What a day – – we’re enjoying the momentary glory before facing the same “taunting opponents” tomorrow. But it must be done. If you can make it down to Newport Beach for the Coastal hearing in the morning, please do!! If you need a ride or are going and have room in your car, please text Alley tonight as she is coordinating: 310-570-0816. Also, please reply to this email to let us know if you are coming in person.
If you can’t make it to Newport, please sign up to make a comment on Zoom. See earlier blast today for details on location, timing and how to get your speaker card. Note: you will likely only have one minute to speak. Allow at least 1¼ hour for the drive. If you don’t have your speaker card yet, please go to the link here asap and sign up for a speaker card for Item 11A. https://www.coastal.ca.gov/meetings/request-testimony/wednesday/
Here’s what happened at Transportation Commission meeting today:
The City’s Transportation Commission voted unanimously to approve the DOT Staff recommendation, which is that “they:
- DO NOT AUTHORIZE the use of Lot No. 731 for the affordable housing project as proposed by the Venice Community Housing Corporation and Hollywood Community Housing Corporation in Attachment “B” with 120 affordable housing units plus 200 parking spaces spread over two parking structures within the housing development (23 spaces in the west structure, and 177 spaces in the east structure); and
- RECOMMEND that the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) determine the feasibility of relocating the proposed affordable housing project to Lot No. 701, including potential changes to the zoning and height limitations affecting Lot No. 701 to effectuate a maximum number of affordable housing units with no replacement parking required.”
Please choose from the ideas for talking points below—
The main ask for Coastal is to continue/postpone their decision tomorrow.
The Transportation Commission made it clear at that hearing that according to City regulations, they are the decision maker. We know that Traci Park, the City Councilmember for the district, supports the decision they made today.
We have wanted an expansion of the Lot 731 surface parking lot for years. With many world events coming up–including the 2026 World Cup, 2027 Super Bowl, and 2028 Olympics and Para-Olympics, it’s more likely than it has ever been that the City will expand the parking on Lot #731and make it a transit hub, which would be a dream come true for our local businesses and the LA tourism industry!
Also, we badly need the additional parking spaces to make up for those lost (and to be lost in the future) from Al Fresco Dining, Assembly Bill 2097 and Assembly Bill 413.
Ask the Commission how they could believe that a proposed plan for public parking spread between the two parking structures, inside of a residential apartment building, with most of the spaces farther away, is the equivalent of the Coastal Access we have now.
This meeting should always have been postponed until the City completed its process. Now after yesterday’s Transportation Commission decision, it’s clear this project is fatally flawed. DOT prepared an excellent Alternatives Analysis, and it would be disingenuous of the Coastal Commissioners not to consider their thoughtful report and final decision.
What we need is a 4-story, traditional, open-air parking structure on Lot # 731, for expanded parking and other modes of transportation.
Also, the Transportation Commissioners made many thoughtful comments during deliberation. Feel free to share some of these comments with the Commission:
Commission President Chris B. Liban, former Chair of the LA County Beach Commission for two years, stated
“This action that we’re seeing here today is not new to this Board.”
(Refuting Latham & Watkins’ accusation that they didn’t have the authority to make this decision and that they wasted their time by even meeting today.)
”Beach Access is very important. Beach parking is always a challenge.” …“Access is important to a lot of people, including myself. And beach parking is always a challenge. And because it’s a challenge, consideration for parking, consideration for different modes of transportation, consideration of alternative modes of transportation are essential to the planning of not only affordable housing but also for allowing for those who need that access to get that access.”
Ken Husting, DOT Senior Staff:
They need “additional parking and special consideration for areas of the parking structure for spaces to reserve for car sharing, bike sharing, investigating the potential for a shuttle service, and replacing any potential loss of spaces due to Al Fresco Dining, and this Lot 731 presents itself as a great opportunity to do that.”
Commissioner Talbott:
“The parking lots make money, right, but this is a balancing act. We don’t look at it as just about parking, we must look at the totality of the situation.”
…. “I can tell you that the 120 housing opportunities don’t necessarily balance out with the tens and hundreds of thousands of people that are impacted by mobility.”
…. “I want everyone to have housing. It is a critical issue, not just in Venice, not just in the City of Los Angeles, but across the globe. We have to figure out ways to address this issue in a manner that befits the scale and the weight and the burden of this human right, what this development in my perspective is not going to do.”
… “A mobility hub/transit opportunity brings in economic value for the community. We have an opportunity here to address not just 120 people but hundreds of thousands of people who utilize that space and would have the opportunity to utilize a mobility hub. I will support a housing opportunity in that community. I would support a housing opportunity that presents itself to us for Lot 701, but I would not support this particular development for Lot 731.”
Commission President Liban:
The Chair shared that as the President of the County Beach Commission for two years he heard a lot of testimony from people who grew up in Los Angeles and never had access to the ocean.
“That the parking lot, public transportation, and different modes of transportation could be made available to those people to access what might be normal for us is very important for us to realize and understand in terms of what’s in front of us here for this Commission.”
“For me, on a personal note, I would love to see affordable housing, I would love to see affordable housing in a community like this that needs it.”
In closing, President Liban made a motion for the Commissioners to approve the Staff
Recommendation and to look at the feasibility study for Lot 701 and address many of the issues here in Venice…Commissioner Talbott seconded the motion. The Yes vote was unanimous!
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So, there’s some inspiration for you Venice, so please share some of these comments with the Coastal Commission in tomorrow’s 9 AM hearing!
We’re pretty proud of what we’ve accomplished – – let’s keep it rolling and show the love to Coastal tomorrow!
With Appreciation-
The Team at Safe Coastal Development