A HEARTFELT THANK YOU! We asked for help and you responded. Wow, did you respond! In a landslide, 114 Comments were submitted in support of the motion (and opposed to the project) with only 2 comments supportive of the project and wanting it to proceed as planned.
Your overwhelming response to our call to action has touched us, and Coastal Commission heard you loud and clear as well! The result- the agenda item to extend the consideration time for the Venice Dell Project was moved directly to the consent calendar with unanimous approval for Coastal Staff to take the time needed to properly evaluate the project.
Coastal now has up to a year to respond to the colossal mess created by our misguided city and developers without regard for our Coastal Community or the greater public good.
We are grateful for the outpouring of support and the many people who wrote in and tried to call in to comment (calling in was tricky- the agenda item was moved directly to the consent calendar after receiving the astounding amount of community input). Some of us were able to comment on the consent item and help drown out the developers’ representative from Venice Community Housing Corporation who tried to spin the time delay as a good thing so that they can deliver a better project, while pointing out that most of the people commenting lived “almost adjacent” to the project! They are relentless- and clearly trying to mischaracterize the overwhelming opposition as NIMBYism. That’s getting old and gratefully Coastal Commission is seeing through it and responding to fact-based flaws over developer rhetoric.
Still, all the more reason not to let our guard down and continue to fight this from every angle. We have a powerful lawsuit very much in play that must be continued and is crucial for stopping the project, which we will continue with your support!
Our legal team just amended the lawsuit to include the City’s shenanigans subsequent to the December 1, 2021 original approval. More on that next week. The administrative record for the case is now being prepared and we’ll need funds to cover that- it’s an extensive endeavor and we’re on top of it, again- with your support.
We also need everyone’s full attention to get Traci Park elected as our CD 11 Councilmember! Traci is the candidate who has always understood the project is not feasible and has supported our objections from the start. Her opponent, Erin Darling has come out in favor of the project and appears will continue to support it at any cost. We absolutely need Traci in office to help us continue this fight!
For the moment, we’ll enjoy the victory and are most grateful for the Coastal Commissioners and Coastal Staff and the amazing neighbors and friends who stepped up to speak out against this project! Then, it’s back to work!
With appreciation-
The Team at Safe Coastal Development