Recently in Rolling Hills Estates Category

The man who brought you "Thunderhawk Hill" is making a last-ditch attempt to get residents of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and beyond to comment on a proposed luxury residential development that he believes would negatively affect Indian sites in Rolling Hills Estates.

Gary Johnson, a self-described Native American enthusiast, has issued a press release calling for folks to speak out about an environmental report on a 114-home project from Rolling Hills Country Club and the owners of the neighboring Chandler rock quarry.

The release, after the jump, is headlined "Proposed Golf Course Expansion Tees off Cowboys and Indians."

Johnson and his allies, who are critical of the development in part because it fails to include the city's horse amenities, say the project "could destroy a significant archeological
treasure."

Several years ago, Johnson discovered artifacts on publicly owned land next to the country club's golf course. He has pointed to previous archaeological discoveries in the area to argue for caution in relation to the Chandler Ranch project.

The environmental documents are available for your review on the city website.

Comments must be sent by Aug. 4 to Niki Cutler, AICP, Principal Planner at City Hall, 4045 Palos Verdes Drive North, Rolling Hills Estates, CA, or by email to nikic@ci.rolling-hills-estates.ca.us, or by fax at 310-377-4468.
 

I've finally gotten some numbers from the company that earlier this month auctioned off luxury condominiums that were once heralded as the first step in the pedestrian-friendly redevelopment of downtown Rolling Hills Estates.

The 18 units in Silver Spur Court -- the subject of a Breeze story a couple of weeks ago -- all sold to bidders, auction house Kennedy Wilson reported in a press release today. Sale prices totaled $13 million, according to the release, a figure well below the cost of the project.

Kennedy Wilson President Rhett Winchell had said Silver Spur Court cost more than $1 million per unit to build.

Some 600 people attended the July 11 auction at the Manhattan Beach. Not all of them were happy, according to some anonymous voicemail messages I received. One guy called the event a "scam," saying the initial bid price of $275,000 on two of the units was an unfair hook to bring in potential buyers.

Last week, I didn't get far in trying to get specific final bid prices from KW, nor could I learn if the deals will actually close. (The seller has to approve the final bids, and it's not clear if the figures will meet any unpublished reserve price that the developers may have set. Winchell had said there wasn't a specific figure that needed to be hit.)

Though I didn't get a per-unit breakdown from Kennedy Wilson, one auction attendee gave me some figures recorded at the event: the lowest-priced unit went for $557,000, and the highest-priced one went for $811,000. The latter had originally been listed at more than $1.2 million, the attendee said.

Unfortunately, I can't tell from this information what the future holds for Silver Spur Court. If you know more, please email me at melissa dot pamer at dailybreeze.com

And that's your real estate update from me this fine Tuesday evening.

Lots of interest from readers today in my story on Sunday's planned auction of 18 condos at Silver Spur Court, the Rolling Hills Estates development that was touted as the first step in an expected transformation of the city's "downtown."

There are some provocative comments on the story. Many commenters devolved into proffering anti-immigrant stereotypes, but that seems to be the norm on our Topix boards these days, regardless of the story's original subject.

Anyway, there were a few questions on HOA fees -- a subject I'm happy I can address.

A sheet provided to me last week by a Kennedy Williams representative lists HOA fees. They range from about $358 to $410 per month. I'm sure the auction firm can answer more specific questions.

For clarification on the city's $11,885 per-unit parks fee -- known as Quimby fees for the 1975 state law that authorized the levy -- call the city's planning director at 310-377-1577.

The Wall Street Journal today has a front-page story on the poop and plumage that embody the good and bad of peafowl on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

The feature story focuses on the ongoing debate in Rolling Hills Estates, which Breeze reporters Sandy Mazza and Donna Littlejohn kindly covered for me when I was on vacation earlier this month.

There's a video with the WSJ story that gets some nice footage of the pesky but beloved birds. Worth a read and a watch.

In case you haven't heard about it or read my story, a Rolling Hills Estates resident reported seeing a mountain lion last week.

Rumors about big cats on the Palos Verdes Peninsula have surfaced repeatedly over the years, but definitive evidence has never proved the existence of a mountain lion. Authorities say it's highly unlikely but not impossible that a cougar is roaming The Hill.

Today, I got an anonymous voicemail from a caller saying he too had seen the alleged mountain lion when driving through the area on Saturday night.

"I almost killed it on Palos Verdes Drive North," the man said. "It had either killed something in the road or found some roadkill."

"It's a big cat," he said. "It's no joke. It's true."

So ... have you seen it?

Readers, let's get this news party started:

The man arrested on suspicion of killing Cori Desmond told investigators that he didn't strangle the Torrance woman, just that he found her dead body on the street, scooped it up and then drove to San Bernadino to dump it in the mountains, documents show.

A controversial plan to close or restrict fishing in nearly 400 square miles of Southern California ocean, including waters near Palos Verdes, in hopes of protecting marine habitat has moved forward with the state Fish and Game Commission.

Investigators continue to probe the shooting death of a Rolling Hills Estates attorney, but few new details have emerged.

A former Redondo Beach police sergeant has been charged with embezzeling more than $75,000 from his police union.

These winter storms have brought some big waves to the South Bay, but it seems like local surfers aren't so impressed.

The state's foreclosure rate dropped 13 percent from October figure.

Two Narbonne High receivers will lead their football team Saturday at L.A. City Section Division I finals.

Tomorrow is the big MTA meeting at which the twin fates of the Crenshaw Line and the South Bay extension of the Green Line will be decided.

It seems at this point almost a foregone conclusion that the MTA board will vote to move ahead with environmental work on both projects, but South Bay leaders are heading downtown just to be sure.

Among those expected to attend are El Segundo Mayor Kelly McDowell, Rolling Hills Estates Mayor Judy Mitchell, Palos Verdes Estates Mayor Ellen Perkins, Redondo Beach Councilman Steve Diels and Torrance Councilwoman Susan Rhilinger. In other words, the full-court press.

South Bay leaders are allied in this effort with activists from South L.A., who see the Crenshaw Line as a major jobs generator. From the South Bay perspective, it's important that the Crenshaw Line be built as a light-rail line -- as opposed to a dedicated busway -- because that will facilitate expansion of the Green Line into Torrance.

Electeds will be gathering at 8 a.m. at the Marine Station where they will board the Green Line, which goes to Watts, where they will transfer to the Blue Line, which will take them downtown where they will transfer to the Red Line subway, which they will take to Union Station, where the MTA headquarters are located a chartered bus. (That's a little transit humor for you.)

Readers, let's hit it:

A Rolling Hills Estates attorney was shot in his driveway Monday night. The man is in critical condition died at Torrance Memorial Medical Center this morning.

Monday's rain went away but will come again another day -- like Thursday. Check out pictures of yesterday's storm.

Los Angeles Unified School District leaders are set to vote today on a three-year budget plan today that includes massive lay-offs of teachers, administrators and school workers to close a $495 million deficit.

Two Torrance High alumni and one of their mothers have been arrested in a shooting death last week of a Harbor Gateway man.

Hey, times are tough: Why not rob a Christmas tree lot for $70 and apologize in the process like this guy allegedly did?

Kaiser Permanente hosted a free surgery day Monday, providing gratis procedures for about a dozen uninsured patients on waiting lists for months.

El Segundo-based Boeing said Monday it had acquired the first on-orbit signals from an Air Force satellite launched over the weekend.

Leuzinger High's boys basketball team thinks it has the skills and roster to get to another shot at CIF. And Serra High's team isn't too shabby either.

Readers, heads up:

After hoards of cars clogged South Bay streets waiting for swine flu vaccinations Saturday, the Beach Cities Health District has canceled another clinic planned for next month in Redondo Beach.

Also, Los Angeles County has now established limits on who can get shots.

A pair of jetliners came within 100 feet of each other Sunday on Los Angeles International Airport's south airfield.

The Beacon House's 25-year Halloween tradition of building an elaborate haunted house in San Pedro has been canceled thanks to new city building regulations.

The District Attorney's Office has served search warrants at the home and business of Wilma Wilson, the owner of the Carson-based Peace and Joy battered women's shelter who is currently under investigation for allegations of misuse of public funds.

South Bay median home prices rose unexpectedly in September. Whoo hoo!

Sports just run in the family for Peninsula High volleyball player Nina Bjekovic, sister of Lakers player Sasha Vujacic, who starts his season tonight. See pictures of the brother-sister team.