The refusal of the Los Angeles City Council to recognized and judiciously move on the illegal and uncontrolled “Bird and Lime” scooters has taken a new disastrous direction in the Venice Canals. Frustration mixed with vandalism threatens the water quality and the fish and wildlife of the canals.
Electric scooters are being thrown into the canals. Besides tires and brake pads, we are faced with electric batteries in salt water. The photo below shows the valiant efforts of concerned neighbors to remove the five latest scooters from Grand Canal. They were by the tidal gates at Washington Blvd. The neighbors reported a “milky” substance oozing from the scooters.
Just for safety reasons the 15 mph electric scooters do not belong on the Venice Canals substandard fourfoot wide sidewalks. Add, plants growing onto and over the sidewalks from the adjacent homes and you can’t safely walk along the canals. Safely like in two abreast. A scooter is a disaster!
Possibly the CA Coastal Commission will take an interest in this festering situation.
Venice Community Housing (VCH) will present their plans for building a new office and 35 permanent supportive housing units at the Venice Neighborhood Council Land Use and Planning Committee 6:30 pm tonight (30 August)at the Oakwood Recreation Center.
(Photo courtesy of David Graham-Caso, Chief of Staff to Councilman Bonin.)
(29 Aug 2018)Councilman Mike Bonin, LADOT General Manager Seleta Reynolds, and Glabe Hartley, Cow’s End owner walk abreast with other dignitaries behind to celebrate the Venice Scrambled Crosswalk opening early Tuesday morning.
Other people had tried it and loved it as cars that had normally been allowed to make a right on a red light honked.
Bikes and Scooters are considered vehicles in California; therefore, they can cross when pedestrians cross only if they walk their bikes or scooters. If they ride, they must go with the cars.
This is one of the most used and confusing intersections in Venice. Not all corners allowed pedestrians, and there were right turns that could turn into walkers. Also there is a bike path in the middle of Washington Blvd, going west, with cars turning right and cars going forward. All that was confusing is eliminated in the “scramble.” Now it is all stop and cross. Bikes in the middle can walk their bikes or wait for the light. Getting to the light for bikers is still done carefully.
Several groups engaged the councilman in conversation regarding the MTA lot for a “bridge housing” site. Part of the conversation was recorded but everyone was talking and questions and answers are not distinct. Just a bad recording.
Neighbors of St. Joseph Center have for years tried to get St. Joseph to clean up their area.
It was discovered in St. Joseph’s Conditions of Approval that they are directed to do so. Yet, it is not being done. Rick Swinger started a Gofundme account to clean up the alleys and other areas that were being used as a toilet before discovering that St. Joseph’s Center was bound to clean up certain areas.
Condition of Approval:
The applicant shall clean up the public right-of-ways within one block of the subject center once per day when the center is open to clients. Such clean up shall be limited to Hampton Drive from Marine Street to Rose Avenue, Third Avenue from Marine Street to Rose Avenue, Marine Street from Hampton Drive to Third Avenue, and Rose Avenue and alley from Hampton Drive to Third Avenue, and be generally limited to items such as feces, vomit, bottles, cans, paper and needles.
(Photo courtesy of Rick Swinger.)
“St. Joseph Center on Hampton Dr has been called 3 times and they refuse to send over a clean up crew with proper gloves and equipment to clean up the feces in our alley as per their agreement with the city,” wrote Rick Swinger, resident activist. “This is so gross and what the neighbors have to put up with along Hampton now is absurd! Friday or Saturday they cleaned this up. Picture shows cleaned up version.”
And Swinger asks what happened to the 60-gallon container law?
LAMC 56.11 Bulky Item or Bulky Items means any item with the exception of a Tent, that is too large to fit in one of the City’s 60 gallon trash containers with the lid closed, including but not limited to a mattress, couch, chair or other furniture or appliance.
(Photo courtesy of Rick Swinger.)
The chair would certainly qualify. Individual items, that combined would fit in 60-gallon container, would not qualify. The Bureau of Sanitation has been consistent about keeping 3rd Ave clear of the “bulky items.” There are other reasons to get private property off the streets.
LAMC 56.11 states Impoundment of Stored Personal Property; Discard of Stored Personal Property.
a) No person shall Store Personal Property in Public Areas
(b) All Stored Personal Property in Public Areas may be impounded by the City.
(c) Personal Property placed in Public Areas shall be deemed to be Stored Personal Property if it has not been removed from Public Areas within 24 hours of service of written notice, requiring such removal. Moving Personal Property in another location in a Public Area or returning Personal Property to the same block on a daily or regular basis shall not be considered to be removing the Personal Property from a Public Area. The City may remove and impound such Stored Personal Property after providing 24 hours written notice. This section shall not apply to Personal Property that, pursuant to statute, ordinance, permit, regulation or other authorization by the City or State is storied on property that is owned or controlled by the City.
Please note that there are (d) thru (h) that are not stated here.
Tuesday night’s meeting of the Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) Board drew a large and vocal crowd, most of whom were there to debate the merits of a Bridge Housing development in Venice.
The motion on the agenda, titled “VNC Support for Concept of Bridge Housing in Venice with a Community Benefits Agreement”, contained a “President’s Note” that the motion was “not about the MTA Bus Yard”, despite recent mailers and phone calls from Councilman Bonin’s office specifically referring to the use of the Bus Yard for Bridge Housing.
The meeting opened with the usual motion to approve the meeting’s agenda, at which point Board member John Reed immediately proposed to amend the agenda to table the Bridge Housing Item to a future meeting. He explained that this was motivated by an email from Councilman Mike Bonin’s office that the Board had just received announcing that the Mayor’s office was initiating a feasibility study to determine whether or not the MTA Bus Yard was suitable for such a project.
In light of the promise of forthcoming clarification of some of the most contentious issues with the project, including whether or not the bus yard is environmentally suited for it — Reed contended that a vote on Bridge Housing would be premature.
VNC Homeless Committee Members Hollie Stenson and Sunny Bak — who both voted in favor of the motion at the July VNC Homeless Committee meeting — each stated that they felt more vetting of the project was necessary prior to a vote in order to gain the public’s trust. VNC Homeless Committee Chairman Will Hawkins argued vigorously in favor of leaving the item on the agenda, since it was merely a referendum on whether or not the concept of Bridge Housing would be appropriate for Venice and would ultimately result in the reduction of homeless encampments.
Any future discussion of the merits of a specific site for the project would be taken up by the Land Use & Planning Committee (LUPC), at which point the results of the City’s feasibility study could be taken into account. The motion to table the Bridge Housing motion to a future meeting of the VNC Board narrowly passed, 8-7, with Board President Ira Koslow abstaining.
Koslow encouraged the many Venetians who’d shown up to make their opinions known on the now-tabled motion to stay and state their opinions in general comments. Many did, and comments were relatively equally divided between those in favor and those opposed.
Many in favor indicated that “something has to be done” to address the crisis, while many of those opposed expressed concerns that the project would be located too close to residences.
Tanaz Golshan, a representative from Mayor Garcetti’s office, spoke for several minutes regarding Bridge Housing, describing it as “not the typical shelter” and “a whole new concept” — “interim” housing rather than shelter beds, with residents — all of whom would be from local encampments — required to accept services in order to stay. The facility would also feature 24/7 security and result in increased clean up and enforcement of laws in Venice’s homeless encampments.
The other contentious item on the Board’s agenda — the construction of a 77 unit, mixed use building at 2454 Lincoln Blvd. (the current site of the Lincoln Millennium Car Wash) — was also shelved. The motion on the agenda recommended denial of the project due to, among other things, a flawed traffic study, disregard for community concerns regarding traffic and alley access, and the lack of a shade study. According to LUPC Chair Matt Royce, the applicant had decided not to attend the Board meeting.
In other VNC Board-related news, Matt Shaw has been removed from the Board due to too many absences, and so his Community Officer seat is now vacant and Venice Stakeholders are encouraged to apply.
People came, they chatted with one another, they waived their signs. The groups for and against were probably equally divided but the group against had more signs. Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilman Mike Bonin were to arrive at 9:30.
People started lining up at 9 am. Registrations started at 9:30 and people went for training. One was not allowed in training room unless he had a name tag, which meant he had registered. Training rooms were set up in three places … one the theatre, one the gift shop and one upstairs. No one seemed to know what happened in the training rooms.
The Mayor and Councilman Bonin were to arrive at 9:30. Time passed. People were sent to the patio for reception of Mayor and Councilman. Scuttlebutt was “they were on their way … they were a no-show.”
The only official document regarding Bridge Housing is the draft Los Angeles Homeless Services Agency (LAHSA) has provided of the Scope of the Required Service (SRS) that must be provided homeless participants of Bridge Housing.
There were a few people from out of the area. One was from San Pedro. She was asked why she was attending but got no response. One lady who had a scarf around her head questioned why one participant was wearing the jewelry she was wearing.
Even the homeless attended. David Busch was there to explain to those who would listen how he wanted to house the homeless. Jeremy Minney who has been in Venice for a while had other ideas.
The general talk was that people had questions and there were no available answers. Also Venetians did not like the idea of the Bridge Housing being put in Venice; there are other cities in CD11. Venice has enough homeless and has provided enough. “Time to share,” one said.
Neither the Mayor nor the Councilman had arrived by 10:45. People started to go home.
Councilman Mike Bonin dedicated the pocket park at Via Dolce last Saturday along with neighbors and their children. The park is on Via Dolce near Washington Blvd and is also bordered by the Grand Canal.
Parking yard off Venice Bike Path near Venice Beach Police Substation.
Shown from a different angle at beach to highlight the numbers.
Parking yard off Ocean Front Walk at Windward.
Police officers clipped the wings of the Birds Saturday and created two Bird Yards — one off the bike path at the Venice Beach near the police substation and the other off Ocean Front Walk at Windward.
Police operated from 10 am to 2 pm Saturday, according to Officer Mike Putrah, at the Venice bike path near the Venice police substation at Windward and at the Ocean Front Walk at Windward.
Five officers (Putrah, Lacunia, Passley, Moses, and Garciano) stopped the Lime and Bird scooter riders at the bike path near the Venice Police Substation from riding on the bike path. Two other officers (sorry, names were not recorded) were at the Ocean Front Walk stopping the scooter riders from operating on Ocean Front Walk.
Each officer courteously explained to scooter riders that one could not ride on the bike path or Ocean Front Walk. Officers also explained that with a helmet and a driver’s license, scooter riders could ride on the roadways.
Bird employee walks three Birds to SUV loading.
The officers did not impound or confiscate the scooters, nor did they arrest drivers or give them a citation. They told them they could walk or carry their scooters to a proper area or they could leave them. Most left them. The police officers also notified both Lime and Bird officials that the scooters had been parked and that they could come and pick them up.
Can we fit this many in the SUV? There are over a hundred left just at OFW.
Law cited was LAMC 63.44(O)
63.44(O) (New Subsec. O. Added by Ord. No. 173,922, Eff. 5/28/01.)
Within the limit of any park consisting of beach lands or beach properties adjoining the waterfront of the Pacific Ocean between the southerly boundary of the City of Santa Monica and Washington Street in the City of Los Angeles:
1. No person shall operate a motorized scooter on any boardwalk, sidewalk, bike path or other public way. For the purpose of this subsection, the term “motorized scooter” shall mean any two-wheeled device that has handlebars, is designed to be stood or sat upon by the operator, and is powered by an electric motor that is capable of propelling the device with or without human propulsion, excluding motorcycles (as defined in Vehicle Code Section 400), motor-driven cycles (as defined in Vehicle Code Section 405),motorized bicycles or mopeds (as defined in Vehicle Code Section 406) and a toy (as defined in Health and Safety Code Section 108550). A device meeting the above definition that is powered by a source other than electrical power is also a motorized scooter
