HBCSD Corruption

Proof of the lie:

HBCSD's Traffic Assessment of North School by Richard Garland was used in the official Environmental Impact Report for North School and was found to be highly suspect.

Environmental Analysis Transportation and Traffic. 5.12.3

Environmental Analysis Transportation and Traffic. Page 5.12.11. (November 2017)

Environmental Analysis Transportation and Traffic. 5.12.3

Environmental Impacts, Impact Analysis, Approach. Page 5.12.15. (August 2018)

1. Richard Garland is a full time Traffic Engineer for the City of Carson. Was Richard Garland actually on leave from the City of Carson on the dates specified in the report when the traffic counts were performed?

2. Richard Garland's address 16787 Beach Blvd., Suite 234, Huntington Beach, CA 92647 is in The Mail Center located in a strip mall in Huntington Beach, CA. Does Richard Garland have a physical work location other than his office at the City of Carson?

3. The only analyst identified on all the Stop Control Analysis, Level of Service Calculations sheets is ‘R. Garland’.   If Richard Garland had employees why didn't they enter their names in the 'Analyst' box on the Level of Service Stop Control Analysis sheets contained in the Environmental Impact Report appendices?

"Traffic counts were taken from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM on days when District schools were in session (November 19 and December 1, 2015, and January 2017). Only the morning peak hour was analyzed because elementary schools do not generate traffic during the late afternoon commuter peak period, which is between 4:00 PM and 6:00 pm...."

(1) Is it physically possible for one analyst, R. Garland, to perform all traffic counts?  If not, who were the other employees of Garland Associates who participated in the traffic counts?  Why weren’t other analysts who may have participated in the study identified on the various traffic count sheets?  If other analysts were employed by Garland and Associates to perform Level of Service Calculations for this study what was their training and qualifications to accurately perform traffic counts? 

There were 17 intersections at which Richard Garland supposedly took counts. 8 of the intersections at which counts were taken were taken on Sunday, December 13, 2015. 9 of the intersections at which counts were taken were taken on Monday, May 7, 2018. The counts were supposedly taken over a one hour period.  How was Richard Garland able to sit at each of 8 or 9 intersections for one hour each, all on either December 13th or May 7th, and take ALL his counts in a two hour timeframe between 7am and 9am? It is impossible.

(2) An example of suspect information on the traffic analysis Stop Control Summary sheets for Valley Drive at 24th Street.

1. Two Two-Way Stop Control Summary sheets for Valley Drive at 24th Street both were supposedly for AM Peak Half Hour and both identified as '2018 Existing' in the 'Analysis Year' field. One count was supposedly taken on 12/13/2015 (a Sunday date) and was was supposedly taken on 5/7/18.

2. Both sheets show ALL traffic volume counts in multiples of five. The difference between the two counts seem to be a random difference of exactly five cars in the counts. The counts seem to have been made up by Richard Garland. NOT true counts of traffic.

(3) Prior to releasing the Richard Garland Traffic Analysis Report representatives from the firm of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Rudd and Romo spent 1.5 hrs on May 2, 2016 to “REVIEW AND EVALUATE TRAFFIC STUDY FOR NORTH SCHOOL PROJECT, CONFERENCE OFFICE RE TRAFFIC STUDY".  WHY?

NOTE: HBCSD attorney Terry Tao was also involved in Pam Daly's Historic Assessment of North School. Pam Daly's report had numerous outright fabrications of fact. Terry Tao spent 3.75 hours advising Pam Daly regarding her Historic Assessment of North School for the Environmental Impact Report.

See Lie #18: Misinforming the public as to the historical facts and value of the circa 1934 North School in Pam Daly's Historic Resource Assessment of North School.

NOTE: HBCSD attorney Terry Tao also gave an approximately one-hour presentation on May 31, 2016, less than a week before the district's June 7, 2016 $59M bond vote. He misinformed and mislead the public and City Council members on nearly every issue regarding Pier Avenue School Community Center and North School, etc.

See Lie 16#: Rampant misinformation and misleading information told by HBCSD attorney Terry Tao in a videotaped and televised presentation one week before the district's $59M bond vote.

(4) Cost to taxpayers  $77,420.19+:  PlaceWorks warrants #22572797, #22664076, #22801732, #22841946, #22921285, #23001190, #23126374 for $23,185.99 and AALR&R warrant #24787512 for $54,234.20.

(5) A letter submitted for the Environmental Impact Report from neighbors of North School, Terry and Betty Dunbar identifies other serious flaws in Richard Garland's April 2016 Traffic Impact Analysis for North School. Terry and Betty Dunbar live on Morningside Driven, north of 25th Street that dead ends into the back of North School.

(6) Since building the new North School, aka Vista School, the City of Hermosa Beach has made 26th street a ONE WAY street. How did this change affect the traffic surrounding Vista School?

(7) On January 9, 2019, the City of Hermosa Beach City Manager Suja Lowenthal sent a follow up letter to School Board President Doug Gardner regarding the district's Environmental Impact Report traffic study:

"Like many others, we were surprised to learn over the holiday that the Final EIR had been released"... Nevertheless, our team worked quickly to review the Final EIR documents released on December 28, [2018]..."

"the record should be made clear that the City has not "approved" the traffic study or its conclusions and has previously asked the School District team and its consultants to refrain from stating "the City has also approved the traffic study for its technical adequacy".

NOTE:  The 2017 and 2018 versions of the draft Environmental Impact Reports were released during the busy holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year) when most Hermosa residents were busy entertaining and traveling for the holidays. In addition, HBCSD district offices were closed for many weeks during the holidays, so community members were unable to obtain more information regarding any issues with the DEIR. Releasing the DEIRs during the holidays impeded public review and comment for which the Draft EIR was meant to accomplish. Of all the days in a calendar year, why were HBCSD DEIRs always released during the busy winter holidays?  Just coincidence, or a subtle plan by HBCSD to pass a highly flawed EIR?

(8) Since building the new North School, aka Vista School, HBCSD school board members have actively been recruiting students from school districts outside Hermosa Beach. In 2023, inderdistrict permitted students numbered 174. Non-Hermosa Beach students are driven in and out of Hermosa Beach twice a day, five days a week. How has the addition of interdistrict students brought in from other school districts affected the traffic around Valley School, View School and Vista School?

 CONCLUSION:

The basic data information used to make assumptions in this study lacks sufficient disclosure and accountability which brings in to question the accuracy of this entire traffic study.