Deepening American Divide > > Big Impact on Local Real Estate Markets

Patterns of personal life choices, impacting local demographics and therefore real estate values, are discussed in this hugely insightful essay from Charles Murray on the New American Divide. - David

The Biggest Mansions For Sale In America

Just for fun (unless you want to buy one), here are the largest homes currently for sale in America, courtesy of Forbes.  Looking for something a little smaller?  Contact your blogger! - David

Mira Costa's Model U.N. program ranked nation's best

This is pretty impressive.  This article from The Daily Breeze leaves "No Debate" that Manhattan Beach' Mira Costa High School continues to achieve great things for students with the will to aim high. - David

Residential Housing Ready to Awaken?

The actual numbers behind the housing market are starting to signal recovery, as discussed in detail in this article from CNBC and Yahoo! Finance forwarded by BeachCityDigs.com friend Steve Newman.  To be sure, this will be a slow recovery, played out over a number of months and years.  Slowly enough, in fact, that we'll probably only know it in hindsight, once the lowest prices and interest rates are behind us.  The Beach Cities, which stabilized earlier this year, could be a prime example! - David

MB Council Overturns Arbitrary Denial by Planning Commission

The Manhattan Beach City Council ruled to overturn a puzzling Planning Commission denial of Journey of Faith Church's application to replace it's 1950's-era changeable letter sign with an attractive new sign of the same size in the same location, using current technology.  A good result, and your blogger is grateful to have had the opportunity to help.

Our leaders need to be open to using good judgment in cases like this, avoiding lockstep imposition of one-size-fits-all municipal codes.  As wisely decided by the Council, we should be going out of our way to embrace and not to impose arbitrary and unnecessary restrictions upon the forces for good in our community, including our churches, temples, and schools. - David

Manhattan Beach News

City Council Roundup by Carley Dryden (Updated: Wednesday, December 7, 2011 6:05 PM PST)

[Unrelated text deleted] Journey of Faith sign Although the city’s Planning Commission denied Journey of Faith Church’s request to install a new LED sign along Artesia Boulevard, City Council considered the church’s appeal and approved the installation. The double-sided 60 square-foot full color changeable copy electronic display messaging board will replace the existing illuminated changeable copy cabinet pole sign. The planning commission felt the sign would increase visual blight, cause a vehicle safety hazard along one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, be obtrusive to nearby residents and was not consistent with the city’s sign code. The church argued that the sign, which would dim during nighttime hours, would be an appropriate method to communicate to the community and would be less obtrusive than the pole sign. “The better Journey of Faith looks, the better Manhattan Beach looks,” said resident David White. “A surprising amount of information is conveyed with a sign. This sign is important.” Mayor Nick Tell felt the LED board would not be obtrusive on a street with other electronic signs, like the one at Mira Costa High School, and the towering McDonald’s golden arches just yards away. Councilman David Lesser was the lone dissenter, arguing that the sign would impact the character of Artesia Boulevard and was not consistent with the city’s sign code.