January 24, 2008

Redondo Beach Chamber's Vision For Our Community

After over a year’s worth of planning and review, the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau released its Vision For Our Community. The purpose of the Vision For Our Community is threefold: to inform our community on the Chamber’s vision for Redondo Beach; to align our public policy priorities with each vision statement; and, to strive to accomplish those priorities each year.

The Chamber determined the following nine policy issue areas for the basis of the new vision document:

1. Arts, Culture, and Recreation
2. Education
3. Job, Housing and the Local Economy
4. Environment
5. Infrastructure
6. Health Care
7. Transportation and Traffic
8. Great Government
9. Land Use

The Chamber’s Vision For Our Community highlights important issues such as a cultural experience for all residents and visitors, improving our educational facilities for our youth, increasing tourism through the attraction of conferences, and implementing Green Building strategies.

Furthermore, the Vision calls for enhancing the city’s infrastructure and keeping up with the technology of tomorrow, to support the availability of local health services for all residents, traffic light synchronization program to ease congestion on Pacific Coast Highway and throughout the City, services provided by local governments are easily accessible, and finding ways to revitalize the Harbor, Pier and commercial districts.

The Chamber will begin promoting the Vision For Our Community with the City of Redondo Beach, the overall community, elected officials, the business community and other stakeholders.
We will also meet with community organizations to share the Vision For Our Community and so we may address ways to work together to accomplish the goals. The document will act as a living and breathing document that will be reviewed and updated, as needed, at the end of each year.

Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau Vision For Our Community

(Each vision topic area and vision statements are not in rank order)

1. Arts, Culture and Recreation

• Public art is an integral part of government, resident and business improvement projects.

• A place exists for arts display, performance, and cultural activities is created to encourage participation by residents and to serve as a visitor attraction.

• Art, cultural, recreational activities are incorporated into the community’s overall marketing plan for all ages.

• Park usage for residents is promoted by developing recreational and cultural activities specifically designed for their participation, providing sufficient upgrades to make existing and new parks more attractive and useful.

• A significant arts, cultural, and recreational attraction exists in the harbor area to entice residents and visitors to embrace the harbor for additional educational entertainment purposes.

2. Education

• Active private-public partnerships are in place, providing students opportunities to enhance their employment skills.

• Improvement and maintenance of our school and college facilities continue to maximize student achievement and further encourage pride in our schools.

• All students who are enrolled in grade twelve successfully complete the requirements to obtain a high school diploma.

• The graduation rate for Redondo Union High School exceeds 98%.

• Each year all Redondo Beach schools meet or exceed growth targets on any necessary mandated testing as established by the State of California and their governing authorities.

• All high school graduates meet basic skills requirements and have exposure to career opportunities through degree or certificate programs at two or four-year institutions.

3. Jobs, Housing and the Local Economy

• Local housing is attainable for employees of local businesses.

• Programs exist to train Redondo Beach students for jobs that service the community.

• Redondo Beach welcomes new businesses and the City has a best-in-class permitting process with reasonable fees.

• Blighted and/or abandoned properties are upgraded creating a positive impact on the community.

• Collaboration among community stakeholders increases tourism, attracts conferences and increases hotel occupancy.

• Streetscape areas throughout the City create a sense of community allowing residents and visitors to stroll, shop and dine.

4. Environment

• Redondo Beach leads the region in innovative ways to conserve resources and in the use alternative energy.

• Green Building strategies are implemented on all new development projects as properties recycle.

• The City of Redondo Beach and local businesses support innovative policies that promote sustainability.

• The S.E.A. Lab is a leader in providing environmental education opportunities for the community and aids in the attraction of other organizations with similar missions.

• Redondo Beach maintains a strong working relationship with regulatory agencies to protect our beach and ocean environment as it considers changes.

5. Infrastructure

• Redondo Beach has a robust forward-looking infrastructure that can accommodate the needs of the community and technology changes.

• Public utilities investments accommodate the needs of our residents and local businesses while being mindful of the environment.

• Adequate funding is available to ensure the capacity upgrade and completion of public projects such as water, gas, electric and telecommunications infrastructure.

• Ten digit phone dialing is used within the 310 area code service area.

• Public facilities are upgraded to meet current standards of the community.

6. Healthcare

• Redondo Beach is a healthy and vibrant beach community with a focus on preventative health.

• The community as a whole engages in health promotion and education initiatives to reduce the prevalence of disease. As a result, residents make everyday decisions conducive to a health-conscious lifestyle.

• Physical and nutrition education and child obesity prevention programs of demonstrated effectiveness are an integral component of the learning experience of students within the Redondo Beach Unified School District.

• Affordable supportive health services are available to older and disabled adults to assist them in maintaining their independence and ability to live in their home.

• Local health services are available for residents through public-private partnerships at centralized locations.

• Care facilities are available outside the home when necessary.

7. Transportation and Traffic

• Public transportation is accessible and convenient and is the preferred choice of Redondo Beach citizens.

• Rail options are expanded to serve the South Bay, including transit centers at locations such as the South Bay Galleria, and service is provided to Los Angeles International Airport.

• Redondo Beach and neighboring cities work together to mitigate traffic congestion.

• Routes have been identified, signage and traffic light synchronization is improved to direct motorists to Redondo Beach shopping and visitor areas.

• A traffic light synchronization program is implemented to ease traffic congestion on Pacific Coast Highway and throughout the City.

• Freeway ramps are improved to facilitate traffic flow and minimize congestion.

• Guest docks in the harbor area are established to increase boater and visitor access to Redondo Beach.

• A dedicated bike path is created in the harbor area and a better transition from Hermosa Beach to Redondo Beach is developed.

8. Great Governments

• Local governments including the City of Redondo Beach, the Redondo Beach Unified School District, Beach City Health District, etc. serve the appropriate needs of the community in an open, responsive and inclusive manner.

• Services provided by local governments are easily accessible.

• Fiscal policy decisions are made by local governments promoting economic stability and long term sustainability of public finances.

• Local governments balance their budget each year.

• Local governments disclose fiscal information in a timely and transparent manner. Fiscal information is comprehensive, understandable and comparable.

• Local governments maintain a level of resources that provides a buffer to adverse future events.

• Local governments continually strive to communicate more effectively.

9. Land Use

• The Chamber and the City work together to support stable and flexible long range planning as an important growth management strategy. Stability is achieved through the thoughtful development of a reasonable and comprehensive plan. Flexibility is achieved through periodic reassessment and modification of the plan to reflect more accurately the ever-changing makeup and vision of the community.

• The Harbor, Pier and commercial districts are revitalized making Redondo Beach a destination for local residents and visitors while providing economic benefits to the City.

• Citywide land use improvements enhance the quality of life for residents in Redondo Beach and improves the economic vitality of its businesses.

• An economic plan is implemented containing land use policies that support retention, expansion, and attraction of businesses to the area.
• Necessary public facilities and infrastructure are in place concurrently with the completion of development projects.

• The free-market economy is the best system for meeting the wants and needs of the community and is recognized and valued in the planning process. Government intervention into this process is limited and done with a clear definition and understanding of the costs and benefits.

• Reasonable and safe automobile, transit, para-transit, pedestrian, bicycle, and disabled access facilities, and amenities are considered and included to the maximum feasible extent in all land uses. Adequate parking and management of parking resources are included. A wide variety of development patterns is pursued that reflect local and regional needs and individual living and travel preferences. Proven, technically sound traffic engineering measures are enacted to ensure that automobiles safely share the roads with other users, including pedestrians.

• The City and School District make the best use of surplus or underutilized public properties.

• Conference facilities and additional hotels are opened in the Harbor area.
 

Click here to contact the Redondo Beach Chamber for more information

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