📬 Brad Waller, District 1 Newsletter, April 13, 2026

Neighbors,

Anyone who has tried to push a stroller, roll a wheelchair, or walk three kids across Catalina Avenue in Riviera Village knows the truth: those streets and sidewalks were not designed for the life that happens there now. Narrow crossings, tight corners, and parking pressure that never lets up. This is something I campaigned on, and on Tuesday night, the City Council takes a real step toward fixing it.

Below: the Catalina Avenue project, a playground that families have been waiting on, a brand new farmers market coming to North Redondo, and a stretch of community events that turn the next seven days into one of the busiest weeks of the spring.

🏛️ City Council, Tuesday, April 14

🔹 Riviera Village gets its first real walkability investment. On Tuesday night's consent calendar, Council is set to approve the next steps in a $4 million funding agreement with LA Metro for design, environmental review, and engineering for pedestrian and multi-modal improvements along Catalina Avenue. The scope includes wider sidewalks, better bike facilities, traffic calming, improved drainage, and a serious look at parking solutions.

→ 💡 What this means: This is the beginning of a community-driven design process, not a finished plan. Concepts are expected to come back to Council in 2027 before any final decisions are made, which gives residents and Riviera Village businesses real time to shape what this actually looks like on the ground.

→ 🎯 My take: Fixing Riviera Village walkability is one of the reasons I ran. The Village is one of the most walkable, most visited, and most economically important corners of this city, and the infrastructure has not kept up. Accepting this Metro funding is the step that turns a campaign priority into a funded project, and I intend to stay close to every decision that follows.
👉 View the City Council calendar on Legistar

🌳 Parks & Community

🔹 Dominguez Park playground is officially open. The County gave final approval last Tuesday afternoon, the fences came down, and within an hour, dozens of families were already on the equipment. I stopped by shortly after it opened, and seeing that many kids show up that fast, tells you everything you need to know about how much this has been missed.

→ ⚡ Why this matters: Dominguez Park sits in a part of the city where families have been waiting on a real play space for too long. Parks are one of the clearest ways a city says it values the people who live here, and this one is finally back in service.

💼 Economic Development & Local Business

🔹 A new farmers' market is coming to North Redondo. Thursday morning at the NRBBA meeting, the details came together on a brand new weekly farmers market opening soon in North Redondo. Plan to stop by every Wednesday from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Green Lane between Artesia and Vanderbilt, with the street closure right next to the North Branch Library. Fresh food, local vendors, and another reason for neighbors to run into each other in the middle of the week.

→ 🎯 My take: North Redondo has needed its own weekly market for a long time, and choosing Green Lane next to the library is the right location. This is exactly the kind of small, community-scale economic activity I want to see more of on our side of the city.
👉 Follow them on Facebook

🔹 Chamber Network Cafe at Pho Redbo. Thursday afternoon brought another Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce Network Cafe, this one at Pho Redbo. The room had a strong mix of familiar faces and a few new ones, including the owner of a new business getting ready to open here in Redondo Beach. These are the conversations that keep the local business community connected, and they are part of what makes our ribbon cuttings feel earned when they happen.

🔹 Chamber Mixer at Springfest, Thursday, April 16, 5:30 p.m. The Redondo Beach Chamber is hosting a mixer at Springfest on opening night. Good way to support the 44th year of a community tradition, catch up with local business owners, and get your first ride in before the weekend rush.

🌿 Environment & Coastal Care

🔹 Earth Day at Hopkins Wilderness Park, Saturday, April 18. The South Bay Parkland Conservancy is running its full Earth Day celebration at the park this weekend. Activity booths, a guided nature walk, an educational seminar, live music, and a vegan lunch available for purchase, plus environmental groups and community organizations set up throughout the day. Wilderness Park is one of the most special places in this city, and a Saturday spent there is a Saturday spent well.
👉 Get Earth Day event details

🔹 King Harbor and Pier Cleanup Day, Sunday, April 19. The harbor cleanup takes place the day after Earth Day. If you were looking for one weekend to show up for the waterfront, this is it. Give a morning, bring a friend, and leave the harbor in better shape than you found it.
👉 Sign up for the cleanup

🎉 Around Town

🔹 Two flyovers, two Opening Days. Tiger Squadron brought the noise to Port Royal Yacht Club on Saturday and King Harbor Yacht Club on Sunday, marking the start of the boating season with the kind of low-pass flyover you hear before you see. King Harbor's Opening Days are one of those quiet reminders that this is, and has always been, a harbor town. Thanks to Tiger Squadron, both clubs, and everyone who showed up to cheer on the new season.
👉 See Sundays flyover 

📅 Coming Up

🔹 Springfest, Thursday, April 16 through Sunday, April 19. The 44th year of Redondo Beach's community carnival opens Thursday at the Performing Arts Center. Free admission, free parking, rides, live music, food trucks, a student entrepreneur showcase, and the BeachLife Battle of the Bands. Volunteer shifts are still available, and every shift comes with a Springfest t-shirt and a drink ticket.
👉 Get Springfest details and wristbands

🔹 Woman's Club of Redondo Beach 16th Annual Spaghetti Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Spaghetti, silent auction, bake sale, and proceeds that head straight back into local charities. The Woman's Club has been serving this community since 1908, and events like this are a big part of why.
👉 Get Spaghetti Dinner details

🥕 Weekly Markets

Farmers' Market by the Pier (Veterans Park), Thursdays, 8am to 1pm. 309 Esplanade.
👉 Read more

Riviera Village Farmers Market, Sundays, 8:30am to 1pm. Triangle Lot, 1801 S. Elena Ave.
👉 Read more

📱 Access Redondo

Do you have a problem or need to report an issue to the city? Use the Access Redondo App.
👉 Download App

💻 A Personal Note

🔹 An old friend just put something worth mentioning into the world. Greg Hoffman has a new book out, "Think Like an Affiliate Manager," with a foreword from another longtime friend, Peter Shankman. I am honored to be featured in it, talking about the early days of affiliate programs, an industry I helped start back in 1996, a few months before Amazon launched theirs. Not city business, but worth the aside: the instincts that made that field work, spotting opportunity early, building something useful, and staying close to the people doing the work, are the same instincts I try to bring to this Council seat.
👉 Order the book

🏖️ Redondo Roundup

Catalina Avenue's walkability finally gets its funding agreement on Tuesday. Dominguez Park's playground is back in service, a new farmers market is coming to North Redondo, and Springfest opens Thursday for its 44th year. Earth Day, the harbor cleanup, and the Spaghetti Dinner all fall within the next two weekends. That is a lot of community happening inside seven days, and most of it is worth showing up for.

If any of this sparked a question or something you want to share, hit reply. I read every message.

"I believe progress isn't one headline — it's how we treat each other at games, how we welcome visitors to our beach, and how we keep showing up for small, unglamorous work. Thanks for doing that work with me. 🤝"

Brad Waller
City Council Member, Redondo Beach
brad.waller@redondo.org