WE’VE TAKEN TWO CASES TO COURT:

The original CEQA lawsuit has been heard by Judge Fruin in LA Superior Court. The causes of action are listed below. Note the judge inexplicably removed our Due Process claim which will be addressed on appeal if necessary.

  • Violation of CEQA (environmental review)
  • Violation of Subdivision Map Act (requiring independent CEQA Review when joining 40 lots).
  • Unlawful Spot Zoning
  • Violation of Coastal Act and Certified Land Use Plan
  • Violation of Mello Act and other affordable housing requirements.
  • Violation of Fair Hearing Constitutional and Due Process Requirements.
  • Failure to Conduct required AB 52 review consultation, Los Indios de San Gabriel
  • Failure to proceed in accordance with law in adoption of the June 2022 General Plan Amendment, Land Use Plan Amendment and Venice Coastal Zone Specific Plan Amendment

(Full lawsuit in Library of Documents)

AND OUR DDA CASE (Disposition and Development Agreement):

We challenged the project on many legal levels. Of heightened concern is that the 2.64 acre site was leased away to developers through a Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA). For one dollar a year for the next 99 years, our last open space in Venice has been leased to the new “Venice Dell, GP, LLC (a new corporate entity comprised of Venice Community Housing Corp. and Hollywood Community Housing Corp.). The new LLC is to take over the lease of the land and all the entitlements. The catch here- this new LLC then turns around and sells ownership to another new entity who will own 99.99% of the project with investors benefiting from lucrative tax credits. The kicker here, it appears that Hollywood Community Housing has become the 99.99% holding partner, leaving Venice Community Housing with only 0.005% of the project. That is what we’ve identified as the Venice “land giveaway” to a Hollywood developer.

The DDA was pushed through the City’s Homelessness and Poverty Committee in May 2022, and then rushed through City Council just in time to meet funding application deadlines. We do not believe the DDA was legally executed and asked for an injunction re: the use of taxpayer funds to further the project.

    COASTAL COMMISSION STILL PENDING:

    Council approved the project in June 2022. Fortunately, being in the Dual Coastal Zone, the project must also obtain approval from the Coastal Commission. This is a serious challenge for Coastal as we’ve called out the many factors that are in direct conflict with everything the Coastal Act was created to protect.

    When the Coastal Commission received the dual zone application, our Coalition immediately pointed out the shortcomings of the project. Coastal has now issued five (5) “notices of incomplete application” to the applicants. (See all notices in document library). The Coalition called attention to the plans for the public beach parking structure, as it is clear the City submitted plans they have no intention of using, meaning the plans the City approved are knowingly inaccurate and incomplete.

    Watch this shocking video from our friends at Fight Back Venice who discovered this flawed parking early on:

    Here are developers’ last parking plans as we know them. Note – this is only half the project, east of Grand Canal:

    Now we wait to see how the developers respond to Coastal’s demands to address their major concerns about the project.