Minutes Detail
Wednesday, August 1st, 2007

DRAFT Meeting Minutes

I. Call to Order & Roll Call at 7:00

Roll call:
Attending: Millar, Wentzel, Dickstein, Dake, Miller, Boughart-Sharkov, Dwan, Rothe-Kushel, Lyon, Jaffee, Wallin, Lopez L, Colin
Absent: Daddio, St Thomas, Franco, Hradec, Menjivar, McGrath, Gold
About 20 Stakeholders in attendance.
(Prior to this meeting board member Jens Kohler resigned because he moved out of the district.)

II. Minutes: Millar moves to approve minutes of 6.6.07, and 7.14.07 adopted by voice vote with Lyon and Lopez abstaining.

III. Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items:
Joanna Paden: from the American Cancer Society announcing: a “Relay for Life” community event to fight cancer planned for Silver Lake.
Tamara LaMonica Andreoff: City of Los Angeles AIDS Coordinators office. Is conducting research on what opinions NC reps’s have on HIV/AIDS services.

IV. Special Reports & Presentations
a. Dennis Lytton of CM LaBonge’s office: Councilmember LaBonge installed traffic light at Hyperion at Morton. September 29 is the opening of the Griffith Park Adult Community Center.
b. Ryan Carpio of CM Garcetti’s office introduced himself.
c. Mitch O’Farrell of CM Garcetti’s office and Edwin Gomez from Sunset Junction Neighborhood Alliance (organizers of the Sunset Junction Street Fair) talked about the Sunset Junction Street Fair and the planning for it. People who live within a block of the event are to be admitted free with a wristband. Two shuttles are being provided to satellite lots and clean up will be done on Monday. Edwin Gomez will be happy to take questions, and the website www.sunsetjunction.org shows their phone numbers.
d. Rose Ibanez and Sarai Molina, DONE: Mayor’s Budget Day: September 29, 2007, Congress of Neighborhoods: October 27, 2007.
e.
V. Committee Reports:
Outreach: has arranged a table for Sunset Junction, and will be joining in the Election effort
912 Commission: Completed a set of public meetings around the City. Deliberating on the final recommendations, and in September will be considered.
DWP Task Force: is discussing the contemplated rate increases.
Transportation Committee meeting Monday night regarding bike lanes
Public Safety: Issues meeting was very successful and yielded lots of CERT and radio training candidates
Neighborhood Pride Initiative: a new round of poles has been approved, but the cost of installation has risen and negotiations on that matter are under way.

VI. Reports of Officers:
Co-Chairs: no report
Vice-Chair: Thanks to George at Micheltorena School
Treasurer: Presented a Treasurer’s report.
Secretary: A special thanks to Loren Colin for taking minutes at June GB meeting.

VII. Consent Agenda:

Motion MSP (Dwan) to approve consent agenda, adopted by voice vote with Lyon abstaining.

a. Motion: MSP (UD&PC): The SLNC adopts the UD&PAC Letter to LADOT regarding over night parking district study along Riverside Dr and Sunset.

July 18, 2007


Brian R. Gallagher,
Senior Transportation Engineer
Department of Transportation, East Valley Operations Division
100 S. Main Street, 10th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Re: Overnight Parking District Study for Riverside Drive and Sunset Blvd.


Dear Mr. Gallagher:

The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council requests the Los Angeles City Department of Transportation study the problem of overnight parking on Riverside Drive between Los Feliz Blvd. and Oros St. We acknowledge the stretch is well beyond the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council’s boundaries. However, we recognize and are very concerned the problem will only shift to another part of Riverside, or to other parts of the neighborhood, including Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Elysian Valley and Echo Park, if overnight parking districts are implemented piecemeal.

We do not support an overnight parking district on Riverside Drive which would only cover the block between Glendale Blvd. and Fletcher Dr. as requested by Councilmember Tom LaBonge’s office/ CD4.

Riverside Drive has long been an area besieged by problems that accompany long term transient vehicle parking. The transients who live in the motor homes, vans, trucks and cars are, in many cases, long term homeless who refuse offers of more appropriate shelter. (They have homes; their vehicles.)

Unfortunately, problems with drug addiction are common among this semi-permanent transient population When and wherever these vehicles take up residence for a length of time, we see an increase in theft from property and vehicles, as well as increased incidents of graffiti, dumping, human waste and discarded hypodermic needles in the area. Recently, a tent city has sprung up on the Menlo Property (2600 block) adjacent to the motor homes on Riverside. There is frequently a problem with encampments on the hillside behind the apartments in the 2800 block of Riverside as well. There is also a well documented problem with encampments on the Los Angeles River and the 2 and 5 Freeways in the area. LAPD Senior Lead Officer Al Polehonki can attest to all of the above.

Many of the same vehicles have been on Riverside Drive for decades. In the early 1990's they were featured in an LA Weekly cover story as an area the City turns a blind eye toward.

In the 1980's the number of transient vehicles increased on Riverside Dr. when an overnight parking district was implemented on Los Feliz Blvd. The problem was aggravated when an overnight parking district was implemented on Riverside Dr. between Los Feliz and Glendale Blvds. The problem further increased when a 12-hour parking district was implemented on San Fernando Rd. in Glassell Park. All of these overnight parking districts were implemented without regard to where transient vehicles would go.

In Silver Lake, Allesandro Elementary School is on Riverside Drive. Long time residents remember when the transient vehicles used to park everywhere on Riverside Dr., right up to the corner of the school. Illegal dumping, graffiti, human waste and discarded hypodermic needles were a frequent sight in the gutter less than 50 feet from the corner of Gleneden Ave.

When discussed in the June 2006 SLNC-UD&PAC meeting, it was noted that a large number of apartment residents in the 2800 block of Riverside Drive (between Glendale Blvd. and Fletcher Dr.) park on Riverside and would have to purchase permits to park overnight if an overnight parking district were implemented directly in front of their buildings. North of Glendale Blvd. on Riverside Dr., there is no restriction in the block directly in front of the Oakwood Apartments. The piecemeal approach seems to have worked there, by pushing the motor homes south on Riverside.

Looking at the big picture, the SLNC recommends the DOT study the following streets to implement overnight parking districts. DOT should study all adjacent streets for possible addition/extension of the district, based on a likelihood of pushing the problem to currently unaffected streets.

• All of Riverside Drive between Los Feliz Blvd. and Oros St. (Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park and Elysian Valley)
• Silver Lake Blvd between Fletcher Dr. and Glendale Blvd. (Silver Lake)
• Silver Ridge Ave. between Glendale Blvd. and Silver Lake Blvd. (Silver Lake)
• Gilroy between Riverside Drive and Ripple (Elysian Valley)
• Newell between Riverside Drive and Blake (Echo Park, Elysian Valley)
• Allesandro Ave. between Riverside and Ewing (Echo Park)
• Blake between Oros St. & Barklay (Elysian Valley)
• Oros St. between Blake & Riverside Dr. (Elysian Valley)

Additionally:
• Sunset Boulevard between Benton Way and Rosemont (Silver Lake)

Special Attention should be paid to:
• Streets around Allesandro Elementary School and Allesandro Ave. as the hillside neighborhoods are subject to Red Flag Day parking restrictions.
• Northern part of Elysian Valley as it is mostly industrial and flat. However, there are residential neighbors scattered amongst the industry.

Thank you for your prompted attention to this matter. Please, consider the SLNC’s recommendations in the LADOT study.

Sincerely,


Diane Edwardson
UD&PAC



Elizabeth Bougart Sharkov Glen Dake
SLNC Gov. Board Member SLNC Secretary
Chair SLNC-UD&PAC

Cc: Council President Eric Garcetti, CD 13
Councilmember Tom LaBonge, CD 4
LAPD SLO Al Polehonki
Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council
Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council
Elysian Valley Riverside Neighborhood Council

b. Motion Passed (UD&PC) To approve the updated proposal by BOE City of LA for newly constructed retaining wall along 2000 block of Silver lake Blvd and Rockford at Baxter, as presented.
c. Motion Passed (Government Affairs) The SLNC supports the NCR Commission’s recommendation that DONE create a comprehensive online accounting system for NC financial transactions.
d. Motion Passed (Government Affairs) The SLNC supports the NCR Commission’s recommendation that the City Clerk conduct neighborhood Council elections.
e. Motion Passed (Government Affairs) The SLNC supports the City of Angeles Half marathon, to be held Sunday, December 2, 2007.

VIII. New Business
a. Motion MSP (Government Affairs) The SLNC supports the NCR Commission’s proposed definition of neighborhood Council “Stakeholder”.
AYES: Wallin, Hradec, Wentzel, Rothe-Kushel, McGrath, Colin, Dake, Lopez, Dwan
NEAS: Jaffee, Millar
ABSTAINING: Dickstein, Lyon, Bougart-Sharkov

Lopez recused himself due to his duties on the APC and left the room
b. Motion MSP (UD&PC) The SLNC adopts the UD&PAC recommendation to support the proposed development for 3025 Sunset Blvd comprised of three residential units and a small commercial space at Sunset Blvd at street level, as presented to the UC&PAC on 7/8/07. Clint Arthur, owner, and David Reddy, architect, made a presentation of the proposed project.
Public Comment:
Jim White, a neighbor on Westerly Terrace talked about height and parking concerns, but felt better about this version of the project.
Scott Gilman, a neighbor talked about concerns in the past, but felt better about this version of the project.
Jane Cook, a neighbor is open to the proposal but has not had time to digest it, and is concerned that the retail space might not be viable and about the height. Adopted by unanimous voice vote.
Lopez returned to the room, then departed from the meeting.

c. Motion MSP (UD&PC) The SLNC adopts the UD&PC determination to support the stakeholders appeal regarding lot line adjustment and building a new residential duplex on an empty lot at 3136 Hamilton Way.

Public Comment:
Kathleen Stone: Is the applicant, and she said of the application that the Zoning Administration had complained wrongly that it could not support something done wrong in the past, and it would not conform to the neighborhood patterns of parking paving. She reports no opposition from the neighbors.
David Richardson: neighbor across the street and states his support for the project.

d. Motion MSP (Bea Gold & Jeremy Rothe-Kushel) Move to request $1,500 to purchase new t-shirts to be made available in time for the election on September 29, 2007. Adopted by voice vote with Millar in opposition.

e. Motion MSP (UD&PC) To support Zen Sushi restaurant establishment only with conditions as presented in the attached letter. Adopted by voice vote with Dickestien in opposition and Millar abstaining.

f. Motion MSP (UD&PC) To support a restaurant at 2442 Hyperion Ave as proposed before the UD&PC on 7/11/07 with the conditions as articulated in the attached letter. Amended to reflect valet parking contract to UDP, and streets not be used for parking.
Public Comment: Arturo Rodriguez, representative of applicant, spoke in favor of the project.

g. Motion Tabled (Beautification) In order to foster a healthy watershed, reduce energy use, and add to the natural beauty of Silver lake, Move to pay Northeast Trees (a non-profit corporation) $6,000 for long term maintenance (may want to specify one year) of 100 trees planned for planting in fall of 2007. Note: to take from: Dog Park $1,000, Other special projects: $1,800 Promotional: $500, Other outreach $500, and Graffiti and Street Cleaning $2,200.
Motion to Table until Sept GB mtg (Dake) adopted by voice vote.

Announcements: At Large seats are short candidates
Adjournment: motion MSP (Wentzel) 10pm