Hermosa Beach Area Use Survey
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a community moving forward HERMOSA BEACH AREA USE SURVEY NOVEMBER 2014 a community moving forward HERMOSA BEACH AREA USE SURVEY NOVEMBER 2014 PREAPRED FOR RAIMI + ASSOCIATES AND THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH TO SUPPORT THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE AND LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM UPDATE PREPARED BY: CONTENTS Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Overview ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Key Observations .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Recommended Beach Management Principles .......................................................................................... 5 Survey Methods ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 Observations and Results ........................................................................................................................................ 7 Survey ............................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Demographics ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Beach Uses ......................................................................................................................................................... 10 Beach Access ..................................................................................................................................................... 14 Facilities, Amenities, and Upkeep ............................................................................................................ 18 Next Steps ..................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Appendix A Observation Survey Results Appendix B Questionnaire Results FIGURES Figure 1: Key Observations ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Figure 2: Survey Area and Use Areas ................................................................................................................. 6 Figure 3: Age Distribution of Surveyed Visitors .............................................................................................. 8 Figure 4: How Often Surveyed Visitors Come to the Area ....................................................................... 8 Figure 5: Where Survey Visitors Came From in California ....................................................................... 9 Figure 6: Chosen Accommodation Types of Surveyed Visitors ......................................................... 10 Figure 7: Number of Monthly Visitors to the Beach Recorded by Los Angeles County Ocean Lifeguards ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 8: Distribution of Observed Activities Throughout the Day .................................................... 12 Figure 9: Why Surveyed Visitors Choose Hermosa Beach over Other Beaches ...................... 14 Figure 10: Surveyed Visitors’ Preferred Mode of Transportation to the Area .............................. 15 Figure 11: Percent of Surveyed Visitors that Would Use the Bus if it Were Available ............. 16 Figure 12: Beach Amenities Surveyed Visitors Found Most Useful ................................................. 18 Figure 13: Beach Amenities Surveyed Visitors Think Need Improvement ................................... 19 This page is left blank intentionally. Hermosa Beach Area Survey 2014 INTRODUCTION This report summarizes the results of a beach area survey completed as part of the City of Hermosa Beach General Plan update and Coastal Land Use Plan update. The survey was conducted over a two-day period and focused on beach use patterns, level of use, types of visitors, activities, and transportation to and from the beach. The report summarizes survey results, provides key findings, and recommends beach management principles based on the findings. The survey will ultimately be used to inform coastal land use policies as part of the Coastal Land Use Plan. Full survey results and tools can be found in Appendices A and B to this document. OVERVIEW Representatives from PMC and Raimi + Associates (survey team) conducted the survey on behalf of the City on Friday, August 15 and Saturday, August 16, 2014. The survey included two complementary components: an observational component that counted the number and type of beach participants at various points throughout each day, and a short questionnaire component conducted through conversations with beach area visitors. Over the two days, 74 beach visitors provided responses to the questionnaire. The survey area included the full 1.8 miles of beachfront in Hermosa Beach, as well as the Pier, Strand, and adjacent streets. The Strand is a 15-foot wide concrete path running adjacent to the beach for the entirety of its length within the city. It connects to other cities as part of the Santa Monica to Torrance walkway/bikeway system. The Pier is located near the center of the beach area, and connects to a plaza at the end of the street grid between 11th Street and 13th Street. The Pier and Pier Plaza host the majority of restaurants and commercial facilities located in the survey area. The beach survey confirmed City staff’s current understanding that residents and visitors from the region and beyond use the beach for a variety of activities. The survey found that visitors are generally satisfied with the area, its amenities, and upkeep. The survey also revealed issues that can be addressed by specific beach management principles discussed below. 1 | Page KEY OBSERVATIONS The survey identified a number of important existing conditions, use characteristics, and common desires to improve the area. The Strand and the Pier are highly valued by surveyed visitors and also heavily used. The beach areas immediately adjacent to the Pier provide important public amenities including bathrooms, lifeguard towers, trash cans, and volleyball nets. These areas are also heavily used and represent popular meet-up locations for many groups and clubs. Although less heavily used, the far south and north ends of the beach are popular with more local and high frequency users. These areas also have bathrooms, lifeguard towers, trash cans, and volleyball nets. These areas are preferred because they are less crowded and are accessible to nearby, and sometimes free, parking options. Locals come early, before 10 AM, to avoid paying for street parking. Parking issues were raised by local and less-frequent visitors alike. The least frequented portion of the survey area is along Hermosa Avenue, which has comparatively little foot traffic or activity. Both public facilities and private businesses generally garnered positive feedback. A number of visitors, however, expressed the desire for additional restaurants and shops oriented toward the beach, or small concession stands that offered water or other beverages. The survey team observed that while the Strand is highly accessible, the beach itself is less accessible, and could pose difficulty for individuals with physical disabilities. Figure 1 shows key observations by location in the survey area. 2 | Page Hermosa Beach Area Survey 2014 Figure 1: Key Observations 3 | Page This page intentionally left blank. 4 | Page Hermosa Beach Area Survey 2014 RECOMMENDED BEACH MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES In response to the beach survey, the General Plan update project team, including the consultants and city staff, suggests consideration of the following beach management principles to provide enhanced access and user experiences. Enable accessibility to the beach and water for all people: Connectivity to the beach could be made more accessible in some locations through ramps and paved pathways. Improve bicycle access, facilities and way-finding: Bike parking and clear information on safe bikeways would increase access and alleviate conflicts. Enhance public transit to the beach: More frequent and extensive bus service could increase ridership and alleviate access difficulties related to parking. Allow beach-oriented concessions along extended areas of the beachfront: Consider allowing concessions for some items such as water and soft drinks along the beach front, beyond what is offered in the downtown core. Consider allowing dogs on a limited portion of the beach: Identifying a specific permitted location for dogs on the beach could serve pet-owning residents and limit infractions and waste along the rest of the beach. Enhance amenities that support use of the beach: Continuing rolling upgrades of amenities such as restrooms, showers, water fountains, and trash cans would meet stated user desires for additional amenities. Improve the parking system: Targeted improvements to meter and cost systems would improve the visitor experience. The recommended