Infrastructure Coalition Partners

Citywide, communities ask for mandated City services.

Partners in the Appeal are:

Comite de la Esperanza

Granada Hills Alliance

Hollywood Heritage,Inc

La Brea Willoughby Coalition

La Mirada Ave Neighborhood Assoc of Hollywood

Old Granada Hills Residents' Group

R Neighborhoods Are 1

San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners’ Coalition

San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners' United

Westwood South of Santa Monica Blvd

Prop. B Is for Bribery and Blackmail

Los Angeles voters:

by Nancy  M. Norris

Solar Power is the way to go, but Proposition B was put on the March ballot hastily by the Los Angeles City Council, without their knowledge of its costs, and at the behest of IBEW Union boss who controls city hall is the wrong measure to that goal. Prop B will cost our city more than necessary.

This measure was passed without asking for "real community notice or input" and without disclosure of its true cost. To hide this from the tax paying voters of our city, Mayor Villaraigosa has filed a lawsuit against those who wrote the "No on Prop. B" platform, including former Daily News Editor Ron Kaye. The lawsuit seeks recovery of the city's attorneys fees and costs from the 8 individuals who wrote the opposition and it is nothing more than an attempt to SILENCE the Opposition to Prop. B.

Please do not fall for another fraud by the city council and Mayor Villaraigosa. Vote No on Prop. B. Please forward Ron Kaye's email below to all your friends and family members who live in the city, and tell them to vote no on Prop. B.    

For more info on what you can do to support Ron Kaye in this case and his Save LA Project, click www.ronkayela.com.

LESSONS FROM THE CANDIDATES’ WALKS

The very important Council District 5 seat will be filled by a new person in the March 3, 2008 election. To learn more about some CD5 seat candidates and for themto learn more about our neighborhood, the MNA invited some candidates to visit.

“No answer is an answer.” ��Paul Koretz came on November 13, 2008. We are not sure what he learned. What we learned is to the repeated question, “If you were our Council Member, what would your position be on the La Brea Gateway Project?”
Koretz gave no answer.

��Ron Galperin met us on November 25, 2008. Ron gave broad, wonky planning strategies, but a neighbor in the group later commented, “Every time you (Saunders), asked Ronwhat his position was [on La Brea Gateway] he looked away and his eyes wandered...”

Candidate David "Ty" Vehedi joined us on December 11, 2008. He clearly understood our issues and clearly declared his positions (throughout the district) : Zoning would not be changed and he would not meet with developers unless neighborhood representation was also in the room.

Join the lessons. Ask questions. Give your opinions. THEN VOTE AND MAKE IT MATTER

Let us be more informed and active in this election also.

DEVELOPMENT ISSUES POINT TO CITYWIDE CANDIDATE GREUEL

Number One is a Matter of Opinion

By Kathleen N. Schwartz

I find it interesting that Councilmember Wendy Greuel recently indicated in CityWatch in her view TRAFFIC is the city’s Number One problem.

I wish she would take notice of a development being planned in her own district. Currently, a DEIR is being developed for a Dasher-Lawless project called The Plaza @The Glen.

This large proposed development, located on Victory Boulevard, just east of Ethel

Avenue in Valley Glen (North Hollywood) includes:

•150 residential units

•140,000 NSF of retail

•100,000 NSF of restaurants

•45,000 NSF of market

•100,000 NSF of medical office

•450,000 NSF of commercial office

•45,000 SF of gym

•2,700 seat theater

•230-room hotel

•Parking between 3,200 to 3,900 spaces

Among other things, the developer wants to:

• Amend the General Plan Amendment from Neighborhood Office Commercial to

Community Commercial, increasing current height and density

• Change the Zoning from [Q] C2-1VL to a C2-2, increasing height from three stories

to at least six stories and perhaps no limit. This would be a disaster for the homes

directly adjacent to the property. This change will increase an already terrible traffic

situation, not to mention destroy the quality of life for the single-story homes in the

surrounding neighborhood.

This property is up against single-story, single-family homes. This is not something that

is being built on Victory Boulevard. The bulk of it is actually the neighborhood.

Currently, every afternoon, Monday through Friday, there is a Traffic Officer at

Coldwater and Victory. The back-up onto the south-bound 170 from east-bound Victory

every morning is horrific. The afternoon traffic west-bound on Victory from the freeway

is a nightmare.

Yet, we hear nothing of Ms. Greuel’s concern for the people who live in this area who

will be affected by such massive development. There is an additional large

development planned less than one mile east and south on Laurel Canyon, between

Victory and Oxnard. Perhaps that is why Ms. Greuel is noncommittal about the

controversial Metro/Universal Project. Or thinks that traffic is the City’s Number One

problem. (Kathleen n. Schwartz is a neighborhood council activist and a homeowner living within 500 ft of the

Dasher-Lawless development.) ◘

CityWatch

Vol 6 Issue 96

Pub: Nov 28, 2008

936 NORTH LA BREA PROJECT

The Melrose Neighborhood Association Land Use Committee (MNA LUC) met with

agents of the proposed 936 North La Brea development. Plans, designs, and

renderings have not been finalized.

MNA LUC is eager to collaborate early and often through the development

process, especially in face of cumulative negative impacts of this and other major

projects within a two-mile radius.

Watch this blog site frequently for posted updates on this and other projects--and

how they affect our neighborhood.

And to let us know your thoughts.

LA BREA GATEWAY UPDATE

On October 30, 2008, the Martin Group and Bomel Company with their attorneys met with
Melrose Neighborhood Association (MNA) representatives and again insisted on the same
massive 7-story, RAS4 project at La Brea and (mostly on) Willoughby.

As before, the developers and council office staff ignored 1) the much cited sweeping negative impacts to our one- and two-story residential neighborhood, 2) the loss of diminished industrial land with subsequent job losses, and 3) the project is not in keeping with the city’s edict, “to protect existing neighborhoods?”

What do you want in our neighborhood? It is important to let your views known and voice
heard in hearings, letters and emails.

Please:
Write Jack Weiss at councilmember.Weiss@lacity.org fax 213.978.2250

Copy La Brea Willoughby Coalition at labreacoalition@gmail.com fax 323.933.4575

RE: LA BREA GATEWAY PROJECT/915 North La Brea
Case No. ENV-2005-6164/CPC-2005-6163-GPA-ZC-ZV-CUB-SPR

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Contact MNA for any questions: 323.939.2754