| Eastwood Coalition Home | |
|
Eastwood Coalition Meeting Report Feb 3, 2004 Crime
Report – Senior Lead Officer, Armen Sevdalian
Car theft and
personal theft are still the primary crimes in our area. Tow companies are
getting together and buying large lots of “The Club” to be made
available to the neighbors at a discount. Stickers will be
given to people (upon their request) to alert the police to pull the car
over if it’s out after 11pm. This gives police permission to inquire in
the absence of any wrongdoing. This
is a measure to combat car theft. Feb 16, 1pm to
5pm Apartment Owners and Managers Symposium. Crime free housing,
neighbor/landlord issues will be addressed. Zero tolerance
will be observed on Thursday and Friday with officers pulling over
vehicles and approaching people for the smallest violations. Neighbor comment:
Gramercy and Franklin – graffiti is building up in that area. Tip: Call
the Community Police with the address. They will contact Hollywood
Beautification Team to come out and paint over the graffiti. This program
works! Robberies have
been happening between Sunset & Hollywood on Western. In the general
neighborhood, appx 20 crimes were reported including one homicide which
was a gang/drug related incident. MTA
– Bus routes on Garfield: 207 & 357 are
the routes that drive on Garfield at excessive speed sometimes setting off
car alarms. This is dangerous and Karl would like to either get the
drivers to obey the speed laws or get the buses rerouted. Valarie
Harrison-Boyer, (harrisonv@metro.net) is our liaison as an MTA Community
Relations Officer (213-922-1241) Michael
Williams-Carr, Asst. Transportation Manager from Arthur Winston
Division.gave a presentation regarding these buses: A “Slow
Order” has been issued for those buses. He asks that the LAPD place
motor officers on the street to enforce compliance. He says if they
reroute the buses, problems will be moved to another neighborhood. He asks
for suggestions for rerouting that will not add to revenue, i.e., no added
distance for the driver. He is accessible (323-421-2003 Michael’s desk)
and will come out to look at the situation if there is a problem. (Williams-carrm@mta.net)
Some of the buses from division 18 are different and they need to be
addressed by maintenance. This may be what the added noise is about.
He gave Karl a
map of the northern route in order to offer some creative solutions for a
reroute. Valarie (our
liaison) will take our concerns and will coordinate neighborhood meetings
about Garfield if the people ask her to. (harrisonv@metro.net
213-922-1241) A neighbor asked
that the times of Metro subway trips be posted on the wall at the Metro
Station at Western & Hollywood. Another neighbor
asked for a “Stand to the Right”
sign as people keep standing dangerously close to the train
passage. A neighbor
complained about buses coming at the same time. 183-186 and 287 all come within five minutes of each other
and if you miss them you have to wait 45 minutes. Valarie and Michael (MTA
representatives) will look into the matter. Fire
Station 82
K.C. gave a brief
history of this neighborhood’s experience with the Fire Bond’s efforts
to relocate Fire Station 82. The Fire Bond is now looking at Van
Ness/Taft/Hollywood Blvd using 1.3 acres, five businesses, a halfway house
for homeless women and a six-unit apartment house. Missy told the
people that “This location is actually choice number five.” And that
we had been successful at altering their plans in the past if there are
enough strong reasons. Garfield/Gramercy as well as Hollywood Billiards
would have caused residents to move. Florentine Gardens would have been
great but the owners threatened to sue the city. So the city says that
Florentine Gardens is too large and expensive. A neighbor asked
if this was a done deal. The answer was “not necessarily”. With a
standing-only attendance, the question was asked “How many do not want a
fire station at this location?” Most
everyone in the room raised their hand. Missy suggested that they find
some reasons that are viable to fight it. It’s not good enough to just
say, “No.” It was brought up
that the property owners don’t want to sell – The owner of the
apartment building and 7/11 representatives were in the audience. One
person said that “Eminent Domain would kick in if property owners
don’t want to sell.” It was mentioned
that the Proposition F Bond money must be spent within a certain period of
time. There is approximately a year and a half remaining. Pastor Greg says
that it’s a matter of economics that is confining this – the risk to
all of us is that we end up with no new fire station. The neighbors
brought up several points that concern them: 1) No room to back out on Taft or Van Ness if Hollywood is jammed which it is several times a day. 2)
The noise level at this location seems greater than a normal
neighborhood already – especially in the afternoon rush hour. Tests
should be done to see how high the noise is now and make sure that nothing
is developed there that would cause it to raise higher. 3)
The 7/11 serves the community with their needs 24-hours a day. This
would remove an asset from the community. 4)
Renters will be displaced. There are no provisions for the six
units of renters in that building – they will merely get between $5,000
- $7,000 in order to relocate but their rent will no doubt be higher no
matter where they go. And the owner does not want to sell her property. 5)
This relocation is very expensive for such a small improvement that
doesn’t allow for the greater growth that will be needed in the next 20
or 30 years: Also, why relocate to such a small space (1.3 acres) when the
fire bond that citizens voted for specifically outlines the type of fire
station that Fire Station 82 should become? The Bond requires that a
2-acre regional station should be built to take the place of Fire Station
82. Last year, when Labonge tried to turn the 2-acre plan into a 1-acre
station on Garfield and Hollywood Blvd., the City Attorney and the Fire
Bond folks recommended abandoning the location if it couldn’t be the
full 2-acres promised in the Bond measure. Fire Bond Measure F is not
supposed to change without the appropriate referendum or legislative
action. It’s what we voted for. Missy will get a
copy of the original proposition. It was asked what
we could do since – if we had known that residents would be displaced by
the relocation of fire station 82, we would not have voted for it. It’s
like a bait and switch. Fran suggested that people should write to the
city attorney’s office with these facts and ask for an investigation. A local historic
preservationist attended and said she will look at the old Good Shepherd
house and see if it’s a candidate for historic status. Fran mentioned
that Prop F has Oversight Committees and that people should consider
visiting them if possible. Whole
Foods coming soon to the neighborhood
Larry Bonds &
Ira Dankberg gave a presentation with renderings of the first preliminary
sketches. They purchased
the property at Hollywood & Garfield the morning of Feb. 3, 2004. They
are working with Panorama to make their relocation smooth. They will
occupy the space where the dirt parking lot is as well as the bungalows of
1723 Garfield. (They
also bought the property next to Orchard Supply to be developed for small
businesses/merchants on Sunset blvd. and St. Andrews. They are responsible
for the Sunset and Vine project on the northwest corner.) They want to put
a Whole Foods Store on Hollywood & Garfield. Whole Foods doesn’t
sell food or products that use animal testing – they use recycled
products and are very community oriented giving to non-profits. All produce is
organically grown and they have private labels and are focused on bringing
affordable food into the community. They have been
voted the top 100 best businesses to work for paying a living wage rather
than an affordable wage. They compensate their employees for work done
with non-profits. The main entrance
will be on Hollywood Blvd with a 9 foot set back for patio deli dining
right there (tables, umbrellas, etc.). Larry says that they look for their
properties to be a community gathering place. Along Garfield there will be
a continuous planter, greenery and large glass windows so you can see in
and out. Parking is two levels up so no headlights offend neighbors. The
western edge goes to the Motel. They have created
additional parking spaces beyond the requirement for neighbors who have
been paying for a spot in the existing dirt parking lot. (They are working with CRA and Housing to relocate the Panorama/Sara
Velas. They are working with Nyla & Oscar Arslanian (Hollywood Arts
Council) to make sure the move is gentle and respects the arts.) Anyone who parks
in this lot now should come to Larry and Ira to make arrangements for
their parking. They will provide a separate space and a special parking
pass to those who have paid to park in the existing lot. There will be
over 200 parking spaces in all approximately. The neighborhood may get
between 25 and 30 spaces but this will be more definite later. A
neighbor said, “We shouldn’t leave the city off the hot seat since
they are supposed to address neighborhood parking needs.” A
comment was made on the design lacking integrity with the other historic
homes in the area. “Why not replicate the Mayer building or something
that is more Hollywood.” Others mentioned the need for wood/stone and
organic/natural elements rather than the steel, metallic, and neon of
modern developments. Signage was addressed. Larry
mentioned that the designs are in the very early stages and will be
modified as they go along. The question of
loading and unloading was raised: Loading docks would be in the back and
enclosed. They will use loading dock hours – after 6:30 or 7am and stop
early in the evening. All this will be worked out with the neighbors and
the store owners before the hearings. Total area to be
occupied is 42,000 feet. Timeline:
Breaking ground later this summer – will take 12 to 14 months –
opening in 2005. Ramone (Espresso
MiCultura) asked that they meet together with the other merchants. Fran asked that a
committee of Eastwood Coalition members meet with Larry and Ira often as
they go forward to make sure that certain vital elements remain in the
project and neighborhood concerns are met. The following persons will be
the representatives of the Eastwood Coalition for design oversight and
will report to the EC at their monthly meetings: Josh
Bearman Mark Brown,
zoning consultant explained about zoning issues. In order to get the Whole
Foods they will need a land use application with a public hearing noticed
to everyone who lives within 500 feet of the project. Because of the
special regulations created around metro rail stations, there is a set of
design standards created – they will need to get variances from many of
those standards and restrictions. They will come back to us to explain why
they need to go outside these standards and give us an education prior to
the hearings. Basically, the
neighbors commended the developer for bringing us their design so early in
its inception. The neighbors in general expressed excitement about the
approach and the Whole Foods coming to the neighborhood. The Thai
Community Development Center Report: Thai Community
Development will be applying for matching funds from the city.
The maximum amount the city will match is $10,000.00, making it possible
to receive a total of $20,000.00 for neighborhood improvements. The
Thai CDC plans on using these funds to acquire trees to plant along
Hollywood Blvd, heading east from Western Ave. These trees will
replace some dead one, and be planted in new locations to help beautify
the streetscape. They have generously invited us to benefit along
with them by offering to share some of the trees to help beautify our
strip of Hollywood Blvd to the 101 Freeway. We’re very grateful for
their generosity and will assist in any way needed. |
|