NORTHWEST ADVOCATE - Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood

NORTHWEST
ADVOCATE
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTHWEST SAN PEDRO NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL • WINTER 2009
Councilwoman Hahn Addresses Planning,
Traffic Issues at Northwest NC Meeting
Los Angeles Councilwoman
Janice Hahn was a guest at the
January meeting of the Northwest
San Pedro Neighborhood Council
(NC). We had asked her to comment
on a series of issues of importance,
most of which had received previous
action by the NC.
City’s EIR Contracting Process
We had asked her about the
possibility of a change to the process
by which environmental impact
reports are conducted and paid for.
Currently, developers pay for the
environmental studies, but controls
how the EIR is conducted and disseminated to the public and the
planning department. The developer
hires all the participants in producing the EIR. Would it not be possible
for the city to directly contract with
an outside consultant in researching
and producing the documents?
Hahn said that for her, the
bottom line is accountability—that
we need to make sure the EIRs are
transparent and truthful and that
mitigations by the developer are
appropriate. The planning department has looked at the situation
and determined that there is no easy
way to change the current system
as the developer will still be paying
for the study.
EIR Traffic Counts
The Councilwoman agreed that
Los Angeles needs to do its own traffic counts for EIR purposes, as opposed to using antiquated formulae
from other cities which are currently
applied to traffic projections here.
She indicated she would introduce
a motion to come up with current
traffic counts for proposed development s in L.A.
SB 1818
Carried by a rural California
legislator, SB1818 robs cities partially of their ability to control density, building heights, and allows
developers “density bonuses” for
low income housing within larger
developments. Hahn thinks it’s a
terrible idea and voted against the
ordinance enabling the legislation
in the city. She recommends newly
elected Harbor area legislator Bonnie Lowenthal be encouraged to look
at the issue.
Emergency Preparedness
The question was how NCs can
be involved. Hahn is very concerned
about port security issues, where
there may be no warning, as well
as natural disasters which might
involve some warning, such as a
tsunami. She advocated more federal dollars for port security, and
believes that NCs need to act as first
responders with respect to coordination and communication following
an incident. She challenged us to
come up with a plan.
Quimby Funds
The Councilwoman advocated
an advisory task force to work with
her and departments on expending
monies collected from developers for
recreational purposes. These “Quimby dollars” must be spent within
two miles of the development for
which they are paid.
‘Kitchen Cabinet’
Hahn liked the idea of an occasional informal meeting with NC
members to touch base on issues
and to mutually seek and dispense
advice and solve problems.
Ponte Vista
The Councilwoman spoke of
Credit Suisse taking back responsibility for the project, symbolized
by the removal of Bob Bisno. The
bank’s development arm has taken
over and requested an extension
of time to April 9 for the planning
commission hearing.
The development team’s “rollout” open house for a revised plan
will be held March 12 from 4:00 to
8:00 p.m. at the Peck Park Auditorium on Western Avenue.
The Councilwoman believes that
Ponte Vista has to be a project that
CAN be approved, not just something presented as a fait accompli.
The previous proposal for 2,300 and
later 1,950 units are just too large,
according to Hahn. She would like to
continued on page 4
Voice your opinion on the
latest plans for Ponte Vista!
Ponte Vista ‘Open House’
Thursday, March 12
4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Peck Park Auditorium
Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council
638 South Beacon Street, Box 688
San Pedro, CA 90731
Attn: POSTAL PATRON
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 193
San Pedro, CA
ECR-WSS
Councilwoman Janice Hahn (right, with microphone) addresses the crowd
at the January Northwest Neighborhood Council meeting. Hahn responded
to questions about a variety of issues, including Ponte Vista and traffic.
Ponte Vista Update
By John Greenwood
The last two months of the 2008
year brought good news to those in
our neighborhood who are concerned
abut overdevelopment at Ponte
Vista. In November the Planning
Department issued a preliminary
report recommending denial of
developer Bob Bisno’s tract map
application.
The tract map underlies Bisno’s
proposal for 1,950 units (or even
more given certain bonuses for housing for those of low and moderate
income). The Planning Department
pointed out that development at
Ponte Vista is required by the community plan to be compatible with
other development in the area.
As all of us know, the homes
across Western Avenue are single
family, while to the south are primarily single family homes and the
Gardens development. These are
not compatible with the dense development proposed for Ponte Vista.
The Planning Department came
to the obvious conclusion that the
proposed development was too large
and that the layout was incompatible with the community plan. This
gave us hope that the entire proposal would be denied.
A month later the Department
confirmed this and issued a report
recommending the following actions
to the Planning Commission and the
City Council:
•Disapprove the proposed
amendment to the General Plan
to allow the heavier density at
the property.
•Disapprove Bisno’s proposed
zone change from the current
R-1-1XL (single family density)
and OS-1XL (open space).
•Disapprove the Ponte Vista
Specific Plan proposal.
•Disapprove the proposed
development agreement between
Ponte Vista Partners and the
City of Los Angeles.
•Not certify the Environmental
Impact Report and related
documents.
While the Planning Department did not support the Neighborhood Council’s recommendation to
preserve the current R-1 zoning,
the Department featured many
of the arguments put forward by
NWSPNC in our comment letter
and testimony.
In addition, the owner of the
Ponte Vista property, Credit Suisse,
announced in December that the
bank’s agreement with Bob Bisno
had expired. The company decided
that it would re-examine its options
and develop the property itself. This
was also good news, since many of
us who tried to work with Bisno
believed that his stubbornness had
divided the community.
We hope that Credit Suisse has
learned from this costly experience
and will work to develop a proposal
that is compatible with other development in San Pedro and meets the
concerns expressed by our Neighborhood Council and San Pedro
residents.
Credit Suisse has interviewed
many community residents and is
planning an “open house” on March
12 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Peck
Park to reveal a new plan and hear
community reactions.
The plan is scheduled to go to a
hearing before the Planning Commission on April 9 (check www.
nwsanpedro.org for specific time
and location).
The Neighborhood Council has
taken a position to support the
Planning Department recommendation of denial. We think that the
developer must begin again with a
new proposal and an updated traffic study.
Simply revising the existing
proposal prior to the April 9 hearing
would not allow for a sufficient public input process for consideration of
a project of this magnitude
A new proposal would not allow the developer to take credit
for signal synchronization already
continued on page 3
2
The Northwest Neighborhood Advocate
NORTHWEST SAN PEDRO
NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL
638 S. Beacon Street, Box 688
San Pedro, CA 90731
(310) 732-4522
[email protected]
Winter 2009
President’s Corner
Parking Meter Rates Rise,
So Does My Blood Pressure
By Dan Dixon, President
NWSPNC BOARD MEMBERS
DAN DIXON, President
JOHN MAVAR, Vice President
Chair, Issues, Parks and Transportation Committee
MARY HAMLIN, Secretary
Newsletter Editor
CRAIG GOLDFARB, Treasurer
Chair, Budget and Finance Committee
MOLLIE ABBATIELLO
DAVID ARVONIO
Chair, Outreach and Communications Committee
PETE BURMEISTER
BONNIE EASLEY
Chair, Scholarship Committee
John Greenwood
Co-chair, Planning and Land Use Committee
MERYL MOILOV
Diana Nave
Co-chair, Planning and Land Use Committee
Philip Nicolay
Chair, Port Committee
Ray H. Patricio
GABRIEL RIVAS
BARBARA SCHACH
Chair, Youth and Education Committee
JOHN STAMMREICH
Capt. George Thompson
LAUREEN VIVIAN
NWSPNC Committees
Issues / Traffic / Parks Committee: Deals
with traffic and transportation, parks,
community beautification, and other issues not covered by specific committees.
Planning and Land Use Committee: Deals
with planning and land use issues.
Port Committee: Deals with port-related
issues and advises our representatives on
Port Community Advisory Committee.
Youth and Education Committee: Focuses
on meeting the needs of young people in
our community, including education, recreation, and crime prevention.
Communication and Outreach Committee: Communicates with our
stakeholders via quarterly newsletter,
speaking engagements, and personal contact with various target groups and
gathers community concerns and feedback.
Finance Committee: Recommends budget,
reviews funding requests.
If you are interested in being a member of any of these committees, please
e-mail your contact information to
[email protected].
The NWSPNC Governing Board
meets on the second Monday
of each month at 6:30 p.m.
in the Peck Park Auditorium,
560 North Western Avenue
Neighborhood council board members recently received the following email from office of
the general manager of the city’s Department of
Transportation (LADOT):
Please be advised that single space parking
meters in your community are being updated
to reflect parking meter “rate” and “hour”
changes. This work will be performed the
week of February 17, 2009.
The areas in Council District 15 are in Wilmington and San Pedro. Parking meter “inserts” in the Wilmington area will be changed
out beginning 2/17/09 and completed by
2/20/09. Change outs in San Pedro will take
place the week of 2/23/09 and completed by
2/27/09.
During these weeks, parking meter “inserts”
(labels inside meter domes) will be changed
out. The inserts indicate the hours of meter
operation and the parking meter rate. The
new rate will be $1.00 per hour; in general,
the new hours of operation will be 8 AM to
8 PM, Monday through Saturday, except in
areas where peak hour restrictions are in effect. Customized “inserts” will be installed to
exclude the peak hour from the meter hours
of operation.
The rate and hours “inserts” in the five offstreet lots (Lot #641, 647, 683, 684, and 735)
in CD-15 will also be changed out at around
the same time. In the off-street lots, the rates
will be $1.00 per hour and $4.00 for 10 hours
and the hours will be 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM
daily, with the exception of Lot 641 where
Sunday is excluded.
As you are aware, the meter rate and hours
changes were approved by the City Council in
July 2008; DOT has
been implementing these changes
throughout the City since they became effective in September 2008. On average, the
City’s parking meters have not had a rate
adjustment in about 20 years, during which
time the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has
increased over 90 percent. According to a national survey of on-street parking meter rates,
the City of Los Angeles’ rates rank among the
very lowest in the nation.
The new rates are effective immediately upon
the “insert” change out. However, DOT Parking Enforcement will not be enforcing the new
meter hours (between 6 PM to 8 PM) until
such time that the overhead signs match the
“insert” hours.
Please read and comply with posted parking
restriction signs and the meter inserts when
parking on any public street or parking lot.
Here’s my response to LADOT:
So, a 90 percent increase in the CPI merits a
300 percent increase in parking rates. Bad math,
and not the truth.
Just SAY IT, the city is looking for revenue
and this is an easy way, subject to no public review, to create revenue.
Saying that our city has low meter rates ignores the fact that this city is more dependent on
automobiles than almost any city in the world.
And to inflict this tariff on the fragile shopping areas of downtown San Pedro and Wilmington is simply a business-killing example of bad
governance.
Bad show, folks.
Toll Lanes Coming to 110 Freeway
Yes, it is more than a rumor. The MTA is
funds for conducting this pilot. Caltrans has
planning to transform the carpool lanes on the
committed $800,000. These funds will be used
Harbor Freeway (Interstate 110) into carpool
for increased bus service from the Artesia (91)
and toll lanes from Artesia to the Adams offramp
Freeway to downtown Los Angeles, improvements
(where the carpool lanes end).
to the park-and-ride lots, and expanded vanpools.
In an effort to find out more about their plans,
Improvements will also be made to the Adams
the NWSPNC sponsored a workshop
offramp. Funds from the toll would
at Peck Park. What did we learn?
be used for increased enforcement
(1) Anyone eligible to use the carpool
of the carpool/toll lanes and other
CALIFORNIA
lanes will still be able to do so without
related uses.
a toll.
(8) Participants at the workshop
(2) This is a one-year “pilot” and
raised a number of issues, particumust be implemented by December
larly the lack of any real transit from
31, 2010. There is no guarantee,
San Pedro. MTA representatives rehowever, that the toll will be removed
sponded that they will consider some
once the pilot phase is over.
additional buses from San Pedro. (The neighbor(3) The amount of the toll would vary with the
hood council will be monitoring this.)
number of vehicles already using the carpool
(9) An environmental review will need to be
lanes.
conducted and this will provide an opportunity
(4) The goal is to keep traffic moving at 45 miles
for public comment.
per hour or better (but they admitted this goal
(10) MTA will be developing benchmarks to
might not always be met).
determine the “success.”
(5) Trucks will not be eligible.
(11) The plans presented appear to be in the
(6) The toll will be paid through the use of some
planning phase. It will be important for the comtype of electronic monitoring device. Details have
munity to be involved in the detailed planning.
not been worked out.
For more information, go to www.metro.
(7) MTA will receive $210 million in federal
net/fastlanes.
$$$
Free Counseling to Prevent Foreclosures
The following organizations provide free counseling
for those facing foreclosure of their homes.
Los Angeles Center for Foreclosure Solutions: 1-888-89-LANHS
ACORN Foreclosure Hotline: 1-213-748-1345
Housing Rights Center: 1-800-477-5677
Winter 2009
The Northwest Neighborhood Advocate
3
Making Their Points
Candidates Stump for Votes at
Council-Sponsored Election Forum
Crew works along east side of North Gaffey Street, installing new curbs.
At Long Last, North
Gaffey Beautification!
Five years ago, your Neighborhood Council submitted a proposal
to the Port of Los Angeles requesting
it to beautify the east side of North
Gaffey. It’s been a long time, but
change is coming.
The train track across Gaffey
and the annoying billboards that
were on Port property have been
removed. Construction of Phase I
(Westmont to Gatun) is underway.
Curbs, gutters, and a sidewalk
are being installed and the area
landscaped up to the county storm
drain.
There will also be a jogging/bike
path constructed and street furniture installed. One of the challenges
faced by Port staff in carrying out
this project is the fact that there
are three different property owners
involved. We are grateful that the
Port finally resolved these issues.
With the help of Councilwoman
Hahn’s staff, the Port, Target, and
Worldport Business Park, weeping
willows will be installed on both
sides of North Gaffey.
The Neighborhood Council is
continuing to work with the Port
on the implementation of Phase II
which will extend the landscaping
and the multipurpose path under
the freeway to connect with the
path on North Pacific. The Port has
not determined the timeline for this
phase. The improvements will be
paid for through China Shipping
Mitigation funds.
Not currently included in the
beautification is the parcel where
EZ Smog is located. This parcel is
also Port property. EZ Smog rents
this property from the Port on a
month-to-month basis for $602 per
month.
The use of this property for a
smog test station is not appropriate
for a tidelands trust asset. Property
is currently available at the former
Animal Shelter site.
For these reasons, the Neighborhood Council recently passed
a resolution asking the Port to
terminate the rental agreement
and incorporate the land into the
beautification project. This was
not done, however, without some
concern about dislocating a viable
business at this time of economic
downturn.
City Controller candidate
Nick Patsaouras (right)
and City Attorney candidate Noel Weiss (below)
were among the candidates vying for various
city offices on the March 3
primary ballot.
Also appearing before the
crowd at the forum held
February 19 were city attorney candidates Carmen
“Nuch” Trutanich, Michael Amerian, and David
Berger. Councilman Jack
Weiss, also seeking the
Photo by John Stinson
city attorney post, did not
attend.
Kathleen “Suzy” Evans,
running for city controller,
also spoke. Another controller candidate, Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, did
not attend.
Although Councilwoman
Janice Hahn had another
commitment, her opponent, Chris Salabaj, was
on hand to pitch for votes.
Hot topics included development, Measure B (solar
power), and the city’s
budget crisis.
The forum was sponsored
Photo by John Stinson
by the Northwest San Pedro, Central San Pedro, Coastal San Pedro, Harbor City, and Wilmington
neighborhood councils, along with the San Pedro Peninsula, Wilmington,
and Harbor City-Harbor Gateway chambers of commerce. Rolling Hills
Preparatory School provided the venue.
For more information, visit http://cityclerk.lacity.org/election/.
Amerigas Update:
‘Tanks’ for Nothing!
By Diana Nave, NWSPNC Board Member
Your Neighborhood Council
available adjacent to the planned
has long been concerned about
tank farm on Terminal Island to
the safety of the AmeriGas facilaccommodate the North Gaffey
ity at 2110 North Gaffey. Recently
propane and butane tanks.
AmeriGas sold this facility to Plains
At its recent meeting, your
Midstream, Canada, an “indirect
Neighborhood Council joined San
subsidiary” of Plains All American
Pedro Peninsula Homeowners
Pipeline.
United (SPPHU) in requesting that
Plains All American Pipeline
Councilwoman Hahn advocate for
has applied for a Port permit to conthe removal of the tanks on North
struct and operate a dock and tank
Gaffey to Terminal Island and that
farm at Pier 400 on Terminal Island.
Plains All American be required to
If approved, Plains will be installing
include in their pending terminal
pipelines to transport crude oil to
construction the pipelines that
the same Wilmington refinery that
would be needed should the tanks
currently sends its excess butane
be moved.
to be stored in the tanks on North
If you agree, you might want to
Gaffey.
add your voice by e-mailing Janice.
There may be enough room
[email protected].
Ponte Vista Update
continued from page 1
underway on Western Avenue and elsewhere.
Whoever develops the property must come up with additional traffic
mitigation benefits for the San Pedro area. Please attend both meetings and
voice your opinion. To read the Council’s latest position on Ponte Vista, go
to http://www.nwsanpedro.org/pdfs//letter%20to%20planning%20commiss
ion%20re%20ponte%20vista.pdf.
John Greenwood is a board member of NWSPNC and chaired the advisory
committee on Ponte Vista established by Councilwoman Janice Hahn.
BEFORE—Unsightly containers at
Taper Avenue Elementary School.
AND AFTER—Freshly painted,
containers please neighbors.
Storage Containers Painted
Thanks to the efforts of John Mavar and the NWSPNC Issues Committee, the unsightly storage containers at Taper Avenue Elementary School
have been painted to blend in with the current bungalows. The containers
were an eyesore to the neighbors and passers-by. With the committee’s
involvement, the issue was brought to the attention of school officials who
acted on the matter.
—David Rivera, NWSPNC stakeholder
4
The Northwest Neighborhood Advocate
Winter 2009
NWSPNC Helps ‘Docs
Rock’ at San Pedro High
Averill Park in May 2004.
Averill Park now.
Ode to Averill Park
By Laureen Vivian, NWSPNC Board Member
Averill Park is a place where
and a historical landmark, Averill
time slows.
Park is now, after almost 80 years,
It’s a varied and special place to
in want of major repair. The main
roll down the grassy slopes, take a
water system pump is broken benap under the cool of a shade tree or
yond repair, the concrete stream
meander along the cascading stream
beds have large cracks in them and
and ponds.
the lovely PV stone retaining walls
It’s a place where children and
are in need of much rebuilding.
adults alike delight in the ducks,
Currently, although the park is
geese, herons, egrets, turtles, goldstill used by strollers, dogs and their
fish and crawdads, squirrels, hawks,
owners and children alike, the wastarlings, orioles, finches and sparter features are in utter disrepair.
rows which call this oasis home.
The water has been shut off since
It’s a place to ponder and enjoy
June 2008 and the lower ponds are
the many vistas created by its dragrowing foul.
matic topography, extensive plant
Recreation and Parks Departdiversity and majestic old rubber
ment Pacific Region Superintentrees.
dant Marc Mariscal assured the
Children climb in and out of the
NWSPNC and others at an open
rubber trees’ enormous roots in awe
meeting at Peck Park earlier this
and wonder at their sheer size, as
year that $660,000 was dedicated to
parents and adults stop to chat.
this park’s restoration project.
Families celebrate rites of pasSince Recreation and Parks has
sage, weddings fill the park with
no interior planning department,
color, chatter, joy and music and
the City Bureau of Engineering is in
birthday parties bubble with laughthe process of developing a restorater.
tion plan. This process, Mr. MarHeralded as one of L.A.’s top
iscal projected, is expected to take
five best little-known neighborabout six months to complete.
hoods, Averill Park is the jewel at
So, Averill Park awaits her new
its center. Designed by the firm
gown. Those of us who use, know
of the famous landscape architect
and love this park for cherished
Frederick Law Olmstead, who also
memories of it and/ or for the quietdesigned Malaga Cove Plaza and
ing and soothing magic it bestows,
Central Park in NYC, this little park
anxiously await for time to slow
is truly a gem in our community.
again and the waters to flow once
A place of remarkable beauty
more.
www.nwsanpedro.org
By John Mavar, vice president, NWSPNC
The lights dim and the room is
the cost of this program at SPHS.
full of students and parents ready to
The I.D.A. came to the high school
experience and watch stories come
when Docs Rock started almost a
to life. Students have worked all
decade ago. They will continue to
year long to creatively depict people,
play a major role this upcoming
places and things.
school year.
Armed with cameras, interviews
Another part of this program
questions, and new editing skills,
is “Artist in Residence.” The artist
these students make some of the
attends class and spends countless
major theater films look amateur.
hours with students by providing
These students put together docureal life knowledge ranging from
mentaries on stories that have inhow to use editing software to directerest to them, but will also engage
tion on how a film should be depicted
you.
on the screen.
This program at San Pedro
You can’t just give a student a
High School has gone unnoticed by
camcorder and let them film and
most of San Pedro. With a dedicated
edit without direction. The team
teacher and help from an outside
work of Tony Saavedra and the artorganization, these students take
ist in resident provides students an
their experience to college and beeducational learning environment
yond.
that borders on a film academy
The Docs Rock film production
for no cost. This experience lasts a
program has thrived at San Pedro
lifetime.
High School for the past eight years.
With funding becoming a probStudents pick subjects they want to
lem for most programs throughout
investigate or discuss and are orgathe Los Angeles Unified School
nized into smaller groups which do
District, the Docs Rock program is
research and interviews.
in jeopardy. The grant that funds
With cameras and instruction
the Artist in Residence part of the
from a teacher, the creativity begins.
program was denied by the Los AnDuring the course of the semester,
geles Cultural Affairs Department
documentary and entertainment
because of budget constraints. After
industry professionals attend the
seeing this program for myself and
class to provide insight into the
attending the film festival, I felt our
technical aspects of documentary
neighborhood council needed to do
production.
something.
Even with looming budget cuts,
The Northwest San Pedro
Docs Rock continues to stay afloat.
Neighborhood Council will be part
The program would not be what it
of this program in a big way. The
is without a dedicated teacher. Tony
funds the NWSPNC provided serves
Saavedra urges students to give 100
as a bridge so that students can have
percent of their effort.
access to, and knowledge of, an inSaavedra has been a San Pedro
dustry located only 30 miles away,
High School teacher for 27 years
in Hollywood.
and has seen some real talent come
This year’s film festival is schedthrough his class. Students has been
uled for June. Please call the high
able to take what they’ve learned to
school for more information.
college and beyond. Tony Saavedra
If you would like to help, make
pushes these students to really show
a donation, or are in the entertainwhat they can do.
ment industry and would like to
The Independent Documentary
participate, please contact Tony
Association (I.D.A.) underwrites
Saavedra at (310) 547-2491.
Councilwoman Hahn
see a project built but that it needs
to be scaled “way down.”
Other Matters
On other matters, the Councilwoman stated she will be introducing a motion to create a memorandum of understanding to establish
early notification to neighborhood
councils of actions proposed by all
city departments, boards and committees. Hahn believes “knowledge
is power,” and promised to move
forward on the issue of community
notification.
The Councilwoman was asked
about a sports complex to be built
at the sanitation yard property on
North Gaffey Street. She said it has
been a consistent goal of hers to get
such a youth facility built for the use
of the whole community but that it
is slow going, given current and projected future budget challenges.
continued from page 1
She does feel it would be logical
to move the “community gardens” to
another location, such as Hernandez
Ranch in Miraflores Canyon. It is
a long process, but she feels it is a
good idea to reestablish control of
the gardens so that they operate
efficiently and fairly.
Councilwoman Hahn said that
her office and the NCs need to be
partners on community improvement issues, ranging from Averill
Park to potholes to waterfront development. There are certain monies available, but we need to work
together to find ways to finance
and implement projects large and
small.
Her most global comment was
that, now more than ever, the waterfront should be a priority so that
implementation can be ready to go
when the economy turns around.