The complete board is up for re-election this year. If you are interested in running for the Venice Neighborhood Council, you must submit an application by 19 March. Visit VeniceNC.org.
By Rick Swinger
People have to walk in the middle of the street on 3rd between Sunset and Rose because people remove their “stuff” from storage and dump it on 3rd or tenters take up the complete sidewalk and sometimes spill into the street.
Venice Update was told that if this sign shown above were displayed so that people could see it from the sidewalk, violators on the private property , including the landscaped area (area between fence and sidewalk) could be removed. This would eliminate all trespassers around Farmers’ Market– North and South Venice Blvd and Ocean Ave.
Right now the sign faces the parking lot, the Farmers’ Market, and excludes the landscaped area. Update was told the sign needs to be turned or another sign posted. The area between the wall and the sidewalk (landscaped area) is private property too, which should have a “no trespass” area sign. The sidewalk is governed by LAMC 41.18(a),(d).
Note: A question arises from this statement. The Farmers’ Market and the landscaping area are private property owned by the City. Does this mean that all homeowners, all commercial property owners should have signs stating “No Trespassing” at the front of their properties? What kind of world is being established before our very eyes? Update assumes the City is rushing the proper signs.
Both pictures above are of Ocean Ave between North and South Venice Blvd. The BID Clean Team is cleaning up part of the mess.
A few of the vans and cars on North Venice Blvd are still there. One can tell the police have been after them. The one van with a lot of junk on it is still there.
Note: It was told to the Venice Update that the brown van had not been moved for several weeks or ticketed because vehicle identification number cannot be found. Update is sure the law is that one cannot have an unregistered motor vehicle (no VIN) on the road. The police have been queried regarding this situation.
The blue van buys bottles and cans from people. Update was told that when the recycle people arrive, so do the drug dealers because the cash from bottles can be put immediately into the purchase of drugs. That is efficiency.
The bad news is that 7th Ave just north of Rose has repopulated and the crowd is spreading debris and is disruptive. They are definitely not ADA compliant. This is behind Whole Foods and across the street from a residential area.
Penmar Park has a few more tents.
A new encampment in an alley behind Deux Ex Machina Emporium of Post at the northeast corner of Venice and Lincoln Blvd was reported to Venice Update. The tenters there said if they had a place to put the debris, they would clean it up themselves. According to the SLO Adrian Acosta, Sanitation has been notified. A story was written about it this week.
Also what is noticeable is that people are storing their stuff between planters on Sunset and Fourth. Whether they are sleeping there is not known.
(Courtesy of Sir Anthony.)
Hampton Drive, south of Rose, is about the same except notice the second photo shows that a chain has been bolted to the sidewalk to secure the tent. Also note in the photo there is a propane or something type stove.
Note: LAMC 56.11 states:
No Person shall erect any barrier against or lay string or join any wires, ropes, chains or otherwise attach any Personal Property to any Public Property, including but not limited, to a building or portion or protrusion thereof, fence, bus shelter, trash can, mail box, pole, bench, newsrack, sign, tree, bush, shrub or plant, without the City’s prior written consent. No Person shall erect any barrier against or lay string or joinany wires, ropes, chains or otherwise attach any Personal Property to any private property in such a manner as to create an obstruction on or across any Street or area where the public may be expected to travel.
There should be a fire code law regarding the stove.
Hampton Drive, north of Rose, on both the west and east sides were clean and clear.
Venice Blvd at Dell still has an encampment on the parking median.
Robert, the young man talking, and Josh under the green tent, would love to have this cleaned up. All this, they say, was here when they arrived. If they had a dumpster, they would clean it up.
This encampment is located behind Deux Ex Machina Emporium of Post at the northeast corner of Lincoln and Venice Blvd, 1001 Venice Blvd, Venice. Access is between the Deux and a Thai restaurant on Lincoln.
By Rick Swinger
Mardi Gras in Venice Saturday. Parade went from Rose to Windward on Ocean Front Walk. Queen was Deanna Navakuku; King was Paul Rivas.
St. Joseph Center will have one of its Community meetings to address neighborhood concerns regarding the Hampton facility, 6 March at 5 pm at the St. Joseph Center, 204 Hampton Drive.
The Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) will hold a special meeting Monday at 7 pm, Oakwood Recreation Center, 767 California, to approve a Community Impact Statement (CIS) regarding the CF-19-0072 which has reference to development of the Venice Median for affordable housing.
The VNC Parking and Transportation committee prepared this community impact statement in response to Councilman Mike Bonin’s motion (19-0072) that will go before the City Council to ask for a feasibility study of taking the Venice median parking lot and making it an affordable housing project. The motion asks for City agencies to do the community impact statement and the fiscal impact statement. Councilman Mike Bonin’s motion: CF 19-0072 CIS
The councilman has not asked for the Venice Neighborhood Council to provide a community impact statement in violation of the City Charter, Section 907, which states:
Sec. 907. Early Warning System.
The Regulations shall establish procedures for receiving input from neighborhood councils prior to decisions by the City Council, City Council Committees and boards and commissions. The procedures shall include, but need not be limited to, notice to neighborhood councils as soon as practical, and a reasonable opportunity to provide input before decisions are made. Notices to be provided include matters to be considered by the City Council, City Council Committees, and City boards or commissions.
So the VNC is preparing the CIS for the City. Further the City motion ignores two studies already completed regarding the parking crisis in Venice. These two studies are referenced here.: 1)VeniceIn-LieuFeeReportJuly2012 , 2)VeniceTraffic_ParkingStudy
This is the motion:
The Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) requests that the following comments be attached to Council File 19-0072: “Venice Lot” as a Community Impact Statement.
The Venice Neighborhood Council is providing the following comments in acknowledgement of the need to not only maintain but massively increase public parking opportunities in Venice:
1. The VNC has previously passed a motion indicating its preference that Lot 731 be used for public parking with a multiple story structure east of the Venice Grand Canal and creating an open
space park to the west. A traffic congestion consideration that would allow westbound vehicles
to cross through the median to eastbound Venice Blvd. was also recommended.
2. The Venice community west of California Route #1 (Lincoln Blvd) is considered a California Coastal Zone and in June 2001 the City-prepared Venice Coastal Zone Land Use Plan was adopted and certified by the California Coastal Commission and one of the referenced documents within this plan was a Traffic and Parking Plan prepared by Kaku Associates from the Los Angeles City Planning Department that describes a defecit of parking in the North Venice area of over 1200 cars due to the fact that many of the existing buildings were historic and constructed before parking was considered a requirement.
3. In 2012, the City of Los Angeles prepared as part of the Westside Mobility Plan an In-Lieu Fee Report. This report addresses the shortfall of public parking in the Venice region and further documents that, should public parking structures be constructed, the fees the City has been collecting since the Venice Parking Trust Fund (described in the 1988 Venice ICO) was established could be used to offset the construction costs. Furthermore, this report identifies the City properties where such parking structures could be constructed and parking opportunities be expanded. The report was prepared by CDM Smith.
4. In February 2009, Venice residents voted in an official referendum of the Venice Neighborhood Council in favor of overnight restricted parking for residents. Venice is in a Coastal Zone and as such the California Coastal Commission has denied the City’s prior two applications for a Coastal Development to allow permit parking. Although the residents, business operators and the City have expressed the desire to have permit zone parking, the Coastal Commission made it clear in their denials that there cannot be any reduction of on-street parking without a one-to-one replacement off-street. Parking structures similar to those found in the Venice neighboring cities such as Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach were suggested to provide off street parking.
5. The Venice Neighborhood Council in June 2017 requested the City prepare an inventory of the existing parking conditions in Venice and to include Beach Impact Parking and non-required parking spaces in commercially-zoned projects within the Venice Coastal Zone. In response to this request, the City described how such a study would be prepared as one of the elements of the upcoming Venice Coastal Zone Land Use Plan. To date no information has been published that describes the current inventory of parking conditions.
6. The community of Venice since its inception in 1905 has been a visitor destination which is often referred to as the number two tourist attraction in the entire state of California behind Disneyland. In this capacity, beach access is a priority and the number one means of transportation to this region is by single occupancy vehicles. There are no plans in the immediate or distant future to provide mass transit with remote park-and-ride lots outside the region. Autonomous self-driving automobiles might relieve some of the parking requirements but they are still many years away from wide scale adoption.
7. The commercially zoned property in the Venice Coastal Zone is underdeveloped when compared to any other growing community in Los Angeles City or neighboring communities. This is the result of conflicting conditions; on one hand, the parking demands are very high as described in both the City and State codes while on the other hand, the lot sizes are small and therefore parking consumes most, if not all, of the developable ground floor. This means historic structures that want to and should be preserved as described in the community plan can’t comply to code with onsite parking. Additionally, most of the commercial lots in Venice are undersized by all standards, averaging 2700 SF. Attempting to utilize a lot of this size in a new commercial project requires most of the entire ground floor to be consumed by parking, which makes the usable commercial space too small to be economically feasible. The solution as described in the 2012 In-Lieu plan is to create large parking structures and allow property owners to buy into the ongoing cost of a local shuttle system.
Last week you read about the encampment under the 405 freeway on Venice Blvd. Los Angeles jurisdiction side (north side) was packed with homeless; Culver City jurisdiction side (south side) had none.
Today (Friday) the sidewalk at the underpass on the north side is closed. Sanitation is there with the police. The homeless on the north side are being told to move because Sanitation is cleaning the area. Sanitation does not operate without at least a 72-hour notification.
Yolanda Gonzalez, who took the photos, said the people were trying to move to the south side but the police would not allow that. Then they tried to move to the narrow median and the police would not allow that. One fellow settled across the street.
Rick Swinger’s photos of previous article explaining the jurisdiction.
Yolanda Gonzalez’s photos taken today during the cleanup.
Totally different attitude among the homeless this week. Perhaps, because it was sunny and no immediate threat of rain. Consistently, the people encountered were kind and thoughtful of their surrounding neighbors, They were the people one would want to help. None looked or acted like he was on alcohol or drugs. They looked like they were worthy of proper lodging. What a difference. Maybe the bums are moving on??
The sites have changed so much since the weekly Encampment Updates started. You read about the Grand Canal. That is over. Hampton, north of Rose, was a disaster. 7th Ave, north of Rose was another disaster. Penmar Park, area west of it, was unbelievable as was the alley adjacent to it. Today there was a different sidewalk encampment in Venice. Let’s hope it lasts.
Grand Canal area at Venice Median is free of any encampments and has been since the BID team took over. Lady at the old post office on Windward is still there. She keeps collecting things. The nasty lady on Main with the two pit bulls left area, came back, and was gone Friday. It wasn not just her; there were several with her. Would not want to walk my kids past her in the morning to go to school.
South Venice Blvd at Dell still has an encampment.
Ocean between North and South Venice Blvd is growing. There is also one on North Venice Blvd near Ocean. One at the apex and then the camouflaged area looks like wood will be added for some reason. (Photos are terrible. Sorry.)
The van row on North Venice Blvd is growing. It looks like police have been there and talked to them about being capable of moving their vehicles. Much of the stuff on top of the cars and vans were removed. Vehicles on the road have to be capable of being moved. One commenter on the VeniceUpdate.com said this was all they had, etc. If it is all they have, then they should be even more concerned about abiding by the law and being considerate of their neighbors — cleaning up after themselves. One can be homeless and clean and thoughtful. All that stuff all over the cars and vans is unsightly and unnecessary and makes the vehicle unmovable. One van was an exception.
4th Street between Sunset and Vernon looks about the same.
Noticed someone was storing stuff between the planters on Sunset at 3rd.
Hampton south of Rose was about the same.
Hampton north of Rose on west side was totally cleared for cleaning. 
Mary was sitting across the street waiting for the cleaning to be over. Mary has been here in Venice a year and a half from Ohio and Florida. She said they clean the west side of the street every day with water and bleach and she really appreciates it. Two other fellows in her area she said had been there many years, one 10 years and one 6 years. She said there were about 10 camp sites. The one guy who messed up the east side when they were all on the east side is gone she said. No one knows where.
7th, north of Rose has repopulated with a different crowd, apparently there are those who do drugs but not to the extent of what was. There are about 15 to 20 tented camp sites. Jerome was sweeping the street. A fellow from Whole Foods comes and picks up what Jerome sweeps up. One lady said a 66-year-old camper was waiting for the bathroom at Whole Foods this morning when a guy who was shooting up came out and hit him. May have been Charlie of last week who got hit.. At the end of the street was Shogun. Shogun goes from New York and Miami to California. He had just gotten back from Newport Beach area. He isn’t looking for housing, he said. Last time in Venice he was on 3rd. He is a delightful camper to talk with.
Penmar Park, area west of the park, only has three campsites. One is most elaborate. The gal and guy who live there were asked if they would accept housing. They said not likely because they wouldn’t give housing to the two of them. They want to live together and they have a dog. The mess in the front of the photo is debris that they picked up around the site. Site is totally different than it was before Sanitation took a liking to the area.
You’ve seen the signs “Stop Dumping on Venice” , “ Stop The Monster”. They have reference to the projects being “imposed” on Venice by the City government. No other city in Council District 11 has a comparable situation; no other city in LA has a comparable situation. ” Only in Venice. That is why Venetians are crying “No, stop, enough is enough.
It is not the purpose of this article to explain why. It is the purpose to present some background, some thoughts in minds of Venetians in Venice, types of homeless, and the projects. Fight Back Venice has an illustration depicting the projects forthcoming for Venice in a flyer. The group Fight Back Venice is also suing the City regarding the proposed project for Venice Median set to be built between North and South Venice Blvd, west of Pacific to Dell, formerly a beach parking lot.
(Flyer courtesy of Fight Back Venice.)
This edition, article only discusses the Venice Median, Thatcher Yard, the MTA sites, and the Westminster Senior Center. The Venice Median (now called Reese-Davidson Community) and the MTA sites both have lawsuits with the City against what the city proposes. Thatcher Yard did have a law suit but it has been dropped. Westminster Senior Center is settling their law suit, which means they could pick it up later but are happy with City’s solution.
More homeless in Venice based on population and size of Venice
Venice is approximately 3.1 square miles with 40,000 citizens. Venetians claim that the number of homeless to be housed and are even now housed in Venice is out of proportion to the size of the Venice’s physical boundaries with any other city. And the claim is it is out of proportion in numbers with the population of any other area in the Los Angeles City system. It other words Venice has more homeless housing per capita and more per square miles than any other area in the LA City system
Is it wrong for the City of LA to impose this disproportionate set of figures on a small community by the sea? Venetians think and say “Yes.” Enough is enough. Venice houses both St. Joseph Center and Venice Community Housing which push for more services in Venice, more housing in Venice. Venetians are made out to be the bad guys when they show this disproportionate selection.
Some cry that the next door neighbor Santa Monica has more. They are larger in physical size and have different zoning and have many more citizens. They are not comparable.
Prime, close-to-ocean properties; elsewhere get more for the buck to house more homeless
All four of the projects are within 1000 feet of the ocean. Prime land. Many wanted the Venice Median, Thatcher Yard sites sold and money taken elsewhere to provide even more homeless housing. That ship has sailed. Apparently, the City will not consider the figures.
Venice homeless are doing “right of passage,” here for the weather, other reasons
The beach and many of the streets and sidewalks are filled with homeless youth expressing their “right of passage” to something, which certainly includes alcohol and drugs. This invites gangs and drug dealers to the area. Vandalism is rampant. Stolen bikes are displayed throughout Venice. Many of the homeless party at night and sleep during the day. Many of those who live in vans and motor homes do not respect the roadways or their neighbors. One can be homeless but still be clean and respectful.
Yes, there are people who come to Venice who are truly in need of help. One man, not on drugs or alcohol, was asked why he and his girlfriend came to Venice and he said he Googled the best place to be if one is homeless and bingo the place was Venice. So he hot footed it to Venice from some southern state and Regina Weller found him lodging.
Will these projects get rid of homeless on Venice Beach, sidewalks, streets
Will these projects get rid of the homeless on the Venice Beach, sidewalks, streets? Not necessarily. The selection process for living quarters will be the coordinated entry system (CES). People will be selected from a larger area than Venice on a “most need basis.” Most of those on alcohol or drugs do not want housing even though the availability for housing is not dependent on one getting off drugs or alcohol. Yes, one will be able to get housing and stay or drugs and/or alcohol.
Both projects will be for homeless and permanent supportive housing
Both the Venice Median and the Thatcher Yard will each contain 50 percent affordable and 50 percent permanent supportive housing. In both cases affordable will be for the low, very low and extremely low incomes. The permanent supportive housing is further divided into two types one is for homeless and the other is for chronically homeless. The chronically homeless have what is termed, in addition to being homeless, a disability such as alcohol, drugs, being a senior citizen, having to be in a wheel chair, having a mental condition etc. The list is long.
Thatcher Yard
(All illustrations are courtesy of Oxford Triangle Association and Thomas Safran and Associates.)
The Thatcher Yard project in the Oxford Triangle consists of 98 units of which half will be affordable and half Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). The site is 93,347 sq ft.
Thomas Safran Associates (TSA), the selected builder, further defines the breakdown as 68 units for seniors and 30 units for families. Half of 68 units will be for PSH homeless and half for low, very low and extremely low incomes. The 30 units will be half for PSH homeless and half for low income.A senior is at least 62 years old.
There will be 128 bedrooms so at least 30 units will be two-bedroom but it is known that some of the units will be three bedrooms.There will be 82 parking spaces. There will be an apartment for a live-in manager.
The PSH units will have supportive services. The Coordinated Entry System (CES) and lottery system will be used for tenant selection.Safran management will run credit, criminal, and income verification checks.
At one time it was shown that a one-bedroom would be 600 sq ft; two bedroom 850 sq ft; and three-bedroom at 1100 sq ft.
The project will consist of 16 one- or two-story houses and 9 buildings that will be two or three stories and a community room. The only deviations from the Venice Specific Plan are the 8-foot passage ways and the clock tower which will be 40’6”.
The complete project perimeter facing R-1 housing will be fenced with a four- foot fence and with landscaping.
Thatcher Ave street will be closed at the site’s northern boundary to prevent all vehicle access from site into the Oxford Triangle. Access to the site will be off Jefferson-Marina Way at Lincoln. Harbor Crossing houses at the south end will enter and exit via Jefferson-Marina Way onto Lincoln or the Oxford exit, which is to be changed to be an entrance/exit.
The project is approaching the stage of reaching the Venice Neighborhood Council Land Use and Planning Committee for approval.A neighborhood outreach will be the next step and should be announced shortly and is scheduled to happen before the end of February.Building is scheduled to commence second quarter of 2020.
Venice Median (now called Reese-Davidson Community)
(First illustration is courtesy of Fight Back Venice and the other renderings are courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Associates.)
The Venice Median project, now called Reese-Davidson Community, will consist of 140 residential units in two buildings located between North and South Venice Blvd, between Pacific and Dell. There will be commercial on the ground floor. The site is 112,171 sq ft.
The project will have 68 units for formerly chronically homeless individuals. The other 68 units will be 34 for low-income artists and 34 for low income households.
This is a joint development project for Venice Community Housing (VCH) and Hollywood Community Housing with design by Eric Owen Moss, architect.
The site will also have a community arts center, small scale retail, public parking, residential and commercial parking, wide setbacks from the sidewalk, various open and green spaces, and multiple opportunities for public art.
The project will consist of two main buildings that will span the property. Each building will have a varied roof line and will be between two and three stories with a maximum height of 35 feet. The northwest corner will sport a campanile that will be 59 feet. The first floor will be commercial.
Commercial space on the first floor will total 8,000 sq ft including Gregory Hines Art Center of 3155 sq ft. When asked if VCH would use any of the commercial space, Becky Dennison, director of VCH, wrote “Probably not, but the commercial uses have not been determined.”
Property originally used as a beach parking lot had 188 parking spaces. These spaces will be incorporated into the additional spaces required for the units and commercial. According to Dennison there will be 395 to 436 parking spaces in total — 188 required replacement public parking; 128 required residential and commercial spaces; and 79 to 120 non-required spaces.
“The range on non-required is because we don’t yet know whether the City will pursue conventional or automated parking for the public parking lot,” said Dennison. Automated creates more spaces.
Dennison said that there will be eight staff members. Four will be social service providers for the chronically homeless. Four will be property management staff. The property management members will live on the property.
Square footage for the units is as follows:
Studio: 281 to 405 sq ft
Art loft: 350 – 480 sq ft
1 br: 502 to 687 sq ft
2 br: 755 to 902 sq ft
Breakdown of how many of each type unit is as follows:
Studio 51
Art Loft 34
1-Bed 32
2-Bed 23
The status of the project is that the project is close to being presented to Venice Neighborhood Council. There is also a law suit that is requesting a full Environmental Impact Report.
MTA Site for Bridge Housing
The MTA Site (also referred to as Metro Site, Project 6, former Bus Lot) is proposed for Mayor Eric Garcetti’s “Bridge Housing” in Venice. Its site is located on Sunset between Pacific and Main and is a little over 3 acres.
It is proposed that a temporary community for rapid rehousing will be constructed to house 154 homeless individuals — 100 adults and 54 people between the ages of 18 and 24.
The claim is that the project will be used to house and process the homeless on Venice streets to permanent housing, jobs, rehab centers, etc. The promise is that this will clean up the beach, sidewalks, streets in Venice that the homeless are inhabiting. The protocol for accomplishing this has not yet been announced other than that there will be increased sanitation and increased police. This same protocol was announced for the first Bridge at El Pueblo in downtown Los Angeles. The ACLU immediately wrote a letter to the Mayor, the protocol outcome of which no one knows.
Venetians feel this will create more homeless in Venice. The Council Deputy has stated that the first homeless will come from those on the streets, sidewalks and beach of Venice.
The three plus acres is further scheduled for development by the Metropolitan Transit Authority within three years but Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilman Mike Bonin are both on the board.
At present time there is a law suit to accomplish a full Environmental Impact Report.
The project is best described by Councilman Mike Bonin.
Westminster Senior Center
The latest for the Westminster Senior Center was published 12 February and is reprinted here.Venice Kids Count is settling their suit with the City. The City will not be converting the Westminster Senior Center into a storage facility for homeless.
Spokesman for Venice Kids Count said “The agreement outlines that should the City decide to reverse their direction and move forward to convert the Senior Center, they will notify us in writing 60 days prior and we can then immediately revive our legal effort. We have agreed to essentially put our lawsuit on hold.
“Councilman Mike Bonin has announced to the group that the Senior Center will be used for recovery meetings hosted by the Venice Recovery Center. Venice Recovery Center was on Lincoln Blvd.
Spokesman for Venice Kids Count stated that the group hopes the Westminster Senior Center will be used by community organizations, such as arts groups, civic groups, hobby groups, senior groups, etc so the park will be a positive presence in Venice.
Ref: https://veniceupdate.com/2019/02/12/21373/