Odds and Ends 4

Starting this evening and until at least March 18, many, many concerned neighbors are going to deal with two very important meetings.

This evening, beginning at 6:00 PM at Dana Middle School auditorium, the Scoping Meeting for the proposed new high school at what many of us call "Angel's Gate" will be conducted.

This meeting is extremely important because it allows residents and groups to learn more about the Initial Study, make first comments on the Initial Study, and have question and answers flying all about, with LAUSD officials and representatives of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) which will continue studying whether any new school can be built at the site and also consider alternatives.

On the afternoon of Tuesday March 18, at the Harbor Area Planning Commission hearing room, the issue of restricting the developer of the area at the intersection of 20Th Street and Walker Avenue will be held. The building restriction would allow for only single-family, detached dwellings to be built, one-per-5,000 square foot lot, on three lots currently zoned C1-1XL, which is commercial zoning.

I strongly believe that each group dealing with issues in their own neighborhoods demonstrate the best of San Pedrans in their attempts to maintain the quality of life in San Pedro that they have worked very hard to earn and keep.
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On the Ponte Vista at San Pedro issue,

We sit.
We wait.
We contimplate.
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On the former McCowan's site issues, I have already mentioned the Planning Commission meeting.

Vista del Oro Neighbors Against Condos (VONDAC) is looking to pack the hearing room with opponents to any idea of building condos or apartments on the three lots, currently zoned C1-1XL.

Written comments and oral comments are appreciated.

The developer, Mike Rosenthal, seems to change his mind fairly easily and he has threatened to sue the City of L.A. if he is forced to deal with restrictions that would not allow him to build condos or apartments on the three, currently commercial, lots.

I have posted information about the upcoming meeting elsewhere on this blog.

VONDAC has the support of Councilwoman Janice Hahn and that support is appreciated.
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On the new high school campus issue, the very important meeting tonight has already been mentioned.

There are many facts about all of the issues surrounding attempts to build South Region High School #15 (SRHS 15) in the area commonly called "Angel's Gate".

The Initial Study has been published and the 30-day comment period for the documents commenced on March 7 and will end at the close of business on April 7.

A committee has been formed by opponents to having SRHS 15 built on the "preferred site" and its extreme proximity to the Point Fermin Outdoor Experience Center concerns many individuals who support the Center's objectives that, after redevelopment, will allow approximately 14,000 more students from at least 129 more schools, to utilize the programs and services of the Center, which has been in operation for many years.

Alma Street! It already has one high school that impacts it. The use of Alma Street as a route for ingress or egress to any new campus must not happen.

I am still continuing to believe that a new campus PROBABLY is needed, but I have added a second site-killing issue to the one I first stated. The two site-killers are;

The Alma Street gate must not be used for any new high school campus!

No new high school campus can be built directly next to the Point Fermin Outdoor Experience Center! The Center may have its redevelopment complete by Summer, 2009 and funding have been obtained.

Building a new campus anywhere in San Pedro will not satisfy one of the six objectives for building it in the first place. According to very reliable sources, there will be NO CLASS SIZE REDUCTION at San Pedro High School, if and when any new campus is built.

A new campus may be built to relieve overcrowding of the campus of San Pedro High School and not individual classes. It can be said that it is more of an infrastructure issue, than a true class size reduction issue, I feel.
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We have seen more condominium projects in San Pedro turn into lease-to-own or simply apartment units, with this current economic problem that may extend for some time.

I haven't viewed any window treatments closed at Seaport Homes on Western Avenue. That may indicate that nobody has moved in yet.
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