Parking Issues....An Editorial

Here is an editorial for the Sunday edition of The Daily Breeze.

Again I am slightly amazed by seeing such an editorial in a newspaper that I consider to the right of center, in political terms.

The editorial may not directly deal with Ponte Vista at San Pedro unless Bob decides to go with a density bonus, after he learns what the Planning Department thinks.
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The bigger picture

More housing and less parking mean less livability.
Article Launched: 07/19/2008 07:01:57 PM PDT

More housing and less parking mean less livability.

Last week, the bad news for drivers in the city of Los Angeles was more than the price of gas. The city announced that it's doubling parking-meter rates and increasing the hours that meters are active. Furthermore, the city is also adding meters to streets where parking used to be free.

In and of themselves, these actions are unlikely to do more than raise some grumbles about the cost of everything going up. Even at as much as $4 an hour in the most congested areas of the city, a meter is still less expensive than many private parking lots.

But what should cause more than a momentary gripe is how these new policies relate to a ballot measure that the City Council approved last week to put on the November ballot. The initiative would end restrictions on height and the number of units allowed in publicly funded low-income and senior projects.

What that means is more people in existing neighborhoods. And where would they park?

Under normal city rules, new developments face strict parking regulations. You build 20 condos; you must have adequate parking for the cars that will come with them. But with increasing frequency, the city has been giving "density bonuses" - which often relax parking requirements - in order to coax more "affordable housing" from residential developers.

This, in fact, is the reason for the ballot measure - to codify this practice of ignoring restrictions. The council says if the city doesn't change its policies, it will lose the opportunity to spend $1.2billion in California housing bond money that voters approved in 2006.

That may be, but the city risks losing something even more precious than money if it forges ahead with easing building restrictions while giving little thought to the consequences for its livability.

Boosting parking-meter costs and changing housing restrictions seem distinct and unrelated policies - until you look at the bigger picture: higher costs for street parking, more cars competing for spaces, and more air pollution as drivers putter around, block after block, contributing to traffic congestion as they look for that ever-elusive space.

What's not to love about this?

The parking/housing density crunch is just one example of how narrow, piecemeal policy is killing Los Angeles. The city simply cannot keep growing without a vision for the bigger picture.
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The editorial did not directly deal with issues of parking lots for shoppers and other types of parking problems that would come with increased density.

But the editorial did, once again, point out how the city of Los Angeles and its bureaucrats seem to be only concerned with their own little pictures and not the "bigger picture".

Time for the Female Nordic Opera Singer of a Certain Size

Click over letter to enlarge.

Thanks Councilwoman Hahn!

Vista del Oro Neighbors Against Condos (VDONAC) can now rest a little easier, now that the ordinance has been put into full force.

Two very strong and extremely able women need to be thanked by all of us who found our fight with a developer to be a noble fight for OUR community.

Ms. Barbara Dragich quickly became the leader and spokesperson for VDONAC.

Barbara came into the fight having almost no knowledge of how to work with the city and Councilwoman Hahn to save the neighborhood she loves so much.

Barbara was the anchor, the 'go to' person, and the leader VDONAC needed, just when they needed it the most.

Ms. Michele Burk was the knowledge-base, the mentor, the administrator, the behind the scenes person who provided so much of the overall tremendously great help to everyone, surrounding this issue.

So many residents of 20TH Street and other streets in the area need to gather together at least one more time to remind each other of what they did as a group and how strong OUR community can be when push comes to shove.

The group looks like it could be the strong basis for a new Homeowners' Association in that area. We need more of those types of groups to keep the lines of communication going and to support OUR community at times of need.

Janice Hahn did her best as a politician to assist the residents of the area (potential voters) and her guidance and leadership of her staff brought about something we haven't seen in OUR community, the "Q" condition.

Now what in the heck am I going to do with all the remaining buttons? (keep it clean now, folks.)

Bob's SIX New Sites=Desperation?????

Here is an article sent to me from "Market Watch"

Bisno Development Company LLC Launches "Smart Growth" Blogs
Calls for new livable, "walkable" communities and work force housing

Last update: 11:30 a.m. EDT July 14, 2008

LOS ANGELES, Jul 14, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Bisno Development Company LLC announced today that it has launched five blogs to provide the public with easy access to information on how Bisno projects support the rapidly growing "Smart Growth" movement.

A sixth blog will provide information on the Company's proposed Ponte Vista project in San Pedro, CA, which will provide the area with much needed work force housing while devoting 40% of its area to open space.

The "Smart Growth" or "New Urbanism" movement has been gaining momentum nationally in recent years. This growth philosophy maintains that building new urban communities, scaled to the pedestrian, not the automobile, should be the template for the cities of the new millennium.

The terms "livable communities," "sustainable development," and "walkable communities" have all been applied to the concept. This philosophy envisions mixed-use, medium- to high-density projects in older urban areas that provide new, architecturally elegant housing for working families, locate homes in jobs-rich areas, create warmth and foster a sense of community and civic involvement.

Such development discourages urban sprawl, encourages mass transit development and ultimately reduces dependence on the automobile, vehicle miles traveled and auto emissions.
"Ironically, some environmental and slow-growth advocates still oppose these projects because they see any density as bad," said Bob Bisno, Chairman and CEO of the Company. "We hope these blogs explain why mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhoods, with appealing streetscapes, friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists, require density to be successful."

According to the Local Government Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency "people are beginning to realize that nodes of more intense development can help achieve local economic development goals, provide housing options, create walkable neighborhoods, and protect their air, water and open space. This balance helps create a sense of place - a place to walk, a place to talk to neighbors, a place to know the children are safe to walk to school." - Creating Great Neighborhoods: Density in Your Community, September 2003."

Above is the end of the article, according to me.

The six new blogs can NOT be reached through the following links:
http://www.bisnosnotbuildingforpeoplebutbuildingforprofit.org/
http://www.bisnoforprofit.net/
http://www.bisnosnonlivableprojects.ru/
http://www.bisnotransitdestinationsbecomeparkinglots.de/
http://www.bisnosworkforceesresidentsoutofhousing.tv/
http://www.imnotpublishinghispontevistasite.org/
Please don't try these sites out, they are not real at all
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All of the sites not listed correctly have a June 24, 2008 publication date.

The sites are copyright Bisno Development LLC.

To make a comment on his Ponte Vista site, a name and Email address are "required".

I wonder if one does write a comment on the site(s) and post their name and Email address, would they be counted as a Ponte Vista supporter?

If any of you wish to comment on the site(s), please be my guest. I will look to see if your comment is published.

I think we all can share in the idea that Elise and the gang won't post comments criticizing Ponte Vista.

I would suggest creating alternate Email addresses and names, if you wish to play.

I have enough Email addresses that Elise and the gang know, so I won't place any comments on sites, except for what I think about City Place.

Look below for more about City Place.

Having Fun With Bob's "Affordable" Housing

Click on illustration to enlarge.

Here is a loft for sale at Bob's City Place project in Santa Ana.

The first phase of City Place, a loft/commercial/retail project seems to now be complete.

Bob is now talking about building a 31 or 32-story condominium tower across the street from the first phase of the project.

City Place is quite close to the Main Place Shopping Mall, the I-5 Freeway and would be considered a much better candidate for "smart growth" than Ponte Vista could ever be.

So take a look at what is being offered on the flier that I have added the floor plan of the loft to.

You get 1,717 square feet, with ONE bedroom, but 2-1/1 baths.

You also get a "tandem" garage, which looks like you might be able to park two vehicles inside, but not next to each other.

All of this, minus HOA fees, dues, or other costs can be yours for the asking price of only,

Six Hundred Eighty Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety Dollars.

You get a swimming pool, but I am sure it is shared with your neighbors.

So, you just have to put 20% down now, to get a loan ($137,998.00) and you can move right in with about a just under 6.5%, 30-year fixed loan.

You will only owe another %551,992.00. Here is a sample breakdown of monthly mortgage costs.

Principal And Interest
$3,488

Taxes and insurance
$1,027

Mortgage insurance
$0 (you have enough to put 20% down, so no mortgage insurance, great!)

Total Payment
$4,516

Now of course your mortgage payment doesn't include HOA fees, dues, or other fees. You may get stuck for many hundreds of dollars per month added. How about $800.00 per month?

It looks like all you would need to do is put down that $137,998.00 as a down payment, then start spending about $5,316.00 per month, until the fees and dues go up, and then just 360 months later, bingo! You own your very own loft.

Of course the lowest priced units at Ponte Vista are currently being considered (by Bob) going for about $330,000-$360,000. So you can see that living farther away from a shopping mall, freeway, and other local infrastructure, may save a ton of money.

I think to be fair, I'll try a 20% down, 30-year fixed loan on your very own $360,000.00 Senior Studio unit at Ponte Vista.

Total Sales Price: $360,000.00

20% Down Payment: $72,000 (See you won't have to use all your kids' inheritance after all.)

Amount Financed: $288,000.00

Principal And Interest
$1,820

Taxes and insurance
$560

Mortgage insurance
$0 (Good for you for putting 20% down)
Total Payment
$2,380

Now, let us consider dues and fees. For this unit, I'll guesstimate just $600.00 per month.

I hope you can spend $2,980 per month on mortgage and fees. I know I can't.

Of course you will also have your utility bills, transportation costs, food, clothing, entertainment, and other things that will need some of the rest of your income.

For all of this you get a one-level, no bedroom, large open space studio unit that will look pretty much like a studio apartment, but you will have the clear ownership of it after only 360 months.

Now, if you have to be 55-years of age or better to buy into Bob's senior units if they are ever built at Ponte Vista, you will have now mortgage payments after you turn just 85-years old, IF you buy at 55.

Oh, won't your golden years be grand?

However, if you happen to work in Orange County, I think you may want to stick with not living at Ponte Vista.

Or, if you work in the San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, or other places far from San Pedro, you may not wish to live at Ponte Vista, where traffic and access to freeways and shopping malls is not as easy to deal with.

I was particularly enjoying the "North Tustin" reference in the flier.

Folks, City Place is in Santa Ana and NOT in the city of Tustin. That makes a very big difference if you have any qualms about living in a gentrified project in a remarkably non-gentrified city.

Santa Ana is quite a unique city, with a heavy Latino population that I have found to be good to me when I worked there. It is also home to a great number of Vietnamese people. I worked well with them, too.

There is a great deal of cultural differences that makes Santa Ana a place to visit if your eating pleasures include very different types of food.

Yes, there are gangs in Santa Ana. But there are gangs just about everywhere else, too.

O.K. the fun is over. I know I won't be able to afford anything at Ponte Vista, will you?

City Place, Ponte Vista----No Comparison

This is a followup to the previous post and it was created after I took a tour of the City Place area, and its surrounding area.

The first photo is a photo of the actual loft listed for sale in the previous post.

To imagine how wide/narrow the units is, think of a Jeep Grand Cherokee and the width of the unit equals about the length of the Jeep. I didn't get a photo of the Jeep parked right outside the unit, I regret that, but only a very little bit.
So, after I took a photo of the unit, I turned right around and took a wider shot of what is close to the unit at City Place.
The photo above is just the start of how and why City Place and Ponte Vista cannot be compared to each other in any way.

If you look closely in the background, you will see the Macy's sign. You may also see the McCormick and Schmick's sign in the foreground. There is also one of those 'fru-fru' upscale yogurt places that are popping up in more trendy areas.

City Place was developed by Bob Bisno. it is much smaller than what Bob wants to do at Ponte Vista and City Place is so different to Ponte Vista, no real comparisons should be attempted.

I have to admit, I still don't quite understand the concept of the lofts lining Memory Lane and City Place Drive, and the few fronting Main Street.

It looks like someone who wants to open a small business, buys a unit that they can both work in and live in.

Some of the lofts have the first-floor fronts opening up on to the sidewalk, so there is a larger walk-in area.

I don't know what happens if the business fails or grows so big that a bigger space is needed.

We seem to have a few samples of the types of lofts at City Place, on the first floor of our Centre Street Lofts.

Oh well.

I think City Place can be thought of as "smart growth".

• It is between the I5 and 22 Freeways, on Main Street and the 57 is very close by.
• Westfield's Main Place Mall, complete with a J.C. Penny's, Macy's, Nordstrom's and regular type mall shops is directly across Main Street from City Place, well within walking distance.
• The Orange County Children's Hospital is about a 5-10 minute walk north on Main Street.
• A Barnes and Noble is about a three-minute walk away.
• There are eateries, a small grocery store, and other retail just across the parking lot
• There is a home accessory store, an "Original Hems", a financial advisor, and other businesses already operating within City Place
• City Place has at least two signalized intersections to access the west and south sides of the project.
• There is also a back road that has signals to allow residents access from the east in more than one location
• It seems to be very close to the downtown area of Orange.
• It seems to be easily accessible via multiple roads
• Every single unit has its own garage

Now, contrast these features with what is proposed for Ponte Vista at San Pedro and one can easily find that there is no way to really fairly compare the two developments.

Of course, there are still very few units occupied at City Place, which seems to have had units become available back in 2007.

There is still some construction going on at the residential/business side and the retail along Main Street.

I think I would be more impressed with City Place if I knew more about the work/living spaces in the lofts. I saw one unit already for sale that looked like the business in it had already gone out of business.

I saw an upscale clothing store about ready to open and there was a grand opening of a store that looks like it pampers to upscale new parents.

What City Place has, Ponte Vista would have none of, even if Bob were to magically get his way.

I think Bob should return to building retail, commercial or work/living spaces and leave the, almost completely residential projects to more qualified developers.

Bob may have got it correct at City Place, but that in no way means he has much of a chance of getting it correct at Ponte Vista.