The City just posted the "feasibility" study of the CenterCal Mall from an "independent" consultant (who just happens to have worked for CenterCal). The "analysis" was done in just four days. I'll bet anyone can guess the results without even opening it. What a farce.
But what is revealing is that CenterCal has increased their mall by another 27,000 sq ft. It is now an even more bloated 487,000 sq ft. I suspect the whole thing will sink into the Pacific from shear weight.
For the first time the public can see the proposed breakdown of land uses. And that gives us the opportunity to do a quick estimate of the traffic impact if the mall is successful. Using Institute of Traffic Engineers Trip Generation Tables, the CenterCal Mall would produce about 25,650 car trips during a weekday and 34,290 car trips during Saturday.
During weekday evening rush hour 40 cars will be entering or leaving the mall every minute. At the Saturday rush hour it will be 50 cars per minute. On top of the normal rush hour traffic. If you lined up the total Saturday mall traffic end to end, it would stretch 129 miles. Our roads simply will not fit that much traffic.
And that does not include people going to their boats, kayaking, Stand Up Paddleboarding, going to Seaside Lagoon, or going to any of the other restaurants or businesses in the harbor and pier area.
The intersection at PCH and 190th is already graded F and this will drive Torrance and PCH to an F. Harbor Drive will be a parking lot and traffic will back up to Catalina on Beryl and past PCH on Torrance Blvd. The right turn only stop sign at Pacific and Catalina will be a widow maker as frustrated drivers dart out onto Catalina during rush hour.
The four day study is filled with flaws. Like this traffic gridlock won't impact people coming to the mall. Like the assumption that there are plenty of local daytime workforce to shop in the mall. Like people from San Pedro will come to our gridlocked, overdeveloped harbor from their revitalized harbor with train transit, parks, a beach, an aquarium and new shopping/restaurant area. Like a significant number of people will come from Manhattan Beach to go to LuLu Lemons when one is in their backyard at Plaza El Segundo. You can drive a truck through this analysis, even from an intuitive inspection.
Hey what do you expect in four days from a consultant who works for CenterCal? Glad we threw $20K of taxpayer money at that waste of paper.
There is a growing groundswell of the public, many who normally oppose one another, who want to put the CenterCal Mall on a big diet. Time for Council to listen to their constituents.
