These Updates from the City Manager are designed to keep Lomita residents informed about the City’s ongoing projects, programs and priorities. These updates provide timely information on community improvements, public safety efforts and infrastructure investments, along with highlights of recent accomplishments and what’s coming next.
Published every two weeks, the Updates from the City Manager aim to offer transparency into City operations and ensure residents stay connected to how Lomita is working to enhance the quality of life across the community.
Dear Lomita Residents,
Here are a few updates from around the City that may be of interest to our community.
National Night Out – Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 6 p.m.
National Night Out and the Classic Car Show are all set for Tuesday, Aug. 4, on the City Hall Front Lawn, brought to you by our new Community Safety Division in partnership with our Parks and Recreation Department.
National Night Out is an annual community event that strengthens relationships between residents and public safety professionals while promoting crime prevention, neighborhood engagement and community partnerships. I’ve asked the Sheriff’s Department to really bring it this year, and they have delivered. They’ll be front and center with their SWAT Emergency Response Truck, armored rescue vehicle and an LASD Motorsports show car. Our partners from the Los Angeles County Fire Department Station 6 will also be on hand with public safety displays.
Attendees can enjoy a 19-vehicle Classic Car Show, 17 community and vendor booths, a Local Travel Network (LTN) micromobility demonstration, live music by The Smokin’ 60s, family-friendly activities and recognition of Lomita’s newly appointed Neighborhood Watch Block Captains and our Sister City delegation from Takaishi, Japan.
The event is free and open to the public.
Playground & Digital Marquee Ribbon Cutting – Tuesday, July 28
A quick reminder that our ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially unveil the new playground and digital marquee at Lomita Park will take place this Tuesday at 3 p.m. We hope you can join us.
More Lomita Park Improvements
The list of improvements at our signature park continues to grow. In previous updates, you’ve seen the new gym exterior paint, “Lomita Park” pop cups on the basketball court fencing, pickleball courts, digital marquee and replacement chain-link fence along Walnut Avenue.
Here are a few additional improvements:
- New playground (to be officially unveiled Tuesday)
- New energy-efficient windows were installed at the Tom Rico Center and Gymnasium, enhancing the appearance of both buildings
- New Belba Field scoreboard featuring a larger display, built-in horn and phone/tablet operation
- New player seating installed at the multipurpose courts for tennis and pickleball players
- Buddy Bench relocated to the new playground area
New Speed Feedback Signs
We’ve invested in new solar-powered speed feedback signs to help reduce speeding in areas where traffic safety has been a concern.
The signs display a driver’s speed in real time and can display messages such as “Slow Down” and “Too Fast” to encourage voluntary compliance with posted speed limits. The first signs have been installed on Eshelman Avenue near Lomita Park in both directions, a location selected due to traffic conditions and the high number of park patrons, pedestrians and cyclists.
The signs also collect anonymous traffic data—including vehicle speeds and traffic volumes—which allows the City to analyze traffic trends and evaluate the effectiveness of safety improvements. This information will also help the City and the Lomita Sheriff’s Station coordinate targeted traffic enforcement and public education efforts.
Additional locations will continue to be evaluated using traffic data, engineering studies and community feedback.
New Bike Racks
Keep an eye out for the new bicycle racks recently installed throughout the City.
Earlier this year, the City identified $7,375 in Transportation Development Act (TDA) funding that had to be used before May 31. The funds were used to purchase and install 15 bicycle racks to support active transportation, improve first- and last-mile connectivity and advance the City’s mobility goals.
The racks have been installed at City Hall, the Lomita Park & Ride, Lomita Railroad Museum, Hathaway Park, Narbonne Plaza and Lomita Park, providing residents and visitors with additional secure bicycle parking.
Upcoming Sister City Events
The City of Lomita is proud to welcome our Sister City delegation from Takaishi City, Japan, as we celebrate 45 years of friendship and cultural exchange. During their visit, the delegation will tour City Hall, participate in a virtual meeting with officials in Japan, be recognized during National Night Out on August 4 and join City leaders for a farewell dinner. We look forward to celebrating this longstanding partnership and strengthening the bonds between our two communities.
Seeking Consultant for Lomita Sports Complex Community Outreach
This week, the City released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a qualified consultant to lead the community outreach and engagement process for the future Lomita Sports Complex.
A portion of the $500,000 Regional Parks grant will fund this phase of the project. Input from the City Council, Commissions, Little League, Chamber of Commerce, Boys & Girls Club, LAUSD, neighboring residents and the broader community will help shape the design and layout of this future community asset.
We anticipate awarding a contract in early October following review by the Parks & Recreation Commission and Navy Subcommittee. With the land transfer still on track for early next year, we want to be ready to hit the ground running.
City Hall HVAC
As mentioned earlier this week, our 40-year-old City Hall HVAC system finally gave out—of course, during a heatwave.
The long-term solution will be a complete replacement coordinated with the upcoming second-floor remodel, allowing the new system to accommodate the future office configuration.
In the meantime, replacement HVAC coils have been ordered, although delivery is expected to take approximately five weeks. Until then, staff and visitors are making the best of it with portable fans and air movers. We’re hanging in there!
Thank you for reading this “Update from the City Manager.” In case you missed it, we encourage you to review past updates to stay informed about important City efforts and the ongoing progress in our community. If you have any questions, please visit us at City Hall or call (310) 325-7110.
Warm Regards,
Andrew Vialpando
City Manager
