Venice has had more fog this year as it has had more rain. It is foggy in the mornings and usually, but not always, is gone by midmorning or afternoon.
This was 6 am.
Afternoon and there are flowers.
Third Ave has changed some. There are fewer inhabitants. Those there were mainly Blacks and women. Many have moved to Rose between 3rd and 4th. When asked why fewer people, Update was told the police had been there. No one provided a reasonable explanation for what “lack of people” had to do with police having been there.
Lava Mae continues to provide showers one day a week for the homeless. They set up on 3rd Ave early on Thursday mornings and provide about 21 showers in the three to four hours they are there. It used to be Fridays but Fridays the Sanitation department comes and picks up trash and sanitizes the needed areas. One fellow said the showers were great and that he would be back. It was his first shower at Lava Mae. He had been taking a shower at St. Joseph’s but he liked Lava Mae more because “they had water pressure,” he said.
The property behind the fence is where the owner set up two portable potties for the homeless. He had signs stating that if clothes were put in potties, the potties would be removed. The potties are gone and the eight-foot fence has been installed to surround the property.
It is 6:30 am and the police cars have moved over, at least enough to shoot a picture of the crowd lined up for Brennan’s last St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Brennan’s is a legend for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. It has always had a crowd on St. Patrick’s day since it opened in the early 70’s. Tony Yanow has purchased Brennan’s and has promised to keep the Irish vibe.
Friday is St. Patrick’s Day and the last for St. Patrick’s at Brennan’s. Tony Yanow and the Artisanal team will be taking over. It is planned that the bar will be out of business during a remodel but supposedly will keep the name and the Irish vibe.
Becky Dennison, director of Venice Community Housing (VCH), presented a “preliminary vision for the Venice Median Parking lot—that area between North and South Venice Blvd and between Pacific and Dell—Thursday at Beyond Baroque.
Dennison gave the presentation to a standing-room-only audience (approximately 100) at the small theater. The slide presentation, which is duplicated here, was designed to show the audience what has happened so far, the design that architect Eric Owen Moss Architects has proposed, and what is forthcoming with the project.
The design is a conceptual view of what VCH proposes based on what the community wants, as well as to provide affordable housing, and as well as the requirement to incorporate the existing 188 parking spaces on the property. The existing, required parking space numbers have changed from 177 to 188.
Moss has split the property into two sections– buildings and spaces– and refers to them as east and west of the canals. The ground floors for both east and west buildings will consist of parking. In addition the ground floor for the west will have commercial space and the east will have arts. The canal areas on one or both sides will have community art, as well as provide for public open space. After that the core of both buildings will be parking and the exterior will be affordable/psh housing, followed by a rooftop green space.
Dennison said she would announce next week the upcoming community engagement opportunities, send answers to new questions received, and include an estimated timeline for finalizing the proposal and design for the site.
Dennison asks that any comments or questions be sent to venicedellpacific@vchcorp.org and she says “please feel free to invite us to existing community meetings to make the presentation in person and/or gather comments and feedback.”
(Photo courtesy of George Hesse.)
Tenter was in grassy area but moved to driveway and was told by police he could not park on driveway. He moved on.
According to LAMC 41.18(d)
(d) (Amended by Ord. No. 137,269, Eff. 10/21/68.) No person shall sit, lie or sleep in or upon any street, sidewalk or other public way.
Jones Settlement says LAMC 41.18(d) is enforceable with the exception of the hours from 9 pm to 6 am. But the 41.18(d) is enforceable at all times within 10 feet of entrances/exits to buildings, parking lots, loading docks.
Your vote Tuesday for City Councilperson and Measure S will make a difference for Venice and for Venetians for years to come. This is important.
Market Street in Venice the day Snapchat went public. March 2 SNAP became the largest initial public offering in California history at $23.8 billion. Eric Siegel and Bobby Murphy, co-founders, who are still both in their twenties, are now multi-millionaires.
They started briefly in the blue house on Ocean Front Walk but quickly moved to Market and have pretty much rented or purchased both sides of Market. They are building a larger facility on Venice Blvd near Abbot Kinney.
The IPO was scheduled to come out at $14 to $16 but went out at $17 and quickly went into the twenties. The stock closed at 24.86 on a Dow down day of -112.58.
(Photo courtesy of Linda Vaughan.) Thatcher Maintenance Yard. Soil tests for an Environmental Impact Report?
Neighbors really want to know what is going on with the Thatcher Maintenance Yard.
The Yard, 93,000 sq feet, was designated as one of the first City salvage projects. It was to be rezoned to RD1.5 and designated for affordable housing. City Administrator put out RFQ/P to developers. Thomas Safran Associates were selected for the Yard with their dual proposal of 86 to 152 units with a mix of 60 percent market rate, 30 percent affordable, and 10 percent permanent supportive housing.
That was November. Plans are supposedly to be presented to City in March. It is March. No one has approached the Oxford Triangle members regarding this project. Blake Coddington of Safran group was supposedly talking with individual residents regarding the project at one of the Venice public meetings.
Meanwhile, proposition HHH was passed which would provide funds for building 100 percent affordable projects on the Yard — no market rate. A neighborhood request by a small group of residents went thru the LUPC and the VNC requesting that the Yard stay City maintenance or be rezoned R-1. VNC almost unanimously voted that down and asked for “multi-housing” use.
March 7 is an election for City council seat and a Measure S. Measure S would stop spot rezoning projects… except for affordable housing projects unless project requires general plan changes. Both these projects require both spot rezoning and general plan changes. So a “YES” for Measure S supposedly would stop both projects for at least two years. A vote “No” would mean business as usual, spot rezoning and changing the plans.
Incumbent Mike Bonin is for developmening the two lots. He wants Measure S to be defeated so he can build affordable housing on both. Mark Ryavec is not for developing either property for homeless. He is for Measure S. In the case of the Yard, he wants property zoned R-1 and sold to a developer. Robin Rudisill supports Measure S. She says keeping the Yard for maintenance should be reconsidered; otherwise, the community has spoken for R-1. The Venice Median she says she would honor the Land Use Plan certified by the California Coastal Zone, which means it would not be developed. So incumbent is only candidate for developing both lots and Measure S.
To add confusion to the pot, Councilman Mike Bonin, who is for developing the properties, answered a Venice Update question regarding the sale of the properties and using the monies for homeless in other areas as follows:
It is also important to note – despite repeated assertions to the contrary – that the City has not decided what or even whether to build on these properties. The City has only allowed affordable housing developers the opportunity to propose at these sites. At this point, there are no actual proposals. The housing developers who were assigned to each of the Venice sites are conducting community and neighborhood outreach before they propose something. Then, those proposals must be reviewed by the Land Use and Planning Committee of the Venice Neighborhood Council, the full Venice Neighborhood Council, and then the City planning approval process and likely the California Coastal Commission.
Meanwhile, a local resident and architect, wrote to Councilman Mike Bonin and all the council members:
You have bypassed not only the VNC and their LUPC, but also your constituents. None of the documents regarding site selection, contractor selection or RFQ submissions have been made available to the public. The development is being fast-tracked with virtually no public review, and without open and transparent procedures that the City would demand of any developer.
Tent with occupant in front of Yard.
Meanwhile, a tenter was happy living in front of the Yard for about a week until the rig disturbed his solitude or someone moved him on. Residents asked if the tenter was first in line for a place.
Residents really want to know what is happening? Residents know the rules, yet things are happening without their knowledge, input, or due process.