Darryl DuFay and Chris Wrede of Fight Back Venice (FBV) pass out literature at the Venice Farmer’s Market regarding the proposed 140-unit Venice Median project that will be both affordable and permanent supportive housing.
Cartoon man expresses the thoughts of many residents in the Venice community who have been hit with large “affordable” housing projects that also have been imposed with the Permanent Supporting Housing (PSH) requirement as per a new ordinance yet to be passed.
The new ordinance would require projects to have at least 50 percent PSH inhabitants. PSH people are homeless with a disability which could be alcohol, drugs, HIV, AIDS, etc.
The new ordinance gives no reason for a community to object. Councilman Mike Bonin has declared that properties zoned public facility (Thatcher Yard) and an open-space property (Venice Median) will be rezoned at his or City’s discretion and used to house affordable/PSH residents. Both properties are prime pieces of land, each less than 1000 feet from the ocean. That is prime-prime. Studies show that projects this size do not work for what is intended. They do not rehabilitate, they incubate. (It is noted that such a statement should be backed up with studies. Sorry … time)
Residents question the economics and motives of officials who do such actions. They say “one doesn’t help one group at the expense of another. Residents say sell prime properties, get many dollars, and house more in a less costly locations … get more homeless housed if that is the purpose … they don’t have to live at the ocean. Venetians do not want Venice to be the Westside Capital for Homeless. It is not equitable for the residents.
Think about the Venice residents what they have put up with. Uncontrolled youth shooting up in front of their kids, smoking marijuana, defecating. A couple of violent house break-ins, at least one murder. People sleeping on sidewalks in front of residences, in their alleys. This is out of control. There is no discipline nor enforcement. What kind of world is this? Other cities do not have this happening.
What do Venetians do about it? They donate monies to clean up Venice. Rick Swinger has been a formidable force in cleaning the 3rd Ave area. Regina and Steve Weller have the best record in town for finding permanent housing for homeless on a budget of pennies compared with the millions that go to the institutions.
Yet Venice is to be punished!
Marina del Rey’s Via Marina is an obstacle course for cars to the jetty because of the pipeline construction which will continue for a couple of years. Nick Antonicello asked questions of Eileen Schoetzow, a spokesman for the Venice Auxiliary Pumping Plant, and passed both the questions and the answers to Update for publication.
What will be the hours of construction?
Construction Hours – The operation of construction equipment shall occur only between 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturdays. No construction activity shall occur on national holidays or at any time on Sundays. Access to the construction site may occur prior to construction hours for the purpose of set up, conducting safety meetings, etc. The use of the pile driver, grader and jackhammer construction equipment shall be limited to the hours of 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. However, specific work related to the VAPP connection to the manifold will be exempt from these hours, along with any emergency conditions or unforeseen work that would require the use of this equipment to complete a specific task in one continuous work event. Haul trucks can only access the site through local neighborhood streets from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Construction personnel shall not be permitted on the Project Site (including laydown and storage areas) outside of the hours of 7:30 am to 6:00 pm. Material or equipment deliveries and collections shall not occur outside the hours of 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. In addition, no construction worker parking would be allowed along Hurricane Street or on adjacent local streets. Construction workers shall park offsite and arrive by shuttle to the construction site, as arranged by the construction contractor.
Will construction be conducted on weekends?
The operation of construction equipment shall occur only between 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturdays. No construction activity shall occur on national holidays or at any time on Sundays.
What amount of cubic yards of fill will be excavated and removed on a per day basis?
10,000 cubic yards of soil will be excavated, of which approximately 2,300 cubic yards would be stockpiled at 128 Hurricane St and approximately 7,700 cubic yards will be stockpiled offsite. If needed, up to 3,850 cubic yards will be imported (returned) back to the VAPP site use as backfill. The balance of the exported soil is expected to be used as cover at an area landfill, such as Sunshine Canyon. The excavation and hauling phase will last about 3 months. 6 days a week for 12 weeks = 72 days. 7,700 cy/72 days = approximately 107 cy per day.
How long will the first phase of excavation take and what will be the impact on local streets and traffic?
Excavation will take approximately two to three months. The number of haul truck trips generated by the project are expected to be up to a total of 48 daily one-way vehicle trips. The CEQA threshold for traffic trips is 500 per day or 48 peak hour trips. Based on this criteria, there will be no significant impact to local streets and traffic.
During the various construction phases of the project, travel by construction workers and truck hauling of supplies and disposal would generate trips on the regional and local transportation system surrounding construction site. These trips would represent temporary increases during defined phases of construction and, upon completion of construction, would cease. The primary off-site impacts resulting from the movement of construction trucks would include a short-term and intermittent lessening of roadway capacities due to the slower movements and larger turning radii of the trucks compared to passenger vehicles. Drivers could experience delays if they were traveling behind a heavy truck. It is assumed that the soil hauling truck traffic would occur before the morning and afternoon peak commute hours. As such, the construction traffic impacts on the regional transportation network associated with the project would be short-term in nature and limited to the period of time when construction activity is taking place.
Will you make a more specific and final presentation before construction and will notifications be sent to those affected residents by letter?
Yes, the City Planning Department will send the Venice Neighborhood Council (NC) the Planning application with details and specifics soon. We can come out and present again once the application is mailed to the NC and to all the neighbors within a 500ft radius of the project site. City Planning will also send a hearing notice out next week for their hearing which is anticipated to be held sometime in early December . Just let me know when you receive City Planning’s packages and when you want us to come out again. We will be glad to get into more detail about the project.
Couple weeks ago Update ran an article asking where the homeless had gone from 3rd Ave between Sunset and Rose. Suddenly, 3rd was vacant and clean. Sanitation had picked up items for storage in accordance with LAMC 56.11 and as a result, people vacated the area.
It looked like a new street. It got cleaned. … as clean as 3rd could get.
Well, the homeless had scattered to various areas. One went to Ocean/Mildred/Venice, some stayed in area and settled on Sunset and 3rd, which was just around the corner, and some were nestling in overgrown alleys.
This Friday, 20 October —
Sunset at 3rd is totally vacant. The Ocean/Mildred/Venice resident in the pocket park was moved out somewhere by the LAPD Hope Unit enforcing LAMC 56.11 and it is vacant. Overgrown alleys will always have a tenant until homeowners clean the alleys.
3rd is starting to repopulate
Update wanted to take picture of trash that could easily have been put in trash barrel provided. Man suddenly appeared from the sidewalk and was irate that someone would take a picture of his trash. When asked why he did not just put it in barrel, he got really angry and mentioned he did not have a truck and went on and on. He then stood in front of camera to prevent picture of his trash and continued to yell.
Free Beach Shuttle service now operates year round with stops at Marina Beach, Waterside Shopping Center, Playa Vista, and the Venice Beach Pier. Get the schedule and get going.
Make it better? Do a three-minute survey regarding the service.
Darryl DuFay submitted this breakdown of the LAHSA homeless count figures for 2017. Note that the people who will qualify for the Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) are the six types listed in the health/disability category and the ones under chronically homeless.
These are the people who will be placed in the PSH housing designated for Venice.
All lanes are to be restored.
Cars were backed up on Culver Blvd, backing up cars on Alla Road, under the 90 freeway on week nights.
PLAYA DEL REY, CA — Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Councilmember Mike Bonin today announced a plan to restore traffic lanes on several roads in Playa del Rey, and deliver a series of new safety features to help protect the lives of motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists.
Lane restoration work is scheduled to begin with Culver and Jefferson Boulevards on October 27 and with work on Pershing beginning in November. A remaining stretch of Vista Del Mar, from Waterview to Culver Boulevard, will remain narrowed until after the Bureau of Engineering completes work in the area on the Dual Force Main project — a long-planned, multi-million dollar project to prevent an environmentally devastating sewage leak into the Santa Monica Bay. Work on Dual Force is scheduled for two years.
This is a great feather in the cap for the “Recall Bonin” campaign. They celebrated Wednesday night at the Venice Grind. Alexis Edelstein and Alix Cucovsky, cochair of the RecallBonin.Com campaign have stated several times that the campaign will continue until all streets are restored on the Westside and the street restructuring envisioned for other streets by Vision Zero and Mobility 2035 are stopped.
The move came at the request of Mayor Garcetti and Councilmember Bonin, who asked the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) to immediately begin restoring lanes that had been removed on Culver Boulevard, Jefferson Boulevard and Pershing Drive — and to install new, strong traffic safety measures to be completed over the next several months.
“This pilot program has shown us that lane reductions are not the right approach in Playa del Rey, but we can and will find a way to ease congestion and improve traffic safety in this neighborhood,” said Mayor Garcetti. “We have the will and know-how to find smart, balanced, effective, and flexible solutions — and I’m confident that the new safety measures we are putting in place will help us accomplish those goals.”
The new safety measures include new crosswalks with flashing beacons to better protect pedestrians; “speed tables” that prompt vehicles to reduce speed at intersections; speed feedback signs that notify drivers when they have exceeded posted limits; “pedestrian head start” signals that allow people on foot to enter crosswalks at intersections before vehicles are allowed to make turns; and traffic signals that will be adjusted to require drivers to slow down as they approach downtown Playa del Rey from Culver Boulevard.
“From the beginning of the Safe Streets for Playa del Rey initiative, community feedback has been a crucial component in creating a safe and inviting community,” said Councilmember Bonin. “Reducing the frequency and severity of traffic collisions is one of the top public safety imperatives for the City of Los Angeles, and the community-supported safety improvements we are announcing today will help keep people in Playa del Rey safe. I am grateful that Mayor Garcetti and I were able to work with LADOT, neighbors and local businesses to find a way to implement safety measures that can keep people safe without disrupting traffic patterns.”
The full list of new safety features includes:
•Speed Feedback Signs – LADOT will place speed feedback signs on Culver Boulevard and Pershing Drive, notifying drivers when they have exceeded the speed limit.
•Flashing Beacon Crosswalks – LADOT will add flashing beacons to the crosswalk at Culver Boulevard and Pershing Drive to better protect pedestrians as they cross the street.
•New Crosswalks – LADOT will install new flashing beacon crosswalks at Culver Boulevard and Earldom Avenue and at Pershing Drive and Rees.
•Speed Tables – LADOT will install speed tables at crosswalks to slow speeding traffic and protect pedestrians.
•“Rest in Red” Signals – The traffic signal at Culver and Nicholson and Culver and Vista Del Mar will be adjusted to require drivers to slow their speed as they approach downtown Playa del Rey from Culver Boulevard. “Rest in red” settings will also be applied to signals at Pershing and Manitoba, Pershing and Westchester Parkway, Culver and Vista Del Mar and Culver and Nicholson.
•Leading Pedestrian Intervals – Commonly referred to as “pedestrian head start” signals, crossing signals will be adjusted to allow pedestrians to enter crosswalks at intersections before vehicles are allowed to make their turns. This will occur at Pershing and Manchester, Pershing and Manitoba, and Pershing and Westchester Parkway.
The Mayor and Councilmember will work together to identify funding to expedite installation of new pedestrian-activated signals at intersections that include Culver and Earldom, Culver and Pershing, and Pershing and Rees. Mayor Garcetti said he would direct the LAPD to step up speed enforcement in the area, and City officials will work with state officials to explore ways to lower automobile speed through the Ballona Wetlands.
Prior to today’s announcement, LADOT had already restored lanes on Vista Del Mar and Culver Boulevard. Today’s action will restore lanes on Culver, Jefferson and Pershing, and expedite implementation of the new safety features — which were the subject of close talks between City officials and local residents, business owners, and members of the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa Neighborhood Council and the Playa del Rey Safer Streets Task Force.
The announcement won praise and expressions of gratitude from local stakeholders:
“These safety measures will make Playa del Rey a safer community for the people who live here, work, and enjoy our community,” said Cyndi Hench, President of the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa. “Our community is eager to move forward and I appreciate the work of Mayor Garcetti, Councilmember Bonin and the neighbors who have been passionately engaged on this topic. I think this is a great resolution to a complicated issue.”
Hench’s appreciation for the announcement was echoed by local businesses, including by Lisa Schwab, the owner of Cantalini’s Salerno Beach Restaurant.
“These safety measures strike the right balance between improving safety and keeping traffic moving,” said Schwab. “This has been a contentious topic of debate in our community and it shows a lot of leadership and commitment to the people they represent for Mayor Garcetti and Councilmember Bonin to do they work they have done to make this announcement possible. As a business owner in Playa del Rey, I am happy with the lane restoration and safety improvements and I thank the Mayor and Councilmember for being willing to listen and adapt the pilot project based on the input they heard.”
“The LAX Area Chamber of Commerce fully supports the added safety measures and lane restoration,” added David Voss, Board Member with the LAX Area Chamber. “Reducing traffic congestion and keeping people safe are both important goals for the local businesses we represent and we are very fortunate to have responsive and collaborative local elected leaders like Mayor Garcetti and Councilmember Bonin.”
The announcement also received praise from some of the neighbors who have been advocating for safer streets in Playa del Rey.
“I got involved with this issue a couple years ago because I wanted to feel safe walking around my neighborhood in Playa del Rey,” said Ryan Wewers, a Playa del Rey resident who has been a vocal supporter of the Safe Streets for Playa del Rey Initiative. “Back then, I couldn’t have even imagined the number of safety improvements Mayor Garcetti and Councilmember announced today. This goes a long way to make our streets safer for everyone.”
“While I’m disappointed that the first phase of this three phase pilot project was unable to move forward, I’m very pleased to see that the second and third phases of these long-overdue safety measures that the community asked for as part of the Safer Streets for Playa del Rey Initiative in 2015 will finally be implemented thanks to this action by Mayor Garcetti and Councilmember Bonin,” added Playa del Rey neighborhood leader and safety advocate, Julie Ross.
Additionally, Bonin and Garcetti said they planned to work with the Playa del Rey small business community to create programs and projects to enhance the downtown area. Those measures include additional parking, wider sidewalks, art work, lighting and more.
“I am requesting the Business Improvement District (BID) assessment monies be returned to the 463 property owners in accordance with State Law as no Business District benefits have been provided,” John Okulick said. “The city has ignored State Proposition 218, Article 13D and this assessment of properties is an unlawful use of taxation.”
John Okulick has been outspoken against the BID from the beginning but was out voted.
Assessments for the BID started last November to provide a “cleaner and safer boardwalk.” People talked of having information-security people, they talked of having cleaning system for the boardwalk. First year assessment was to be 1.8 million and with a five percent increase each year.
“My property tax bill has increased by 50 percent due to the Venice BID property assessment from this year,” Okulick said. “It has been 10 months since this assessment was paid and there has been no implementation of the BID services. 463 properties were assessed and moneys collected. $1.8 million dollars. The benefits of these assessments are not being provided and will most likely not be provided at any time in the future.
“Below are statements made in the Venice BID Management Plan, made by Tara Devine, lobbyist engaged by the city clerk’s office and Mike Bonin’s office, and approved by the city council last November.
“BID management plan …
“In accordance with State law, the District will have a five-year life from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021. The District is expected to begin services on or shortly after January 1, 2017. If the District is not renewed, services will sunset on December 31, 2021.
“Governance: The City shall contract with a non-profit Owners’ Association to manage the District and implement this plan. The Owners’ Association will review and approve the District budget, policies and operational plans. They shall hire and oversee all staff and/or contractors charged with the execution of services to the District. Annual and quarterly reports, newsletters and CPA-reviewed financial statements will be submitted to the City according to a calendar established by the Office of the City Clerk, Neighborhood and Business Improvement District Division. —
“To assist the Owners’ Association in budgeting and the deployment of resources, an incident tracking software/database will be developed to track calls for clean and safe services for individually assessed parcels in the District. This data will help ensure that negative public safety trends are identified quickly and can be addressed efficiently and effectively so that crime, litter and blight do not deter pedestrian activity and commerce.. The database will be developed and expanded as funds are available to implement this goal.
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“Method of Financing: A levy of special assessments shall be made upon real property that receives special benefits from the improvements and activities described within this plan.
“If the District expires with a surplus, funds may be rolled over into a renewed or reformed District if established, but shall only be expended on those parcels that were assessed in the original District; if none is established, the surplus shall be returned, on a pro rata basis, to each property owner in the District, in accordance with State law.”
By Mark Ryaec, president of Venice Stakeholders Association (VSA)
The VSA’s lawsuit against the City and County of Los Angeles for intolerable conditions along the Venice Boardwalk and beach is finally moving ahead.
After waiting over a year for the trial court to assemble the formal record, our attorney Jonathan Deer, a Venice resident and veteran appellate attorney, has begun work on the VSA’s appeal brief.
Jon’s analysis is that it was inappropriate for the appellate court to initially reverse the trial court’s decision in favor of the VSA and our individual plaintiffs. Jon maintains that there are issues in the case that must be tried by a jury and thus are not subject to the City’s and County’s motions for summary judgment.
Jon has agreed to a fixed fee for all legal work, court appearances, etc., involved in the case.
If you would like to support the suit, contributions from $50 to $1,000 are welcome. Donations may be made by PayPal on the VSA’s website or by check sent to the VSA, 1615 Andalusia Avenue, Venice, CA 90291.
VSA’s website or by check sent to the VSA, 1615 Andalusia Avenue, Venice, CA 90291.
The white structure under the tree is a two-story house with a covered deck. The 19-story building is the Waterside condominium, a C4-OX zoned project.
Dan Whalen, local architect, says new PSH ordinance is written specifically to put high-rise (C4-0x) zoning project next to single-family residences at Thatcher Yard.
Previously, the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC), in order to protect surrounding properties to a PF (public facility) zoned property, stated that the PF zoned property, when rezoned, would comply with the “‘most restrictive” zoning of the prevailing surrounding properties, which would be R-1.
The new PSH ordinance says new zoning will comply with the “least restrictive” meaning the highest zoning in the area within 1320 feet.That would be C4-OX, which has an adjoining building 19 stories. Venice doesn’t get higher than that.
Dan Whalen urges all Venetians to write letters to defeat this proposed PSH ordinance.
By Dan Whalen
Background
The City has entered into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Thomas Safran and Associates to develop the former Thatcher Maintenance Yard into a high-density multi- family Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) project.
The Thatcher Maintenance Yard site is currently zoned “Public Facility” (PF) and would need to be re-zoned prior to any PSH development. To ensure that the future use of a PF-zoned lot is compatible with adjoining properties, the Los Angeles City Municipal Code (LAMC) includes mandates to protect adjoining lower-density properties whenever PF- zoned sites are redeveloped.
The Municipal Code states that only those uses allowed by the most restrictive adjoining zones shall be permitted. Therefore, because the Thatcher Yard site is bordered on three sides by R1-1 single-family residences, any zoning other than R1-1 is not allowed under the current Municipal Code.
New PSH Ordinance
To bypass this long-standing code requirement, Councilman Bonin is supporting a new City Ordinance. This new Ordinance would eliminate the Municipal Code protections for adjoining properties if the PF-zoned property is specifically redeveloped as a PSH project (such as the one proposed for Thatcher Yard). In this case, instead of being limited by the most restrictive adjoining zoning, PSH projects on PF-zoned lots could be re-zoned with the least restrictive zoning within a quarter mile radius.
For the Thatcher Yard, that would mean the allowable new zoning would be the same as for the three high-rise residential towers located at the south end of the Oxford Triangle. This new zoning would be C4-OX-2D, one of the densest allowed for any residential project.
Of all the proposed PSH sites within the City, the Thatcher Yard is the only one located on a PF-zoned site with adjoining single-family homes. The new Ordinance appears to be specifically written for the Thatcher Yard project alone.
In addition to the zoning change for PSH projects, the new Ordinance would also allow 35% increases in the allowable height, 35% increases in the allowable floor area, and decreases in both the minimum required setbacks and minimum amount of open space.
At least one-half of all PSH units will be reserved for the formerly homeless. The new Ordinance does not require any parking for these units. The Ordinance allows additional parking reductions for the remaining PSH units, as well as reductions in the required guest parking.
Impact of New Ordinance
This Ordinance attempts to override the Coastal Act, the certified Venice Land Use Plan and the Oxford Triangle Specific Plan.
The Ordinance allows for high-density zoning that will overwhelm adjoining single-family homes and our residential streets. The allowable increases in the mass, scale and character of the new PSH projects will negatively impact all adjoining single-family homes.
The new Ordinance eases parking requirements and will force at least half the PSH residents to park on adjacent residential streets. With the existing parking shortage in Venice, this Ordinance would only make a bad situation much worse.
The decisions made today for new PSH projects will be contractually fixed for the next
55 years. If the new Ordinance is allowed to pass, it will have a profound and long-lasting negative impact on our neighborhood and a very small positive impact on the homeless crisis.
Call to Action
Councilman Bonin assured our neighborhood that the “planning process would be followed”. Let’s make sure he honors that commitment and is not allowed to remove essential Municipal Code protections.
Changes to the Municipal Code should not be taken lightly, and certainly not because of single project. I urge you to tell Councilman Bonin, Mayor Garcetti, the Planning Department, other City Council members, your Venice Neighborhood Council, and the California Coastal Commission that this Ordinance is short-sighted and not in the best interests of our community.
The proposed PSH Ordinance is seriously flawed and needs to be defeated in its current form. However, the City is on the fast-track to get it approved. The public comment period ends on October 31 with a City Council vote for approval in November.
LA City Planning PSH Ordinance Point of Contact
cally.hardy@lacity.org
LA City Officials:
mayor.garcetti@lacity.org
councilmember.cedillo@lacity.org
councilmember.krekorian@lacity.org
councilmember.blumenfield@lacity.org
david.ryu@lacity.org paul.koretz@lacity.org
councilmember.martinez@lacity.org
councilmember.harris-dawson@lacity.org
councilmember.price@lacity.org
councilmember.wesson@lacity.org
councilmember.englander@lacity.org
councilmember.ofarrell@lacity.org
councilmember.huizar@lacity.org
councilmember.buscaino@lacity.org
councilmember.Rodriguez@lacity.org
vince.bertoni@lacity.org
tricia.keane@lacity.org
ezra.gale@lacity.org
debbie.dynerharris@lacity.org
Venice Neighborhood Council
president@venicenc.org
California Coastal Commission Official:
Chuck.Posner@coastal.ca.gov