GOOD NEWS:
We were able to complete the paperwork and meet the filing deadline for the appeal to challenge the ruling on our CEQA case against the Venice Median project, thanks to the generous support of our community.
BAD NEWS:
Within two days of our filing, the developers’ lawyers filed a 15-page Motion, demanding that we obtain a $500,000 bond, to hold us responsible should they prevail in court.
The developers are accusing us of deliberately causing the delay of an affordable housing project. First of all, as we all well know, the Coalition has never challenged the “affordable housing” aspect of the project. If anything- we’ve continued to call out the misuse of taxpayer funds and deceitful practices that have obstructed actually housing those in need.
Also, we have repeatedly proven there are many steps in the approval process not yet completed by the developers, and the Coalition is not the cause of the delay.
For starters:
- The developers still don’t have an acceptable application for a State Coastal Development Permit.
- No one knows what the garage proposal will be, an issue which remains complex and non-transparent.
- Our DDA lawsuit held the City and developers’ feet to the fire and confirmed the eventual proposal for the new public parking structure must go back to the City Transportation Commission (CTC), where true costs and facts will be exposed.
- The zoning was changed conditionally for this project based on parameters that have changed significantly.
We would very much like to respond to what is yet another false claim by the developers, and have an excellent case for doing so, in order that we can continue with our appeal. However, we’re at a turning point where we can only do this with a strong financial commitment from the community.
Our legal actions continue to expose the deceitful land grab that has been misrepresented by developers to City Council, putting the environment, residents and all those visiting Venice Beach in harms way should it be allowed to proceed.
Here’s a harsh reminder of who holds 99.995% ownership of the project now, compared to the .005% that Venice Community Housing retains: note the attorney signature on this motion representing “Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, Inc.” (VCHC is conspicuously missing). More evidence of this primo Venice property being gifted to a Hollywood developer:
The developers are trying to wear us down with a strategy to drain our funds, and every response costs more legal and filing fees. It is urgent that you reach out to us immediately with any questions or thoughts- we need your input on what continues to be an epic battle to quite literally “hold our ground” against the evil we’ve been fighting for the last seven years.
Please let us know if you can support us moving forward with the appeal by donating now to the legal fund.
With appreciation,
The Team at Safe Coastal Development
P.S.
Thoughts inspired by this “lovely” quote from a recent June 3rd, LATimes OP-ED:
“This is one of those rare open swaths of land that city officials dream of using for homeless and affordable housing”.
This “dream” would deprive millions of visitors access to Venice Beach including every hardworking Angeleno seeking recreation and refuge from the heat, who will no longer be able to have open air beach parking, and pedestrian and bike access through this “rare open swath of land”. All while recklessly spending hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer funds to add 136 units of “affordable” housing at an inconceivable location, fraught with environmental and safety issues. Their dream- everyone else’s nightmare.