Westwood Neighborhood Council meeting brings all sides together

John Saddleback
July 14, 2009
4:30p.m.

The Westwood Neighborhood Council formation group, a group of pro-NC activists, has met seven month's in a row now in an effort to bring a neighborhood council to Westwood. The last meeting, July 13th, had a full house in a very hot and humid room. The AC was not working and local leaders brought their own heat as well. A very mixed group showed up representing the homeowners, businesses, Design Review Board, Chamber of Commerce, HOA leaders, developers, renters etc. The majority of the meeting was spent answering questions related to the formation of a NC. The biggest contention seems to be whether or not to draw borders that include certain areas that already have HOA board representation. Three previous attempts to form a NC in Westwood have failed. Several Holmby Westwood Property Owners Association members voiced their concerns that a NC would not be in their best interest. President Sandy Brown made her position known at the previous meeting. It seems that the leadership of the HOA's in Westwood are very much against a NC forming. However renters, local workers and other homeowners seem to think a NC would help revive Westwood which has plenty of vacant retail space available. Other pro-NC activists feel Westwood doesn't really have true representative democracy and that a NC would bring that to Westwood. The group had it's first meeting in January 2009. Roxanne Stern, Lisa Kung, Deanna Stevenson (D.O.N.E), Mark Herd and Easton Herd attended. Since then the group has grown and the regular monthly meetings take place at the Westwood Park Recreation Center. The next meeting is Wednesday Aug. 19 at 7:00pm. Rm B.