Jon Nahhas, cofounder of boat coalition …
I just did another radio talk show on the Marina del Rey Visioning Process for 89.3 KPCC. LA County Supervisor, Don Knabe, and Regional Planning Dept.’s, Gina Natoli, were throwing out some “whoppers” – that there weren’t massive boat slip reductions, no significant traffic impacts, and that the Visioning Statement materialized from what the public wanted.
Please visit the link (audio at “Listen Now”) and post your comments: http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2014/02/26/36219/marina-del-rey-is-ready-for-a-makeover-but-would-t/
Here are my comments:
“The Marina del Rey Visioning Statement was created from a fraudulent “public process” that County agents used to circumvent public outcry on what is happening with our public lands. Yes, that’s 3 P words and is the underlying issue with what has gone wrong in the harbor. There is a lot of money to be made by vendors on these public parcels on THE most premium waterfront property in the entire United States. “Pay To Play” is abundantly clear as these vendors (lessees) dole out large sums of money (in campaign contributions and other financial benefits) to Supervisor Knabe, his staff, and his son, Matt, who is a lobbyist for many of the lessees. 3 Politicians have already been convicted for public corruption for deals in Marina del Rey and yet the fleecing of the taxpayers continues. The recreational lands for the residents of Los Angeles County purchased with public money continue to be altered due to political tactics.”
Heather Kahler
You know, that “reaching out” nonsense from the scope people about our parking incident (the employee still parks in the neighborhood on Thatcher) was just that. Where there is a dollar in profit to be made (square footage increase and hours increase), it is all a facade. The ONLY way our neighborhoods parking situation will be unaffected is with permit parking. Period. We can have all the meetings we want and send emails to whomever, but they DON’T CARE about our needs and inconveniences, period. They will not sacrifice, only we can, by finally embracing permit parking. It is less inconvenient to hang a permit in a guest’s car every now and then to repeatedly come home with babies and groceries only to not be able to find a spot within 11 houses away from your own. Not all homes have driveways. People have to park in front their own driveways, and they are at least lucky to have that though they risk a ticket. I am not even speaking for myself. I see neighbors cars that I know have small children, parked down near my house or even south of that that live up ten or more houses away. They get home after a long hard day at work, and park 10 houses away while the local restaurants profit from the parking nearby. Permit parking is our only solution. And lunch time I the weekends is no different. The only way we can take care of our neighborhoods needs, and our neighbors is permit parking, for better or worse, it is the reality.
Wolf Seeberg
(Photo by Wolf Seeberg.)
Thirty-five herons (Snowy Egret) in Venice Canal.
Reta Moser
I think the members of the Triangle and the members of other neighborhoods should establish some ground rules for commercial, write them down and see if they can’t become official. For residential we have the Venice Specific Plan, the Oxford Triangle Specific Plan. The Oxford Triangle Specific Plan limits C4-OX commercial but not C-2.
But for commercial we need to address certain things in each neighborhood, such as alcohol licenses, valet, hours of operation. These are of utmost importance to a neighborhood. Presidents Row recently had hearings with House of Pies. Triangle has recently had hearings with Firestone-Walker and to come, Scopa. Washington Blvd at the beach has hearings for a recent bar/restaurant. Perhaps, if some of the parameters for alcohol, hours, valet could be established aforetime, there would be less confusion when operators want to open a business.
These are some of the things people have written about in Update.
Valet
Valet–Most will not park with such, no matter how inexpensive it is. Supposedly, it is great for the owner of the establishment because he gets insurance coverage for vehicles. They don’t sue the owner–are you kidding? Consequences of the valet service are that customers, workers park in the neighborhoods.
So “No Valet.”
Operating Hours
No one wants to stop people from making money but a bar/restaurant open until 2 am? Food has stopped being served hours before. Now it is just pure drinking. What you are getting are drunks entering the automobile arena. Neighborhoods are disrupted. It is totally “I am going to be a happy driver on the road.”
Bars supposedly are held liable for letting drivers on the road drunk but haven’t heard of such lately. Maybe, it is time to help all with neighborhoods limiting the hours of the bars. Of course, they can be drunk by 11 too.
How about an 11 pm during the week and a 12 pm for Friday and Saturday. Most of the bars on Washington east of Abbot Kinney are such with the exception of Scopa which is open from 5 pm to 2 am with Sat and Sun brunches. But they want to go to 6 am to 2 am. Sunny Spot is to 2 am Thurs thru Sunday.
Frankly, neighborhoods don’t want this. In working with Firestone-Walker, the neighbors who did speak up stated they didn’t want anything but 11 pm and certainly didn’t want valet. Neighborhoods differ from other areas, such as areas close to public recreation area, the beach.
Limit the hours to what works for your neighborhood.
Alcoholic Beverages
Licenses are limited in number to areas by ABC, yet there is no limitation happening in Venice. Venice is over subscribed. Take note of the restaurants opening and wanting a full line of alcoholic beverages.
Limit the number of licensees in your neighborhood.
More Definitive
Do you want marijuana stores in your neighborhood? The owner of the commercial establishment doesn’t know whether you do or not and he isn’t about to ask. But if he is handed a booklet of what a neighborhood wants, he may be more inclined to abide.
Do you want a massage parlor, a tattoo parlor, marijuana sales, pornography in your neighborhood?
The specific plans are coming up for renewal also. The Oxford Triangle Specific Plan should address the C-2 and renew the C4-OX. Get your likes and dislikes in line for the specific plans and then they will be official, law.
746
Comments–3 March 2014
Jon Nahhas, cofounder of boat coalition …
I just did another radio talk show on the Marina del Rey Visioning Process for 89.3 KPCC. LA County Supervisor, Don Knabe, and Regional Planning Dept.’s, Gina Natoli, were throwing out some “whoppers” – that there weren’t massive boat slip reductions, no significant traffic impacts, and that the Visioning Statement materialized from what the public wanted.
Please visit the link (audio at “Listen Now”) and post your comments: http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2014/02/26/36219/marina-del-rey-is-ready-for-a-makeover-but-would-t/
Here are my comments:
“The Marina del Rey Visioning Statement was created from a fraudulent “public process” that County agents used to circumvent public outcry on what is happening with our public lands. Yes, that’s 3 P words and is the underlying issue with what has gone wrong in the harbor. There is a lot of money to be made by vendors on these public parcels on THE most premium waterfront property in the entire United States. “Pay To Play” is abundantly clear as these vendors (lessees) dole out large sums of money (in campaign contributions and other financial benefits) to Supervisor Knabe, his staff, and his son, Matt, who is a lobbyist for many of the lessees. 3 Politicians have already been convicted for public corruption for deals in Marina del Rey and yet the fleecing of the taxpayers continues. The recreational lands for the residents of Los Angeles County purchased with public money continue to be altered due to political tactics.”
Heather Kahler
You know, that “reaching out” nonsense from the scope people about our parking incident (the employee still parks in the neighborhood on Thatcher) was just that. Where there is a dollar in profit to be made (square footage increase and hours increase), it is all a facade. The ONLY way our neighborhoods parking situation will be unaffected is with permit parking. Period. We can have all the meetings we want and send emails to whomever, but they DON’T CARE about our needs and inconveniences, period. They will not sacrifice, only we can, by finally embracing permit parking. It is less inconvenient to hang a permit in a guest’s car every now and then to repeatedly come home with babies and groceries only to not be able to find a spot within 11 houses away from your own. Not all homes have driveways. People have to park in front their own driveways, and they are at least lucky to have that though they risk a ticket. I am not even speaking for myself. I see neighbors cars that I know have small children, parked down near my house or even south of that that live up ten or more houses away. They get home after a long hard day at work, and park 10 houses away while the local restaurants profit from the parking nearby. Permit parking is our only solution. And lunch time I the weekends is no different. The only way we can take care of our neighborhoods needs, and our neighbors is permit parking, for better or worse, it is the reality.
Wolf Seeberg
(Photo by Wolf Seeberg.)
Thirty-five herons (Snowy Egret) in Venice Canal.
Reta Moser
I think the members of the Triangle and the members of other neighborhoods should establish some ground rules for commercial, write them down and see if they can’t become official. For residential we have the Venice Specific Plan, the Oxford Triangle Specific Plan. The Oxford Triangle Specific Plan limits C4-OX commercial but not C-2.
But for commercial we need to address certain things in each neighborhood, such as alcohol licenses, valet, hours of operation. These are of utmost importance to a neighborhood. Presidents Row recently had hearings with House of Pies. Triangle has recently had hearings with Firestone-Walker and to come, Scopa. Washington Blvd at the beach has hearings for a recent bar/restaurant. Perhaps, if some of the parameters for alcohol, hours, valet could be established aforetime, there would be less confusion when operators want to open a business.
These are some of the things people have written about in Update.
Valet
Valet–Most will not park with such, no matter how inexpensive it is. Supposedly, it is great for the owner of the establishment because he gets insurance coverage for vehicles. They don’t sue the owner–are you kidding? Consequences of the valet service are that customers, workers park in the neighborhoods.
So “No Valet.”
Operating Hours
No one wants to stop people from making money but a bar/restaurant open until 2 am? Food has stopped being served hours before. Now it is just pure drinking. What you are getting are drunks entering the automobile arena. Neighborhoods are disrupted. It is totally “I am going to be a happy driver on the road.”
Bars supposedly are held liable for letting drivers on the road drunk but haven’t heard of such lately. Maybe, it is time to help all with neighborhoods limiting the hours of the bars. Of course, they can be drunk by 11 too.
How about an 11 pm during the week and a 12 pm for Friday and Saturday. Most of the bars on Washington east of Abbot Kinney are such with the exception of Scopa which is open from 5 pm to 2 am with Sat and Sun brunches. But they want to go to 6 am to 2 am. Sunny Spot is to 2 am Thurs thru Sunday.
Frankly, neighborhoods don’t want this. In working with Firestone-Walker, the neighbors who did speak up stated they didn’t want anything but 11 pm and certainly didn’t want valet. Neighborhoods differ from other areas, such as areas close to public recreation area, the beach.
Limit the hours to what works for your neighborhood.
Alcoholic Beverages
Licenses are limited in number to areas by ABC, yet there is no limitation happening in Venice. Venice is over subscribed. Take note of the restaurants opening and wanting a full line of alcoholic beverages.
Limit the number of licensees in your neighborhood.
More Definitive
Do you want marijuana stores in your neighborhood? The owner of the commercial establishment doesn’t know whether you do or not and he isn’t about to ask. But if he is handed a booklet of what a neighborhood wants, he may be more inclined to abide.
Do you want a massage parlor, a tattoo parlor, marijuana sales, pornography in your neighborhood?
The specific plans are coming up for renewal also. The Oxford Triangle Specific Plan should address the C-2 and renew the C4-OX. Get your likes and dislikes in line for the specific plans and then they will be official, law.
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