16th Place/CIM wall Follow Up JUNE 2012

TNN continues to document the interaction between 16th Pl residents and Councilman Wesson.  JUNE 2012

Dedicated readers will remember our article about the plight of the residents who woke up one morning to discover their pristine views of the Hollywood Hills had been replaced with a concrete wall erected overnight by the CIM development on San Vicente/Venice/Pico.

Views the residents had negotiated with the city to keep intact and which the city and developers ignored in the end.  Although Councilman Wesson claimed there was little he could do to help, the residents felt differently and kept pushing. Councilman Wesson finally agreed to the following list of actions he claimed he was “committed to delivering”. This was back in Nov. 30, 2011. Since then Councilman Wesson has not found the time to personally respond to the residents despite persistant emails asking for follow up and to date he has not delivered on any of the actions he was “committed to delivering” to them.

Since this promise, there has been one meeting--in February-- between the residents, John Harmon from CD10 and Jamie Potter taking notes for CIM who failed to send a member. At this meeting they discussed the planting of trees on the Venice Blvd median. Residents hoped the trees would absorb some of the noise and pollution that has resulted from the canyon effect of  the development.  To date, other than a claim by John Harmon that he is trying to “get concessions” from CIM, nothing has happened and ongoing appeals to Councilman Wesson for a response remain unanswered.


Response to 16 Place Neighborhood Association from Councilman Wesson Nov. 30 2011.

RE: Construction at 4550 -4650 W. Pico Boulevard - Midtown Crossings

Dear Members of the 16th Place Neighborhood Association

Thank you for your letter daed October 24, 2011 in which you gave me a comprehensive assessment of your concerns regarding the Midtown Crossings project. As I have stated in the past, the entitlement process for this project was completed long before I became your Councilmember, and I have been working with the developer, CIM and my staff to identify practical solutions to help alleviate your concerns.

 

While there are some suggestions made in your letter that I’m unable to deliver due to legal or practical concerns, I want to assure you that I am committeed to addressing many of your concerns and help mitigate the impacts of the project.

Below are the mitigations and measures I am committed to delivering for you:

1. Writing a letter to Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez to request a reassessment of property values fo the purpose of assessing property taxes on the 4500 block of 16th Place.

2 Ensuring that there is a public hearing process and public comment period for the proposed supplemental use district for the Midtown Crossings project

3  Working with CIM to provide landscaping and foliage along the Venice Boulevard side of the project.

4  In consultation with the Department of Transportation and Bureau of Street Services, identifying funding to beautify the medians along Venice Blvd.

5  In consultation with the Department of Transportation, identifying funding for a traffic study to look at vehicle and pedestrian risks at the intersection of San Vicente Blvd. and Venice Blvd.

16th Place Residents do enjoy support for their efforts from their local Neighborhood Council who voted to send this letter of support to the appropriate agencies:

MID-CITY NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL

May 29, 2012

To: CIM (John Givens, Kathleen Kim) & CD10,

The Mid City Neighborhood Council (MINC) represents as an area of approximately 70,000 residents or 15,000 doors. MINC has been in existence and working in and with the MINC community for over 10 years. The CIM development that brought a Lowes into Mid Town is 100% within the MINC boundaries.

This letter serves to re-iterate the strongest desire of the Mid City Neighborhood Council to see (continued) mitigation efforts made by CIM (& CD 10) in regards to the CIM wall now facing 16th place, the median island on Venice Blvd, associated landscaping, noise abatement and all other related matters including but not limited to billboards, flatboards or the like facing their homes and as otherwise detailed by 16th Place.

Thank you in advance for your (continued) efforts.

On behalf of the MINC Board,

Allan DiCastro

MINC President

www.mincla.org

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

cc: 16th place: in care of Robert Portillo

CD10: Herb Wesson, Deron Williams, John Harmon

Mayor’s office: Larry Frank, Fabiola Vilchez

Controller’s Office: Wendy Greuehl, Marisol Espinoza

City Attorney: Carmen Trutanich

 

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Established in August of 2008 by writerartist Dianne V. Lawrence, The Neighborhood News covers the events, people, history, politics and historic architecture of communities throughout the Mid-City and West Adams area in Los Angeles Council District 10.

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