area, on the columns on either side, are outdoor lighting fixtures. The four, uniform, long rectangular windows on the primary façade begin where the exposed brick base ends, and rise nearly to the height of the columns. These fixed, simple profile windows also feature a metal, or aluminum, frame around all sides. The upper façade of the building begins above the columns and features a stucco band (painted blue) that wraps around the building. Between the columns and the stucco band is a long space that likely displayed signage. This area has since been covered by wood paneling, likely to obscure or cover the results of the removal of signage from the façade. Underneath the wood paneling is stucco with visible metal plates that were likely inserted into the façade to bring the building up to local earthquake code ordinances after the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake. Other brick buildings along Pier Avenue that were constructed in the same time period feature similar metal plates, albeit less visually obscured. Above the stucco band is another long, unadorned, space with rough stucco. Because the building was constructed with a flat roof, the top of the façade features a metal cap that wraps around the entirety of the building and has been painted white. On the northeast corner of the building and primary façade is an exterior lighting fixture. The wires that supply power to the exterior lighting fixtures are also visible along the façade and run above the columns and below the wood paneled coverings.

The side-façade facing Hermosa Avenue features six windows, one transom window, nine columns, and no entrance areas into the building (Figure 28). The exposed brick base, the columns, and the upper façade feature the same materials and dimensions as the primary façade, with some exceptions. One major difference is the window on the northeastern corner of the building facing Hermosa Avenue does not fully extend to the brick base. Instead, in between the window and the brick, is a secured drop-off box. Additionally, the exterior lighting is found centered in the first three columns, and then tapers off to every other column. (These lighting fixtures are in the same area as the original wrought iron lighting fixtures that were placed upon the building’s opening in 1922, however, because the wiring of the present fixtures is visible running along the exterior, they do not appear to be connected to the same wiring system and are otherwise unrelated in anyway to the original fixtures). In between the final two columns on the southwestern corner of the building is a small shade covering over an angled, plain, stucco wall.

Historic photographs revealed that this was once the entry to a commercial store that was later the

4.0 Survey Findings
36 ASM Affiliates
location of an ATM vestibule. The contemporary angle present is likely a remnant from the original 1922 design, as only in this corner does the exposed brick base of the building retain its original 1922 height.

Above the once-entryway is a multi-paneled metal window with two panels that have the capacity to be opened by crank that provide light to the upper mezzanine floor of the building. Inbetween the two columns in the space to the north of the ex-ATM vestibule is a stucco blank wall. Historic photographs revealed that this too was once a storefront for commercial space within the building but was renovated due to the re-locating of the interior stairwell of the mezzanine.

The rear façade of the building faces south toward what is now a parking lot (Figure 29). This façade retains minimal design features and is clad with rough stucco. Close to the southwestern corner of the building facing south is a shade covering with a slightly recessed area underneath. This is where an ATM vestibule was once in place. Unlike the other façades of the building, this wall features what appears to be multiple panels of siding, seen in the uniform lines that run vertically down the side. Historic photographs have revealed that the rear of the building was once an exposed brick wall with a slightly recessed area beginning where a commercial store front window faced south. Renovations likely resulting from the installation of the ATM and requiring a partial demolition of the original brick wall likely resulted in the un-recessed, flat stucco wall of the present. This also indicates that the stucco band that runs across the top at the same level of the rest of the building is a recent construction, and that the original building decorations on the southwestern corner of the building that are visible in historic photographs were removed entirely.

The side façade of the building facing west toward another commercial building is mostly obscured with the exception of the stucco band along the top, and the rear exit area of the building (Figure 30). A black gate encloses a small alley from which one could exit from inside the building. The exterior cladding of this façade is the same rough stucco cladding found throughout the exterior of the building.

A sign is present on the roof of the northeast corner of the building, although the name of the associated business has been removed (Figure 31). The primary façade faces Pier Avenue, which is now a pedestrian-only promenade, and as such, no longer retains an official sidewalk. The sidewalk instead begins at the northeast corner of the building, which also features a traffic light. Two double-headed streetlights are present on Pier Avenue located generally on either side of the building, and continue down Pier Avenue. Additionally, palm trees of various sizes were planted by Hermosa Beach in the spaces in front of the building along Hermosa Avenue.

Interior
The interior of the building is defined by three distinct spaces: the main lobby area, the rear back room/offices area, and the upper mezzanine area.

Upon entering through the primary façade, one arrives into the main lobby area (Figures 32-33). This area features faux wood flooring and carpeting, uniform overhead light fixtures, tiled ceilings, and the walls all appear to retain smooth plaster cladding. Upon entering the building, on the right side, are a series of metal support beams, in the general area of where the flooring switches from faux wood to carpet, and is where the offices and waiting area for the bank would have been located (Figure 34). The left side is the traditional bank-telling area, where there would have been space for eleven bank tellers at once (Figure 35). In the personnel area, behind the teller desks, the floor is carpeted. There are also deep recessions between the windows and the bank walls. Upon entering the building, immediately to the left, is an office area that is closed off from the lobby (Figure 36). In this space is a desk and chairs, and the wall features a safe associated with the bank deposit box on the exterior. Another notable feature of the lobby area is the bank vault, located in the back right area of the lobby. This vault features two rooms, divided by a door:
one for safety deposit boxes, and the other for storage (Figures 37-39). The ceiling tiles in the main areas

4.0 Survey Findings
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 37
of the lobby are uniform and decorated, however in the area above the space leading to the rear emergency exit, they appear more plain and more contemporary, with contemporary overhead lights.

On the other side of the teller area in the rear of the lobby are a series of back rooms (Figures 40-42).

These rooms were an entirely separate commercial space for about 30 years after the building opened, and as a result, are not fully integrated into the lobby area of the bank. One room was the area where ATM vestibules were once located and appears to have also been an office, the other rooms appear to have been offices, and one space in the rear area is a restroom. Because these were non-customer oriented spaces and because these areas were likely renovated to their contemporary figuration in the mid-century, they exhibit many features from this era including colored asbestos tile floors, drop down asbestos tile ceilings, and remnant objects such as clocks on the walls from the era.

On the left of the lobby area, close to the rear, is a stairwell that leads up to a mezzanine (Figures 43-44).

Wood handrails are present on either side, and the stairwell is covered in rubber mat material obscuring the true material of the stairwell. Although the 1922 description of the building described the presence of a stairwell, it is unlikely this stairwell is in the same location as described due to the presence of an additional storefront at the time. Instead, it is likely this stairwell was implemented in the proceeding 1937 era of the building’s design. This steep-rising staircase leads one to what appears to have been an employee area, with various kitchen appliances and lounge furniture (Figure 45). The ceiling is low in this area, and the floor tiles are composed of a dark brown asbestos tile, a likely remnant from either the 1937 renovations or the 1953 renovations of the building. A metal, crank, window also provides light into the room and appears to be original to the 1953 renovation of the building, as it rises from the floor to about halfway up the wall (Figure 46). Connected to the employee room are two bathrooms, the entrances of which face each other across a small hallway (Figure 47). Both bathrooms feature two rooms: an initial lounge/rest room, and the room with the actual bathroom facilities. A common feature of bathrooms in the first half of the twentieth century, this detail points to the likelihood that these are the same bathrooms described upon the 1922 opening building. A doorway in the rear of the employee area leads to another room with filing shelves (Figure 48). There is noticeable metal band on the floor where the doorway is located, and the linoleum tile between the two rooms are different as well. The end of the hallway of this room is likely where the landing to the original staircase was located. Another doorway is aligned with the first doorway and leads one further back into the building, to another long room with filing shelves. There is a noticeable discrepancy in the height of the floor between the first filing shelf room and the second, although the linoleum floor tiling is the same.

4.0 Survey Findings
38 ASM Affiliates
Figure 26. 90 Pier Avenue, view toward southwest.

Figure 27. Primary façade and entrance area. View toward south.

4.0 Survey Findings
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 39
Figure 28. East façade of 90 Pier Avenue, facing Hermosa Avenue. View toward west.

Figure 29. Rear façade of 90 Pier Avenue. View toward north.

4.0 Survey Findings
40 ASM Affiliates
Figure 30. Side façade facing west. View toward north.

Figure 31. Intersection of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue, view toward south.

4.0 Survey Findings
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 41
Figure 32. Interior lobby of 90 Pier Avenue. View from behind personnel area toward entrance, toward north.

Figure 33. Interior lobby of 90 Pier Avenue. View from entrance area toward rear area, toward south.

4.0 Survey Findings
42 ASM Affiliates
Figure 34. View of interior lobby area. View of area that was once commercial store area facing Pier Avenue, with remaining structural columns. View toward southwest.

Figure 35. Interior lobby area. View of teller area and windows in the rear. View toward southeast.

4.0 Survey Findings
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 43
Figure 36. Interior lobby area. View of office area by the primary entrance, with safe attached to exterior.

View toward northeast.

Figure 37. Interior lobby area. View toward personnel area, with vault visible in rear.

4.0 Survey Findings
44 ASM Affiliates
Figure 38. First room of the interior of the bank vault, with safety deposit boxes.

Figure 39. Second room of the interior of the bank vault, with file cabinets.

4.0 Survey Findings
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 45
Figure 40. Interior backroom area, view toward south.

Figure 41. Interior backroom area, view toward southwest.

4.0 Survey Findings
46 ASM Affiliates
Figure 42. Interior backroom area. View toward southeast.

Figure 43. First floor landing of interior stairwell. View toward south.

4.0 Survey Findings
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 47
Figure 44. Mezzanine landing of interior stairwell. View toward north.

Figure 45. Mezzanine area, employee lounge area. View toward west.

4.0 Survey Findings
48 ASM Affiliates
Figure 46. Mezzanine area, window above old commercial space facing Hermosa Avenue. View toward east.

Figure 47. Mezzanine area, view toward hallway with bathroom at either side. View toward north.

4.0 Survey Findings
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 49
Figure 48. Mezzanine aera, view from employee lounge area toward the rear filing rooms.

5.0 Evaluation of Eligibility
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 51

5.0 EVALUATION OF ELIGIBILITY

5.1 PREVIOUS EVALUATIONS
Research did not reveal that 90 Pier Avenue was ever evaluated for the CRHR or for the NRHP. ASM consulted the Built Environment Resources Directory (BERD), which maintains resources data from cultural resources in the Office of Historic Preservation’s inventory. 90 Pier Avenue was not listed. PCR Services Corporation (PCR) additionally conducted a records search for the city of Hermosa Beach in 2014, of which no records associated with this address were reported.

During a 2014 windshield survey of Hermosa Beach conducted by PCR, 90 Pier Avenue was identified as a potential historic resource. 90 Pier Avenue was additionally previously identified1for protection under the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance as a potential landmark that warrants further study by Section

17.53.040 (B) of the Historic Preservation Ordinance (per Planning Commission Resolution No. 98-65). A previous evaluation in relation to this identification was not noted to exist.

5.2 CALIFORNIA REGISTER OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES EVALUATION ASM carefully considered whether the commercial building at 90 Pier Avenue is individually eligible under any CRHR criteria.

Criterion 1:

ASM carefully considered whether 90 Pier Avenue was associated with a specific event marking an important moment in the history of Hermosa Beach or was associated with a pattern of events that made a significant contribution to the development of Hermosa Beach.

ASM first assessed whether the building at 90 Pier Avenue is significant in the history of the development of banking in Hermosa Beach. Despite the date of construction supplied by the Los Angeles County Assessor, research revealed that 90 Pier Avenue was constructed in 1922 primarily to house the one and only branch of the new National Bank of Hermosa Beach. Along with the First National Bank of Hermosa Beach, the First Bank of Hermosa, and the Camino Real Branch of the First National Bank, the National Bank of Hermosa Beach was one of four banks operating within the city upon its opening in late 1922.

Developer and bank-owner E.J. Young spared no expense in the construction of the building. In local newspapers, the construction of the building was closely followed, its opening was widely anticipated, and its grand-opening day was meticulously detailed. The 90 Pier Avenue building immediately became a point of pride in the community as the decorated and formal exterior represented the budding potential of the community during this period. However, due to internal turmoil and the national economic downturn, the National Bank of Hermosa Beach was purchased by Pacific National Bank, which was then purchased by Bank of America. As the city of Hermosa Beach similarly suffered in the initial wake of the Great Depression and the other local national banks closed, the presence of Bank of America was elevated to a symbol of economic stability in an uncertain period, and the 90 Pier Avenue building retained its physical and symbolic prominence. As the city of Hermosa Beach continued to expand in the post-World War II period, 90 Pier Avenue was altered so that Bank of America occupied the entirety of the interior space of the building, which was previously split between three (and later two) other retail stores. The building across Pier Avenue that was once the First National Bank of Hermosa Beach was demolished and 1 PCR incorrectly refers to 90 Pier Avenue as a designated potential historic resource in Appendix C Chapter 7 of the PLAN Hermosa Environmental Impact Report. ASM was not able to determine official designation of this resource and thus refers to it as an identified resource.

5.0 Evaluation of Eligibility
52 ASM Affiliates
replaced with a Post-Modern style bank building, reflecting the general trend across the three beach cities (Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach) of new, Post-Modern, and comparatively large bank buildings constructed in this era. As Hermosa Beach modernized in the mid-century and older buildings were demolished, the already “out of fashion” building at 90 Pier Avenue was altered to achieve a “modern” or “post-modern” look. As a result, 90 Pier Avenue remains the only extant bank building from the banking boom of the 1920s in Hermosa Beach and represents both the history of local National Bank of Hermosa Beach and the significance of Bank of America within the community in the aftermath of the Great Depression.

ASM then assessed whether the building at 90 Pier Avenue is significant as an example of commercial development in Hermosa Beach. Originally constructed for developer and bank-owner E.J. Young, the original building featured space for the National Bank of Hermosa Beach and three additional retail stores. Constructed on the corner of Pier and Hermosa avenues, the building has historically occupied a large lot at a prominent intersection in the first commercial area of Hermosa Beach. With the construction of a pier at the end of what would become Pier Avenue, the intersection where Pier Avenue met Hermosa Beach was considered the city’s first commercial center or downtown as early as 1903. This intersection is the location of the city’s first grocery store, first post office, and first bank (constructed across from 90 Pier Avenue). Later, the Pacific Electric Line was constructed down Hermosa Avenue, with a stop at the intersection, and brought a range of people from prospective investors to day vacationers. The 90 Pier Avenue building would have been one of the first buildings seen and/or experienced by people arriving at Hermosa Beach for the first time. Thus, it held a level of importance and prominence in the community during this period, mirrored by the immediate success of the local National Bank of Hermosa Beach, and then later the economic stability signified by the presence of Bank of America in the 1930s. Intending to attract permanent residents to Hermosa Beach, building owners and local investors paid particular attention to the condition and prominence of the buildings at this intersection, resulting in two major and costly renovations of the 90 Pier Avenue building within its first 30 years. In the early period of Hermosa Beach’s history, between the 1920s and the 1950s and during the peak of the prominence of the intersection of Hermosa and Pier Avenues, this building was an example to prospective investors of the wealth and the assets that Hermosa Beach could provide, and also simultaneously serviced the local community as part of the downtown commercial area. By the 1950s, when Hermosa Beach significantly grew in the Post-World War II era, the city began to focus more on providing services for its residents and community.

The downtown commercial shopping area centered at Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue began to modernize and expand, and the various structures behind the 90 Pier Avenue building were demolished for a parking lot and new commercial shopping stores were established. This reflects the general trend of commercial areas during this time, as consumers shopping shifted from downtown commercial areas with limited parking to shopping centers with ample parking availability, the businesses around Pier and Hermosa avenues instead created parking spaces. This elevated the Bank of America from a local Hermosa Beach branch intended to support the community, to wider availability for patrons from the surrounding community of Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach, and also the other neighboring areas of Los Angeles County.

These changes were then further reflected in the exterior alterations enacted to mirror the then-popular Modern style aesthetics of smooth, white, un-adorned surfaces. These changes reflected the desire to modernize and create a consumer shopping center in this era (as opposed to the traditional downtown commercial area) by doing away with the early twentieth century typology of a brick, multi-storefront commercial building and replacing it with a smooth, white, singular, commercial entity.

While this intersection was modernized by the construction of a new prominent Post-Modern bank building in the 1960s, the other central commercial district of Hermosa Beach at the southwestern

5.0 Evaluation of Eligibility
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 53
intersection of Pier Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway was completely re-developed to be the civic center area. In the 1980s, the northwestern intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Pier Avenue was again completely redeveloped to be a large commercial shopping area with chain grocery stores and other businesses. As such, the Bank of America building at 90 Pier Avenue is a good example of an early twentieth century commercial building in Hermosa Beach, associated with and reflective of the development of the city from its construction in 1922 through the emergence of commercial shopping centers beginning in the 1950s.

Because 90 Pier Avenue is associated with the founding of the National Bank of Hermosa Beach and later the branch of Bank of America, and because the important role that the building played in the growth, perception, and development of the city of Hermosa Beach, 90 Pier Avenue meets CRHR Criterion 1 with a period of significance of 1922 through 1960.

ASM determined the beginning of the period of significance to be 1922, as that was the year that the building was constructed, and the year it first started contributing to the banking history and commercial development of Hermosa Beach. As the development of other commercial areas began to dominate in Hermosa Beach in the midcentury, and as the character of Pier and Hermosa Avenues changed in the wake of the addition of parking lots and the accommodation of the automobile resulted in further changes to the commercial capacity of the building, ASM determined that the significance of the building as an example of early commercial development ceased in this period. ASM then referenced the Neighborhood Commercial Development context found within SurveyLA Citywide Historic Context Statement as a general guideline for a potential period of significance. While SurveyLA directly addresses only the City of Los Angeles, this particular context takes into account the changes made in the communities and neighborhoods that closely mirror the population density and general growth of Hermosa Beach in the early twentieth century. Within this context, the period of significance for Neighborhood Downtowns ended in 1960 “by which time the neighborhood shopping center had supplanted the neighborhood downtown as a center of local commercial life.” As such, ASM determined that the history of Hermosa Beach aligns and is reflective of this general shift and determined the end of the period of significance of 90 Pier Avenue to be 1960.

Because 90 Pier Avenue meets Criterion 1, an assessment of integrity is warranted.

Criterion 2:

The building was associated with multiple commercial businesses operating simultaneously between 1922 and 1953 and then solely Bank of America between 1953 and 2024. Associated with a number of business owners and managers, no business owners identified in the research of this building have shown to be historically important or significant to the history of the city or the state. The building was associated with the Bank of America for 95 years, and while Bank of America itself is associated with a number of historically significant individuals, research did not reveal any specific connections between those individuals and this specific branch. Finally, ASM considered whether E.J. Young, the founder of the National Bank of Hermosa Beach and the original owner of 90 Pier Avenue, could be considered a historically significant individual. Young lived in Hermosa Beach after enjoying a successful career as a consulting engineer for oil companies in Los Angeles. While heavily associated with the construction of the 90 Pier Avenue building and the founding of the National Bank of Hermosa Beach, Young was also involved in a number of other businesses within the city, particularly during the Prohibition Era.

Eventually, as president of the National Bank, he was arrested and prosecuted for submitting false bank checks in 1927. While Young may have made an impression on the residents of Hermosa Beach during this period, he did not make important contributions to his field and does not appear to be a person of historic significance to the development or growth of the city or state. As such, ASM recommends 90 Pier Avenue is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 2.

5.0 Evaluation of Eligibility
54 ASM Affiliates
Criterion 3:

ASM then assessed whether 90 Pier Avenue embodies distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or represents the work of a master. 90 Pier Avenue was constructed in 1922 in what was then referred to as the Pompeiian style and featured distinct characteristics along the exterior such as marble columns, decorative corner pieces, stylized accents along the top corners of the building, and rectangular name plates. The exterior was constructed with glazed terra cotta brick siding as well as multi-colored brick along the base. As depicted in historic photographs from this era, the building originally featured long, rectangular, vertically sliding sash windows. Interior descriptions of the building from its construction describe black and white tiled floors, interior frescoes, and a wrought iron balustrade along the stairs for the mezzanine. The building originally contained multiple store fronts in addition to the bank, one facing Pier Avenue and two more facing Hermosa Avenue. Its original design represented a typical brick-clad commercial building from the first decades of the twentieth century. Its Pompeiian style, alternatively referred to as Greco-Roman, additionally reflected the national trend of traditional or classical style architecture for bank buildings during this period. However, major renovations in 1937 removed one storefront facing Hermosa Avenue, replaced the windows, removed the corner ornamentation, removed the exterior wrought iron lighting, and most prominently, changed the fenestration pattern by relocating the entrance of the bank. Further alterations occurred in 1953, when the final two storefronts were removed, the windows were replaced again, the brick base was replaced, and the interior mezzanine area was altered. Another major exterior alteration occurred in 1967, when the exterior brick was covered with stucco and the marble materials were removed from the columns. Further alterations occurred in the late twentieth century including the addition of ATM vestibules, an additional layer of stucco, the creation of a stucco band that aligns with the historic brick band, and the extending of the rear wall so that there is no longer a recessed entrance along Hermosa Avenue. With these significant alterations that occurred over the life of the building, the present architectural features no longer embody distinctive characteristics associated with early twentieth century commercial buildings. The multiple store fronts have been removed along with the associated shop windows, the original brick exterior is no longer visible as it has been covered by layers of stucco, the marble of the columns have been removed, the windows have been replaced at least twice, windows and columns have since been added to the façade, and the original primary entrance was relocated. Additionally, a 2025 survey of the building found no extant features in the interior from the 1922 descriptions. As such, the building as it exists today no longer embodies any of the distinct characteristics of a multi-storefront commercial building from the early twentieth century.

ASM then considered whether 90 Pier Avenue represents the work of a master architect or master builder.

Research did not reveal whether an architect was associated with the project, however, local newspapers identified John MacCready as the contractor associated with the construction of the building. Described as a local to Hermosa Beach, research did not reveal that John MacCready was associated with additional projects of historic significance to Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles County, or the state of California.

Additionally, John MacCready was not found to be listed on any additional resources that catalogued architects or engineers. Finally, 90 Pier Avenue did not appear on any additional lists or resources associated with construction of significant architecture or in association with John MacCready, and the building did not receive any design awards.

As such, because the building of 90 Pier Avenue no longer represents the distinctive characteristics of an early twentieth century multi-storefront commercial building or the distinctive characteristics of an early twentieth century bank building, and because contractor John MacCready was not found to be a master architect, engineer, or builder, ASM recommends 90 Pier Avenue is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 3.

5.0 Evaluation of Eligibility
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 55
Criterion 4:
90 Pier Avenue is recommended not eligible under CRHR Criterion 4. The building is a common property type that does not have the potential to provide information about history or prehistory that is not available through historic research.

Integrity:

Because 90 Pier Avenue meets CRHR Criterion 1, an assessment of integrity is warranted. The relevant aspects of integrity, or most important, for properties eligible under Criterion 1 are location, setting, materials, feeling, and association (NPS, NRHP, p.48). ASM also considered additional aspects of integrity, which are design and workmanship.

Location: The building located at 90 Pier Avenue has not moved from its original location. Therefore it retains high integrity of location.

Setting: 90 Pier Avenue was originally constructed within the first downtown area of the city of Hermosa Beach. With multiple commercial stores and a bank in what was then the only commercial downtown area, within this setting the building provided essential services to the people of Hermosa Beach while also exemplifying the prosperity of the city in the first decades of its existence. As the focus of local commercial development expanded or shifted towards the intersection of Pier Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway throughout the mid-century, the setting of the intersection of Pier and Hermosa avenues began to wane as the commercial center for the city. As more emphasis on development occurred in the second downtown area, many buildings first downtown area around the intersection of Pier and Hermosa avenues were modernized or altered instead of demolished. As such, the setting of the building has changed and it only retains moderate integrity of setting.

Materials: Nearly all of the original materials of the building have been removed or altered. Alterations that occurred after the end of the period of significance include the addition of stucco along the exterior of the building covering the original brick and marble columns, the large walls of stucco that were implemented to the rear wall and obscure the exposed brick, the partial removal of the original brick decorative band, the enclosure of the commercial storefront facing Hermosa Avenue, and the addition of a stucco band that wraps around the building. While there are some materials within the interior of the building that were likely a result of the alterations that occurred in 1937 or 1953, these are largely in the rear areas of the building and are obscured from public view. No prominent materials along the interior or the exterior from the period of significance remain. As such, the building retains low integrity of materials.

Feeling: 90 Pier Avenue was constructed to be an important and large building within an important intersection of Hermosa Beach. Reaching an impressive height for the city at the time, the building during the period of significance dominated the intersection and made a statement regarding the potential for future prosperity of the city. While the building retains its massing, other buildings have been constructed after the end of the period of significance in the same area that diminishes its perceived prominence within the viewshed of the intersection. Additionally, due to the significant alterations to the building since the end of the period of significance, it no longer conveys the feeling of an early twentieth century bank. Early twentieth century bank buildings across Los Angeles County are characterized by exposed brick and neoclassical elements, all of which has been removed from the exterior in the years since the buildings construction. As such, the building retains low integrity of feeling as an early twentieth century commercial bank building.

5.0 Evaluation of Eligibility
56 ASM Affiliates
Association: 90 Pier Avenue was constructed in the early decades of the twentieth century and is therefore associated with the commercial development of Hermosa Beach between 1922 and 1960. 90 Pier Avenue was constructed in a style typical of the period: glazed terra cotta brick siding as well as exposed brick walls, multiple commercial storefronts, a space for nameplates of the building owner or developer, and corner stone decorations. Although some of these details were removed or altered during the period of significance, many were removed afterward and have impacted the ability of the building to convey its associations to early twentieth century commercial development. Similarly, the association to the National Bank of Hermosa Beach is impacted by the many changes to the interior and exterior of the building throughout its history. Someone who was familiar with the building during its time as the National Bank of Hermosa Beach (or Bank of America during the period of significance) would likely not immediately recognize the present iteration of the building. As such, the building retains low integrity of association.

Design: While the design of the building has transformed over time and during the end of the period of significance, there are multiple notable alterations that occurred outside the period of significance. A notable alteration was the addition of stucco that obscures the brick and the marble columns, and addition of a stucco band that traverses across the entirety of the building. These alterations were not compatible with the original design of the building, nor were they compatible with the varying designs of the building since within the period of significance. The obscuring of the brick and the marble columns, the obscuring of the original brick band that wrapped around the street-facing façades, and the partial demolition and addition of stucco walls on the rear of the building, have greatly altered the design. As such, the building retains low integrity of design.

Workmanship: The elements that have the potential to portray elements of craftsmanship that display workmanship have all been obscured in the contemporary design of the building, which occurred outside of the period of significance. The interior also features little extant examples of workmanship, as the interior appears to have been renovated outside of the period of significance as well. As such, the building retains low integrity of workmanship.

As a result, the building does not retain sufficient integrity, as it does retain moderate or high integrity of its essential aspects of integrity. Therefore, ASM recommends that 90 Pier Avenue is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 1 for the CRHR, nor does it meet any of the other criteria for eligibility.

5.0 Evaluation of Eligibility
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 57

5.3 CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH DESIGNATION CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC

LANDMARKS
The Landmark Designation Criteria for the city of Hermosa Beach closely mirror the CRHR.

ASM assessed whether 90 Pier Avenue meets the requirements. The property reflects the City’s cultural and economic history as a historic bank building at an important intersection in the city, representing the economic and commercial development of Hermosa Beach in its beginnings and through the mid-century, however, its significance wanes upon the shift from its use as a local downtown commercial building to part of a larger, consumer-oriented, shopping center, and as such, does not meet Hermosa Beach Landmark Designation Criterion A.

The property was not identified to be associated with local, state, or national history (Criterion B). The property was not found to embody distinctive characteristics of a style, type, period, or method of construction, and is not an example of indigenous materials or craftsmanship (Criterion C). The property was not found to be the notable work of a builder, designer, or architect (Criterion D).

ASM additionally considered Hermosa Beach Landmark Designation Criterion E. 90 Pier Avenue was constructed in the original downtown area of Hermosa Beach in an important intersection, as it was the intersection where the Pacific Electric Train stop was located, and it was the last street intersection before the Pier and the Strand along Pier Avenue. Particularly because it was at an intersection with a trolley stop, it was noted in many photographs and many postcards from the city’s history and has become a recognizable fixture within the history of the city. However, due to the significant alterations to the building, it is no longer recognizable as that earlier landmark. As such, ASM recommends the building doe not meet Hermosa Beach Landmark Designation Criterion E.

6.0 Management Summary and Recommendations
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 59

6.0 MANAGEMENT SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
ASM performed an architectural history survey, evaluation, and analysis of effects as part of the Project to identify and document historical resources that are eligible or are potentially eligible for listing in the CRHR for the purposes of compliance with CEQA.

The building located at 90 Pier Avenue was previously designated for protection under the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance as a potential landmark that warrants further study by Section 17.53.040 (B) of the Historic Preservation Ordinance (per Planning Commission Resolution No. 98-65).

Due to significant alterations to the building that result in a lack of integrity, ASM recommends 90 Pier Avenue is not eligible for listing in the CRHR nor as City Landmark.

References
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 61

REFERENCES
Bean, Walton
1968 California: An Interpretive History. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, New York.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve (BGFR)
1932 “Branch Banking in California.” Washington, D.C. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/branchbanking-california-801. Accessed December 9, 2025.

Cross, Ira Brown
1927 Financing an Empire: History of Banking in California. S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Los Angeles, California. Volume III.

California Office of Historic Preservation
2001 How to Nominate a Resource to the California Register of Historical Resources. Technical Assistance Series #7.

Christian, Ralph J.
1977 Nomination Form, “Bank of Italy Building,” NRHP Inventory. American Association for State and Local History. Accessed December 9, 2025.

City of San Gabriel
1966 San Gabriel Fact Book. San Gabriel City Council.
(The) Daily Breeze
1927 “Pacific National Company” [Advertisement]. May 19. 1953 “Hermosa Close to 1952 Figure.” June 6.
1957 “City of Hermosa Beach History.” Supplied by the Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Association. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/HBhistory2.htm. Accessed December 1, 2025.

Deverell, William
1994 Railroad Crossing: Californians and the Railroad, 1850-1910. University of California Press, Berkeley.

Engelhardt, Zephyrin
1927 San Gabriel Mission and the Beginning of Los Angeles. Mission San Gabriel, San Gabriel, California.

Faris, Gerald
1991 “Hermosa Does Have a History and we Want People to Know About It.” Los Angeles Times.

July 12.

Fogelson, Robert M.
1967 The Fragmented Metropolis: Los Angeles, 1850-1930. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Gatto, Marianna
2025 “Settlement: Part II.” Provided by the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/eAWBC2Udnlo3KQ. Accessed December 9, 2025.

References
62 ASM Affiliates
Gnerre, Sam
2016 “The Long Strange Story of Hermosa Beach’s Biltmore Hotel” The Daily Breeze. August 6.

Guinn, James M.
1977 Gold! Gold! Gold! from San Francisquito! in Los Angeles Biography of a City, edited by John Caughey and LaRee Caughey. University of California, Berkeley Press.

Hermosa Beach Review
1922a “Ground is Broken for Young Building.” March 17.
1922b “National Bank Nearing Completion.” July 21.
1922c “Lobby Mass of Blooms as New National Bank Opens.” December 15. 1927 “E.J. Young Now Out of Institution.” January 13.
1929a “Bank of America Purchases National Bank of Hermosa.” November 7. 1929b “National Bank Changes Name Monday.” November 28. 1939 “Obtain P.E. Abandonment Hearing Delay.” May 18.
1957a “Downtown Shopping Area.” October 10.
1957b “Hermosa Beach in 1957” [Advertisement]. October 10. 1965 “Beautiful New Hermosa City Hall.” January 21.

Historicaerials.com
Aerials: 1952, 1953, 1963, 1972, 1980, 1985, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2022.

Topographic maps: 1896, 1901, 1904, 1927, 1934, 1943, 1949, 1951, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1963, 1968, 1981, 1985, 1996, 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2021.

Kano, Denise
2018 “The Hill House: The Early History of Hermosa Beach.” Digs. June 18. https://digs.net/hillhouse-the-early-history-of-hermosa-beach/. Accessed December 1, 2025.

Los Angeles Times
1922a “Building Active at Hermosa Beach.” March 5.
1922b “New Bank Opens.” December 9.
1923 “Sister Communities Boast Expansion in Building, Industry, and Population Growth.” December 2.
1929a “Bank Pair Hear Penalty Today.” April 15.

McWilliams, Carey
1946 Southern California: An Island on the Land. Gibbs Smith, Publisher, Layton, Utah.

National Park Service
2009 Guidelines for Identification and Evaluation of Historic Properties. U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.

National Park Service (NPS) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) 1998 The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Federal Agency Historic Preservation Programs Pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act. USDI National Park Service.

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places 1997 How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. National Register Bulletin No. 15.

Washington, D.C.

References
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 63
Nevin, David
1978 The Mexican War. Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, Inc.

Poole, Jean Bruce
2002 El Pueblo: The Historic Heart of Los Angeles. Getty Publications, Los Angeles, California. (The) Redondo Reflex
1922 “Hermosa Beach News: Will Start New Building.” April 14. 1937 “Hermosa Beach Activities: City Business District is Expanding Rapidly.” February 12.

Rhein, Fern
1933 “The Early History 1900-1930.” Supplied by the Hermosa Beach Historical Society. https://www.hermosabeachhistoricalsociety.org/early-hermosa. Accessed December 1, 2025.

Richards, Bob
1957 “Pageant Growth of Area Told by Early Settler.” Hermosa Beach Review. October 10.

Rolle, Andrew
2003 California: A History. Harlan Davidson, Inc., Wheeling, Illinois.

Schepp, David (ed.)
2025 “Bank of America.” Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/money/Bank-ofAmerica-Corporation. Accessed December 9, 2025.

Sharbutt, Jay
1971 “Bombing by Militants Accelerates in State.” Santa Cruz Sentinel. September 7.

Shumway, Burgess
2007 California Ranchos: Patented Private Land Grants Listed by County. Borgo Publishing Press, Rockville, Maryland.

Sugranes, Eugene
1909 The Old San Gabriel Mission. Father Eugene Sugranes, Los Angeles, California.

Tanner, Carol
2025 “Bijou Theater.” Hermosa Beach Historical Society. https://www.hermosabeachhistoricalsociety.org/bijou. Accessed December 1, 2025.

Williams, Jack S.
2005 A Phase One Archaeological Study of 400-412 West Mission Boulevard. Center for Spanish Colonial Research. Submitted to Great Urban Places. Report on file, South Central Coastal Information Center, California State University, Fullerton.

Workman, Boyle
1935 The City That Grew. Southland Publication Company, Los Angeles, California.

Appendices
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER 65

APPENDICES

Appendices
90 Pier Avenue Project HRER

APPENDIX A
Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) 523 forms

DPR 523J (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PRIMARY RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date

P1. Other Identifier: Bank of America Building; APN 4187-005-013 *P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted
*a. County: and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5’ Quad T 3 S R 15 W SW ¼ of Sec 00 M.D. R. B. c. Address 90 Pier Avenue City Hermosa Bech Zip 90254-3760 d. UTM: (give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone 11 370480 / 3747732 mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g. parcel#, directions to resource, elevation, etc.) *P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries) A survey of 90 Pier Avenue was conducted on November 18, 2025, of the interior and the exterior of the building. The buildings constructed at the intersection of Hermosa and Pier avenues were also noted for context, as were the buildings constructed on Pier Avenue between Hermosa Avenue and The Strand.
(continued on page 1 of the continuation sheet)
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes)
*P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other (Isolates, etc.) P5a. Photograph or Drawing (Photograph required for buildings, structures, and objects.) P5b. Description of Photo: (view, date, accession#)
Primary and side façades, view toward
southwest. November 18, 2025.
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Source:

Historic Prehistoric Both
1922
Redondo Reflux, April 14, 1922
*P7. Owner and Address:

American Property Services
43 Malaga Cove Plaza; Suite A
Palos Verdes Estates, CA 92074
*P8. Recorded by: (Name, affiliation, and address)
Madeline Gonzalez
ASM Affiliates
20 N Raymond Ave., Suite 220
Pasadena, CA 91103
*P9. Date Recorded: November 18, 2025
*P10. Survey Type: (Describe) Pedestrian intensive
*P11. Report Citation: ASM Affiliates, Inc. 2025. Historical Resources Evaluation Report for 90 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles County, California. Prepared for American Property Services. *Attachments: NONE Location Map Sketch Map Continuation Sheet Building, Structure, and Object Record Archaeological Record District Record Linear Feature Record Milling Station Record Rock Art Record Artifact Record Photograph Record Other (List):

DPR 523I (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 Figure 1. 90 Pier Avenue, view toward southwest.

Figure 2. Primary façade and entrance area. View toward south.

DPR 523I (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 Figure 3. East façade of 90 Pier Avenue, facing Hermosa Avenue. View toward west.

Figure 4. Rear façade of 90 Pier Avenue. View toward north.

DPR 523I (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 Figure 5. Side façade facing west. View toward north.

Figure 6. Intersection of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue, view toward south.

DPR 523I (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 Figure 7. Interior lobby of 90 Pier Avenue. View from behind personnel area toward entrance, toward north.

Figure 8. Interior lobby of 90 Pier Avenue. View from entrance area toward rear area, toward south.

DPR 523I (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 Figure 9. View of interior lobby area. View of area that was once commercial store area facing Pier Avenue, with remaining structural columns. View toward southwest.

Figure 10. Interior lobby area. View of teller area and windows in the rear. View toward southeast.

DPR 523I (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 Figure 11. Interior lobby area. View of office area by the primary entrance, with safe attached to exterior. View toward northeast.

Figure 12. Interior lobby area. View toward personnel area, with vault visible in rear.

DPR 523I (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 Figure 13. First room of the interior of the bank vault, with safety deposit boxes.

Figure 14. Second room of the interior of the bank vault, with file cabinets.

DPR 523I (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 Figure 15. Interior backroom area, view toward south.

Figure16. Interior backroom area, view toward southwest.

DPR 523I (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 Figure 17. Interior backroom area. View toward southeast.

Figure 18. First floor landing of interior stairwell. View toward south.

DPR 523I (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 Figure 19. Mezzanine landing of interior stairwell. View toward north.

Figure 20. Mezzanine area, employee lounge area. View toward west.

DPR 523I (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 Figure 21. Mezzanine area, window above old commercial space facing Hermosa Avenue. View toward east.

Figure 22. Mezzanine area, view toward hallway with bathroom at either side. View toward north.

DPR 523I (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 Figure 23. Mezzanine aera, view from employee lounge area toward the rear filing rooms.

DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
Primary #
HRI #

*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder): 90 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach B1. Historic Name: Young Block / National Bank of Hermosa Beach / Bank of America Building B2. Common Name: 90 Pier Avenue
B3. Original Use: Multi-storefront Commercial Building B4. Present Use: None (unoccupied commercial space) *B5. Architectural Style: Late Twentieth Century Commercial Vernacular *B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) 1922: 90 Pier Avenue was constructed.
1937: One commercial storefront facing Hermosa Avenue was removed. 1953: The two remaining commercial storefronts were removed and the building became entirely a bank. 1967: The exterior cladding was updated, removing visual references to brick and removing marble columns c.1990: ATM vestibule added, altering the rear walls
*B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features:

None.

B9a. Architect: N/A b. Builder: John MacCready
*B10. Significance: Theme: Commercial Development / Banking Period of Significance: 1922-1975 Property Type: Commercial Building Applicable Criteria: A (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.) As the buildings around the intersection of Hermosa and Pier avenues were constructed throughout the early decades of the twentieth century, the southwest corner of this already central intersection began to be heavily eyed for development. Los Angeles County Assessor records incorrectly indicate the current budling at 90 Pier Avenue was construction in 1927; the bank building on the southwest corner of Hermosa and Pier avenues was actually constructed in 1922 (Los Angeles Times, 1922a; Los Angeles Times, 1923). It is unclear whether an existing structure was demolished for the new bank building, or if the land was empty. One of six structures slated for construction in Hermosa Beach in 1922 alone, this building was described even before its erection as to be “one of the finest buildings in Hermosa Beach” with plans for a “front of white brick” in order to conform to the style of building along Pier Avenue at the time (Los Angeles Times 1922a; Hermosa Beach Review 1922a). Erected for E.J. Young, president and founder of National Bank of Hermosa Beach, the bank the building was constructed by contractor John MacCready and was to be a “highly imposing” building, consistently referred to as “one of the finest buildings in a town of this size anywhere in the country” (The Redondo Reflex, 1922; Hermosa Beach Review 1922b). It was constructed with great future prosperity in mind, as the foundation and walls were designed to support up to six stories. While initial plans called for one story, the owner “expect[ed] to add more as the town grows” (Hermosa Beach Review 1922b). The final cost for the construction of the building (including vaults, fixtures, and decorations) was $75,000 (approximately $1,500,000 adjusted for inflation), marking an investment made in the community, from which the community would in turn benefit with the presence of a new bank in a central location (Hermosa Beach Review 1929b). The opening of National Bank of Hermosa Beach on December 9, 1922, was an immediate success. After the grand opening, president of the bank E.J. Young reported that 560 depositors had placed a total of $105,462.90 in the bank’s vaults (approximately $2,000,000 adjusted for inflation), immediately cementing the prominence of the bank within the community (Hermosa Beach Review, 1922c).
(Continued on Page 2)
(This space reserved for official comments.)
(Sketch Map with north arrow required.)
See DPR J form attached

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # _________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ______________________________________________

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD

*Date of Evaluation: December 15, 2025
DPR 523B-Test (8/94)
Despite the immediate notoriety of National Bank of Hermosa Beach, internal turmoil would eventually lead to the arrest and prosecution of E.J. Young (Hermosa Beach Review, 1927; Los Angeles Times, 1929a). Shortly after Young’s resignation, the National Bank of Hermosa Beach was purchased by the Pacific National Company (otherwise known as Pacific National Bank) in 1927, although the name and daily operations of the bank did not change (The Daily Breeze, 1927). Eventually, the Pacific National Company merged with Bank of America, and the Bank of America purchased the National Bank of Hermosa Beach in 1929. The loss of the local bank was understood at the time and historically to have been a result of the general bank failures of the Great Depression. The presence of Bank of America then appeared to “mean much to the future of the community” as a symbol of economic stability in an uncertain period (Hermosa Beach Review, 1929a; Hermosa Beach Review, 1957). Bank of America purchased and opened many branches in Los Angeles County during this time period, and the purchase of the National Bank was announced in tandem with the opening of four new Bank of America branches across the South Los Angeles County area (Los Angeles Times, 1929b). On November 30, 1929, the National Bank of Hermosa Beach closed its doors for the final time, and on December 2, 1929, Bank of America opened for business at 90 Pier Avenue (Hermosa Beach Review, 1929b). The Hermosa Beach branch of Bank of America then operated out of the same building for the next 95 years, until the branch closed in early 2024.

As Hermosa Beach progressed from a small town to a small city, the 90 Pier Avenue has been renovated multiple times applying different architectural styles and aesthetic preferences for institutional buildings. The building sustained three eras of distinct redesign and re-development: the Pompeiian style era (1922-1937), the Neoclassical style era (1937-1953), and the Modern style era (1953-c.1990).

The Pompeiian Style Era (1922-1937)
The first photograph of the building was published in the Los Angeles Times in 1923 as part of an article describing the growing communities of Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Manhattan Beach. In comparison to photographs taken in 1930 upon the opening of Bank of America, no exterior alterations are visible. As such, the style of the building remained largely unchanged within this period.

Upon the near completion of the building at 90 Pier Avenue in July, the Hermosa Beach Review described that the “name blocks [were] set in place,” the “tile was on,” and the “marble [was] rapidly going up” (Hermosa Beach Review, 1922b). These elements were fully realized by the December opening of the building, where the Los Angeles Times described 90 Pier Avenue as “the last (sic) work in bank architecture,” with a Pompeiian style exterior and what was described as a “Roman style” interior, designed by famed Italian artist Fausto Tasca (Los Angeles Times 1922b).

The day after the grand opening of the National Bank, the Hermosa Beach Review fully described in detail the exterior and the interior of the new building. Boasting that the building was “declared by experts to be one of the finest buildings of its type in any city of similar size in the United States,” the exterior featured “marble and tapestry brick,” and “a beautiful mural entitled Hermosa painted in oil” by Italian artist Fausto Tasca.

The interior, also designed and painted by Tasca, featured ceiling frescoes and wall panels in deep hues of red and blue, “white marble and dark mahogany” fixtures and furniture, and “black and white design in mosaic tile” on the lobby floor. The description also indicates the presence of a mezzanine that featured “iron rail…carried down in the stair balustrade” and was the location of the offices of the president, the directors’ room, and two rest rooms. The entrance of the building itself was flanked by two waiting rooms, one for ladies and the other for gentlemen, the interiors of which were supplied with furniture and rugs from local Hermosa Beach businesses. The lighting fixtures were additionally noted to have been designed by a local firm.

Although research did not reveal any interior photographs of the building, various photographs that were taken of the intersection of Hermosa and Pier avenues through the 1920s and the early 1930s confirm the exterior descriptions of the building and also reveal additional details.

The exterior columns appeared to be marble, although it is unlikely that the columns were composed entirely of marble, but rather a thin marble cladding (based on the subsequent transformation of the exterior façade in the mid-century). Exterior lighting fixtures were centered in the marble columns and appear to be composed of wrought iron. Facing Hermosa Avenue were five large windows, which appear to be wood, vertically sliding, sash windows. Two large windows are present on either side of an arched entryway on the Pier Avenue facade. Multi-colored brick was present at the base of the building along all sides. A different style of brick is visible in the historic photographs along the upper portions of the building, which was likely what “tapestry brick” or “tile” were in reference to in the descriptions of the exterior façade. This material is contemporarily referred to as glazed terracotta tiling.

The glazed terracotta tile-front of the building is likely where the “Pompeiian Style” term originated. The tile-front is characterized by accents of darker colored glazed terra cotta tile against lighter glazed terracotta tiles. Rectangular geometric forms are found centered along the top of the glazed terra cotta tile front where the name of the building or the owner of the commercial block could be identified (the quality of the photos prevents this distinction from being confirmed). On each corner of the building facing the street are sculptural elements of spheres, and stylized accents are present against the terracotta tile front.

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # _________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ______________________________________________

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD

*Date of Evaluation: December 15, 2025
DPR 523B-Test (8/94)
What was not mentioned in the early descriptions of the building, however, is that the National Bank of Hermosa Beach (and later the Bank of America) was not the only commercial entity to occupy the building. The original design of the building featured the bank entrance and an additional storefront facing Pier Avenue, and two storefronts on the southernmost area of the building facing Hermosa Avenue.

The storefront facing Pier Avenue occupied the same amount of space as the entrance to the bank, although the long rectangular windows belonged only to the bank. This storefront instead featured windows (most likely for ventilation) above the store entrance area, and standard storefront shop windows from the era. Similarly, the storefronts facing Hermosa Avenue occupy about half of the façade, featured windows likely for ventilation above the shop entrances, and what appears to be standard storefront shop windows from the era. Historic photographs as well as newspaper advertisements reveal that there were two distinct storefronts facing Hermosa Avenue during this era of the building’s design.

Finally, the southern façade (which in the present faces a parking lot) is revealed to be an exposed plain brick exterior, different from the brick along the lower level of the building and the glazed terra cotta tile (brick) of the upper exterior cladding. There are two windows along this façade, in addition to the shop window associated with the commercial store, that are no longer extant in the present design of the building.

The Neoclassical Style Era (1937-1953)
Despite local hypotheses that the initial design of the bank changed as a result of the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, research revealed that the major alterations to the design of the building occurred in 1937. Detailed in the Redondo Reflux, the “extensive remodeling” included a “greatly enlarged” and “elaborate” façade and an extended interior floorspace that now included one of the storefronts along Hermosa Avenue. Because the entrance into the bank changed locations as a result of these alterations, the article notes that the “famous mural” painted by Tasca would have to be removed. Although the article comments that the mural “may be donated to the city for hanging in the council chamber,” research did not reveal that this action was ever taken, nor did it reveal any photographs of the mural.

Photographs taken of the building around 1940 reveal these extensive changes. Notably, the primary entrance into the building facing Pier Avenue was extensively altered as described above. Likely wishing to do away with the dual waiting rooms that characterized the initial design of the bank lobby, the primary entrance shifted to the center. A new large rectangular window was constructed in the place of the original entrance area, and a rectangular entrance portal was constructed in the center of the façade facing Pier Avenue. Along the top of the entryway was lettering that read “Bank of America,” and larger additional lettering also reading “Bank of America” was present on the upper glazed terra cotta front close to the northeastern corner of the building. A smaller transom window was constructed over the primary bank entrance, and since the new entrance required the replacement and movement of windows, it was likely at this time that all the windows of the building associated with the bank were replaced. It appears that the commercial store fronts facing Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue retained their original windows despite the alterations enacted to the bank.

While the columns maintained their marble appearance, the lighting fixtures were removed. The rectangular decorations that may have read the building name, and the sculptural decorations along the façades, were also removed with this era of renovation.

Interestingly, the brick that was at one point painted darker than the surrounding brick in order to add to what was called a “Pompeiian” decorative style were also removed, or were painted in this period to be the same color as the rest of the façade.

Notable alterations are also visible along the façade that faces Hermosa Avenue. The shape of the windows are more noticeably altered along this façade as they appear to be narrower than before, and a square metal decorative piece beneath the windows was added. The removal of one of the storefronts facing Hermosa Avenue necessitated the construction of an additional window (another detail that indicates that the windows were completely replaced at this time) and the construction of additional marble columns to maintain the aesthetic congruity of the façade. The two new columns that were constructed as a result of these alterations do not retain the metal circles found on the other columns, where the light fixtures of the original design were placed. Where the entrance of the commercial store would have been along Hermosa Avenue, instead is now a blank wall area with no windows. The 1940s-era photograph reveals that at this time a city bench was placed along the blank wall, and a vent is seen directly above the area.

Although research did not reveal any photographs taken of the interior of the building from this era, a Sanborn Map drawn in 1946 revealed the general layout. This revealed that the commercial store facing Pier Avenue occupied a long rectangular space that ended where the original storefront facing Hermosa Beach was before the bank took over that space. It also indicates that there was an interior entrance between the bank and the commercial space facing Pier Avenue. This map also reveals that the commercial store facing Hermosa Avenue occupied the entire lower area of the building, ending just before the end of the neighboring building, where there is presently a rear exit and short alleyway to what is now the rear parking lot area.

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # _________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ______________________________________________

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD

*Date of Evaluation: December 15, 2025
DPR 523B-Test (8/94)
A 2025 survey of the building revealed that the present stairwell is located against the eastern exterior wall that was described above as a blank space with no windows, and that the mezzanine featured two bathrooms with waiting areas (a common feature of bathrooms from before the mid-century that has largely been abandoned). These extant details indicate that the original stairwell, that was described upon the bank’s opening as featuring wrought iron rails, was removed and new one was constructed in the present location during this renovation. It is unlikely that the bathrooms moved location, as the initial descriptions of the building described the existence of two bathrooms along the mezzanine. Likely, the stairwell existed in an entirely different part of the building, and while the present mezzanine may be in the same general area as the initial design, it is clear that major alterations to the mezzanine occurred once the bank began to occupy additional lobby space.

The Modern Style Era (1953-c.1990)
In June of 1953, the Daily Breeze reported that the 90 Pier Avenue building was undergoing “alterations and additions,” completed by Capital Company of Los Angeles at the cost of $25,000 (approximately $300,000 adjusted for inflation). Because the footprint of the building itself has not been altered, these additions likely refer to the two remaining commercial store fronts facing Hermosa Avenue and Pier Avenue. A photograph taken of the building in 1955 reveals these changes. Maintaining the previous iteration of the visible brick along the façade and marble columns, the Bank of America now occupies the entirety of the primary façade, with much more centered lettering above the primary entrance into the building from Pier Avenue.

Comparing the present floor plan of the building to the 1946-era Sanborn Map, the result of the building transforming from a multipleretail space to a single-retail space is still visible in the present layout. This is particularly exemplified in the still-visible support beams that once separated the bank lobby from the commercial store facing Pier Avenue, or in the back room/office area that the commercial store facing Hermosa Avenue once occupied.

Multiple storefronts attached to large commercial brick buildings were commonly constructed throughout Los Angeles County in the 1910s and 1920s. As the surrounding cities and county began to expand giving commercial retailers more space to construct stores, and as the automobile allowed consumers to travel more widely for shopping, the need to have multiple storefronts in one building diminished, and brick buildings with multiple store fronts were increasingly seen as old-fashioned. Coupled with the city-wide initiative during this period to modernize the commercial areas, the decision to remove the other storefronts may have come from a desire to “upgrade” a highly visible building in one of the identified important intersections of the city of Hermosa Beach.

This is likely when the present windows were installed. A 2025 survey of the building revealed that all the windows have the same profile, and the same aluminum border-siding that is common to windows placed in the mid-century. The original brick that was present along the base of the columns and along the foot of the building, visible in historic photographs through the previous periods, was likely replaced during these alterations. The metal decorative panel, described above as existing below the marble columns, is no longer extant in this era, and is instead replaced by red brick. The red brick also rises higher than it did in previous iterations of the building, leading to the conclusion that it was replaced and re-constructed, rather than added to. The original height of the brick base is still visible on the southeast corner of the building in later photographs.

As more contemporary buildings were constructed in the immediate vicinity, particularly the demolition the 1913 building on the northwest corner of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue for a new bank building, the design of 90 Pier Avenue was modernized as well. The Los Angeles Assessor Records indicate that the building was re-assessed in 1967, the same year that the owner of the building indicated in local newspapers that there was a desire to re-instate a sign on the roof of the building. Together, these details indicate that this was likely when further design alterations to the exterior of the building occurred.

The columns, after these alterations, no longer had any indication of marble. It remains unlikely, given that two new columns were added in the 1937 iteration of the building and that the marble disappeared in this iteration of the building, that these columns were ever fully constructed of marble. It is more likely that the columns were lined with a thin layer of marble or marble tile. It was also at this point in time that stucco was added to the exterior, covering the columns and removing the visible presence of the brick on the fronts of the building. The rear southern façade of the building, in this iteration, additionally received stucco exterior cladding to hide the exposed brick that was visible in a previous design iteration. The brick band along the fronts of the building was maintained under the stucco, although the stucco gave it a more rounded appearance. Thus, the building gives the impression of smooth, unadorned, surfaces that were favorable in the 1960s, and would have at the time been seen as ‘modern.’ It was additionally in this era, in 1961, that the 90 Pier Avenue building, along with other buildings along Pier Avenue, received an accompanying parking lot after the demolition of nearby buildings between 11th Street and the 12th Street alley. With the accompanying alterations that removed the presence of other commercial stores, it was during this era that the building evolved from its initial presence as a building supporting local commercial downtown shopping to supporting the intersection as a destination for commercial businesses as a shopping center.

Late photographs from the 1980s reveal that the commercial space facing Hermosa Avenue was converted into what appears to be a separate entrance into the building. The windows above the entrance were likely placed during the initial alterations of the

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # _________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ______________________________________________

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD

*Date of Evaluation: December 15, 2025
DPR 523B-Test (8/94)
interior space in 1953. A 2025 survey revealed that the angled entrance into what was originally the commercial store at the southwest corner was maintained (likely from the original 1922 design of the building), and the interior space that the entrance would have led to revealed many design details from the mid-century. Because there was no direct connection from the main lobby area to these rear areas except behind the counter in the service area of the building, this may have been an employee entrance area, or the entrance to a type of business the bank supported that was outside of the main lobby.

Contemporary Era (c.1990 – Present)
This is largely the appearance the bank maintains in the present. One major alteration that has occurred since the mid-century, however, was that the bank appears to have been re-sided again, since the initial stucco siding that occurred in 1967. This was noted during the 2025 survey, where a layer of stucco was observed to be beneath another layer of stucco, and that the decorative band now wraps entirely around the building, replicated for visual continuity on the sides where it did not initially exist. This is concurred in several areas of the building, where close observation reveals where the original 1922 decorations ended and the new stucco decorations took over. While the 1953 alterations maintained a visual end to the façade facing Hermosa Avenue and there is a visual discrepancy between the recessed, plain, un-adorned southern wall facing the parking lot and the continuation of the façade design that briefly wraps around the southwestern corner, this is not visible in the present. There is no longer a visible recession, and the exterior decoration continues across the entire southern façade. Based on a c.1985 photograph of the building, this latest alteration likely occurred in the 1990s, when ATM vestibules were added to the area that was once the entrance of the commercial store facing Hermosa Avenue. This is likely, as the inclusion of ATM vestibules would have required the partial demolition of the southern facing brick wall to install the ATM. It is likely that it was during this period that the building received another layer of stucco cladding, further smoothing out the exterior surfaces and removing the recesses that once characterized the southern side of the building.

In the present, there are very few original features of the building, as it has been remodeled and renovated many times throughout its history. A 2025 survey of the building did not reveal any indication that any of the interior details described in the 1922 bank opening remained, and the historic materials observed in the mezzanine and the rear areas of the lobby were likely from the 1953 renovation of the building. The brick that once characterized the exterior of the building is now entirely covered by multiple layers of stucco, and the marble cladding has since been removed from the columns and the bases have been cut for a new brick foundation along the lower section of the building.

PREVIOUS EVALUATIONS
Research did not reveal that 90 Pier Avenue was ever evaluated for the CRHR or for the NRHP. ASM consulted the Built Environment Resources Directory (BERD), which maintains resources data from cultural resources in the Office of Historic Preservation’s inventory. 90 Pier Avenue was not listed. PCR Services Corporation (PCR) additionally conducted a records search for the city of Hermosa Beach in 2014, of which no records associated with this address were reported.

During a 2014 windshield survey of Hermosa Beach conducted by PCR, 90 Pier Avenue was identified as a potential historic resource. 90 Pier Avenue was additionally previously identified1for protection under the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance as a potential landmark that warrants further study by Section 17.53.040 (B) of the Historic Preservation Ordinance (per Planning Commission Resolution No. 98-65). A previous evaluation in relation to this identification was not noted to exist.

CALIFORNIA REGISTER OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES EVALUATION
ASM carefully considered whether the commercial building at 90 Pier Avenue is individually eligible under any CRHR criteria.

Criterion 1:

ASM carefully considered whether 90 Pier Avenue was associated with a specific event marking an important moment in the history of Hermosa Beach or was associated with a pattern of events that made a significant contribution to the development of Hermosa Beach.

ASM first assessed whether the building at 90 Pier Avenue is significant in the history of the development of banking in Hermosa Beach. Despite the date of construction supplied by the Los Angeles County Assessor, research revealed that 90 Pier Avenue was constructed in 1922 primarily to house the one and only branch of the new National Bank of Hermosa Beach. Along with the First National Bank of Hermosa Beach, the First Bank of Hermosa, and the Camino Real Branch of the First National Bank, the National Bank of Hermosa Beach was one of four banks operating within the city upon its opening in late 1922. Developer and bank-owner 1 PCR incorrectly refers to 90 Pier Avenue as a designated potential historic resource in Appendix C Chapter 7 of the PLAN Hermosa Environmental Impact Report. ASM was not able to determine official designation of this resource and thus refers to it as an identified resource.

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # _________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ______________________________________________

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD

*Date of Evaluation: December 15, 2025
DPR 523B-Test (8/94)
E.J. Young spared no expense in the construction of the building. In local newspapers, the construction of the building was closely followed, its opening was widely anticipated, and its grand-opening day was meticulously detailed. The 90 Pier Avenue building immediately became a point of pride in the community as the decorated and formal exterior represented the budding potential of the community during this period. However, due to internal turmoil and the national economic downturn, the National Bank of Hermosa Beach was purchased by Pacific National Bank, which was then purchased by Bank of America. As the city of Hermosa Beach similarly suffered in the initial wake of the Great Depression and the other local national banks closed, the presence of Bank of America was elevated to a symbol of economic stability in an uncertain period, and the 90 Pier Avenue building retained its physical and symbolic prominence. As the city of Hermosa Beach continued to expand in the post-World War II period, 90 Pier Avenue was altered so that Bank of America occupied the entirety of the interior space of the building, which was previously split between three (and later two) other retail stores. The building across Pier Avenue that was once the First National Bank of Hermosa Beach was demolished and replaced with a Post-Modern style bank building, reflecting the general trend across the three beach cities (Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach) of new, Post-Modern, and comparatively large bank buildings constructed in this era.

As Hermosa Beach modernized in the mid-century and older buildings were demolished, the already “out of fashion” building at 90 Pier Avenue was altered to achieve a “modern” or “post-modern” look. As a result, 90 Pier Avenue remains the only extant bank building from the banking boom of the 1920s in Hermosa Beach and represents both the history of local National Bank of Hermosa Beach and the significance of Bank of America within the community in the aftermath of the Great Depression.

ASM then assessed whether the building at 90 Pier Avenue is significant as an example of commercial development in Hermosa Beach. Originally constructed for developer and bank-owner E.J. Young, the original building featured space for the National Bank of Hermosa Beach and three additional retail stores. Constructed on the corner of Pier and Hermosa avenues, the building has historically occupied a large lot at a prominent intersection in the first commercial area of Hermosa Beach. With the construction of a pier at the end of what would become Pier Avenue, the intersection where Pier Avenue met Hermosa Beach was considered the city’s first commercial center or downtown as early as 1903. This intersection is the location of the city’s first grocery store, first post office, and first bank (constructed across from 90 Pier Avenue). Later, the Pacific Electric Line was constructed down Hermosa Avenue, with a stop at the intersection, and brought a range of people from prospective investors to day vacationers. The 90 Pier Avenue building would have been one of the first buildings seen and/or experienced by people arriving at Hermosa Beach for the first time. Thus, it held a level of importance and prominence in the community during this period, mirrored by the immediate success of the local National Bank of Hermosa Beach, and then later the economic stability signified by the presence of Bank of America in the 1930s. Intending to attract permanent residents to Hermosa Beach, building owners and local investors paid particular attention to the condition and prominence of the buildings at this intersection, resulting in two major and costly renovations of the 90 Pier Avenue building within its first 30 years. In the early period of Hermosa Beach’s history, between the 1920s and the 1950s and during the peak of the prominence of the intersection of Hermosa and Pier Avenues, this building was an example to prospective investors of the wealth and the assets that Hermosa Beach could provide, and also simultaneously serviced the local community as part of the downtown commercial area. By the 1950s, when Hermosa Beach significantly grew in the Post-World War II era, the city began to focus more on providing services for its residents and community.

The downtown commercial shopping area centered at Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue began to modernize and expand, and the various structures behind the 90 Pier Avenue building were demolished for a parking lot and new commercial shopping stores were established. This reflects the general trend of commercial areas during this time, as consumers shopping shifted from downtown commercial areas with limited parking to shopping centers with ample parking availability, the businesses around Pier and Hermosa avenues instead created parking spaces. This elevated the Bank of America from a local Hermosa Beach branch intended to support the community, to wider availability for patrons from the surrounding community of Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach, and also the other neighboring areas of Los Angeles County.

These changes were then further reflected in the exterior alterations enacted to mirror the then-popular Modern style aesthetics of smooth, white, un-adorned surfaces. These changes reflected the desire to modernize and create a consumer shopping center in this era (as opposed to the traditional downtown commercial area) by doing away with the early twentieth century typology of a brick, multi-storefront commercial building and replacing it with a smooth, white, singular, commercial entity.

While this intersection was modernized by the construction of a new prominent Post-Modern bank building in the 1960s, the other central commercial district of Hermosa Beach at the southwestern intersection of Pier Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway was completely re-developed to be the civic center area. In the 1980s, the northwestern intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Pier Avenue was again completely redeveloped to be a large commercial shopping area with chain grocery stores and other businesses.

As such, the Bank of America building at 90 Pier Avenue is a good example of an early twentieth century commercial building in Hermosa Beach, associated with and reflective of the development of the city from its construction in 1922 through the emergence of commercial shopping centers beginning in the 1950s.

Because 90 Pier Avenue is associated with the founding of the National Bank of Hermosa Beach and later the branch of Bank of America, and because the important role that the building played in the growth, perception, and development of the city of Hermosa Beach, 90 Pier Avenue meets CRHR Criterion 1 with a period of significance of 1922 through 1960.

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # _________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ______________________________________________

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD

*Date of Evaluation: December 15, 2025
DPR 523B-Test (8/94)
ASM determined the beginning of the period of significance to be 1922, as that was the year that the building was constructed, and the year it first started contributing to the banking history and commercial development of Hermosa Beach. As the development of other commercial areas began to dominate in Hermosa Beach in the midcentury, and as the character of Pier and Hermosa Avenues changed in the wake of the addition of parking lots and the accommodation of the automobile resulted in further changes to the commercial capacity of the building, ASM determined that the significance of the building as an example of early commercial development ceased in this period. ASM then referenced the Neighborhood Commercial Development context found within SurveyLA Citywide Historic Context Statement as a general guideline for a potential period of significance. While SurveyLA directly addresses only the City of Los Angeles, this particular context takes into account the changes made in the communities and neighborhoods that closely mirror the population density and general growth of Hermosa Beach in the early twentieth century. Within this context, the period of significance for Neighborhood Downtowns ended in 1960 “by which time the neighborhood shopping center had supplanted the neighborhood downtown as a center of local commercial life.” As such, ASM determined that the history of Hermosa Beach aligns and is reflective of this general shift and determined the end of the period of significance of 90 Pier Avenue to be 1960.

Because 90 Pier Avenue meets Criterion 1, an assessment of integrity is warranted.

Criterion 2:

The building was associated with multiple commercial businesses operating simultaneously between 1922 and 1953 and then solely Bank of America between 1953 and 2024. Associated with a number of business owners and managers, no business owners identified in the research of this building have shown to be historically important or significant to the history of the city or the state.

The building was associated with the Bank of America for 95 years, and while Bank of America itself is associated with a number of historically significant individuals, research did not reveal any specific connections between those individuals and this specific branch. Finally, ASM considered whether E.J. Young, the founder of the National Bank of Hermosa Beach and the original owner of 90 Pier Avenue, could be considered a historically significant individual. Young lived in Hermosa Beach after enjoying a successful career as a consulting engineer for oil companies in Los Angeles. While heavily associated with the construction of the 90 Pier Avenue building and the founding of the National Bank of Hermosa Beach, Young was also involved in a number of other businesses within the city, particularly during the Prohibition Era. Eventually, as president of the National Bank, he was arrested and prosecuted for submitting false bank checks in 1927. While Young may have made an impression on the residents of Hermosa Beach during this period, he did not make important contributions to his field and does not appear to be a person of historic significance to the development or growth of the city or state. As such, ASM recommends 90 Pier Avenue is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 2.

Criterion 3:

ASM then assessed whether 90 Pier Avenue embodies distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or represents the work of a master. 90 Pier Avenue was constructed in 1922 in what was then referred to as the Pompeiian style and featured distinct characteristics along the exterior such as marble columns, decorative corner pieces, stylized accents along the top corners of the building, and rectangular name plates. The exterior was constructed with glazed terra cotta brick siding as well as multi-colored brick along the base. As depicted in historic photographs from this era, the building originally featured long, rectangular, vertically sliding sash windows. Interior descriptions of the building from its construction describe black and white tiled floors, interior frescoes, and a wrought iron balustrade along the stairs for the mezzanine. The building originally contained multiple store fronts in addition to the bank, one facing Pier Avenue and two more facing Hermosa Avenue. Its original design represented a typical brick-clad commercial building from the first decades of the twentieth century. Its Pompeiian style, alternatively referred to as Greco-Roman, additionally reflected the national trend of traditional or classical style architecture for bank buildings during this period. However, major renovations in 1937 removed one storefront facing Hermosa Avenue, replaced the windows, removed the corner ornamentation, removed the exterior wrought iron lighting, and most prominently, changed the fenestration pattern by relocating the entrance of the bank. Further alterations occurred in 1953, when the final two storefronts were removed, the windows were replaced again, the brick base was replaced, and the interior mezzanine area was altered. Another major exterior alteration occurred in 1967, when the exterior brick was covered with stucco and the marble materials were removed from the columns.

Further alterations occurred in the late twentieth century including the addition of ATM vestibules, an additional layer of stucco, the creation of a stucco band that aligns with the historic brick band, and the extending of the rear wall so that there is no longer a recessed entrance along Hermosa Avenue. With these significant alterations that occurred over the life of the building, the present architectural features no longer embody distinctive characteristics associated with early twentieth century commercial buildings.

The multiple store fronts have been removed along with the associated shop windows, the original brick exterior is no longer visible as it has been covered by layers of stucco, the marble of the columns have been removed, the windows have been replaced at least twice, windows and columns have since been added to the façade, and the original primary entrance was relocated.

Additionally, a 2025 survey of the building found no extant features in the interior from the 1922 descriptions. As such, the building as it exists today no longer embodies any of the distinct characteristics of a multi-storefront commercial building from the early twentieth century.

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # _________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ______________________________________________

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD

*Date of Evaluation: December 15, 2025
DPR 523B-Test (8/94)
ASM then considered whether 90 Pier Avenue represents the work of a master architect or master builder. Research did not reveal whether an architect was associated with the project, however, local newspapers identified John MacCready as the contractor associated with the construction of the building. Described as a local to Hermosa Beach, research did not reveal that John MacCready was associated with additional projects of historic significance to Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles County, or the state of California. Additionally, John MacCready was not found to be listed on any additional resources that catalogued architects or engineers. Finally, 90 Pier Avenue did not appear on any additional lists or resources associated with construction of significant architecture or in association with John MacCready, and the building did not receive any design awards.

As such, because the building of 90 Pier Avenue no longer represents the distinctive characteristics of an early twentieth century multi-storefront commercial building or the distinctive characteristics of an early twentieth century bank building, and because contractor John MacCready was not found to be a master architect, engineer, or builder, ASM recommends 90 Pier Avenue is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 3.

Criterion 4:
90 Pier Avenue is recommended not eligible under CRHR Criterion 4. The building is a common property type that does not have the potential to provide information about history or prehistory that is not available through historic research.

Integrity:

Because 90 Pier Avenue meets CRHR Criterion 1, an assessment of integrity is warranted. The relevant aspects of integrity, or most important, for properties eligible under Criterion 1 are location, setting, materials, feeling, and association (NPS, NRHP, p.48).

ASM also considered additional aspects of integrity, which are design and workmanship.

Location: The building located at 90 Pier Avenue has not moved from its original location. Therefore it retains high integrity of location.

Setting: 90 Pier Avenue was originally constructed within the first downtown area of the city of Hermosa Beach. With multiple commercial stores and a bank in what was then the only commercial downtown area, within this setting the building provided essential services to the people of Hermosa Beach while also exemplifying the prosperity of the city in the first decades of its existence. As the focus of local commercial development expanded or shifted towards the intersection of Pier Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway throughout the mid-century, the setting of the intersection of Pier and Hermosa avenues began to wane as the commercial center for the city. As more emphasis on development occurred in the second downtown area, many buildings first downtown area around the intersection of Pier and Hermosa avenues were modernized or altered instead of demolished. As such, the setting of the building has changed and it only retains moderate integrity of setting.

Materials: Nearly all of the original materials of the building have been removed or altered. Alterations that occurred after the end of the period of significance include the addition of stucco along the exterior of the building covering the original brick and marble columns, the large walls of stucco that were implemented to the rear wall and obscure the exposed brick, the partial removal of the original brick decorative band, the enclosure of the commercial storefront facing Hermosa Avenue, and the addition of a stucco band that wraps around the building. While there are some materials within the interior of the building that were likely a result of the alterations that occurred in 1937 or 1953, these are largely in the rear areas of the building and are obscured from public view. No prominent materials along the interior or the exterior from the period of significance remain. As such, the building retains low integrity of materials.

Feeling: 90 Pier Avenue was constructed to be an important and large building within an important intersection of Hermosa Beach.

Reaching an impressive height for the city at the time, the building during the period of significance dominated the intersection and made a statement regarding the potential for future prosperity of the city. While the building retains its massing, other buildings have been constructed after the end of the period of significance in the same area that diminishes its perceived prominence within the viewshed of the intersection. Additionally, due to the significant alterations to the building since the end of the period of significance, it no longer conveys the feeling of an early twentieth century bank. Early twentieth century bank buildings across Los Angeles County are characterized by exposed brick and neoclassical elements, all of which has been removed from the exterior in the years since the buildings construction. As such, the building retains low integrity of feeling as an early twentieth century commercial bank building.

Association: 90 Pier Avenue was constructed in the early decades of the twentieth century and is therefore associated with the commercial development of Hermosa Beach between 1922 and 1960. 90 Pier Avenue was constructed in a style typical of the period: glazed terra cotta brick siding as well as exposed brick walls, multiple commercial storefronts, a space for nameplates of the building owner or developer, and corner stone decorations. Although some of these details were removed or altered during the period of significance, many were removed afterward and have impacted the ability of the building to convey its associations to

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # _________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ______________________________________________

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD

*Date of Evaluation: December 15, 2025
DPR 523B-Test (8/94)
early twentieth century commercial development. Similarly, the association to the National Bank of Hermosa Beach is impacted by the many changes to the interior and exterior of the building throughout its history. Someone who was familiar with the building during its time as the National Bank of Hermosa Beach (or Bank of America during the period of significance) would likely not immediately recognize the present iteration of the building. As such, the building retains low integrity of association.

Design: While the design of the building has transformed over time and during the end of the period of significance, there are multiple notable alterations that occurred outside the period of significance. A notable alteration was the addition of stucco that obscures the brick and the marble columns, and addition of a stucco band that traverses across the entirety of the building. These alterations were not compatible with the original design of the building, nor were they compatible with the varying designs of the building since within the period of significance. The obscuring of the brick and the marble columns, the obscuring of the original brick band that wrapped around the street-facing façades, and the partial demolition and addition of stucco walls on the rear of the building, have greatly altered the design. As such, the building retains low integrity of design.

Workmanship: The elements that have the potential to portray elements of craftsmanship that display workmanship have all been obscured in the contemporary design of the building, which occurred outside of the period of significance. The interior also features little extant examples of workmanship, as the interior appears to have been renovated outside of the period of significance as well.

As such, the building retains low integrity of workmanship.

As a result, the building does not retain sufficient integrity, as it does retain moderate or high integrity of its essential aspects of integrity. Therefore, ASM recommends that 90 Pier Avenue is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 1 for the CRHR, nor does it meet any of the other criteria for eligibility.

CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH DESIGNATION CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC LANDMARKS The Landmark Designation Criteria for the city of Hermosa Beach closely mirror the CRHR.

ASM assessed whether 90 Pier Avenue meets the requirements. The property reflects the City’s cultural and economic history as a historic bank building at an important intersection in the city, representing the economic and commercial development of Hermosa Beach in its beginnings and through the mid-century, however, its significance wanes upon the shift from its use as a local downtown commercial building to part of a larger, consumer-oriented, shopping center, and as such, does not meet Hermosa Beach Landmark Designation Criterion A.

The property was not identified to be associated with local, state, or national history (Criterion B). The property was not found to embody distinctive characteristics of a style, type, period, or method of construction, and is not an example of indigenous materials or craftsmanship (Criterion C). The property was not found to be the notable work of a builder, designer, or architect (Criterion D).

ASM additionally considered Hermosa Beach Landmark Designation Criterion E. 90 Pier Avenue was constructed in the original downtown area of Hermosa Beach in an important intersection, as it was the intersection where the Pacific Electric Train stop was located, and it was the last street intersection before the Pier and the Strand along Pier Avenue. Particularly because it was at an intersection with a trolley stop, it was noted in many photographs and many postcards from the city’s history and has become a recognizable fixture within the history of the city. However, due to the significant alterations to the building, it is no longer recognizable as that earlier landmark. As such, ASM recommends the building doe not meet Hermosa Beach Landmark Designation Criterion E.

B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References:

See full references in ASM Affiliates, Inc. 2025. Historical Resources Evaluation Report for 90 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles County, California. Prepared for American Property Services.

B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Madeline Gonzalez, M.A., ASM Affiliates

DPR 523K (9/13) *Required Information

*Map Name: Redondo Beach, USGS, CA 7.5-minute *Scale: 1:24,000 *Date of Map: December 15, 2025 State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

LOCATION MAP
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

DPR 523K (9/13) *Required Information

*Drawn By: Alondra Garcia *Date of Map: December 15, 2025 State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

SKETCH MAP
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: November 18, 2025 *P3a. Description: (continued from p. 1)
Exterior
90 Pier Avenue was constructed with a primary façade facing Pier Avenue, on the southwest corner of the intersection of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue. The exterior façade of the building features textured semi-rough stucco exterior cladding on all sides, with an exposed brick base facing Hermosa Avenue and Pier Avenue. The building is rectangular in form with a horizontal emphasis along Hermosa Avenue. The building also features a flat roof, although the roofing materials could not be determined from the ground survey (Figure 26).

The primary façade facing Pier Avenue features a centered primary entrance, four windows and a transom window, and six columns (Figure 27). The base of the façade is composed of exposed brick, which rises to about 40-inches (approximately half the height of the entrance door). The primary entrance area is centered in the façade between two columns, and features a single metal door with glass panels and a sidelight. There is some space between the door and the transom window (which would have been the space for the business signage), and the smaller transom window features three glass panels and appears to be horizontally sliding with a simple profile metal frame. Additionally flanking the primary entrance area, on the columns on either side, are outdoor lighting fixtures. The four, uniform, long rectangular windows on the primary façade begin where the exposed brick base ends, and rise nearly to the height of the columns. These fixed, simple profile windows also feature a metal, or aluminum, frame around all sides. The upper façade of the building begins above the columns and features a stucco band (painted blue) that wraps around the building. Between the columns and the stucco band is a long space that likely displayed signage. This area has since been covered by wood paneling, likely to obscure or cover the results of the removal of signage from the façade. Underneath the wood paneling is stucco with visible metal plates that were likely inserted into the façade to bring the building up to local earthquake code ordinances after the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake.

Other brick buildings along Pier Avenue that were constructed in the same time period feature similar metal plates, albeit less visually obscured. Above the stucco band is another long, unadorned, space with rough stucco. Because the building was constructed with a flat roof, the top of the façade features a metal cap that wraps around the entirety of the building and has been painted white. On the northeast corner of the building and primary façade is an exterior lighting fixture. The wires that supply power to the exterior lighting fixtures are also visible along the façade and run above the columns and below the wood paneled coverings.

The side-façade facing Hermosa Avenue features six windows, one transom window, nine columns, and no entrance areas into the building (Figure 28). The exposed brick base, the columns, and the upper façade feature the same materials and dimensions as the primary façade, with some exceptions. One major difference is the window on the northeastern corner of the building facing Hermosa Avenue does not fully extend to the brick base. Instead, in between the window and the brick, is a secured drop-off box. Additionally, the exterior lighting is found centered in the first three columns, and then tapers off to every other column. (These lighting fixtures are in the same area as the original wrought iron lighting fixtures that were placed upon the building’s opening in 1922, however, because the wiring of the present fixtures is visible running along the exterior, they do not appear to be connected to the same wiring system and are otherwise unrelated in anyway to the original fixtures). In between the final two columns on the southwestern corner of the building is a small shade covering over an angled, plain, stucco wall. Historic photographs revealed that this was once the entry to a commercial store that was later the location of an ATM vestibule. The contemporary angle present is likely a remnant from the original 1922 design, as only in this corner does the exposed brick base of the building retain its original 1922 height. Above the once-entryway is a multipaneled metal window with two panels that have the capacity to be opened by crank that provide light to the upper mezzanine floor of the building. Inbetween the two columns in the space to the north of the ex-ATM vestibule is a stucco blank wall. Historic photographs revealed that this too was once a storefront for commercial space within the building but was renovated due to the re-locating of the interior stairwell of the mezzanine.

The rear façade of the building faces south toward what is now a parking lot (Figure 29). This façade retains minimal design features and is clad with rough stucco. Close to the southwestern corner of the building facing south is a shade covering with a slightly recessed area underneath. This is where an ATM vestibule was once in place. Unlike the other façades of the building, this wall features what appears to be multiple panels of siding, seen in the uniform lines that run vertically down the side. Historic photographs have revealed that the rear of the building was once an exposed brick wall with a slightly recessed area beginning where a commercial store front window faced south. Renovations likely resulting from the installation of the ATM and requiring a partial demolition of the original brick wall likely resulted in the un-recessed, flat stucco wall of the present. This also indicates that the stucco band that runs across the top at the same level of the rest of the building is a recent construction, and that the original building decorations on the southwestern corner of the building that are visible in historic photographs were removed entirely.

The side façade of the building facing west toward another commercial building is mostly obscured with the exception of the stucco band along the top, and the rear exit area of the building (Figure 30). A black gate encloses a small alley from which one could exit from inside the building. The exterior cladding of this façade is the same rough stucco cladding found throughout the exterior of the building.

DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: December 15, 2025 A sign is present on the roof of the northeast corner of the building, although the name of the associated business has been removed (Figure 31). The primary façade faces Pier Avenue, which is now a pedestrian-only promenade, and as such, no longer retains an official sidewalk. The sidewalk instead begins at the northeast corner of the building, which also features a traffic light. Two doubleheaded streetlights are present on Pier Avenue located generally on either side of the building, and continue down Pier Avenue.

Additionally, palm trees of various sizes were planted by Hermosa Beach in the spaces in front of the building along Hermosa Avenue.

Interior
The interior of the building is defined by three distinct spaces: the main lobby area, the rear back room/offices area, and the upper mezzanine area.

Upon entering through the primary façade, one arrives into the main lobby area (Figures 32-33). This area features faux wood flooring and carpeting, uniform overhead light fixtures, tiled ceilings, and the walls all appear to retain smooth plaster cladding. Upon entering the building, on the right side, are a series of metal support beams, in the general area of where the flooring switches from faux wood to carpet, and is where the offices and waiting area for the bank would have been located (Figure 34). The left side is the traditional banktelling area, where there would have been space for eleven bank tellers at once (Figure 35). In the personnel area, behind the teller desks, the floor is carpeted. There are also deep recessions between the windows and the bank walls. Upon entering the building, immediately to the left, is an office area that is closed off from the lobby (Figure 36). In this space is a desk and chairs, and the wall features a safe associated with the bank deposit box on the exterior. Another notable feature of the lobby area is the bank vault, located in the back right area of the lobby. This vault features two rooms, divided by a door: one for safety deposit boxes, and the other for storage (Figures 37-39). The ceiling tiles in the main areas of the lobby are uniform and decorated, however in the area above the space leading to the rear emergency exit, they appear more plain and more contemporary, with contemporary overhead lights.

On the other side of the teller area in the rear of the lobby are a series of back rooms (Figures 40-42). These rooms were an entirely separate commercial space for about 30 years after the building opened, and as a result, are not fully integrated into the lobby area of the bank. One room was the area where ATM vestibules were once located and appears to have also been an office, the other rooms appear to have been offices, and one space in the rear area is a restroom. Because these were non-customer oriented spaces and because these areas were likely renovated to their contemporary figuration in the mid-century, they exhibit many features from this era including colored asbestos tile floors, drop down asbestos tile ceilings, and remnant objects such as clocks on the walls from the era.

On the left of the lobby area, close to the rear, is a stairwell that leads up to a mezzanine (Figures 43-44). Wood handrails are present on either side, and the stairwell is covered in rubber mat material obscuring the true material of the stairwell. Although the 1922 description of the building described the presence of a stairwell, it is unlikely this stairwell is in the same location as described due to the presence of an additional storefront at the time. Instead, it is likely this stairwell was implemented in the proceeding 1937 era of the building’s design. This steep-rising staircase leads one to what appears to have been an employee area, with various kitchen appliances and lounge furniture (Figure 45). The ceiling is low in this area, and the floor tiles are composed of a dark brown asbestos tile, a likely remnant from either the 1937 renovations or the 1953 renovations of the building. A metal, crank, window also provides light into the room and appears to be original to the 1953 renovation of the building, as it rises from the floor to about halfway up the wall (Figure 46). Connected to the employee room are two bathrooms, the entrances of which face each other across a small hallway (Figure 47). Both bathrooms feature two rooms: an initial lounge/rest room, and the room with the actual bathroom facilities. A common feature of bathrooms in the first half of the twentieth century, this detail points to the likelihood that these are the same bathrooms described upon the 1922 opening building. A doorway in the rear of the employee area leads to another room with filing shelves (Figure 48). There is noticeable metal band on the floor where the doorway is located, and the linoleum tile between the two rooms are different as well. The end of the hallway of this room is likely where the landing to the original staircase was located. Another doorway is aligned with the first doorway and leads one further back into the building, to another long room with filing shelves. There is a noticeable discrepancy in the height of the floor between the first filing shelf room and the second, although the linoleum floor tiling is the same.

DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: December 15, 2025 Figure 1. Groundbreaking on the southwest corner of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue. Courtesy of the Hermosa Beach Museum.

Figure 2. Photograph of 90 Pier Avenue, published in the Los Angeles Times on December 2, 1923.

DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: December 15, 2025 Figure 3. Photograph of 90 Pier Avenue in the Pompeiian Style Era as a National Bank of Hermosa Beach. Photograph taken at unknown date, likely c.1925. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

Figure 4. Photograph of Pier Avenue, with portions of 90 Pier Avenue visible as a National Bank of Hermosa Beach in the Pompeiian Style. Photograph taken at an unknown date, likely c.1925. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: December 15, 2025 Figure 5. Photograph of Pier Avenue, with portions of 90 Pier Avenue visible as a National Bank of Hermosa Beach in the Pompeiian Style. Photograph dated 1932. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

Figure 6. Photograph of the primary façade and entrance area into 90 Pier Avenue as a Bank of America in the Pompeiian Style.

Photograph taken c.1930. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: December 15, 2025 Figure 7. Photograph of the Hermosa Avenue side of 90 Pier Avenue as a Bank of America in the Pompeiian Style. Photograph taken c.1930. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

Figure 8. Photograph of the primary façade and entrance as a Bank of America in the Neoclassical Style. Photograph taken at an unknown time, likely c.1940. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: December 15, 2025 Figure 9. Photograph of the façade facing Hermosa Beach as a Bank of America in the Neoclassical Style. Photograph taken at an unknown time, likely c.1940. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

Figure 10. Detail of Sanborn Map drawn in 1946, portraying the intersection of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library.

DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: December 15, 2025 Figure 11. Photograph of the intersection of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue in the Modern Style, with additional commercial stores removed. Photograph dated 1955. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library.

Figure 12. Photograph of 90 Pier Avenue in Modern Style. Photograph taken at an unknown time, likely c.1985. Courtesy of facebook.com.

DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial

Recorded by: Madeline Gonzalez, ASM Affiliates Date: December 15, 2025 Figure 13. Photograph of the intersection of Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue in the Modern Style. Photograph taken at an unknown time, likely c.1985. Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

Public Notification Materials : 90 Pier Ave

A City of Hermosa Beach

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Hermosa Beach shall hold a public hearing on July 28, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. to consider the following:

A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS (HRR26-01) AND A PRECISE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (PDP26-04) FOR 90 PIER AVENUE, A POTENTIAL CITY LANDMARK IN THE DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL (C-2) ZONE. THE PROJECT INCLUDES FACADE

IMPROVEMENTS AND THE INTERIOR RECONFIGURATION OF AN EXISTING 5,096-SQUARE-FOOT BUILDING, CREATING FOUR TENANT SPACES. CEQA: THE PROJECT QUALIFIES FOR A CLASS 1 - EXISTING FACILITIES EXEMPTION PER SECTION 15301 OF THE CEQA GUIDELINES.

SAID PUBLIC MEETING is open to the public and being held in-person in the City Hall Council Chambers located at 1315 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach, California 90254.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. See the meeting agenda for all public comment details and opportunities. All written testimony by any interested party will be accepted prior to or at the scheduled time on the agenda for the matter. Information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, please visit the meeting agenda or contact the Office of the City Clerk at (310) 318-0204 or [email protected].

VIEWING OPTIONS are available on Spectrum Channel 8, Frontier Channel 31, YouTube, Zoom, and/or the City’s website.

IF YOU CHALLENGE the above matter(s) in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the above-listed departments at, or prior to, the public meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, please contact the Community Development Department at (310) 318-0242 or [email protected] during regular business hours. A copy of the agenda and staff report(s) will be available for public review 72 hours in advance of the meeting on the City’s website at www.hermosabeach.gov/agenda.

Martha Alvarez
City Clerk
Easy Reader Inc//Redondo Beach News/July 16th, 2026/HD26-048

11 1250
1272 20
1221
73 81
19 30
53 57
68 1325
1300
56 60
45 64
67 74
76 55
1429
40 43
1401
1402
1522
1530
49 85
1502
15 77
61 205
1348
1403
1409
1306
239
1412
1455
1441
215
1400
1416
1432
1434
117
1219
1236
1242
1312
1332
1410
1331
1435
1424
1431
1438
1405
1430
1415
1338
1427
1417
145
1301
1451
1426
1500
301
1428
802
808
814
820
830
42 48
66 837
25 31
39 63
801
840
920
940 26
32 50
58 69
70 28
37 44
901
54 900
1020
1042 46
17 24
34 41
47 59
65 1001
1016
1031
1128
22 52
72 1138
1106
36 1101
1033
1110
1120
1140
1144
140
1130
1125
1046
1035
1025
1011
131
1014
1111
1105
150
931
928
921
915
907
841
825
821
815
121
119
810
822
832
844
906
910
831 834
934
950
226
924
207
211
816
836
908
918
926
845
805
828
902
214
1002
1028
1040
1048
1102
1112
1142
1068
1057
1047
1027
1021
1022
1126
1121
1012
1075
1069
1150
1158
238
240
1215
1201
1137
1123
1103
1113
1051
1019
1041
200
1086
1313
308
318
732
740 733
38 62
126 134
734
727
721
707
719
718
726
736
100
738
742
208
Pier Ave
Beach Dr
H
ermosa
Ave
Oak St
11th St
The Strand
10th St
15th St
13th St
9th St
Beach Dr
11th St
8th St
Beach Dr
14th St
16th Ct
Palm Dr
Loma
D
r
8th Ct
Manhattan
Ave
Monterey Blvd
Manhattan Ave
9th Ct
10th Ct
12th Ct
11th Ct
15th Ct
13th Ct
13th St
14th Ct
Bayview Dr
Pier Plaza
90 500' RADIUS MAP
r
90 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254

AFFIDAVIT OF MAILING NOTICES
I, Denise Kaspar , being duly sworn, deposes and says: that I am a citizen of the United States, over the age of 18 years; that on the 16th day of July , 2026, that I deposited 554 Notices in the United States Post Office, a letter of notice, a copy of which is attached hereto, with postage thereon prepaid, addressed to the following persons at the addresses shown, to-wit:
(See list attached hereto and made part hereof)
that said persons are the owners of said property who are entitled to a Notice in that said persons and their addresses are those shown on the most recent equalized roll of the Assessor of the County of Los Angeles as being owners of property within 500 feet and all residential occupants within 500’ of the property described as:

APN:

Subject: 90 PIER AVE
HERMOSA BEACH CA 90254

that on said day there was regular communication by United States Mail to the addresses shown above.

ADOPT A RESOLUTION

APPROVING A CERTIFICATE OF

APPROPRIATENESS AND PRECISE
DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR 90 PIER
AVENUE
City Council Meeting
July 28, 2026

90 Pier Avenue

Request
Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness
(HRR26-01) and Precise Development Plan
(PDP26-04)
• HBMC 17.53 Historic Resource
Preservation (Potential Historic Landmark)
• HBMC 17.58.020 Precise Development
Plan
90 Pier Avenue in the Pompeiian Style Era as a
National Bank of Hermosa Beach. Photograph
taken at unknown date, likely c.1925. Courtesy
of Hermosa Beach Museum.

Proposed Project

Historical Resource Evaluation Report
CA Register of Historic Resources Evaluation

1. It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local or regional history or the cultural heritage of California or the United States.

2. It is associated with the lives of persons important to local, California, or national history.

3. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents the work of a master or possesses high artistic values.

4. It has yielded, or has the potential to yield, information important to the prehistory or history of the local
area, California, or the nation.

90 Pier Ave over the years
Modern Style. Photograph taken at an unknown time, likely c.1985. Courtesy of facebook.com Neoclassical Style. Photograph taken at an unknown time, likely c.1940.

Courtesy of Hermosa Beach Museum.

Findings HBMC 17.58.040
A. The design, layout, and other physical features of
the project comply with all other applicable
provisions of this Title and all other titles of the
Hermosa Beach Municipal Code;
B. The design, layout, and other physical features of
the project are consistent with the General Plan, and
any applicable specific plan or design guidelines;
and
C. The design, layout, and other physical features of
the project comply with any design or development
standards applicable to the zone, unless
waived or modified pursuant to the
provisions of this Title. Page 870 of 1437
CEQA &Public Notice
 CEQA
Class 1 categorical exemption, Existing Facilities, as
defined in section 15301
 Public Notice
- Legal ad published in the Easy Reader
- 554 mailed notices
- Notice on website
- Posters posted

Recommendation

1. Conduct a public hearing to consider approving the
Certificate of Appropriateness (HRR26-01) and Precise
Development Plan (PDP26-04);

2. Determine the action to be Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under
Class 1 of § 15301; and

3.Adopt the Draft Resolution.

Contact us.

Planning Division
(310) 318-0242
[email protected]
THANK YOU!

Seven “architectural integrity” criterion

1. Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred. High

2. Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. Low

3. Setting is the physical environment of a historic property, and refers to the character of the site and the relationship to surrounding features and open space. Setting often refers to the basic physical conditions under which a property was built and the functions it was intended to serve. These features can be either natural or manmade, including vegetation, paths, fences, and relationships between other features or open space. Moderate

4. Materials are the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period or time, and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property. Low

5. Workmanship is the physical evidence of crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period of history or prehistory, and can be applied to the property as a whole, or to individual components.

Low

6. Feeling is a property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time. It results from the presence of physical features that, when taken together, convey the property’s historic character. Low

7. Association is the direct link between the important historic event or person and a historic property. Low

City of Hermosa Beach | Page 1 of 4
Meeting Date: July 28, 2026
Staff Report No. 26-AS-085
Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council

APPROVAL OF PLACING A BALLOT MEASURE AND PROVIDING FOR THE FILING OF REBUTTAL ARGUMENTS FOR THE CITY MEASURE ON THE NOVEMBER 3, 2026, GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION THAT WOULD ALLOW A DESIGNATED MEASURE CALLING A ONE-HALF CENT (0.5%) SALES TAX
(Administrative Services Director Brandon Walker)

A) ADOPT RESOLUTION BY TITLE

B) DESIGNATE ONE OR MORE COUNCILMEMBERS TO FILE ARGUMENTS FOR

AND AGAINST THE CITY MEASURE

C) SELECT BALLOT LETTER DESIGNATION
Recommended Action:

Staff recommends City Council:

1. Adopt a resolution calling for the placement of a one-half cent (0.5%) local transactions and use (sales) tax measure on the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election ballot for voter consideration (Attachment 1);

2. Approve and designate one or more of its Councilmembers to file arguments for and against the City measure (Attachment 4); and

3. Selection of a Ballot Designation Letter for the City’s Ballot Measure establishing a one-half cent (0.5%) sales tax (Attachment 3).

Executive Summary:

Following City Council direction provided at its June 23, 2026, meeting, this item presents a resolution calling for the placement of a one-half cent (0.5%) local transactions and use (sales) tax measure on the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election ballot. If approved by voters, the measure is estimated to generate approximately $2 million annually in locally controlled general revenue to help maintain public safety services, repair and maintain streets, parks, public facilities, and other infrastructure, support longterm fiscal sustainability, and address ongoing community needs. Adoption of the resolution is required to submit the measure to the voters in accordance with applicable California election laws and established election deadlines.

Past Board, Commission, and Council Actions

City of Hermosa Beach | Page 2 of 4
Meeting Date Description
June 23, 2026
The City Council directed staff to move forward with placing a ½-cent local sales tax measure on the November 2026 ballot and return with the required ballot language, fiscal analysis, and resolutions for Council consideration.

Discussion:

At its June 23, 2026, meeting, the City Council received a comprehensive report regarding potential revenue measures to address the City's ongoing structural budget challenges and long-term capital infrastructure needs. Following discussion, the Council directed staff to return with the necessary resolutions to place a one-half cent (0.5%) local transactions and use (sales) tax measure before Hermosa Beach voters during the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election.

The proposed measure would establish a general transactions and use tax at the rate of one-half percent (0.5%). As a general tax, all revenues would remain under local control and be deposited into the City's General Fund, where they may be used for any lawful governmental purpose. Based on current taxable sales activity, the measure is estimated to generate approximately $2 million annually to help preserve essential City services, maintain public infrastructure, reduce reliance on one-time budget solutions, and improve the City's long-term fiscal sustainability.

Consistent with California Elections Code and the Revenue and Taxation Code, adoption of the attached resolution by a vote of the City Council will order the submission of the measure to the qualified voters at the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election and direct the City Clerk to coordinate with the Los Angeles County RegistrarRecorder/County Clerk to conduct the election and complete all required election procedures. The City Attorney will prepare an impartial analysis of the measure, and ballot arguments and rebuttal arguments will be filed in accordance with statutory deadlines.

The proposed ballot question to be submitted to the voters is as follows:

Shall the measure to adopt a one-half percent (0.5%) local transactions and use (sales) tax providing approximately two million dollars ($2,000,000) annually until ended by voters (with independent audits, public reporting, and all funds remaining under local control) to maintain public safety services; repair and maintain streets, sidewalks, storm drains, parks, public facilities, and other infrastructure; address long-term fiscal sustainability; and support other general governmental purposes be adopted? YES ☐ NO ☐
If approved by a majority of voters, the ordinance establishing the one-half cent transactions and use tax will become effective in accordance with state law, providing the

City of Hermosa Beach | Page 3 of 4
City with a stable, locally controlled source of revenue to address ongoing operating and capital needs while preserving the flexibility to respond to future community priorities.

Additionally, it should be noted that Section 5d of the proposed Resolution provides that the City Council may designate one or more of its Councilmembers to file arguments for and against the measure. Staff will seek direction at the City Council meeting if any Councilmembers would like to file an argument in accordance with the attached form (Attachment 4).

Ballot Measure Letter Designation
The City Council may request the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder to assign a particular letter to the City-initiated ballot. The attached form (Attachment 3) allows the City Council to choose a first, second, and third letter designation as well as letter choices that the City Council does not want assigned to this measure.

Community-Led Public Outreach Campaign
The City Council may assign two Councilmembers and if they find supporters of the measure, they will need to file an argument of support for the measure by August 14, 2026 (Attachment 5), and they can be listed on the ballot as official supporters.

Options for Council Consideration:

City Council may:

1. Adopt the proposed election resolution;

2. Adopt the election resolution with modifications;

3. Decline to place the proposed measure before the voters; or

4. Provide alternative direction to staff.

Fiscal Impact:

The estimated incremental cost of placing the proposed measure on the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election ballot is approximately $1,400, which will be paid to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk for election administration services. Sufficient funding is available within the City's adopted Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget to cover these costs.

If approved by a majority of Hermosa Beach voters, the proposed one-half cent (0.5%) local transactions and use (sales) tax is estimated to generate approximately $2 million annually in locally controlled General Fund revenue. The sales tax would be used to support public safety services, maintain and repair City infrastructure such as streets, park and public facilities. The tax would address long-term fiscal sustainability and fund other general governmental purposes.

City of Hermosa Beach | Page 4 of 4
Attachments:

1. Draft Resolution

2. Proposed Ordinance Amendments

3. Ballot Letter Designation Form

4. Arguments and Rebuttals Form

5. Ballot Label – Supporters/Opponents Attestation Form Respectfully Submitted by: Brandon Walker, Administrative Services Director Noted for Fiscal Impact: Henry Chao, Finance Manager
Legal Review: Jason Baltimore, Interim City Attorney
Approved: Steve Napolitano, City Manager

CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH
RESOLUTION NO. 26-XXXX

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH,

CALIFORNIA CALLING FOR THE PLACEMENT OF A GENERAL TAX
MEASURE ON THE BALLOT FOR THE NOVEMBER 3, 2026, GENERAL

MUNICIPAL ELECTION FOR THE SUBMISSION TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS

OF AN ORDINANCE TO ENACT A GENERAL TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX AT THE RATE OF ONE-HALF PERCENT (0.5%) FOR GENERAL

GOVERNMENTAL PURPOSES
WHEREAS, the voters of the State of California approved Proposition 218 on November 6, 1996, an amendment to the California Constitution (Section 2 of Article XIIIC) which requires that all general taxes imposed, extended, or increased must be submitted to the electorate and approved by a majority vote of the qualified electors voting in the election; and
WHEREAS, the City of Hermosa Beach (“City”) is a general law city organized and existing under the Constitution and laws of the State of California; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is authorized to levy a transactions and use tax (“TUT”) for general purposes pursuant to California Revenue and Taxation Code (“Revenue Code”) section 7285.9, subject to approval by a majority vote of the electorate pursuant to Proposition 218; and
WHEREAS, the proposed one-half percent (0.5%) TUT is a general tax, the revenue of which will be placed in the City’s general fund and may be used for any lawful governmental purpose; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has authority to place local measures on the ballot to be considered at a municipal election pursuant to California Elections Code (“Elections Code”) section 9222; and
WHEREAS, the next regularly scheduled general election at which City Council members are to be elected is November 3, 2026 (“Election”); and

WHEREAS, a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all members of the City Council is required to place the measure on the Election ballot (“Ballot”) pursuant to Government Code section 53724 (“Proposition 62”) and Revenue Code section 7285.9; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to submit to the voters at the Election a measure enacting a general TUT at a rate of one-half percent (0.5%) on the sale and/or use of all tangible personal property sold at retail in the City until it is ended by voters (“Measure”), as more specifically set forth in the attached proposed ordinance (“Ordinance”) adding Chapter 3.26 to Title 3 of the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code (“HBMC”); and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to amend Resolution No. RES-26-7557 dated June 23, 2026, to add the Ordinance to the Election ballot; and WHEREAS, the Ordinance to be considered by the qualified voters and the terms of approval, collection, and use of the general TUT are described and provided for in the Ordinance (attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and by this reference made an operative part hereof) in accordance with all applicable laws.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH:

SECTION 1. Incorporation of Recitals. The recitals above are true and correct, and are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

SECTION 2. Submission of Ballot Measure. The City Council (by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all members) hereby orders the Measure to be submitted to the voters of the City at the Election pursuant to Elections Code section 9222, Government Code section 53724, Revenue Code section 7285.9, and other applicable provisions of California law.

SECTION 3. Election. The City Council hereby orders that the Measure shall be presented and printed upon the Ballot submitted to the qualified voters in the manner and form set forth in this Section 3 pursuant to Elections Code section 9222. There shall be printed substantially the following question on the Ballot:

Shall the measure to adopt a one-half percent
(0.5%) local transactions and use (sales) tax
providing approximately two million dollars
($2,000,000) annually until ended by voters (with
independent audits, public reporting, and all funds
remaining under local control) to maintain public
safety services; repair and maintain streets,
sidewalks, storm drains, parks, public facilities, and
other infrastructure; address long-term fiscal
sustainability; and support other general
governmental purposes be adopted?
YES
NO
SECTION 4. Vote Requirement. The vote requirement for the Measure to pass is a majority fifty percent plus one (50%+1) of the votes cast pursuant to Elections Code section 9217.

SECTION 5. Conduct of Election. The City Clerk is authorized, instructed, and directed to procure and furnish any and all official ballots; printed matter; and all supplies, equipment, and paraphernalia that may be necessary in order to properly and lawfully conduct the Election. In all particulars not recited in this Resolution, the Election shall be held and conducted as provided by law for holding municipal elections.
a. Amendment to Prior Resolution. Resolution No. RES-26-7557 is hereby amended accordingly; and the City Clerk is authorized and directed to take all actions necessary to add the Ordinance to the Ballot. b. Impartial Analysis. The City Attorney shall cause the preparation of an impartial analysis of the Measure. The impartial analysis shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Elections Code. In the event the entire text of the Measure is not printed on the Ballot (nor in the voter information portion of the sample Ballot), there shall be printed immediately below the impartial analysis in no less than ten (10) font bold type the following: “The above statement is an impartial analysis of Ordinance or Measure [___]. If you desire a copy of the Ordinance or Measure, please call the Office of the City Clerk at [insert phone number] and a copy will be mailed at no cost to you.”

c. Notice. The City Clerk is directed to prepare and publish a notice of the Measure to be voted on. Arguments for and against the Measure shall be filed in accordance with the deadlines established by the Los Angeles County (“County”) Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
d. Argument. The City Council hereby acknowledges its
authority to submit a written argument not to exceed three hundred (300) words in length pursuant to Elections Code section 9282, and may (by motion at the meeting) designate one or more of its members to submit arguments in favor of the Measure on behalf of the City Council.
e. Submission of Argument. The arguments shall be filed with the City Clerk on the date established by the County Registrar of Voters. f. Rebuttal Arguments. Rebuttal arguments shall be filed in accordance with Elections Code section 9285 and the schedule established by the County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
g. Filing with County. The City Clerk shall file with the County Board of Supervisors and the Registrar of Voters a certified copy of this Resolution within the time required by the Elections Code.
h. Public Examination. This Measure will be available for public examination for no fewer than ten (10) calendar days prior to being submitted for printing in the voter information pursuant to Elections Code section 9295. The City Clerk shall post notice in the Clerk’s office of the specific dates that the examination period will run.

SECTION 6. California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). The City Council finds that adoption of this Resolution is not a project within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) and section 15378(b)(5) because it constitutes the creation of a governmental funding mechanism and organizational or administrative activity that will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Alternatively, and independently, the Resolution is exempt under the common-sense exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).

SECTION 7. Severability. If any section or provision of this Resolution is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, or contravened by reason of any preemptive legislation, the remaining sections and/or provisions of this Resolution shall remain valid. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this Resolution, and each section or provision thereof, regardless of the fact that any one or more section(s) or provision(s) may be declared invalid or unconstitutional or contravened via legislation.

SECTION 8. Certification. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of City Council Members; cause the same to be entered among the original resolutions of the City; and make a minute of the passage and adoption thereof in the records of the proceedings of the City Council in the minutes of the meeting at which time same is passed and adopted.

SECTION 9. Effective Date. This Resolution is effective immediately upon adoption and shall remain subject to voter approval of the Ordinance at the Election.

PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED on this 28th day of July 2026. ______________________________________________________________________________ Mayor Mike Detoy
PRESIDENT of the City Council and MAYOR of the City of Hermosa Beach, CA ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_______________________________ ________________________________ Martha Alvarez Jason Baltimore
City Clerk Interim City Attorney

ORDINANCE NO. 26-XXXX

AN ORDINANCE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ADDING CHAPTER 3.26 TO TITLE 3 OF THE HERMOSA BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO ENACT A ONE-HALF PERCENT (0.5%)

GENERAL TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TAX AND FEE ADMINISTRATION FOR

GENERAL GOVERNMENTAL PURPOSES
WHEREAS, the City of Hermosa Beach (“City”) is a general law city organized and existing under the Constitution and laws of the State of California; and
WHEREAS, the City is authorized to levy a transactions and use tax (“TUT”) for general purposes pursuant to California Revenue and Taxation Code (“Revenue Code”) section 7285.9, subject to majority voter approval and administration by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration ("CDTFA"); and
WHEREAS, the People of the City desire to levy a general TUT at a rate of one-half percent (0.5%) on the sale and/or use of all tangible personal property sold at retail in the City until it is ended by voters (“Measure”); and WHEREAS, the City Council directed preparation of a ballot measure for voter consideration at the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election (“Election”); and
WHEREAS, this Ordinance will be incorporated into Chapter 3.26 to Title 3 of the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code (“HBMC”) if approved by the City Council and voters.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH DO HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. Incorporation of Recitals. The above recitals are true and correct, and are incorporated herein by this reference. This Ordinance shall be known as the “Hermosa Beach General Transactions and Use Tax Ordinance”, the full text of which is set forth in Attachment 1 (attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference).

Exhibit A

SECTION 2. Approval by the City Council. This Ordinance was duly approved for placement on the ballot by at least a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all members of the City Council on July 28, 2026, pursuant to California Government Code section 53724 and Revenue Code section 7285.9.

SECTION 3. Approval by the Voters. This Ordinance shall be adopted only if approved by a majority of the votes cast on the Measure at the Election pursuant to Elections Code section 9217. The Ordinance shall be deemed adopted upon certification of the Election results by the City Council and shall become effective ten (10) days thereafter.

SECTION 4. Operative Date. The operative date of the tax imposed by this Ordinance shall be the first day of the first calendar quarter commencing more than one hundred ten (110) days after the date this Ordinance is adopted, or such later date as required by the Revenue Code or CDTFA.

SECTION 5. Administration. CDTFA shall administer and collect the tax imposed by this Ordinance pursuant to the Revenue Code and applicable regulations. The City Manager, Administrative Services Director, Finance Director (or successor position), and other appropriate City officials are authorized to execute all agreements and documents necessary to implement this Ordinance and HBMC Chapter 3.26.

SECTION 6. Independent Audits and Public Accountability. The City shall provide annual public reporting regarding revenues received under this Ordinance through its regular budget and financial reporting processes. The City's annual financial statements shall continue to be subject to an independent audit.

Nothing in this section creates any independent legal right or cause of action regarding expenditure of tax revenues.

SECTION 7. California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). The People of the City find that adoption of this Ordinance is not a project within the meaning of CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) and section 15378(b)(5) because it establishes a governmental funding mechanism and will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable physical change in the environment. Alternatively, and independently, adoption of this Ordinance is exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).

SECTION 8. Severability. If any provision of this Ordinance or its application is held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the People of the City declare that such invalidity shall not affect the effectiveness of the remaining provisions or applications; and, to this end, the provisions of this Ordinance are severable.

SECTION 9. Certification. The City Clerk is directed to certify the passage and adoption of this Ordinance; cause it to be entered into the City’s book of original ordinances; make a note of the passage and adoption in the records of this meeting; and, within fifteen (15) days after certification of the Election results approving this Ordinance, cause it to be published or posted in accordance with California law.

SECTION 10. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall become effective ten (10) days after the City Council certifies the Election results approving the measure pursuant to Elections Code section 9217, and shall become operative as provided in Section 4.

PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the People of the City of Hermosa Beach at the Election held on November 3, 2026.

Mayor Mike Detoy
PRESIDENT of the City Council and MAYOR of the City of Hermosa Beach, CA ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________________ ________________________________ Martha Alvarez Jason Baltimore
City Clerk Interim City Attorney

ORDINANCE NO. 26-XXXX

AN ORDINANCE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ADDING CHAPTER 3.26 TO TITLE 3 OF THE HERMOSA BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO ENACT A ONE-HALF PERCENT (0.5%)

GENERAL TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TAX AND FEE ADMINISTRATION FOR

GENERAL GOVERNMENTAL PURPOSES
WHEREAS, the City of Hermosa Beach (“City”) is a general law city organized and existing under the Constitution and laws of the State of California; and
WHEREAS, the City is authorized to levy a transactions and use tax (“TUT”) for general purposes pursuant to California Revenue and Taxation Code (“Revenue Code”) section 7285.9, subject to majority voter approval and administration by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration ("CDTFA"); and
WHEREAS, the People of the City desire to levy a general TUT at a rate of one-half percent (0.5%) on the sale and/or use of all tangible personal property sold at retail in the City until it is ended by voters (“Measure”); and WHEREAS, the City Council directed preparation of a ballot measure for voter consideration at the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election (“Election”); and
WHEREAS, this Ordinance will be incorporated into Chapter 3.26 to Title 3 of the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code (“HBMC”) if approved by the City Council and voters.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH DO HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. Incorporation of Recitals. The above recitals are true and correct, and are incorporated herein by this reference. This Ordinance shall be known as the “Hermosa Beach General Transactions and Use Tax Ordinance”, the full text of which is set forth in Attachment 1 (attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference).

Exhibit A

SECTION 2. Approval by the City Council. This Ordinance was duly approved for placement on the ballot by at least a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all members of the City Council on July 28, 2026, pursuant to California Government Code section 53724 and Revenue Code section 7285.9.

SECTION 3. Approval by the Voters. This Ordinance shall be adopted only if approved by a majority of the votes cast on the Measure at the Election pursuant to Elections Code section 9217. The Ordinance shall be deemed adopted upon certification of the Election results by the City Council and shall become effective ten (10) days thereafter.

SECTION 4. Operative Date. The operative date of the tax imposed by this Ordinance shall be the first day of the first calendar quarter commencing more than one hundred ten (110) days after the date this Ordinance is adopted, or such later date as required by the Revenue Code or CDTFA.

SECTION 5. Administration. CDTFA shall administer and collect the tax imposed by this Ordinance pursuant to the Revenue Code and applicable regulations. The City Manager, Administrative Services Director, Finance Director (or successor position), and other appropriate City officials are authorized to execute all agreements and documents necessary to implement this Ordinance and HBMC Chapter 3.26.

SECTION 6. Independent Audits and Public Accountability. The City shall provide annual public reporting regarding revenues received under this Ordinance through its regular budget and financial reporting processes. The City's annual financial statements shall continue to be subject to an independent audit.

Nothing in this section creates any independent legal right or cause of action regarding expenditure of tax revenues.

SECTION 7. California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). The People of the City find that adoption of this Ordinance is not a project within the meaning of CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) and section 15378(b)(5) because it establishes a governmental funding mechanism and will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable physical change in the environment. Alternatively, and independently, adoption of this Ordinance is exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).

SECTION 8. Severability. If any provision of this Ordinance or its application is held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the People of the City declare that such invalidity shall not affect the effectiveness of the remaining provisions or applications; and, to this end, the provisions of this Ordinance are severable.

SECTION 9. Certification. The City Clerk is directed to certify the passage and adoption of this Ordinance; cause it to be entered into the City’s book of original ordinances; make a note of the passage and adoption in the records of this meeting; and, within fifteen (15) days after certification of the Election results approving this Ordinance, cause it to be published or posted in accordance with California law.

SECTION 10. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall become effective ten (10) days after the City Council certifies the Election results approving the measure pursuant to Elections Code section 9217, and shall become operative as provided in Section 4.

PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the People of the City of Hermosa Beach at the Election held on November 3, 2026.

Mayor Mike Detoy
PRESIDENT of the City Council and MAYOR of the City of Hermosa Beach, CA ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________________ ________________________________ Martha Alvarez Jason Baltimore
City Clerk Interim City Attorney

JURISDICTION NAME
County of LA Official Use Only: Date Received _______________ Time Received _____________

LETTER DESIGNATION FORM
Please complete this form in order to select your first, second, and third letter designation choice for your jurisdiction’s measure to appear on the ballot. In the event your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice is unavailable, then please select the letter(s) designations that the jurisdiction DOES NOT want selected for its measure. The 3rd option for letter designations would be to create a unique letter designation that is not identified below using less than three letters of the alphabet. For example: County of Los Angeles USD Facilities Improvement measure could use unique letter designations such as CL, LA, LU, UC, LS.

Select your first, second, and third letter designation choice by checking √ off and listing the designated letters below:

CHOICES
1ST _______________________ 2ND _______________________ 3RD _______________________ Select the letters that your jurisdiction DOES NOT want assigned to its measure by marking the letter with an X:

List the Letters here: ___________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ In the event that your jurisdiction’s measure letter designation is not available, then you can select a unique letter designation not shown above:

UNIQUE CHOICE
1ST _______________________ 2ND _______________________ 3RD _______________________ The last day jurisdictions may request in writing specific letter designations for its measure is e-83. The letter designation selections will be approved and communicated to the jurisdictions by e-81. Letter designations are on a first come first serve basis in the order received by the Registrar-Recorder County Clerk Department, Election Coordination Unit, 12400 Imperial Highway, Second Floor, Suite 2013A, Norwalk, California 90650.

NOTE: PLEASE USE ONE (1) FORM PER MEASURE
A
N
AA
NN
B
O
BB
OO
C
P
CC
D
Q
E
R
F
S
G
T
H
U
I
V
K
W
L M
X Y Z

DD EE FF GG HH II KK LL MM

PP QQ RR SS
J
JJ

TT UU VV WW XX YY ZZ

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH II JJ KK LL MM

NN OO PP QQ RR SS TT UU VV WW XX YY ZZ
_____________________

ELECTION DATE

ELECTION DATE: MEASURE I.D. or letter (if any):

JURISDICTION/MEASURE NAME:

Statements will be printed in uniform type, style and spacing according to the County’s system requirements. When preparing your statement, please use block paragraphs and single space format. Entire statements in all capital letters, bold and italics (or any combination of enhancements) are not acceptable. Indentations cannot be accommodated. Words to be printed in boldface type, underscored and/or CAPITALIZED are to be clearly indicated.

All statements should be checked by the authors for spelling and punctuation as the elections official is not permitted to edit any material contained therein. NOTE: Rebuttal arguments are NOT direct arguments. For example, a rebuttal to a direct argument in favor of a measure is NOT a direct argument against a measure. Please also note that rebuttal arguments are allowed only when both a direct argument for AND against a measure are filed. Rebuttal argument authors will not be allowed to be listed as supporters/opponents on the ballot label.

Elections Code section 9170 requires the inclusion of a list of supporters and opponents to follow the text of the condensed ballot measure title and summary (i.e., ballot measure question), provided the listed supporters and opponents meet code requirements. Please provide a list of names to appear on the ballot label as Supporters or Opponents (not to exceed 125 Characters). Pursuant to Elections Code section 9170 (a)(7) if NO list of supporters or opponents is provided or there are none that meet the requirements of this section, then “Supporters:” and “Opponents:” shall be followed by “None submitted.” Write “None submitted” if you are not submitting a list of supporters or opponents.

Supporter(s)/Opponent(s) MUST be a signer/author listed below of a direct argument For or Against a measure.

Please use this space to type your statement. If you need additional space, please attach a typed statement to this form.

Statement will be typeset in the Official Sample Ballot Booklet using a standard font and size determined by the County.

Please mark (X) in the appropriate box

OFFICIAL BALLOT MEASURE LABEL (DO NOT LEAVE THIS AREA BLANK)

ALL AUTHORS MUST SIGN ON THE REVERSE SIDE
Election’s Official Use Only:

Number of Words Number of Characters Project Code Number Election Deputy Time Stamp
Comments:

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

REGISTRAR-RECORDER/COUNTY CLERK

BALLOT LABEL/ARGUMENTS AND REBUTTALS FORM
Direct Argument in Favor (Supporters)
(Word Limit Max: 300)
Direct Argument Against (Opponents)
(Word Limit Max: 300)
Rebuttal to Argument in Favor (Word Limit Max: 250) Rebuttal to Argument Against (Word Limit Max: 250)

DECLARATION BY AUTHOR(S) OF ARGUMENTS OR REBUTTALS
All arguments concerning measures filed pursuant to Division 9, Section 9600 of the Elections Code shall be accompanied by the following declaration to be signed by each author of the argument/rebuttal. Names and titles listed for arguments will be printed in the Official Sample Ballot Booklet. The Author(s) of arguments may also be listed as Supporter(s) or Opponent(s) on the Official Ballot Measure Label, if they are listed on this form under the “Official Ballot Measure Label” box on page 1. Supporter(s)/Opponent(s) MUST be a signer/author listed below of a direct argument for or against a measure.
of ballot measure (Name and/or letter):

Jurisdiction Name & Title of Election:
to be held on (Date of the Election):
hereby state that such argument is true and correct to the best of his/her/their knowledge and belief.

The undersigned signer(s)/author(s) of the:

Direct Argument in Favor (Supporters)
Rebuttal to Argument in Favor
Direct Argument Against (Opponents)
Rebuttal to Argument Against
List by
Priority NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION

SIGNATURE DATE
BALLOT LABEL ABBREVIATED NAME/TITLE:

NAME (PRINT):

TITLE (PRINT):

ADDRESS:

ATTESTATION ATTACHED?
1 CONTACT INFORMATION
IMPORTANT FILING INFORMATION: I, am the designated filer of the above titled argument/rebuttal. Please contact me using the information below, if there are any questions pertaining to this filing.

Mailing Address: E-Mail Address:

Contact Numbers:
(Daytime Phone) (Evening Phone) (Fax)
List by
Priority

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION

SIGNATURE DATE
BALLOT LABEL ABBREVIATED NAME/TITLE:

NAME (PRINT):

TITLE (PRINT):

ADDRESS:

ATTESTATION ATTACHED?
2 List by
Priority

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION

SIGNATURE DATE
BALLOT LABEL ABBREVIATED NAME/TITLE:

NAME (PRINT):

TITLE (PRINT):

ADDRESS:

ATTESTATION ATTACHED?
3 List by
Priority

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION

SIGNATURE DATE
BALLOT LABEL ABBREVIATED NAME/TITLE:

NAME (PRINT):

TITLE (PRINT):

ADDRESS:

ATTESTATION ATTACHED?
4 List by
Priority

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION

SIGNATURE DATE
BALLOT LABEL ABBREVIATED NAME/TITLE:

NAME (PRINT):

TITLE (PRINT):

ADDRESS:

ATTESTATION ATTACHED?
5 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

INDIVIDUAL
(elected or former elected)

INDIVIDUAL NO TITLE
(not elected or formerly elected)

INDIVIDUAL
(elected or former elected)

INDIVIDUAL NO TITLE
(not elected or formerly elected)

INDIVIDUAL
(elected or former elected)

INDIVIDUAL NO TITLE
(not elected or formerly elected)

INDIVIDUAL
(elected or former elected)

INDIVIDUAL NO TITLE
(not elected or formerly elected)

INDIVIDUAL
(elected or former elected)

INDIVIDUAL NO TITLE
(not elected or formerly elected)

OFFICIAL BALLOT MEASURE LABEL
Supporters/Opponents Guidelines
Assembly Bill No. 1416, enacted on September 29, 2022, amended Elections Code sections 303, 9050, 9051, 9053, 13282 and added 9170. Specifically, Elections Code section 9170 requires the inclusion of a list of supporters and opponents (i.e., nonprofit organizations, associations, businesses, or individuals) to follow the text of the condensed ballot measure title and summary, provided these entities and/or individuals meet the code requirements to be included. The criteria for the ballot label are as follows:
• Listing is limited to 125 characters (Spaces, Commas, Semicolons, and other characters are included in the count).
• Listing is limited to five (5) Supporters and or Opponents. • To be within the limit of 125 characters, names may be shortened, and acronyms may be used (Please note if the list provided is over the character limit, the names may require shortening with acronyms, abbreviations, or removal of certain words from the names submitted.). • The list provided must be in ranking order from 1 to 5 (This will ensure names with high ranking are not removed if adjustments are required to meet the 125-character limit). • Measures that share Counties shall not include a list of supporters or Opponents if the other County with the same measure does not include a list of supporters or opponents. • If a listing is not provided or none meet the requirements, “None Submitted” will be listed in place of names.

The sample below shows how the ballot text (label), supporters, and opponents will appear on both the official and sample ballots. The word count displayed by the software Word is also included.

Supporters: None submitted.

Opponents: LA County Firefighters
& Sheriffs; Community Coalition; LA
County Supervisors Kathryn Barger
& Holly J. Mitchell

ARGUMENTS, REBUTTALS, AND BALLOT LABEL FORM STEPS:

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THIS FORM
Election Date:

This is the date the election will be held for the measure. 1 Measure I.D. (if any)
The measure I.D. is the measure letter assigned to the measure. This letter may not yet be available at the time of the filing of your Arguments/Rebuttals form submission. The letter can be added after the filing or the County may provide you with a temporary I.D. to identify the measure. 2 3 Jurisdiction:

The name of the school district, special district, county office, or authority that has placed the measure on the ballot.
4 Please mark (X) in the appropriate box; there are four (4) purposes for using this form:

Direct Argument in Favor (Supporters): Select this option if you are an “Author” filing an argument to support the measure.

Direct Argument Against (Opponents): Select this option if you are an “Author” filing an argument against the measure.

Rebuttal to Argument in Favor: Select this option, if your Direct Argument Against a measure was selected to appear on the ballot. If your direct argument against was selected, then you may file a rebuttal to the Direct Argument in Favor.

Rebuttal to Argument Against: Select this option, if your Direct Argument in Favor was selected to appear on the ballot. If your argument in favor was selected, then you may file a rebuttal to the “Direct Argument Against.” 5 OFFICIAL BALLOT MEASURE LABEL:

This area of the form is MANDATORY to complete if you want to ADD the names of associations, non-profit organizations, or businesses, including names and titles of individuals who are representing such entities to be listed within the 125-character listing of supporters or opponents appearing on the FACE of the ballot directly after the 75-word measure question. Individuals who are elected officials or former elected officials may be listed with their official’s title and “former” as applicable. Individuals who are not current or former elected officials and who do not represent any association, nonprofit organization, or business listed as a supporter or opponent may only have their first name, last name, and if applicable, an honorific (e.g., “Dr.,” “M.D.,” “Ph.D.) listed, but without other title or designation. Please see additional requirements on the following page for Election Code section 9170. If you do not want to add a list of supporters or opponents to the “Official Ballot Measure Label” then “None submitted” will have to be added pursuant to Election Code section 9170. If Author(s) of the Direct Argument in Favor and the Direct Argument Against the ballot measure do not want to have a LIST OF SUPPORTERS or a LIST OF OPPONENTS listed, then the Author(s) must write the words “NONE SUBMITTED” in this area of the form. The LIST OF SUPPORTERS can only be the Authors of the Direct Argument in Favor of the ballot measure. The LIST OF OPPONENTS can only be the Authors of the Direct Argument Against the ballot measure. If you are over the 125 character limit, the elections official will allow you to make changes up until the deadline for filing of the direct argument for or against the measure.

If the measure is shared between counties, the counties shall not include the ballot label unless both counties have authorized to this option. NOTE: Only associations, nonprofit organizations, or businesses not originally created as a committee described in Government Code section 82013 and that have been in existence for at least 4 years can be included in the list of supporters or list of opponents.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

REGISTRAR-RECORDER/COUNTY CLERK

HOW TO COMPLETE THE ARGUMENTS AND REBUTTALS FORM

INCLUDING THE OFFICIAL BALLOT MEASURE LABEL

DECLARATION BY AUTHOR(S) OF ARGUMENTS OR REBUTTALS INCLUDING THE

OFFICIAL BALLOT LABEL SUPPORTERS/OPPONENTS
7 8
The undersigned author(s) of the:

Direct Argument in Favor (Supporters): Select this option if you are filing an argument to support the measure.

Direct Argument Against (Opponents): Select this option if you are filing an argument against the measure.

Rebuttal to Argument in Favor: Select this option, if your direct argument against the measure was selected to appear on the ballot. If your argument against was selected, then you may file a rebuttal to the argument in favor.

Rebuttal to Argument Against: Select this option, if your direct argument in favor was selected to appear on the ballot. If your argument in favor was selected, then you may file a rebuttal to the argument against. 9 Jurisdiction Name and Title of Election:

Include the name of the city, school, special district, or county that has placed the measure on the ballot.

Also, include the title of the election, Primary, General, Special Municipal, etc.

To be held on (Date of Election):

The date of the election when the measure will appear on the ballot. 10 Of ballot measure:

The name of the ballot measure found on the Measures to Appear on the Ballot under the authority that placed the ballot measure on the ballot. If the measure letter is available at the time of filing, that can be included in this area.

Hereby state that such argument or rebuttal written on page one (1) is true and correct to the best of his/her/their knowledge and belief by my (our) signatures below:

This sentence is to state that the authors who sign below acknowledge the arguments for or against, rebuttals, or supporters and opponents are true and correct. The signatures below and next to the authors information certify this statement being true and correct.
11 List by Priority and Association, Business, Non-Profit Organization, & Individual Only:

1) List the names of the argument authors by priority to appear in the sample ballot starting with number one (1).
2) Mark the box which describes who is filing the argument for/against/rebuttal/supporter of the measure/opponent of the measure.
3) Complete the section labeled Individual Name with the author who is representing an association, business, non-profit organization or an individual who is NOT representing an association, business, non-profit organization. 4) If the individual is representing an non-profit organization, business, association, then complete the Individual Title area.
5) Individuals not representing an association, nonprofit organization, or business cannot include a title, so they would leave this blank.
6) Associations, Businesses, organizations, and individuals representing an association, non-profit organization, or business must include the name of the Association/Business/Organization in the Business/Association Name area.
7) For the authors who opted to include a Ballot Label to the face of the ballot, complete the Ballot Label Name/Title area.
8) This area assists the county elections official with identifying the author for the ballot label, which can be abbreviated (please see election code section 9170 for additional requirements and restrictions). 9) Include your address in the address field.
12 Please use this space to type your statement:

This is the space where you can complete your statement of arguments in favor, arguments against, and rebuttal arguments within the required word limit.
6

13 14
CONTACT INFORMATION:

Complete this area with the designated filer’s name, mailing address, email address, contact phone numbers for day and night, and you may include a fax number if it’s available. The designated filer should be able to answer any questions regarding the submission of the filing and its contents.

CHECKLIST FOR ARGUMENTS FOR/AGAINST AND OFFICIAL BALLOT LABEL:

This area provides more details regarding the requirements and restrictions of the official ballot measure label and arguments for and against measures pursuant to Elections Code section 9170. 15 BALLOT LABEL-SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS ATTESTATION FORM:

This form is in lieu of your non-profit organization, business, or association having to create a letter attesting to the support or opposition of a measure and to attest that an individual in your non-profit organization, business, or association can list their name and title as a supporter or opponent on the ballot label because they represent your non-profit organization, business, or association. 1) complete the “Name of Representative” who is authorized to be a direct argument author and therefore be a supporter or opponent listed under the 75-word question. 2) Complete the “Title of the Representative”. This would be their official title as an employee of your non-profit organization, business, association.
3) Complete the “Association/Business/non-profit Organization name 4) Select how you are filing your “Direct Argument”. Only authors of the “Direct Argument” can be listed as a supporter or opponent.
5) Section B: Select all that apply to your filing
6) Complete the “Attestation of Authors” and select all that apply to your filing.

SAMPLE of the SAMPLE BALLOT and the BALLOT LABEL FACE:

This area provides more details regarding the requirements and restrictions of the official ballot measure label and arguments for and against measures pursuant to Elections Code section 9170. 16

The proponents [Signers/Authors/Supporters] of the measure and the opponents [Signers/Authors/ Opponents] of the measure shall provide the list of supporters and the list of opponents described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) of Elections Code section 9170 to the elections official, as applicable, when submitting arguments for or against the measure (by the prescribed deadline of the elections official).

If NO list of supporters is provided by the proponents or there are none that meet the requirements of this section, then “Supporters:” shall be followed by “None submitted.” If NO list of opponents is provided by the opponents or there are none that meet the requirements of this section, then “Opponents:” shall be followed by “None submitted.”
After the text “Supporters:” AND after the text “Opponents:”, a listing of associations, nonprofit organizations, businesses, or individuals taken from the SIGNERS of the Argument in Favor of the measure or Argument Against the measure to be printed in the voter information guide [Sample Ballot Booklet] can be used for the list of Supporters and the list of Opponents provided by the proponents and opponents to the elections official. (Please see the instructions on where to provide your list on the Argument for and Against form).

An association, nonprofit organization, business, or individual shall not be listed [as a supporter on the ballot label] unless they support the measure and an association, nonprofit organization, business, or individual shall not be listed [as an opponent on the ballot label] unless they oppose the measure. (Please see the attestation form provided for additional instructions).

The list of supporters shall not exceed 125 characters in length AND the list of opponents shall not exceed 125 characters in length.

Spaces, commas, semicolons, and other characters count towards the 125-character limit in paragraphs (1) and (2) pursuant to Elec. Code section 9170(a)(4). Each supporter shall be separated by a semicolon and each opponent shall be separated by a semicolon.

The name of an association, nonprofit organization, or business included in the list of supporters and opponents as required by this section may be shortened by the proponents or opponents who submit it using acronyms, abbreviations, or by leaving out words in their name, as long as doing so would not confuse voters with another well-known organization or business that did not take the same position on the ballot measure (e.g., “Hot Air Balloon Flyers of Montana Education Fund” may be shortened to “Hot Air Balloons Montana”). (Elec. Code section 9170(a)(6))

PROHIBITIONS AND ATTESTATIONS
A supporter or opponent shall not be listed pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of Elec. Code section 9170, unless it IS one of the following:

An association, nonprofit organization, or business that was NOT originally created as a committee described in Section 82013 of the Government Code and that has been in existence for at least four years.

A current or former elected official, who may be listed with the official’s title (e.g., “State Senator Mary Smith,” “Assembly Member Carlos Garcia,” or “former Eureka City Council Member Amy Lee”). These titles may be shortened (e.g. “Senator” or “Sen.” for “State Senator” or “Asm.” for “Assembly Member”).

An individual who is NOT a current or former elected official may be listed ONLY with the individual’s first and last name and an honorific (e.g., “Dr.,” “M.D.,” “Ph.D.,” or “Esquire”), with NO other title or designation, unless it is a title representing an association, nonprofit organization, or business that meets the requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B) and that is eligible to be listed under paragraph (1) if the individual supports the measure or under paragraph (2) if the individual opposes the measure. [Please see the attestation form.] A supporter or opponent shall not be listed pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) if the supporter or opponent is a political party or is representing a political party.

CHECKLIST FOR OFFICIAL BALLOT LABEL

County of Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Election Planning Section: [email protected]

BALLOT LABEL - SUPPORTERS/ OPPONENTS ATTESTATION FORM
This form must be included with the filing of your Direct Arguments FOR/AGAINST by the deadline for arguments.

Also, you can copy the information from this form and submit on your organization’s official letterhead. (Elections Code Section 9170 (a)(3)(A)(B)(C); 9170 (5); 9170 (b)(1)(A); 9170(b)(2)(A); 9170(b)(3))

SECTION (A) PLEASE MARK AN (X) ON THE OPTIONS BELOW TO REFLECT YOUR SELECTIONS ON THE ARGUMENTS FOR/AGAINST FORM.

NAME OF REPRESENTATIVE (PRINT):
__________________________________________

ASSOCIATION/BUSINESS/NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION NAME OF THE REPRESENTATIVE:
__________________________________
TITLE OF REPRESENTATIVE:
_________________________________________
ADDRESS:
_________________________________________
I am filing my “Direct Argument” as one (1) of the following:

INDIVIDUAL (WITH TITLE & NON-ELECTED

OFFICIAL)

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
SECTION (B) PLEASE MARK AN (X) ON THE OPTION BELOW AND SIGN BELOW.

ASSOCIATION, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, OR
BUSINESS that was not originally created as a
committee described in Section 82013 of the
Government Code and that has been in existence
for at least four (4) years.

INDIVIDUALS (NON ELECTED OFFICIALS) who are
not a current or former elected official,
representing an association, nonprofit
organization, or business that meets the
requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B) and that
is eligible to be listed under paragraph (1) or (2);
if the INDIVIDUAL supports or opposes the
measure; AND if the association, non-profit
organization, or business supports or opposes
the measure.

ATTESTATION OF AUTHORS
For every supporter & opponent listed (as an author on the ballot label) that is an association, a nonprofit organization, a business, OR an individual whose title includes an association, nonprofit organization, or business must provide a signed statement attesting to the support or opposition to the measure (E.C 9170). Note: Individuals must provide a signed statement from the association, nonprofit organization or business when submitting arguments supporting or opposing the measure.

I, ____________________________________________________(signature of printed name above), am a representative of ____________________________ (association, nonprofit organization, business) under penalty of perjury attest to the following:
that the association, nonprofit organization, or business supports the measure, that the association, nonprofit organization, or business opposes the measure, that the association, nonprofit organization, or business has been in existence for at least four years, and that it was not originally created as a committee described in Section 82013 of the Government Code, that we authorize__________________________ (Individual’s first and last name) to use their title derived from our association, non-profit organization, or business to support or oppose Measure__________________ ___________ ___________________________________(name or letter of measure).

SALES TAX BALLOT MEASURE
JULY 28, 2026

Why This Discussion?
Structural
budget
challenges
Aging public
infrastructure
Rising service
costs
Need for
sustainable
local revenue

Five-Year Fiscal Outlook

What the Measure Does
Establishes a 0.5% local transactions and use (sales)
tax
General tax requiring majority voter approval
Estimated to generate approximately $2 million
annually
Revenue remains locally controlled in the General
Fund

Community Benefits
Maintain public safety services
Repair streets and sidewalks
Maintain parks and public facilities
Support long-term fiscal sustainability
Support other general governmental purposes

Community Survey Results
94% rate quality of life excellent/good
Nearly 80% satisfied with City services
Initial Ballot Test: 56%
After Information: 62%
After Opposition Arguments: 55%

Options for Community/Council Oversight
Option 1 – Annual
City Council Review
• Annual public
report on revenues
and expenditures
• Council discussion
during budget
adoption
• Progress updates
on community
priorities
Option 2 – Council
Finance/Budget
Committee
• Regular review of
sales tax revenues
and spending
• Public meetings
with
recommendations
to the full Council
• Monitor alignment
with stated
community priorities
Option 3 –
Community
Oversight Committee
• Resident advisory
committee
appointed by the
City Council
• Annual review of
revenues,
expenditures, and
project progress
• Public report to
promote
transparency and
accountability
Common Elements
(Regardless of
Option)
• Annual public
financial reporting
• Transparent budget
process
• Opportunities for
public input
Note: As a general tax, revenues remain in the General Fund. Oversight focuses on transparency, reporting, and accountability.

Election Timeline
Council directed staff
to prepare ballot
documents
June 23, 2026
Council considers
election resolutions
July 28, 2026
Deadline to file ballot
arguments
Aug 14, 2026
General Municipal
Election
Nov 3, 2026

General Sales Tax Measure
City Council
Under California law, a twothirds vote of the City Council is required to place a general
sales tax measure on the ballot.

For our 5-member City Council,
this requires 4 affirmative votes.

Voters
Once on the ballot, the
measure requires a simple
majority vote (50% + 1) to pass.

Summary
Adopt resolution placing the measure on the
November 3, 2026 ballot Adopt
Designate Designate Councilmembers to file ballot arguments Select Select ballot letter designation

SALES TAX BALLOT MEASURE
JULY 28, 2026

City of Hermosa Beach | Page 1 of 5
Meeting Date: July 28, 2026
Staff Report No. 26-PR-050
Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council

APPROVAL OF PLACING A BALLOT MEASURE AND PROVIDING FOR THE FILING OF REBUTTAL ARGUMENTS FOR THE MEASURE ON THE NOVEMBER 3, 2026,

GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION, TO ALLOW A DESIGNATED OFF-LEASH DOG

PARK WITHIN THE GREENBELT
CEQA: Determine that adoption of the proposed election resolutions is not a "project" under CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) because the resolutions constitute governmental organizational and administrative activities that do not authorize a physical change to the environment. Any future Dog Park proposal will remain subject to separate CEQA review.
(Parks and Recreation Manager Brian J. Sousa)

A) ADOPT RESOLUTIONS BY TITLE

B) DESIGNATE ONE OR MORE OF ITS COUNCILMEMBERS TO FILE

ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST THE CITY MEASURE

C) SELECT BALLOT LETTER DESIGNATION
Recommended Action:

Staff recommends City Council:

1. Adopt a resolution calling a General Municipal Election on November 3, 2026, to submit to qualified electors a measure to amend Ordinance No. 89-1001 to authorize future consideration of a limited designated off-leash dog park (“Dog Park”) within a portion (Pier Ave. to 11th Street) of the Greenbelt and requesting the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to consolidate the election with the Statewide General Election (Attachment 1);

2. Approve and designate one or more of its Councilmembers to file arguments for and against the City measure (Attachment 3); and

3. Selection of a Ballot Designation Letter for the City’s Ballot Measure establishing a limited designated off-leash dog park on the Greenbelt (Attachment 2).

Executive Summary:

At its May 12, 2026, City Council meeting, City Council directed staff to proceed with a comprehensive feasibility analysis of Valley Park (East) as the primary location and the Greenbelt as a secondary location for a Dog Park, and to return with information on a potential ballot measure regarding the Greenbelt location.

Accordingly, this report presents the proposed election resolution for City Council consideration regarding the potential placement of a limited designated off-leash Dog Park measure on the November 3, 2026, ballot. Voter approval is required to partially

City of Hermosa Beach | Page 2 of 5
amend Ordinance 89-1001 for limited use of dogs off-leash and building public improvements of the Greenbelt. The proposed measure does not approve a Dog Park or authorize construction; rather, it authorizes future consideration of a Dog Park, subject to subsequent City Council approval, environmental review, and all other required discretionary approvals.

Background:

In response to community interest in establishing an off-leash Dog Park in Hermosa Beach (“City”), City Council directed staff on March 11, 2025, to evaluate the feasibility of establishing such a facility within the City (“Feasibility Review”). The Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission subsequently established a Community Dog Park Subcommittee to work with staff and Bark for a Park (BFAP), a community organization advocating for the establishment of a Dog Park.

The Feasibility Review included research regarding comparable facilities and best practices; site evaluations; consideration of operations and maintenance responsibilities; review of grading, drainage, and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”) accessibility requirements; community outreach; and evaluation of potential locations.

On March 3, 2026, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (Commission) recommended that City Council further evaluate Valley Park (East) and a portion of the Greenbelt.

The Greenbelt was acquired following voter approval of Proposition D on June 7, 1988.

The City Council subsequently adopted Ordinance No. 89-1001 (Attachment 5) on the November 7, 1989, Sample Ballot (Attachment 6), which preserved the property for parkland and open-space purposes and requires dogs within the Greenbelt to remain on leash. Following voter approval of the ordinance, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 89-5329 on November 28, 1989, implementing the measure. Because Ordinance No. 89- 1001 was approved by the electorate, an amendment authorizing an off-leash Dog Park within the Greenbelt requires voter approval.

At its May 12, 2026, meeting, City Council considered the results of the initial Dog Park Feasibility Review. Council directed continued consideration of Valley Park (East) and the Greenbelt and directed staff to return with a proposed ballot measure for the Greenbelt and an agreement addressing BFAP’s role and financial responsibilities associated with continued evaluation.

Past Commission and Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
City Council:

March 11, 2025
City Council directed staff to prepare a feasibility report regarding the off-leash dog park proposal submitted by the

City of Hermosa Beach | Page 3 of 5
Meeting Date Description
community organization, Bark for a Park, and to provide such report to the Commission prior to City Council review
Commission:

September 2, 2025
Commission approved the creation of the Community Dog Park subcommittee consisting of Commissioners Ellman and Worner.

Commission:

March 03, 2026
Commission recommended advancing the review of the
feasibility for an off-leash dog park to City Council with the Commission’s preference to further explore a location in Valley Park (East) and the portion of Greenbelt, and the City explore the possibility of placing a public ballot measure to consider amending Ordinance No. 89-1001.

City Council:

May 12, 2026
City Council directed staff to proceed with a comprehensive feasibility analysis of Valley Park East as the primary location and Greenbelt as a secondary location, and to return with information on a potential ballot measure regarding the Greenbelt location.

Discussion:

The initial feasibility review determined that neither Valley Park (East) nor the Greenbelt should advance to project approval without additional site-specific analysis and comprehensive review, including community input. Each location presents different opportunities and constraints.

Ordinance No. 89-1001 (Attachment 5) currently requires dogs within the Greenbelt to remain on leash. A designated off-leash dog park within the Greenbelt therefore cannot be considered without an amendment to the voter-approved ordinance.

The proposed election resolution (Attachment 1) would place a measure before Hermosa Beach voters at the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election. Consistent with the City Council's May 12, 2026, direction, continued feasibility analysis of both the Greenbelt and Valley Park (East) may proceed administratively and does not require additional legislative authorization. The proposed election resolution is therefore limited to placing the proposed amendment to Ordinance No. 89-1001 before the voters and preserving the City's future discretion regarding any potential Dog Park proposal or its location.

The proposed ballot question to be submitted to the voters is as follows:
“Shall the measure to amend Ordinance No. 89-1001 to allow the City of Hermosa Beach to establish and operate a limited designated off-leash Dog Park within a specific portion of the Greenbelt, while maintaining all other existing restrictions including leash requirements outside the designated area (subject to City Council approval, environmental review, and ongoing maintenance), be adopted?”

City of Hermosa Beach | Page 4 of 5
The measure is intentionally limited in scope. If approved by a majority of voters, it would amend the existing restriction to allow the City to consider a designated off-leash Dog Park within a portion of the Greenbelt. It would not approve a Dog Park or require the City to proceed with the Project.

Any future Greenbelt Dog Park proposal would remain subject to a separate discretionary review. The City Council would retain authority to approve, modify, condition, relocate, phase, suspend, or deny a future proposal or request.

The resolution would not authorize construction or obligate the City to fund, construct, operate, maintain, or continue implementation of a dog park.

Additionally, it should be noted that Section 6 of the proposed Resolution provides that the City Council may designate one or more of its Councilmembers to file arguments for and against the measure. Staff will seek direction at the City Council meeting if any Councilmembers would like to file an argument in accordance with the attached form (Attachment 3).

Ballot Measure Letter Designation
The City Council may request the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder to assign a particular letter to the City-initiated ballot. The attached form (Attachment 2) allows the City Council to choose a first, second, and third letter designation as well as letter choices that the City Council does not want assigned to this measure.

Community-Led Public Outreach Campaign
The City Council may assign two Councilmembers and if they find supporters of the measure, they will need to file an argument of support for the measure by August 14, 2026 (Attachment 4), and they can be listed on the ballot as official supporters.

Environmental Analysis:

Adoption of the proposed election resolutions is not a "project" under CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) because the resolutions constitute governmental organizational and administrative activities that do not authorize a physical change to the environment. In addition, the resolutions preserve the City's discretion regarding future project approvals and do not approve construction or implementation of a Dog Park. Any future Dog Park proposal will remain subject to separate CEQA review before any discretionary project approval is granted.

Options for Council Consideration:

City Council may:

1. Adopt the proposed election resolution;

2. Adopt the election resolution with modifications;

City of Hermosa Beach | Page 5 of 5

3. Decline to place the proposed measure before the voters; or

4. Provide alternative direction to staff.

Fiscal Impact:

The estimated incremental cost of placing the proposed measure on the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election ballot is approximately $1,400, which will be paid to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk for election administration services. Sufficient funding is available within the City's adopted Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget to cover these costs.

Attachments:

1. Draft Resolution

2. Ballot Letter Designation Form

3. Arguments and Rebuttals Form

4. Ballot Label – Supporters/Opponents Attestation Form

5. Ordinance No. 89-1001

6. November 7, 1989, Sample Ballot
Respectfully Submitted by: Brian J. Sousa, Parks and Recreation Manager Concur: Lisa Nichols, Parks and Recreation Director
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Henry Chao, Finance Manager
Reviewed by: Brandon Walker, Administrative Services Director Legal Review: Jason Baltimore, Interim City Attorney
Approved: Steve Napolitano, City Manager

CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH
RESOLUTION NO. 26-XXXX

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH,

CALIFORNIA, SUBMITTING TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS AT THE NOVEMBER 3, 2026, GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION A MEASURE TO AMEND ORDINANCE NO. 89-1001 TO AUTHORIZE FUTURE

CONSIDERATION OF A LIMITED DESIGNATED OFF-LEASH DOG PARK

WITHIN A PORTION OF THE GREENBELT, PROVIDING FOR THE FILING OF

ARGUMENTS, DIRECTING THE CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE AN IMPARTIAL

ANALYSIS, AND REQUESTING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOS

ANGELES COUNTY CONSENT TO THE CONSOLIDATION THEREOF
WHEREAS, the City of Hermosa Beach (“City”) owns and operates public parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities for the benefit of residents and visitors; and
WHEREAS, the City’s electorate approved local ballot measure Proposition D on June 7, 1988, authorizing setting aside funds so the City could purchase the Santa Fe Railroad right-of-way (“Santa Fe Railroad”) for conversion to open space and recreational use; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 89-1001 dated November 7, 1989, which renamed the purchased Santa Fe Railroad property to the Greenbelt Area (“Greenbelt”), preserved the Greenbelt for parkland and open space purposes, and mandated that all dogs be on a leash within the Greenbelt; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 89-5329 dated November 28, 1989, implementing Ordinance No. 89-1001 following certification of its passage by a majority of the City’s electorate; and WHEREAS, Bark for a Park (“BFAP”) is a community organization advocating for the establishment of an off-leash dog park (“Dog Park”) within the City and submitted conceptual proposals and supporting materials to the City regarding potential locations, design concepts, operational considerations, and funding opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the City Council directed staff to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a Dog Park within the City in response to BFAP’s proposal at its March 11, 2025 meeting; and
WHEREAS, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission established a Community Dog Park Subcommittee, and recommended that the City Council further evaluate Valley Park (East) and a portion of the Greenbelt as potential locations for a future Dog Park on March 3, 2026 (“Feasibility Review”); and WHEREAS, the Feasibility Review included best-practice research, evaluation of comparable dog parks in neighboring jurisdictions, review of operational and maintenance obligations, analysis of grading, drainage, and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”) accessibility requirements, community outreach, and conceptual site evaluation; and WHEREAS, the Feasibility Review identified a portion of the Greenbelt as a potentially feasible location due to its central location, minimal residential impacts, and open-space configuration; however, the review also identified legal, environmental, infrastructure, and operational constraints including restrictions imposed by Ordinance No. 89-1001 and Chapter 17.32 of the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, BFAP represented a willingness to fund and prepare certain predevelopment, design, environmental review, feasibility analysis, and potential construction and operations and maintenance costs (subject to future City approval and written agreements); and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to provide additional recreational amenities for residents, including a potential off-leash dog park; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that additional environmental review, ADA analysis, grading review, operational planning, engineering analysis, and permitting review may be necessary before any final Dog Park project can be approved or constructed; and

WHEREAS, the City Council finds that any future Dog Park proposal within the Greenbelt must remain subject to separate review regarding ADA accessibility, grading, drainage, operations, maintenance, funding, environmental impacts, and site-specific feasibility; and WHEREAS, the City Council further finds that voter consideration of a narrowly tailored ordinance amendment may occur prior to completion of all project-level technical studies, provided future City discretion and environmental review are preserved; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to submit to the voters at a General Municipal Election a narrowly tailored amendment authorizing future consideration of a designated off-leash dog park within a limited portion of the Greenbelt; while preserving future City discretion regarding final location, design, environmental review, and implementation; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution No. Res-26-7557 dated June 23, 2026, calling and giving notice of a General Municipal Election to be held in the City on November 3, 2026 (“Election”); and
WHEREAS, the City Council is authorized and directed by statute to submit the proposed ordinance to the voters at the same Election;

NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH,

CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE, DECLARE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. Incorporation of Recitals. The recitals above are true and correct, and are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

SECTION 2. Submission of Measure. The City Council directs submitting the following proposed ordinance at the Election pursuant to the requirements of the laws of the State of California relating to general law cities:

Shall Ordinance No. 89-1001 be amended to
authorize future consideration of a limited
designated off-leash dog park within a portion of the
Greenbelt; while preserving all other Greenbelt
restrictions and requiring future City approvals,
environmental review, and compliance with
applicable law before any dog park may be
established??
YES
NO
SECTION 3. Ordinance. The text of the ordinance submitted to the voters is set forth in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.

SECTION 4. Vote Requirement. The vote requirement for the measure to pass is a majority of the votes cast on the measure pursuant to Elections Code section 9217.

SECTION 5. Election. The County of Los Angeles (“County”) Board of Supervisors (“Board”) is hereby requested to consent and agree to the consolidation of a General Municipal Election with the Statewide General election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (“Consolidated Election”), for the purpose of submitting the proposed ordinance to the voters pursuant to Election Code Section 10403.
a. Election Returns. The County election department is
authorized to canvass the returns of the Consolidated Election. The Consolidated Election shall be held in all respects as if there were only one Election, and only one form of ballot shall be used. The Consolidated Election will be held and conducted in accordance with the provisions of law regulating the statewide or special election.
b. Instructions. The County Board is requested to issue instructions to the County election department to take any and all steps necessary for the holding of the Consolidated Election.

c. Additional Costs. The City recognizes that additional costs will be incurred by the County by reason of this consolidation and agrees to reimburse the County for any costs.
d. Election Certification. The City Clerk is hereby directed to file a certified copy of this Resolution with the County Board and election department. The City Clerk is further authorized and directed to take all actions necessary to conduct the election in accordance with the Elections Code.

SECTION 6. Direct Arguments. Pursuant to Elections Code section 9282, direct arguments for or against the measure may be filed by: (a) the City Council or any member or members authorized by the City Council; (b) any bona fide association of citizens; (c) any individual eligible voter who is eligible to vote on the measure; or (d) any combination of the foregoing.
a. No direct argument shall exceed three hundred (300)
words and shall be filed with the City Clerk not later than the deadline established pursuant to the Elections Code and the City Clerk's election calendar. b. Each argument shall be accompanied by the forms,
signatures, and certifications required by the Elections Code and the City Clerk. c. If more than one direct argument for or against the
measure is timely submitted, the City Clerk shall select the argument for printing in accordance with the priority established by Elections Code section 9287. d. The City Clerk is authorized to determine whether
submitted arguments comply with the Elections Code and this Resolution, and may reject or require correction of any noncompliant submission to the extent permitted by law.

SECTION 7. Rebuttal Arguments. When direct arguments for and against the measure have been selected for printing, the authors of those selected direct arguments may prepare and file rebuttal arguments pursuant to Elections Code section 9285.

a. Each rebuttal argument shall not exceed two hundred
fifty (250) words.
b. Each rebuttal argument shall be filed with the City Clerk no later than the deadline established pursuant to the Elections Code and the City Clerk's election calendar.
c. Each rebuttal argument shall be accompanied by the
forms, signatures, and certifications required by the Elections Code and the City Clerk.
d. Rebuttal arguments shall be printed in the voter
information guide following the direct arguments.
e. The City Clerk is authorized to reject any rebuttal
argument that does not comply with applicable provisions of the Elections Code or this Resolution.

SECTION 8. Impartial Analysis. The City Attorney is directed to prepare and file with the City Clerk an impartial analysis of Measure [_____]_pursuant to Elections Code section 9280.
a. Requirements. The impartial analysis shall: (a) show the effect of the measure on existing law; (b) describe the operation and legal effect of the measure; (c) be impartial, objective, and limited to an explanation of the measure's purpose and legal effect; (d) not exceed five hundred (500) words, unless otherwise authorized by law; (e) be filed with the City Clerk within the time prescribed by the Elections Code and the election calendar established by the City Clerk; and (f) the City Attorney may make minor technical, formatting, typographical, or other non-substantive revisions to the impartial analysis before publication, provided such revisions do not materially alter its substance. b. Administration. The City Clerk is authorized and directed to cause the impartial analysis, direct arguments, and rebuttal arguments to be printed and distributed in the voter information guide in accordance with the Elections Code and applicable County election procedures. The City Clerk is authorized to make any non-substantive formatting or administrative revisions necessary to comply with County printing requirements.

SECTION 9. Preservation of Future Discretion. Nothing in this Resolution: (a) approves a final Dog Park location; (b) approves a specific site plan, design, or construction project; (c) authorizes construction of any improvements; (d) satisfies future environmental obligations; (e) limits the City’s future discretion regarding location, design, environmental review, operations, maintenance, funding, or project approval; (f) obligates the City to construct, fund, operate, or maintain any future Dog Park; or (g) creates vested rights in BFAP or any other person or entity.
a. Sole Discretion. The City retains sole and absolute
discretion regarding whether to approve, modify, condition, relocate, phase, suspend, or deny any future Dog Park proposal following completion of applicable technical studies, environmental review, and public hearings. b. Additional Locations. The City may consider locations within a broader designated Greenbelt area and may refine the ultimate site location following completion of future ADA, engineering, environmental, operational, drainage, grading, parking, and feasibility analysis.

SECTION 10. No Funding Commitment. Nothing in this Resolution commits the City to expend public funds for the planning, design, construction, operation, or maintenance of any future Dog Park. Any future funding commitment shall require separate City Council approval.

SECTION 11. California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). The City Council finds that this Resolution is not a "project" under CEQA Guidelines sections 15378(b)(4) and 15378(b)(5) because it constitutes organizational and administrative activity and does not approve any specific project or authorize any physical change to the environment. Any future Dog Park proposal shall remain subject to separate environmental review, ADA review, engineering analysis, operational review, permitting requirements, and discretionary approvals. The City Council further finds that adoption of this Resolution constitutes organizational and governmental planning activity and does not commit the City to any definite course of action regarding a physical project.

SECTION 12. Severability. If any section or provision of this Resolution is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, or contravened by reason of any preemptive legislation, the remaining

sections and/or provisions of this Resolution shall remain valid. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this Resolution, and each section or provision thereof, regardless of the fact that any one or more section(s) or provision(s) may be declared invalid or unconstitutional or contravened via legislation.

SECTION 13. Certification. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Resolution; cause the same to be entered among the original resolutions of the City; and make a minute of the passage and adoption thereof in the records of the proceedings of the City Council in the minutes of the meeting at which time same is passed and adopted.

SECTION 14. Effective Date. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption. The proposed ordinance submitted by this Resolution shall become effective only if approved by a majority of the votes cast on the measure at the Election.

PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED on this 28th day of July 2026. ______________________________________________________________________________ Mayor Mike Detoy
PRESIDENT of the City Council and MAYOR of the City of Hermosa Beach, CA ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_______________________________ ________________________________ Martha Alvarez Jason Baltimore
City Clerk Interim City Attorney

ORDINANCE NO. 26-XXXX

AN ORDINANCE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 89-1001 TO AUTHORIZE FUTURE

CONSIDERATION OF A LIMITED DESIGNATED OFF-LEASH DOG PARK

WITHIN A PORTION OF THE GREENBELT, AND WHILE PRESERVING ALL

OTHER GREENBELT RESTRICTIONS AND FUTURE CITY DISCRETION WHEREAS, the City of Hermosa Beach (“City”) owns and operates public parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities for the benefit of residents and visitors; and
WHEREAS, the City’s electorate approved local ballot measure Proposition D on June 7, 1988, authorizing setting aside funds so the City could purchase the Santa Fe Railroad right-of-way (“Santa Fe Railroad”) for conversion to open space and recreational use; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 89-1001 dated November 7, 1989, which renamed the purchased Santa Fe Railroad property to the Greenbelt Area (“Greenbelt”), preserved the Greenbelt for parkland and open space purposes, and mandated that all dogs be on a leash within the Greenbelt; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 89-5329 dated November 28, 1989, implementing Ordinance No. 89-1001 following certification of its passage by a majority of the City’s electorate; and WHEREAS, the Greenbelt is preserved for parkland and open space purposes pursuant to Ordinance No. 89-1001; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 89-1001 currently requires dogs within the Greenbelt to remain on leash; and
WHEREAS, the City desires only to authorize future consideration of a limited, designated off-leash dog park ("Dog Park") within a portion of the Greenbelt while preserving the Greenbelt's overall open-space character, all other existing Greenbelt protections, and the City's discretion regarding whether any future Dog Park should ultimately be approved; and
Exhibit A

WHEREAS, the City intends that any future Dog Park remain subject to additional environmental review, technical analysis, discretionary approvals, and operational requirements; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that any future Dog Park proposal within the Greenbelt must remain subject to separate review regarding Americans with Disability Act of 1990 (“ADA”) accessibility, grading, drainage, operations, maintenance, funding, environmental impacts, and site-specific feasibility; and WHEREAS, the City Council seeks to amend Ordinance No. 89-1001 to authorize future consideration of a designated off-leash Dog Park within a limited portion of the Greenbelt, while preserving the Greenbelt’s character as open space and retaining future City discretion regarding implementation.

THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH, CALIFORNIA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. Incorporation of Recitals. The above recitals are true and correct, and are incorporated herein by this reference. This Ordinance shall be known as the City of Hermosa Beach Greenbelt Amendment Ordinance.

SECTION 2. Amendment. Section 4 of Ordinance No. 89-1001 is amended to add the following language: “Notwithstanding any provision requiring dogs to be on leash within the Greenbelt, the City Council may (following any required environmental review and discretionary approvals) designate a specific limited area within the Greenbelt for future consideration as an off-leash Dog Park.”
SECTION 3. Limitations. Any future Dog Park approved pursuant to this Ordinance shall: (a) be limited to a specific area designated by the City Council; (b) preserve the overall open-space character and visual continuity of the Greenbelt; (c) remain subject to all required environmental review under CEQA, all applicable Federal, state, and local laws, and all discretionary approvals required by the City; (d) comply with ADA, California Building Code accessibility requirements, and any applicable path-of-travel standards; (e) be subject to Cityapproved operational rules and maintenance standards; (f) remain subject to future discretionary approvals; and (g) remain subject to further review regarding grading, drainage, utilities, parking, accessibility, operations, maintenance, engineering, public safety, and site-specific feasibility.

SECTION 4. Retention of Existing Restrictions. Except as expressly provided herein, all provisions of Ordinance No. 89-1001 remain in full force and effect; including the requirement that dogs remain on leash throughout the Greenbelt outside any future designated Dog Park area.

SECTION 5. Implementation. Nothing in this Ordinance shall be construed to: (a) approve a final Dog Park location; (b) approve a site plan or construction project; (c) authorize construction; (d) satisfy environmental obligations; (e) obligate the City to fund, reimburse, construct, operate, maintain, or otherwise implement a Dog Park; (f) create vested rights in any person or entity; (g) limit the City’s future discretion regarding location, design, operations, maintenance, funding, or implementation; or (h) limit the City's authority to determine that no Dog Park should ultimately be approved following completion of future studies and public review. The City retains sole and absolute discretion regarding whether to approve, modify, condition, relocate, phase, suspend, or deny any future Dog Park proposal following completion of applicable technical studies, environmental review, and public hearings.

SECTION 6. Approval by the City Council. Pursuant to California Election Code Section 9222, this Ordinance was duly approved for placement on the ballot on [______], 2026.

SECTION 7. Approval by the Voters. Pursuant to California Elections Code Section 9217, this Ordinance shall be deemed adopted and take effect only if approved by a majority of the votes cast on the measure at the General Municipal Election of November 3, 2026. It shall be deemed adopted when the City Council has certified the results of that election by resolution and shall take effect ten (10) days thereafter.

SECTION 8. No City Funding Commitment. Nothing in this Ordinance appropriates funds or shall be construed as a commitment that City funds will be used for planning, design, construction, operation, or maintenance of any future Dog Park. Any such commitment shall require separate City Council approval.

SECTION 9. California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). The People of the City find that adoption of this Ordinance constitutes organizational and governmental planning activity and does not approve a specific project or authorize any physical change to the environment. Accordingly, this Ordinance is not a "project" within the meaning of CEQA Guidelines sections 15378(b)(4) and 15378(b)(5). Any future Dog Park proposal shall remain subject to separate environmental review, technical analysis, permitting requirements, and discretionary approvals. The People further find that this Ordinance constitutes organizational and governmental planning activity and does not commit the City to any definite course of action regarding a physical project.

SECTION 10. Severability. If any part of this Ordinance or its application is deemed invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the the People of the City intend that such invalidity will not affect the effectiveness of the remaining provisions or applications; and, to this end, the provisions of this Ordinance are severable.

SECTION 11. Certification. The City Clerk is directed to certify the passage and adoption of this Ordinance; cause it to be entered into the City’s book of original ordinances; make a note of the passage and adoption in the records of this meeting; and, within fifteen (15) days after the Ordinance’s passage and adoption, cause it to be published or posted in accordance with California law.

SECTION 12. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall become effective ten (10) days after the City Council certifies the election results approving the measure pursuant to Elections Code section 9217.

SECTION 13. Construction and Interpretation. This Ordinance shall be construed narrowly as providing legislative authority for future consideration of a Dog Park within a designated portion of the Greenbelt; and shall not be interpreted as approving any specific project, physical improvement, funding commitment, or maintenance obligation. The City retains sole and absolute discretion regarding whether to approve, modify, condition, relocate, phase, suspend, or deny any future Dog Park proposal following completion of applicable technical studies, environmental review, and public hearings. Nothing in this Ordinance shall be interpreted as creating any vested right or entitlement to approval, construction, operation, or continued operation of a Dog Park within the Greenbelt.

PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the People of the City of Hermosa Beach on the 3rd day of November 2026 as the Hermosa Beach Greenbelt Amendment Ordinance.

Mayor Mike Detoy
PRESIDENT of the City Council and MAYOR of the City of Hermosa Beach, CA ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________________ ________________________________ Martha Alvarez Jason Baltimore
City Clerk Interim City Attorney

JURISDICTION NAME
County of LA Official Use Only: Date Received _______________ Time Received _____________

LETTER DESIGNATION FORM
Please complete this form in order to select your first, second, and third letter designation choice for your jurisdiction’s measure to appear on the ballot. In the event your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice is unavailable, then please select the letter(s) designations that the jurisdiction DOES NOT want selected for its measure. The 3rd option for letter designations would be to create a unique letter designation that is not identified below using less than three letters of the alphabet. For example: County of Los Angeles USD Facilities Improvement measure could use unique letter designations such as CL, LA, LU, UC, LS.

Select your first, second, and third letter designation choice by checking √ off and listing the designated letters below:

CHOICES
1ST _______________________ 2ND _______________________ 3RD _______________________ Select the letters that your jurisdiction DOES NOT want assigned to its measure by marking the letter with an X:

List the Letters here: ___________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ In the event that your jurisdiction’s measure letter designation is not available, then you can select a unique letter designation not shown above:

UNIQUE CHOICE
1ST _______________________ 2ND _______________________ 3RD _______________________ The last day jurisdictions may request in writing specific letter designations for its measure is e-83. The letter designation selections will be approved and communicated to the jurisdictions by e-81. Letter designations are on a first come first serve basis in the order received by the Registrar-Recorder County Clerk Department, Election Coordination Unit, 12400 Imperial Highway, Second Floor, Suite 2013A, Norwalk, California 90650.

NOTE: PLEASE USE ONE (1) FORM PER MEASURE
A
N
AA
NN
B
O
BB
OO
C
P
CC
D
Q
E
R
F
S
G
T
H
U
I
V
K
W
L M
X Y Z

DD EE FF GG HH II KK LL MM

PP QQ RR SS
J
JJ

TT UU VV WW XX YY ZZ

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH II JJ KK LL MM

NN OO PP QQ RR SS TT UU VV WW XX YY ZZ
_____________________

ELECTION DATE

ELECTION DATE: MEASURE I.D. or letter (if any):

JURISDICTION/MEASURE NAME:

Statements will be printed in uniform type, style and spacing according to the County’s system requirements. When preparing your statement, please use block paragraphs and single space format. Entire statements in all capital letters, bold and italics (or any combination of enhancements) are not acceptable. Indentations cannot be accommodated. Words to be printed in boldface type, underscored and/or CAPITALIZED are to be clearly indicated.

All statements should be checked by the authors for spelling and punctuation as the elections official is not permitted to edit any material contained therein. NOTE: Rebuttal arguments are NOT direct arguments. For example, a rebuttal to a direct argument in favor of a measure is NOT a direct argument against a measure. Please also note that rebuttal arguments are allowed only when both a direct argument for AND against a measure are filed. Rebuttal argument authors will not be allowed to be listed as supporters/opponents on the ballot label.

Elections Code section 9170 requires the inclusion of a list of supporters and opponents to follow the text of the condensed ballot measure title and summary (i.e., ballot measure question), provided the listed supporters and opponents meet code requirements. Please provide a list of names to appear on the ballot label as Supporters or Opponents (not to exceed 125 Characters). Pursuant to Elections Code section 9170 (a)(7) if NO list of supporters or opponents is provided or there are none that meet the requirements of this section, then “Supporters:” and “Opponents:” shall be followed by “None submitted.” Write “None submitted” if you are not submitting a list of supporters or opponents.

Supporter(s)/Opponent(s) MUST be a signer/author listed below of a direct argument For or Against a measure.

Please use this space to type your statement. If you need additional space, please attach a typed statement to this form.

Statement will be typeset in the Official Sample Ballot Booklet using a standard font and size determined by the County.

Please mark (X) in the appropriate box

OFFICIAL BALLOT MEASURE LABEL (DO NOT LEAVE THIS AREA BLANK)

ALL AUTHORS MUST SIGN ON THE REVERSE SIDE
Election’s Official Use Only:

Number of Words Number of Characters Project Code Number Election Deputy Time Stamp
Comments:

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

REGISTRAR-RECORDER/COUNTY CLERK

BALLOT LABEL/ARGUMENTS AND REBUTTALS FORM
Direct Argument in Favor (Supporters)
(Word Limit Max: 300)
Direct Argument Against (Opponents)
(Word Limit Max: 300)
Rebuttal to Argument in Favor (Word Limit Max: 250) Rebuttal to Argument Against (Word Limit Max: 250)

DECLARATION BY AUTHOR(S) OF ARGUMENTS OR REBUTTALS
All arguments concerning measures filed pursuant to Division 9, Section 9600 of the Elections Code shall be accompanied by the following declaration to be signed by each author of the argument/rebuttal. Names and titles listed for arguments will be printed in the Official Sample Ballot Booklet. The Author(s) of arguments may also be listed as Supporter(s) or Opponent(s) on the Official Ballot Measure Label, if they are listed on this form under the “Official Ballot Measure Label” box on page 1. Supporter(s)/Opponent(s) MUST be a signer/author listed below of a direct argument for or against a measure.
of ballot measure (Name and/or letter):

Jurisdiction Name & Title of Election:
to be held on (Date of the Election):
hereby state that such argument is true and correct to the best of his/her/their knowledge and belief.

The undersigned signer(s)/author(s) of the:

Direct Argument in Favor (Supporters)
Rebuttal to Argument in Favor
Direct Argument Against (Opponents)
Rebuttal to Argument Against
List by
Priority NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION

SIGNATURE DATE
BALLOT LABEL ABBREVIATED NAME/TITLE:

NAME (PRINT):

TITLE (PRINT):

ADDRESS:

ATTESTATION ATTACHED?
1 CONTACT INFORMATION
IMPORTANT FILING INFORMATION: I, am the designated filer of the above titled argument/rebuttal. Please contact me using the information below, if there are any questions pertaining to this filing.

Mailing Address: E-Mail Address:

Contact Numbers:
(Daytime Phone) (Evening Phone) (Fax)
List by
Priority

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION

SIGNATURE DATE
BALLOT LABEL ABBREVIATED NAME/TITLE:

NAME (PRINT):

TITLE (PRINT):

ADDRESS:

ATTESTATION ATTACHED?
2 List by
Priority

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION

SIGNATURE DATE
BALLOT LABEL ABBREVIATED NAME/TITLE:

NAME (PRINT):

TITLE (PRINT):

ADDRESS:

ATTESTATION ATTACHED?
3 List by
Priority

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION

SIGNATURE DATE
BALLOT LABEL ABBREVIATED NAME/TITLE:

NAME (PRINT):

TITLE (PRINT):

ADDRESS:

ATTESTATION ATTACHED?
4 List by
Priority

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION

SIGNATURE DATE
BALLOT LABEL ABBREVIATED NAME/TITLE:

NAME (PRINT):

TITLE (PRINT):

ADDRESS:

ATTESTATION ATTACHED?
5 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

INDIVIDUAL
(elected or former elected)

INDIVIDUAL NO TITLE
(not elected or formerly elected)

INDIVIDUAL
(elected or former elected)

INDIVIDUAL NO TITLE
(not elected or formerly elected)

INDIVIDUAL
(elected or former elected)

INDIVIDUAL NO TITLE
(not elected or formerly elected)

INDIVIDUAL
(elected or former elected)

INDIVIDUAL NO TITLE
(not elected or formerly elected)

INDIVIDUAL
(elected or former elected)

INDIVIDUAL NO TITLE
(not elected or formerly elected)

OFFICIAL BALLOT MEASURE LABEL
Supporters/Opponents Guidelines
Assembly Bill No. 1416, enacted on September 29, 2022, amended Elections Code sections 303, 9050, 9051, 9053, 13282 and added 9170. Specifically, Elections Code section 9170 requires the inclusion of a list of supporters and opponents (i.e., nonprofit organizations, associations, businesses, or individuals) to follow the text of the condensed ballot measure title and summary, provided these entities and/or individuals meet the code requirements to be included. The criteria for the ballot label are as follows:
• Listing is limited to 125 characters (Spaces, Commas, Semicolons, and other characters are included in the count).
• Listing is limited to five (5) Supporters and or Opponents. • To be within the limit of 125 characters, names may be shortened, and acronyms may be used (Please note if the list provided is over the character limit, the names may require shortening with acronyms, abbreviations, or removal of certain words from the names submitted.). • The list provided must be in ranking order from 1 to 5 (This will ensure names with high ranking are not removed if adjustments are required to meet the 125-character limit). • Measures that share Counties shall not include a list of supporters or Opponents if the other County with the same measure does not include a list of supporters or opponents. • If a listing is not provided or none meet the requirements, “None Submitted” will be listed in place of names.

The sample below shows how the ballot text (label), supporters, and opponents will appear on both the official and sample ballots. The word count displayed by the software Word is also included.

Supporters: None submitted.

Opponents: LA County Firefighters
& Sheriffs; Community Coalition; LA
County Supervisors Kathryn Barger
& Holly J. Mitchell

ARGUMENTS, REBUTTALS, AND BALLOT LABEL FORM STEPS:

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THIS FORM
Election Date:

This is the date the election will be held for the measure. 1 Measure I.D. (if any)
The measure I.D. is the measure letter assigned to the measure. This letter may not yet be available at the time of the filing of your Arguments/Rebuttals form submission. The letter can be added after the filing or the County may provide you with a temporary I.D. to identify the measure. 2 3 Jurisdiction:

The name of the school district, special district, county office, or authority that has placed the measure on the ballot.
4 Please mark (X) in the appropriate box; there are four (4) purposes for using this form:

Direct Argument in Favor (Supporters): Select this option if you are an “Author” filing an argument to support the measure.

Direct Argument Against (Opponents): Select this option if you are an “Author” filing an argument against the measure.

Rebuttal to Argument in Favor: Select this option, if your Direct Argument Against a measure was selected to appear on the ballot. If your direct argument against was selected, then you may file a rebuttal to the Direct Argument in Favor.

Rebuttal to Argument Against: Select this option, if your Direct Argument in Favor was selected to appear on the ballot. If your argument in favor was selected, then you may file a rebuttal to the “Direct Argument Against.” 5 OFFICIAL BALLOT MEASURE LABEL:

This area of the form is MANDATORY to complete if you want to ADD the names of associations, non-profit organizations, or businesses, including names and titles of individuals who are representing such entities to be listed within the 125-character listing of supporters or opponents appearing on the FACE of the ballot directly after the 75-word measure question. Individuals who are elected officials or former elected officials may be listed with their official’s title and “former” as applicable. Individuals who are not current or former elected officials and who do not represent any association, nonprofit organization, or business listed as a supporter or opponent may only have their first name, last name, and if applicable, an honorific (e.g., “Dr.,” “M.D.,” “Ph.D.) listed, but without other title or designation. Please see additional requirements on the following page for Election Code section 9170. If you do not want to add a list of supporters or opponents to the “Official Ballot Measure Label” then “None submitted” will have to be added pursuant to Election Code section 9170. If Author(s) of the Direct Argument in Favor and the Direct Argument Against the ballot measure do not want to have a LIST OF SUPPORTERS or a LIST OF OPPONENTS listed, then the Author(s) must write the words “NONE SUBMITTED” in this area of the form. The LIST OF SUPPORTERS can only be the Authors of the Direct Argument in Favor of the ballot measure. The LIST OF OPPONENTS can only be the Authors of the Direct Argument Against the ballot measure. If you are over the 125 character limit, the elections official will allow you to make changes up until the deadline for filing of the direct argument for or against the measure.

If the measure is shared between counties, the counties shall not include the ballot label unless both counties have authorized to this option. NOTE: Only associations, nonprofit organizations, or businesses not originally created as a committee described in Government Code section 82013 and that have been in existence for at least 4 years can be included in the list of supporters or list of opponents.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

REGISTRAR-RECORDER/COUNTY CLERK

HOW TO COMPLETE THE ARGUMENTS AND REBUTTALS FORM

INCLUDING THE OFFICIAL BALLOT MEASURE LABEL

DECLARATION BY AUTHOR(S) OF ARGUMENTS OR REBUTTALS INCLUDING THE

OFFICIAL BALLOT LABEL SUPPORTERS/OPPONENTS
7 8
The undersigned author(s) of the:

Direct Argument in Favor (Supporters): Select this option if you are filing an argument to support the measure.

Direct Argument Against (Opponents): Select this option if you are filing an argument against the measure.

Rebuttal to Argument in Favor: Select this option, if your direct argument against the measure was selected to appear on the ballot. If your argument against was selected, then you may file a rebuttal to the argument in favor.

Rebuttal to Argument Against: Select this option, if your direct argument in favor was selected to appear on the ballot. If your argument in favor was selected, then you may file a rebuttal to the argument against. 9 Jurisdiction Name and Title of Election:

Include the name of the city, school, special district, or county that has placed the measure on the ballot.

Also, include the title of the election, Primary, General, Special Municipal, etc.

To be held on (Date of Election):

The date of the election when the measure will appear on the ballot. 10 Of ballot measure:

The name of the ballot measure found on the Measures to Appear on the Ballot under the authority that placed the ballot measure on the ballot. If the measure letter is available at the time of filing, that can be included in this area.

Hereby state that such argument or rebuttal written on page one (1) is true and correct to the best of his/her/their knowledge and belief by my (our) signatures below:

This sentence is to state that the authors who sign below acknowledge the arguments for or against, rebuttals, or supporters and opponents are true and correct. The signatures below and next to the authors information certify this statement being true and correct.
11 List by Priority and Association, Business, Non-Profit Organization, & Individual Only:

1) List the names of the argument authors by priority to appear in the sample ballot starting with number one (1).
2) Mark the box which describes who is filing the argument for/against/rebuttal/supporter of the measure/opponent of the measure.
3) Complete the section labeled Individual Name with the author who is representing an association, business, non-profit organization or an individual who is NOT representing an association, business, non-profit organization. 4) If the individual is representing an non-profit organization, business, association, then complete the Individual Title area.
5) Individuals not representing an association, nonprofit organization, or business cannot include a title, so they would leave this blank.
6) Associations, Businesses, organizations, and individuals representing an association, non-profit organization, or business must include the name of the Association/Business/Organization in the Business/Association Name area.
7) For the authors who opted to include a Ballot Label to the face of the ballot, complete the Ballot Label Name/Title area.
8) This area assists the county elections official with identifying the author for the ballot label, which can be abbreviated (please see election code section 9170 for additional requirements and restrictions). 9) Include your address in the address field.
12 Please use this space to type your statement:

This is the space where you can complete your statement of arguments in favor, arguments against, and rebuttal arguments within the required word limit.
6

13 14
CONTACT INFORMATION:

Complete this area with the designated filer’s name, mailing address, email address, contact phone numbers for day and night, and you may include a fax number if it’s available. The designated filer should be able to answer any questions regarding the submission of the filing and its contents.

CHECKLIST FOR ARGUMENTS FOR/AGAINST AND OFFICIAL BALLOT LABEL:

This area provides more details regarding the requirements and restrictions of the official ballot measure label and arguments for and against measures pursuant to Elections Code section 9170. 15 BALLOT LABEL-SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS ATTESTATION FORM:

This form is in lieu of your non-profit organization, business, or association having to create a letter attesting to the support or opposition of a measure and to attest that an individual in your non-profit organization, business, or association can list their name and title as a supporter or opponent on the ballot label because they represent your non-profit organization, business, or association. 1) complete the “Name of Representative” who is authorized to be a direct argument author and therefore be a supporter or opponent listed under the 75-word question. 2) Complete the “Title of the Representative”. This would be their official title as an employee of your non-profit organization, business, association.
3) Complete the “Association/Business/non-profit Organization name 4) Select how you are filing your “Direct Argument”. Only authors of the “Direct Argument” can be listed as a supporter or opponent.
5) Section B: Select all that apply to your filing
6) Complete the “Attestation of Authors” and select all that apply to your filing.

SAMPLE of the SAMPLE BALLOT and the BALLOT LABEL FACE:

This area provides more details regarding the requirements and restrictions of the official ballot measure label and arguments for and against measures pursuant to Elections Code section 9170. 16

The proponents [Signers/Authors/Supporters] of the measure and the opponents [Signers/Authors/ Opponents] of the measure shall provide the list of supporters and the list of opponents described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) of Elections Code section 9170 to the elections official, as applicable, when submitting arguments for or against the measure (by the prescribed deadline of the elections official).

If NO list of supporters is provided by the proponents or there are none that meet the requirements of this section, then “Supporters:” shall be followed by “None submitted.” If NO list of opponents is provided by the opponents or there are none that meet the requirements of this section, then “Opponents:” shall be followed by “None submitted.”
After the text “Supporters:” AND after the text “Opponents:”, a listing of associations, nonprofit organizations, businesses, or individuals taken from the SIGNERS of the Argument in Favor of the measure or Argument Against the measure to be printed in the voter information guide [Sample Ballot Booklet] can be used for the list of Supporters and the list of Opponents provided by the proponents and opponents to the elections official. (Please see the instructions on where to provide your list on the Argument for and Against form).

An association, nonprofit organization, business, or individual shall not be listed [as a supporter on the ballot label] unless they support the measure and an association, nonprofit organization, business, or individual shall not be listed [as an opponent on the ballot label] unless they oppose the measure. (Please see the attestation form provided for additional instructions).

The list of supporters shall not exceed 125 characters in length AND the list of opponents shall not exceed 125 characters in length.

Spaces, commas, semicolons, and other characters count towards the 125-character limit in paragraphs (1) and (2) pursuant to Elec. Code section 9170(a)(4). Each supporter shall be separated by a semicolon and each opponent shall be separated by a semicolon.

The name of an association, nonprofit organization, or business included in the list of supporters and opponents as required by this section may be shortened by the proponents or opponents who submit it using acronyms, abbreviations, or by leaving out words in their name, as long as doing so would not confuse voters with another well-known organization or business that did not take the same position on the ballot measure (e.g., “Hot Air Balloon Flyers of Montana Education Fund” may be shortened to “Hot Air Balloons Montana”). (Elec. Code section 9170(a)(6))

PROHIBITIONS AND ATTESTATIONS
A supporter or opponent shall not be listed pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of Elec. Code section 9170, unless it IS one of the following:

An association, nonprofit organization, or business that was NOT originally created as a committee described in Section 82013 of the Government Code and that has been in existence for at least four years.

A current or former elected official, who may be listed with the official’s title (e.g., “State Senator Mary Smith,” “Assembly Member Carlos Garcia,” or “former Eureka City Council Member Amy Lee”). These titles may be shortened (e.g. “Senator” or “Sen.” for “State Senator” or “Asm.” for “Assembly Member”).

An individual who is NOT a current or former elected official may be listed ONLY with the individual’s first and last name and an honorific (e.g., “Dr.,” “M.D.,” “Ph.D.,” or “Esquire”), with NO other title or designation, unless it is a title representing an association, nonprofit organization, or business that meets the requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B) and that is eligible to be listed under paragraph (1) if the individual supports the measure or under paragraph (2) if the individual opposes the measure. [Please see the attestation form.] A supporter or opponent shall not be listed pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) if the supporter or opponent is a political party or is representing a political party.

CHECKLIST FOR OFFICIAL BALLOT LABEL

County of Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Election Planning Section: [email protected]

BALLOT LABEL - SUPPORTERS/ OPPONENTS ATTESTATION FORM
This form must be included with the filing of your Direct Arguments FOR/AGAINST by the deadline for arguments.

Also, you can copy the information from this form and submit on your organization’s official letterhead. (Elections Code Section 9170 (a)(3)(A)(B)(C); 9170 (5); 9170 (b)(1)(A); 9170(b)(2)(A); 9170(b)(3))

SECTION (A) PLEASE MARK AN (X) ON THE OPTIONS BELOW TO REFLECT YOUR SELECTIONS ON THE ARGUMENTS FOR/AGAINST FORM.

NAME OF REPRESENTATIVE (PRINT):
__________________________________________

ASSOCIATION/BUSINESS/NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION NAME OF THE REPRESENTATIVE:
__________________________________
TITLE OF REPRESENTATIVE:
_________________________________________
ADDRESS:
_________________________________________
I am filing my “Direct Argument” as one (1) of the following:

INDIVIDUAL (WITH TITLE & NON-ELECTED

OFFICIAL)

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
SECTION (B) PLEASE MARK AN (X) ON THE OPTION BELOW AND SIGN BELOW.

ASSOCIATION, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, OR
BUSINESS that was not originally created as a
committee described in Section 82013 of the
Government Code and that has been in existence
for at least four (4) years.

INDIVIDUALS (NON ELECTED OFFICIALS) who are
not a current or former elected official,
representing an association, nonprofit
organization, or business that meets the
requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B) and that
is eligible to be listed under paragraph (1) or (2);
if the INDIVIDUAL supports or opposes the
measure; AND if the association, non-profit
organization, or business supports or opposes
the measure.

ATTESTATION OF AUTHORS
For every supporter & opponent listed (as an author on the ballot label) that is an association, a nonprofit organization, a business, OR an individual whose title includes an association, nonprofit organization, or business must provide a signed statement attesting to the support or opposition to the measure (E.C 9170). Note: Individuals must provide a signed statement from the association, nonprofit organization or business when submitting arguments supporting or opposing the measure.

I, ____________________________________________________(signature of printed name above), am a representative of ____________________________ (association, nonprofit organization, business) under penalty of perjury attest to the following:
that the association, nonprofit organization, or business supports the measure, that the association, nonprofit organization, or business opposes the measure, that the association, nonprofit organization, or business has been in existence for at least four years, and that it was not originally created as a committee described in Section 82013 of the Government Code, that we authorize__________________________ (Individual’s first and last name) to use their title derived from our association, non-profit organization, or business to support or oppose Measure__________________ ___________ ___________________________________(name or letter of measure).