Rudderless Steering Committee Meeting

The Rudderless Steering Committee of R Neighborhoods Are 1 met for the first time this year, Wednesday evening.

Ponte Vista and the fight to keep condos or apartments from being built at the corner of 20TH and Walker were the two main subjects covered at the meeting.

The group welcomed two leaders in the fight over the McCowan's Market site and also welcomed two members of the Land Use and Planning Committee from the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council. The McCowan's Market site is within Coastal's area.

Things we learned about Ponte Vista:

Not much.

The developer apparently, has not provided information requested by the staff of the L.A. Planning Department to review so they can make an adequate determination of what they feel could be built at the Ponte Vista site.

Councilwoman Janice Hahn has scheduled a meeting with Ms. Gail Goldberg, the Director of Planning for the City of L.A., next week.

Ms. Goldberg offered comments at Monday's Traffic and Transportation Day held by the members of the L.A. City Council and the Mayor's office. her remarks can be found in a very long post at: www.pontevista.blogspot.com.

In reading Ms. Goldberg comments, I got the impression that she feels that building a densly populate development at some distance from the larger traffic and transportation hubs is not in the best interest of the residents of the greater L.A. area.

High density sprawl seems to be a newer term floating around city planners. Its almost like the ancient creosote plant. When the plant is young, growth is highest at the center of the plant. as the plant ages, rings develop at ever increasing lengths from the center. The way the age of the plant is estimated is by how far the ring is from what is believed to be the center of the plant.

L.A. has recently abandoned plans to build residential dwellings downtown in and area filled with warehouses and businesses. Planners suggested that it was more important to keep jobs closer to downtown and allow folks to use available mass transit (if there really is) to get to the jobs.

That opinion differs with Ms. Goldberg's comments about having residential units close to work locations, shopping and entertainment locations, and all easily accessable via walking short distances or using whatever available mass transit is in the area.

With Bob's statements about offering new transportation options for residents of Ponte Vista, that may help. But if those offers don't actually materialize, then the residents are stuck in a possibly very large development with few other options than to get into their vehicles and drive to major shopping malls and entertainment venues.

As I read Ms. Goldberg's comments, it seemed very clear to me that putting Bob's Senior Housing Section on the north side of the site instead of the south side, it looks like it violates what Ms. Goldberg is trying to convince developers to try. The closer the Senior Housing is to the shopping area, including restaurants, on Western Avenue, the more likely seniors will drive to those places instead of walking a short distance.

If and when I hear something that is more than a rumor, you will be able to read it here.

The McCowan's fight is going to be tough and hopefully long. Folks are trying to find ways to slow down or stop construction of condominiums or apartments at 20Th and Walker.

You may, very shortly, be asked to sign a petition and/or mail a letter to Ms. Hahn and Ms. Goldberg stating your opposition to having multi-family units built in a neighborhood where families live in single-family homes.

The matter of the redevelopment of the former market's site will also be a topic the many believe Ms. Hahn will talk to Ms. Goldberg about.

According to a staff member at the Councilwoman's office, over 200 phone calls, Emails, and letters, have been received by that office.

If you want to do something immediately, please call the Councilwoman's office and state your opposition.

So far, nobody that we know of supports having multi-family dwellings built at the site. At the meeting there were quite a few folks with recognizable names who haven't found any family members, friends, or co-workers who are on the side of the developer concerning multi-family units.

Next week will be crucial in the fight. Leaders are seeking as many calls, Emails, letters, signatures on the new petition opposing multi-family housing at that site, and they need it sooner than as soon as possible.

If you drive near the location, you will see how fast the developer is going to try and get something in the ground before anyone can stop him or slow him down.

There has been a statement that if the developer is slowed or stopped from building condominiums, the developer will build apartments which require fewer off-street parking spaces than condos required.

There has also been a statement that the developer could begin building apartments almost immediately.

But there are strong opponents who are going over Web site to learn what can be done to, at least, slow the developer down.

Learning as much as you can, or sharing your knowledge to help stop multi-family units from being built would be greatly appreciated.

Probably by next week, lawn signs will be in the works. I will proudly place one in my yard and I hope the initial batch of lawn signs will sell out in hours. It might even be a good idea to use my Email address you can find at the top of this blog to reserve you lawn sign.

It looks like an attorney will be needed in this fight. If there are attorneys who would like to defend the character of that neighborhood by doing some pro bono work, you don't know how much that would be appreciated.

But if it takes hiring a lawyer to help fight the battles than when the group has a bank account, then donations will be greatly appreciated.

This blog will keep folks informed about both Ponte Vista and the fight over the McCowan's site.