Westside Neighborhood Councils Want Say in Development

Westside Neighborhood Councils Want Say in Development

Friday, June 26, 2009, by Dakota

This issue could turn into an interesting catfight: The Argonaut is reporting that there's growing support on the Westside to allow neighborhood councils the ability to appeal City Council planning and land use decisions, a right currently only afforded to homeowners groups. Via the paper: "Venice Neighborhood Council President Mike Newhouse has appeared before several Westside advisory boards to seek support for what many feel is a worthwhile and logical tool to have when downtown politicians take positions that they believe are contrary to the best interests of their local communities." The tipping point for the Westside seems to be the city's recent approval of a 92-unit condominium development at 3160-3178 S. Barrington Avenue. As the paper notes, the neighborhood council granted a waiver to the developer over parking spaces under the impression that the project would be smaller, but city officials ultimately approved a larger project, a move which broke the good faith agreement, according to the group. Steve Donnell, head of the planning and land use committee for the Neighborhood Council of Westchester-Playa, tells the paper he supports the motion because neighborhood councils "are empowered to be the experts on issues in their own backyards," but advises against the power being used in a "knee-jerk way." City councilman Bill Rosendahl, who represents Venice, also supports the motion, according to the Argonaut.· Neighborhood councils seek right to challenge city in decisions affecting their communities [Argonaut]

Michael Jackson's death: Pop star's body flown from UCLA to Boyle Heights

Michael Jackson's body was flown in a Sheriff's Department helicopter from UCLA Medical Center to downtown Los Angeles for examination by the Los Angeles County coroner's office. TV news stations covered the trip live.
Police officers guarded the entrance to the coroner's building on Mission Road. News helicopters hovered overhead and county police officers and sheriff's deputies are closed access to adjacent County-USC Medical Center parking lots near the State Street entrance to the new hospital.
The lots are far from full, so this appears to be related to the arrival of Michael Jackson's body, which appears to have already occurred. A Sheriff's Department helicopter apparently landed on an older helipad near those parking lots, near the crematorium.

BREAKING NEWS: Michael Jackson dies at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

By Carolyn McGough
By Samantha Masunaga
Updated: Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 12:23 a.m.
Published: Thursday, June 25, 2009

Singer and performer Michael Jackson died at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center today at 2:26 p.m., according to a university statement. He was 50.
The pop star’s brother Jermaine Jackson told reporters that it is believed that Jackson suffered cardiac arrest in his home, but the exact cause of death cannot be determined until the results of an autopsy by the coroner are returned.
Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times that paramedics responded to a call at Jackson’s home earlier this afternoon. Jackson was not breathing when they arrived, and paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
They then transported Jackson to the UCLA Medical Center, according to his brother’s statement.
Upon arrival at approximately 1:14 p.m., a team of doctors attempted to resuscitate him for more than an hour but was unsuccessful, according to the statement.
When word spread of Jackson’s presence at the UCLA Medical Center, hundreds of people gathered along Westwood Boulevard outside of the hospital to see what was happening.
After the reports were confirmed, university police and the Los Angeles Police Department blocked off many of the campus streets, including Charles E. Young Drive, to restrict public access near the medical center.
In addition, police monitored traffic along Westwood Boulevard.
The atmosphere outside of the medical center was hectic. The crowd chanted "Michael" while waiting for the press conference that would confirm the details of Jackson’s death.
Some of Jackson’s hit songs, such as “Thriller,” could also be heard from passing car stereos and the nearby fraternity houses as fans gathered to pay tribute to the pop star.
Among the gatherers was Sherry Soong, a UCLA alumna, who had originally arrived at the medical center to take her stepdaughter to a medical appointment.
"Our family immigrated here in 1983, and I was born in ’75," Soong said. "So it's almost like Michael was part of the American experience. It's really sad – you grow up trying to do the moonwalk and impersonate his other dance moves."
As news of the event spread, more and more people arrived.
University police and university spokespeople attempted to monitor the crowd and allowed only some of the hundreds of media outlets into the medical center.
Many members of the press attempted to gain access to the press conference, but most were denied. Officials said that the hospital conference room was not big enough to accommodate the large number of people. University police also announced that the fire marshal would not allow any more press.
Known as the “King of Pop,” Jackson first gained national attention as part of his family’s music group, the Jackson 5. The pop star later embarked on a solo career that included hits such as “Thriller” and “Dangerous.” He became known as an exciting performer with signature dance moves like the moonwalk.

The Westwood Neighborhood Council formation meeting

The next Westwood Neighborhood Council formation meeting will be Wednesday Aug 19th at 7:00 at the Westwood Park Recreation Ctr Rm B on Sepulveda just south of Wilshire. For more information please call 310-877-8664

UCLA employees protest proposed pay cuts, furloughs

Staffers suggest that regents should first cut the salaries of administrators who earn $200,000 or more.

UC officials consider salary reductions of 4% to 8%, 21 unpaid days off or a combination. The cuts would close about one-fourth of an anticipated $800-million state funding shortfall.
By Larry Gordon June 25, 2009
More than 2,000 UCLA employees, including researchers, custodians, nurses and secretaries, gathered at Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday to protest plans for pay cuts and furloughs proposed by the University of California.Because of the state budget crisis, UC leaders are considering three proposals to reduce payroll spending by about $195 million in the next school year. One plan would cut salaries by 8% for all faculty and staff earning more than $46,000 annually and 4% for those earning less; another would require 21 unpaid furlough days for all employees, and a third would combine pay cuts and furloughs. The UC regents are expected next month to approve some version of the proposal for all 10 UC campuses and their many satellite facilities, although negotiations would be needed for union contracts, officials said.UC President Mark G. Yudof outlined the pay and furlough proposals last week and promised they would be implemented "in the most equitable manner possible." The proposed cuts would make up about a fourth of what UC projects will be an $800-million shortfall in its state general revenue funding over this year and next; the rest would come through a recently approved 9.3% increase in student fees for the coming school year and through program and class reductions, Yudof said. Lynn Kessler, a UCLA clinical study coordinator in neurology and union activist who attended the town hall-style meeting, warned that the proposals, if acted upon, could cause some staffers to lose their homes and others to leave UC for the private sector.
"Even in this bad job market, people are insulted," Kessler said.Wearing lapel stickers that proclaimed "Chop from the Top," she and other UCLA employees attending the campuswide staff meeting said the regents should first reduce more sharply the salaries of administrators who earn $200,000 or more, tap endowment funds more deeply, halt campus construction projects and further reduce administrative overhead.They also expressed concern that furloughs might harm patient care at UCLA's medical center and clinics.UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and other campus officials took questions from the crowd and said they would urge the regents to fine-tune any reductions to ease the pain as much as possible. But they said they did not think such cuts could be avoided and added that reductions in class offerings, faculty hiring and campus services are in the works."This will be devastating," Block said. "I recognize your concern, and my concern is that we all personally get through this and that this institution remains strong. But there is no doubt that this is going to have an impact on our salaries and an impact on our programs we offer to students. And that concerns me greatly."Several UCLA employees on Wednesday noted the irony that they gathered in Pauley Pavilion, the nearly four-decades-old arena for which officials recently announced a $185-million renovation plan. Although more than half of that cost is to be financed by private donations, staffers wondered whether some donors might instead be persuaded to support UCLA's general finances. "It's a luxury to replace this now, and we are not in luxurious times," said Alan Toy, associate director for UCLA's Center for Neighborhood Knowledge. Dave Haugland, a campus sign maker and a shop steward for skilled trades workers in the State Employees' Trades Council-United, said UC employees shouldn't accept the pay cuts or furloughs without better explanations of why they are needed and larger reductions for top administrators. He said unions would go along only if UC "can prove to us that without an 8% cut, the university is going to suffer. But we're going to fight it unless they prove it."At the California State system, meanwhile, officials have proposed furloughs of two days a month for employees at all 23 campuses. Some unions have voted to discuss the plan with the administration, but the faculty group's leaders are asking for more information. "We're willing to do something. . . . The budget cuts are disastrous," said faculty union spokeswoman Alice Sunshine. "But we want to be sure what we're voting on."
larry.gordon@latimes.comTimes staff writer
Gale Holland contributed to this report.

Robert AM Stern Tower Proposed for Wilshire Corridor

Meet the Wilshire Gayley, that long planned tower set to rise on the site of the old Hollywood Video building at Wilshire Blvd and Gayley Avenue. You may recognize the slim tower as the work of New York-based architect Robert AM Stern (also behind Related Co's Century project), while the developer here is Kambiz Hekmat. A local developer, Hekmat is playing it safe and requesting two development options (all based on market conditions): A hotel and 10 condos, or an 144-unit condo building. Both options would have ground floor retail, restaurant, and a business center. And most interesting: According to the documents submitted this week to the city's planning department (the documents are dated June 2009), "construction of the project would begin in approximately the third quarter of 2009 and would end in 2012." Who knows if that'll actually happen? For his part, Hekmat declined to comment on the project.
Excerpt from Planning Department: "The project would require the demolition of an existing one-story commercial building on the south parcel. The Applicant is requesting review of two development options. Option 1 would result in the development of a 134-room luxury business hotel and 10 for sale condominiums. Option 2 would result in the development of 144 condominium units. Both options would have approximately 6,510 square feet of ground floor retail uses. Amenities in both options would include a public restaurant, a coffee shop, a business center with meeting rooms, a swimming pool, a spa, and a fitness center. The building envelope and exterior treatment would be the same for either option. The building, which would contain approximately 303,709 gross square feet of floor area, would be 29 stories and approximately 427 feet in height. Parking would be provided in a four level, approximately 200-space subterranean garage."

The Westwood Homeowners Association Meeting

Next Scheduled Meeting of Westwood Homeowners Association

The Board of Directors will hold its next monthly meeting at 7:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month (July 2nd) at the Parish Offices of St. Paul the Apostle Church (1536 Selby Avenue, just south of Ohio Avenue). This meeting will be held in the Multipurpose Room. The CD 5 Field Representative for our area, usually attends these meetings to report on neighborhood concerns and to answer community questions.
For more Info: www.whaweb.org

The Holmby Westwood Property Owners Association Meeting

Welcome! All

About The Holmby-Westwood Property Owners Association (H-WPOA) serves a 1100 home community. It was incorporated in 1962, and has 39 proud years of service!! This volunteer association has a 25 member Board of Directors, elected annually. Meetings are held monthly, except for August, on the second Tuesday of each month. These meetings are held at Board Member homes. Paid-up members of the Associaion are welcome at all Board meetings.

Contact the Holmby-Westwood POA
Please telephone the Holmby-Westwood Property Owners Association office in Westwood Ca. for additional information, or e-mail our members.
Jane Gould
Email:
jgould@worldnet.att.net
Los Angeles CA 90024

President Sandy Brown
Office: 310-824-0303
Fax: 310-824-4564

Office Manager Tom Patterson
Address: 1081 Westwood Blvd., Suite 225 Los Angeles Ca 90024
Office: 310-824-0303
Fax: 310-824-4564

LA Film Festival and Developement Projects in Westwood

Important reminder----the LA Film Festival is on. The films look so interesting and the festival is a real asset to Westwood.

Also—the Westwood Farmer’s market resumes this Wed., June 17 on Broxton. Hours are 3 pm to 8 pm every Wednesday.


Lots of building planned for Westwood


790 Kelton @Strathmore northeast corner
Proposed
Removal of existing buildings
Construct new apartment building
C. DIR-2009-1422-SPP (670 Kelton Avenue) -PRELIMINARY: 48-unit apartment complex that will have a height of 60 feet. This project will be applying for the Density Bonus Ordinance, requesting a 20 percent reduction in open space and the allowance of four stories, in lieu of the 3 stories allowed
This project is currently before the Westwood Design and Review Board


Gayley @ Wilshire (old Hollywood video store)
The architect is Robert AM Stern the developer is local-Kambiz Hekmat
He is requesting two development options (all based on market conditions): A hotel and 10 condos, or a 144-unit condo building. Both options would have ground floor retail, restaurant, and a business center. According to the documents submitted this week to the city's planning department construction of the project would begin in approximately the third quarter of 2009 and would end in 2012.
Option 1 development of a 134-room luxury business hotel and 10 for sale condos
Option 2 would result in the development of 144 condominium units.
Both options would have approximately 6,510 square feet of ground floor retail uses. and would include a public restaurant, a coffee shop, a business center with meeting rooms, a swimming pool, a spa, and a fitness center. The building envelope and exterior treatment would be the same for either option. The building, which would contain approximately 303,709 gross square feet of floor area, would be 29 stories and approximately 427 feet in height. Parking would be provided in a four level, approximately 200-space subterranean garage."



__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING MONDAY, JULY 13TH
WESTWOOD RECREATION CENTER 6:30 pm to 9 pm.
Much of the meeting will be devoted to establishing the by-laws.
Please attend and bring friends. This is an excellent time to participate in our community. So many changes—metro, new construction-new council member….
We set our own committees- homeless, disaster preparedness, parking, outreach, etc

Who can attend?
A Stakeholder is any individual who lives, works, or owns property within the boundaries of Sunset Blvd., Santa Monica Blvd., the 405 and the Beverly Hills country club. In addition, a stakeholder is any individual who participates in educational institutions, religious institutions, community organizations or other non-profit organizations, neighborhood associations, homeowners association, apartment associations, condominium associations, resident associations, school/parent groups, faith-based groups and organizations, senior groups and organizations, youth groups and organizations, business improvement districts, service organizations, park advisory boards, cultural groups, environmental groups, police advisory board groups, and/or redevelopment advisory boards.

Starting August 1, 2009 City Hall 311 phone number will be staffed from 7AM to 11PM. only.

Councilman Paul Koretz

Posted by Rick Orlov on June 19, 2009 10:13 AM
Councilman-elect Paul Koretz said today he has hired Chief Deputy City Attorney Rich Llewellyn to serve as his chief of staff for when he takes office on July 1.Llewellyn has an extensive City Hall background, having worked as chief deputy for City Council President Eric Garcetti and for former Councilman Marvin Braude.Koretz said he is continuing to interview for other staff jobs.One interesting tidbit is that Koretz and his opponent, Neighborhood Council leader David Vahedi, have yet to have direct contact over the election.Vahedi has conceded the contest, but only through the media and messages he left for Koretz."I understand it," Koretz said. "It was a pretty rough and tumble campaign and neither of us feel particularly warm and fuzzy toward each other at this point."

L.A. County to consider $23 billion budget
10:29 AM June 22, 2009

Welcome to the Westwood Press Blogspot. It is a location to gather information on local developments and meetings. You can say what you want and get away with it. There's only one rule, there are no rules so say what you want. Good Luck!