Envelope, Post Card, Explanatory Letter

Envelopes with an explanatory letter and a post card were distributed by Venice Stakeholders Association this weekend to residents of Venice.
Letter states:

Venice residents have been fighting for over 25 years for preferential parking for residents.  At its June 12-14 meeting in Long Beach (exact date and time TBD), the Commission will consider a settlement in the lawsuit brought by the Venice Stakeholders Association that will allow residents the opportunity to implement Overnight Restricted Parking (OPD) from 2 to 5 am.

The program would be voluntary; in order to establish an OPD on their block, the block’s residents would have to secure two-thirds of the signatures on the block.  Annual permits are $15 per vehicle and four-month visitor permits are $10.  Once you obtain a permit at the West Los Angeles office of the Department of Transportation, renewals can e handled on line or by mail.

The object of OPDs is to secure street parking overnight for residents by preventing non-resident vehicles from parking on your block for extended periods.  It would stop people from living in vehicles at night on your street and would remove cars stored by LAX-bound travelers, auto garages, rental car agencies, Boardwalk vendors, and visitors at local hotels (who can afford to pay for off-street parking.)

We have enclosed a postcard for you to support OPD.  Please sign it, add your address and a stamp, and mail it today to the Coastal Commission.

PLEASE MAIL THE POSTCARD BY WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5

Note:  Information was taken from an article in Argonaut.

Residents of Westchester near Loyola Marymount University (LMU) are having parking problems similar to some of Venice’s parking problems.  Apparently, LMU is charging students for parking on site to pay off a bond on a parking building being built.

As a result, students are parking in the neighborhood and causing parking problems for residents.  Residents are upset but adamant they do not want preferential parking in their area even though the city will set it up and LMU has offered to pay for it.   Westchester in question is east of Lincoln and does not require California Coastal Commission approval for preferential parking.

June 11, 12, and 13 the California Coastal Commission (CCC) will meet in Long Beach to hear the “settlement” reached by the CCC, the Venice Stakeholders, the City of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Department of Transportation will present the preferential parking district (PPD) proposal to the coastal commission for approval in concept.  This program is proposed for certain commercial corridors of Venice where residents are being abused by the overuse of commercial parking.  Two streets mentioned in presentation are Rose Avenue and Abbot Kinney.  Other areas needed are Lincoln Blvd and parts of Washington Blvd.

Up Front–Update Supports OPD, PPD

Triangle Update will be up front with the fact that Update is in total support of OPD and  PPD for the Triangle and for Venice.  The need is long overdue.

Opposition to Have Their Own Edition

Triangle Update will also devote an edition to those opposing OPD and PPD.  David Ewing and Linda Lucks have both been asked to participate since they are the apparent leaders of the anti-OPD, PPD programs.  Others such as Deborah Lashever will be asked to participate.  All may participate.  The reasons against will be presented in one edition and then the reasons for will be presented in another edition.  Hopefully, from these views people can get a better understanding of the program.

The Overnight Parking District (OPD) program has been around trying to take hold in Venice since before Councilman Bill Rosendahl took office.  It is a simple system that allows a block (block-by-block approval) with 2/3^rd majority of residents who sign a petition to be able to park on that block between the hours of 2 and 5 am.  A $15 sticker will show authorization to park.  Also one with a sticker will be able to park in any block that requires a sticker.  Visitor stickers are available for those staying past 2 am.

Party People

Mary Margaret Martinez of the Triangle and the ultimate party giver was asked what she thought of the system since she gave most of the area parties.  Her comment was that she loved it and really didn’t want people to stay past 2 am.

For Just Triangle

For the Triangle it will be the elimination of people doing airport parking of vehicles, it will be the end of “for sale” vehicles being parked, it will be the end of convenience, overflow parking for the two thousand units abutting (and their how many tenants) the Triangle and their many vehicles that fill the streets in the Triangle.

And yes, there is 72-hour limited parking.   It has to be enforced and it is not enforced.  That would help but it just doesn’t.  This gives the perpetrator at least six days at a minimum.  Multiple calls are made by the complainant before enforcement arrives and then the waiting period beings.  Dumpers and parkers know the system and use it.

There are three blocks in Triangle awaiting such an opportunity.  Two of the streets or blocks are Berkeley and Thatcher abutting Jefferson Marina apartments.  These two streets involve 16 houses.  Carter is another street that would be helped by such since they are in close proximity to apartments and commercial car dumping.  That is approximately an additional 20 homes.  So for Triangle, it is 36 homes, three streets, out of 350 to 400 homes and many streets.

John Henning, attorney for the Venice Stakeholders Association (VSA), filed a request for investigation of ethics violation of Linda Lucks, president of Venice Neighborhood Council this week. The investigation request can be read at http://www.venicestakeholdersassociation.org/.

Linda Lucks, before becoming president of the Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC), led the charge against Overnight Parking Districts at the last California Coastal Commission hearing in June 2009.

In answer to Heather Kahler’s comments about car recognition in neighborhood, Denise wrote that she still had some car stickers for the window. They are not stickers actually; they are static-cling stickers. Stickers were designed by Denise and handed out to all residents December 2011. Few used them. They were intended to be a means for all to identify if the car was local or not. Contact Denise at soldfast@denisefast.com or call at 310-578-5414.

As of press time there is no determining word from Marc Saltzberg, vice-president of Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) or Matt Kline, outreach officer for VNC, regarding a proposed town hall for OPD in early April.

Marc Ryavec has provided both VNC board members with a copy of the settlement, compromise.  The OPD negotiated settlement is scheduled to be heard in June at the California Coastal Commission’s June meeting.  Mark Ryavec was asked who were the people, departments involved in obtaining this settlement.  Mark wrote the following:

The players involved in the negotiated settlement were the LA Department of Transportation, City Attorney, and Council Office (for the City), Venice Stakeholders represented by John Henning and Mark Ryavec, and the California Coastal Commission (CCC) staff and the State Attorney General’s Office. At the June hearing the CCC can agree with staff recommendation of the settlement, amend it and adopted it, accept parts and deny others, or deny it entirely.

The Update questions the wisdom of the VNC encouraging a discussion of OPD since there is a settlement in writing to be heard in June.  The background for the Venice OPD is that it has been hashed and rehashed for years, culminating in a vote FOR in February 2009, and a rejection by the CCC in June 2009.  Now the players above mentioned are trying to help Venice get some parking relief.  Whether, it happens or not is up to the CCC.

According to Mark, the CCC can accept it all, reject it all, or accept part thereof.

Arturo Pina of Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s office stated in 2 March issue of Update, “The City is concluding settlement discussions with the California Coastal Commission. This settlement will be heard at the June meeting of the Coastal Commission. As some folks may know, the city would like to offer Overnight Permit Parking Districts to our constituents that live west of Lincoln Boulevard. Coastal has challenged the City’s ability to do so. In June, a final determination will be made.