Game of Zones 3: The New Normal: Zoning by Exception

An honest discussion of Los Angeles zoning vs population capacity in 2017 has to start with the new normal…'zoning by exception'.

These graphs are making the election season social media rounds [and not coincidentally to light up LA’s single family neighborhoods as well as theWestside]. See links for source material.

Any commercial, parking or industrial parcels in the City are candidates for flipping to ultra high density residential or mixed use these days and there are overlapping density bonuses plus reduced parking to increase the number of units built...particularly near transit.

This all means the graphs are outdated and we’re going to need a helluva lot more field space.
Where will these children play?

The Game of Zones in the City of Angels: Winter is Here

Time to focus on what will surely happen post Election Day, March 7, 2017.

First, if we want more field space planned into our communities, we must fight for it:

Understand that the people and organizations pushing mega densities--coupled with significantly reduced public participation in planning decisions AND ‘trickle down’ affordable housing theories-- across the United States are clearly NOT friends of youth sports. 

Real, playable, team sports field space for families would appear to be outside of their place-making, dense walkable city universe (Where are all those proposals to purchase and transform ‘parking craters’ into sports fields, anyway?).

The JJJ “Build Better LA” initiative which passed last November will be implemented to the max to speed housing production. 

It bears repeating early and often: this JJJ density will come completely without recreation infrastructure to accommodate accelerated growth unless youth sports organizations unite and stand up to be counted.

In fact, JJJ does not address any future infrastructure needs or support.  

A search of the text of JJJ reveals that the word ‘infrastructure’ is not mentioned anywhere. 

Sports fields? Oh, yeah, they’ll likely be an afterthought conveniently located on the perimeter of the 450 square miles of high rises some envision for Los Angeles. Have fun spending hours on several modes of transit to get your kids there in time for a game. 

BTW, if you’re thinking, well, the schools will have fields, guess again. 

Although LAUSD has goals for school density defined as ‘ratio of students to available acreages’, LAUSD is no longer required to provide said field space as the Rodriguez consent decree was lifted in 2006. The good people of Mar Vista have fought off several LAUSD attempts to build over school fields which presently experience significant demand for team sports 

Second, what we must do now:

Get online and demand playable field spaces be written into the update of the Los Angeles General Plan Framework as a core public value. You can find the survey here. If it has been taken down, write Planning directly. Find LADCP information here.

Then, write your councilmember and their planning deputy. Find Council office information here 

After that, organize. Other groups are inorganization mode already, and they are not paying attention to field space. 

Get on the email notification list for general plan and community plan updates, and go to EVERY hearing with the same message. 

Get all your families to go. 

Get on public record. 

Get your children involved because engagement for this is beyond important for them.

Get on social media. Why? Because these days your government pays closer attention to social media opinion via Facebook and Twitter than it does to local organizations. If the choice is between doing what 20,000 people want on Twitter, or doing what a local neighborhood wants…you get the idea.

Third, if we want to keep the right to have real influence in the planning decisions shaping our communities, we will have to stop these legislative ‘end runs’ to Sacramento which cut off local planning, mask future infrastructure needs, and deny our rights to the initiative process.

Sacramento has already morphed granny flats up to 1200 sq ft, and a ratio up to 50% of the size of the primary unit.  Occupancy cannot be limited. Practical result? Lots of people along with their individual vehicles can occupy an ADU that large. NO owner occupancy required. BTW, if within ½ mile of transit, NO parking required.

It would be one thing if these additional units were counted as density and their impacts on infrastructure could be rationally and fairly assessed in California. However, under Government Code Section 65852.2(a)(2)  ADUs cannot be counted. They are effectively invisible for planning purposes. The presumption under current state law is, they have no impact. That means they don’t show in assessments for police, fire, water, power, sewerage, schools…or recreation facilities.

So, there you have it: already a potential doubling—maybe even tripling--of population density with zero infrastructure accountability. 

NOTE: In Seattle, Washington, the similar, not so subtle effort to eliminate single family zones entirely through ‘pen stroke planning’ conversion to triplex zones has run afoul of environmental laws. Impacts were not adequately or accurately assessed. 

Furthermore, Assembly Bill 943 authored by Democratic Assembly Members Santiago and Burke will increase the passage threshold from a simple majority to a two-thirds supermajority for passage of any local ballot measure “that would curb, delay, or deter growth or development within a city, the ordinance shall be enacted only if it is approved by at least two-thirds of the votes cast on it at the election”.

So, it’s the ‘Game of Zones’ in the City of Angels and winter is already here.

Where will your children play?

The ‘Game of Zones’ in the City of Angels

Time for Youth Sports to Play the ‘Game of Zones’ in Los Angeles

It is the urban version of ‘Game Of Thrones’: neighborhoods win, or they die.

Just ask any community which has had a freeway slammed through it, or a project spot zoned in it.

Furthermore, youth sports MUST care about how this game is played in the halls of civic power across Southern California with regard to desperately needed playable field space. That is, space suited to team sports requiring an acre or more to be safely played.

Los Angeles’ future transit stations will come with ginormous density baked into the one half mile planning radius which surrounds them--LA Times article on LA traffic battle plan and this density will come completely without critical field space recreation infrastructure to accommodate accelerated growth unless youth sports organizations unite and stand up to be counted.

And, how about this op-ed: massive upzoning for a 'sustainable city'.

In Los Angeles, an update [OurLA2040] to the city’s guiding planning document, the General Plan Framework Element, has begun.

TAKE the survey: ourla2040.org https://ourla2040.org/get-involved/ and specify multipurpose field space.

The 35 individual Community Plans are to be updated separately.

Community planners are already working to create a point based rewards system to incorporate various density bonuses for developers who include public benefits in their projects: community facilities, transit amenities, streetscape improvements and the like. From the January 2015 Draft Exposition Corridor Transit Neighborhood Plan | 3-3: “Projects in the Plan area are allowed additional development rights in exchange for providing public benefits in the form of on-site project features or off-site improvements. These public benefits are intended to be proportional to the intensity of the project”.

This planning process is where efforts must be targeted.

Time to get multipurpose playable field space recognized in the City’s General Plan Framework Element Goals, Objectives, and Policies: Chapter 9, Infrastructure and Public Services as a core public value.

Time to get rewards for multipurpose playable field space written into Community Plans.

There is a powerful constituency in youth baseball, soccer, football, lacrosse, field hockey and all other large field sports [BTW, if all youth sports unite, that’s enough voters to get any politician’s attention].

It’s the Game of Zones in Los Angeles and its game time: where will YOUR children play?

Michelle Krupkin and Ken Alpern Pledge!

From Current Zone 5 Director Michelle Krupkin:
1. Will you pledge to listen to all the community first and foremost; place our common good above your personal biases and/or causes?

I pledge to continue to listen to the community and represent the will of the stakeholders above all.
As a Zone Director, I consider myself lucky to have so many stakeholders with different concerns.
I hope to be re-relected and continue to serve their needs moving forward. 

2. Will you pledge your unequivocal and steadfast support for our Community Center at Historic 62 Project as it moves forward?

I pledge my support for our Community Center at Historic 62 Project. 
Mar Vista needs this valuable space for meetings and events!
I am eager to see this important resource for the Mar Vista Community come to fruition and will assist in any way that I am able.

3. Will you pledge to protect our scarce and precious local park and school field space resources from development encroachment?

I pledge to protect our green areas, be they park or school field space resources. 
No development should be planned that encroaches on these rare assets.

4. Will you pledge to take the neighborhood council treasurer training so our MVCC is not left high and dry with frozen funds ever again?

 If elected, I will sign up for an Empower LA Leadership Academy Funding Workshop for Neighborhood council treasurers.

Best,
Michelle

And, From Ken Alpern:

The easy and obvious answer is YES, and I would like to think that I have been doing this for the 10+ years that I have had the honor of serving on the MVCC Board Of Directors.  If a Neighborhood Council cannot listen to the communities it represents, then who can?  Open space and community centers are in short supply, and I would prefer to have a portion of our budget be dedicated to our parks and community centers in the same manner that a portion is dedicated to our libraries.  Financial education and responsibility is at the heart of all good government--and I would like to think that I have a record of both generosity and prudence when each is called for.

I look forward to the pleasure and honor of serving another term on the MVCC Board of Directors.

Most Sincerely,
Kenneth S. Alpern, M.D.

Holly Tilson Pledges!

From Zone 6 Candidate Holly Tilson:

Will you pledge to listen to all the community first and foremost; place our common good above your personal biases and/or causes?
Of course, that's why I'm running. Zone 6 never received information that the MVCC had months even years before we heard of the issues. My platform is communications. I will keep YOU in Mar Vista Zone 6 informed with monthly updates via the MVCC mailing list, monthly reports at the West Mar Vista Residents Association and with a personal email where you can contact me with neighborhood issues. A vote for me will help you-Zone 6 residents-deal more effectively, to be proactive rather than reactive, with changes in our neighborhood.

2.    Will you pledge your unequivocal and steadfast support for our Community Center at Historic 62 Project as it moves forward?
Yes, Mar Vista needs it's own dedicated space to carry on it's local community business.

3.    Will you pledge to protect our scarce and precious local park and school field space resources from development encroachment?
This is a no-brainer. Our only open green space in Zone 6 are our public schools. Plants and people need each other, we are part of the carbon cycle.

4.    Will you pledge to take the neighborhood council treasurer training so our MVCC is not left high and dry with frozen funds ever again?
Of course.  And for the record I would rather be treasurer than go to the dentist. I have been treasurer of 2 organizations in the past. UCLA co-op preschool which included payroll and tax forms and my son's elementary school PTA which ran about $100,000+ through the books each year. No payroll but there were tax forms to complete. Written monthly reports are just part of the job. The public and the board should be completely informed. I support complete transparency when public money is involved. 

More Responses from MVCC Candidates!

To date, I have received further replies to my pledge query from 7 candidates for the MVCC Board [Sara Roos, running in Zone 4, was the first out of the gate here and her responses covered in a previous post]. Here they are, in the candidates' own words, and in order received:

Melissa Stoller [Zone 3]: Absolutely, and I've already completed Treasurer training.

Rob Kadota [at large]: Darn it. I just finished responding to your email when my computer shut down…not sure I’m going to be as articulate this time around. Short answer is “Yes” to all of your questions. Issues always have at least two perspectives that are important to consider and often there are more than just two perspectives that need to vetted/heard by the public and the board.  The Mar Vista Community is composed of a variety of neighborhoods and zones that vary significantly. Planning documents should help guide the preservation of a neighborhoods assets while guiding improvements to areas of deficit/concern. I was pleased to be on the MVCC Board when we self-initiated an update to the Mar Vista part of the Palms-Mar Vista-Del Rey Community plan. While the effort didn’t result in an update it did demonstrate an engaged and pro-active community.  NC must be whenever possible pro-active.  There is always a steady stream of issues and problems we’ll face however without looking/working longer term and future oriented we can get stuck in just being responsive/reactionary… and that can be exhausting and unproductive. As a parent, cyclist and beekeeper I’m all too aware of our lack of green space and adequate recreation space.  I’m always amazed at what other cities have done in creating pocket parks and large diverse green space. The City of LA can do better. While the City of LA can be incredibly bureaucratic there are significant and important opportunities for influence. A strong and dedicated board of directors can seize those opportunities and with forth thought and planning create new ones too. Ok before my computer crashes again… can’t remember the last time that happened.  Maybe when my dog ate my homework?
Thanks for attending last night and the thoughtful questions below.
Rob

Alek Lev [Zone 6]: It was very nice to meet you last night!  You are obviously a passionate voice in the community and an expert in the workings of local government.  If elected to the council, I'll be reaching out to you on day one for guidance. These are great questions, and I'm happy to answer them:
1.    Will you pledge to listen to all the community first and foremost; place our common good above your personal biases and/or causes? I'm running to join the Mar Vista Community Council for the express reason of understanding the lives and needs of my neighbors, communicating those needs to the Council and the City, and developing and implementing projects to make Zone 6 an even more family-friendly corner of Mar Vista. In all things, the common good will be placed above any personal biases and causes.
2.    Will you pledge your unequivocal and steadfast support for our Community Center at Historic 62 Project as it moves forward? Fire Station 62 and the land it occupies holds an important place in the history of Mar Vista, and I strongly support the work of Friends of Historic Fire Station 62 and their dedication to establishing a much-needed community center. 
3.    Will you pledge to protect our scarce and precious local park and school field space resources from development encroachment? With no great Mar Vista Zone 6 parks or playgrounds for my two sons, and with no dog parks for my neighbors, the last thing that we need is the encroachment of large developments into our natural spaces.  And as someone who grew up without a blade of grass on my Manhattan public school courtyard, I know the importance of wide open, natural-grass field spaces, and will work to preserve them at our Mar Vista schools.  
4.    Will you pledge to take the neighborhood council treasurer training so our MVCC is not left high and dry with frozen funds ever again?  If elected, I will sign up for the next available Empower LA Leadership Academy Funding Workshop for Neighborhood council treasurers.

Sarah Auerswald [at large]:
1.    Will you pledge to listen to all the community first and foremost; place our common good above your personal biases and/or causes? I will pledge to listen to the whole Community - and actively seek out communities that have felt left out or overlooked in the past. I will do that to the best of my abilities. And I pledge to use my best judgement about what is the common good, knowing that even reasonable people will disagree on what constitutes the best course of action.
2.    Will you pledge your unequivocal and steadfast support for our Community Center at Historic 62 Project as it moves forward? I absolutely pledge to support this project and have done so in the past already. I want very much for it to move forward and become the shining centerpiece of the community that I know it can be.
3.    Will you pledge to protect our scarce and precious local park and school field space resources from development encroachment? As you know from past experiences with our local schools, I have fought to keep development off that land. And parks are not the places we need to be building anything except more jungle gyms.
4.    Will you pledge to take the neighborhood council treasurer training so our MVCC is not left high and dry with frozen funds ever again? I will take the training. And furthermore, I pledge to keep an eye on the bookkeeping each month, because I feel it is the basic duty of the Board to know where the money is before they can spend it.


Sherri Akers [at large]: 
1. Will you pledge to listen to all the community first and foremost; place our common good above your personal biases and/or causes?
Yes – It is our responsibility to make sure that the community is well informed, that issues are thoroughly vetted and that we take policy positions that represent the will of the community – even if they differ with our personal point of view.
2. Will you pledge your unequivocal and steadfast support for our Community Center at Historic 62 Project as it moves forward?
Yes - I am excited about the potential of converting the Historic Fire station 62 so that it becomes a much needed community center.
3. Will you pledge to protect our scarce and precious local park and school field space resources from development encroachment?
Yes – as reflected in my vote on the MI motion.
4. Will you pledge to take the neighborhood council treasurer training so our MVCC is not left high and dry with frozen funds ever again?
Yes - but I believe we need more than that. Our current accounting process just meets the minimum required by DONE. I propose that we follow accepted accounting practices. The Treasurer should plan an initial budget that factors in expenses and funding motions that reoccur yearly and should provide at every Board meeting - 
- a current bank account statement that includes the account balance 
- a recap of pending approved expenses and the amount in ongoing operating expenses 
- a report showing funds currently available less forecasted expenses

- show that the above reconciles with what has been reported to DONE in the MER’s

Bill Scheding [Zone 3]: I agree wholeheartedly and Pledge To, If elected, uphold these values.

Susan Klos [at large]: 
Hi, Sharon - I’m sorry for the delayed reply. I’ve had email issues (thank you, Frontier.)  Answers are in the body of your email.
1.    Will you pledge to listen to all the community first and foremost; place our common good above your personal biases and/or causes?
Of course.
2.    Will you pledge your unequivocal and steadfast support for our Community Center at Historic 62 Project as it moves forward?
Yes. I’d love to see this come about.
3.    Will you pledge to protect our scarce and precious local park and school field space resources from development encroachment?
Absolutely.
4.    Will you pledge to take the neighborhood council treasurer training so our MVCC is not left high and dry with frozen funds ever again?
Accounting is not my forte, in fact, I’d rather go to the dentist than itemize a spreadsheet or reconcile a bank account. I will, however, take this training. Do you know where I can find information on the next training session? I’d like to get it on my radar.

Mar Vista Community Council Candidates Forum May 16th!!!

Mar Vista Community Council Candidates Forum will be held at St Bede's Episcopal Church on Monday, May 16 at 7 PM - 9 PM: 3590 Grand View Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90066

It doesn’t matter how you vote in your neighborhood council: mail, online, in person IF the candidates you must choose from are unwilling to go beyond the extra mile for YOUR community. 

Worth reposting:

From the ‘Get It All In Writing Before the Election’ department:
1. Will you pledge to listen to all the community first and foremost; place our common good above your personal biases and/or causes?
2. Will you pledge your unequivocal and steadfast support for our Community Center at Historic 62 Project as it moves forward?
3. Will you pledge to protect our scarce and precious local park and school field space resources from development encroachment?

4. Will you pledge to take the neighborhood council treasurer training so our MVCC is not left high and dry with frozen funds ever again? 

Be there and ask tough questions of these candidates AND get their pledges on public record

Mar Vista Community Council Candidates Forum May 16th

Important--save the date!

Mar Vista Community Council Candidates Forum will be held at St Bede's Episcopal Church on Monday, May 16 at 7 PM - 9 PM: 3590 Grand View Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90066

Let's get their pledges on record!

First Response to the Attacking Third Candidate Pledge is In

Sara Roos, who is running for MVCC Zone 4 Director, responded immediately with the following:

    

Will you pledge to listen to all the community first and foremost; place our common good above your personal biases and/or causes?

Yes.

2.    Will you pledge your unequivocal and steadfast support for our Community Center at Historic 62 Project as it moves forward?

Yes, of course.

3.    Will you pledge to protect our scarce and precious local park and school field space resources from development encroachment?

Yes.

4.    Will you pledge to take the neighborhood council treasurer training so our MVCC is not left high and dry with frozen funds ever again? 

Already have.

Attacking Third rating: GOOOOAAALLLL!!!!

WHAT YOU NEED TO ASK ALL MAR VISTA COMMUNITY COUNCIL BOD CANDIDATES…NOW

WHAT YOU NEED TO ASK ALL MAR VISTA COMMUNITY COUNCIL BOD CANDIDATES…NOW

From the ‘Get It All In Writing Before the Election’ department: your

Candidates 

1.    Will you pledge to listen to all the community first and foremost; place our common good above your personal biases and/or causes?

2.    Will you pledge your unequivocal and steadfast support for our Community Center at Historic 62 Project as it moves forward?

3.    Will you pledge to protect our scarce and precious local park and school field space resources from development encroachment?

4.    Will you pledge to take the neighborhood council treasurer training so our MVCC is not left high and dry with frozen funds ever again? 

 Answers to these will hopefully inform us all as to who is willing to truly serve us...
One more thing: send me the responses you get and I will post them here :)

USA USA USA

If you missed the first 16 minutes of the Women's World Cup final, you missed 4 US goals including a superb volley shot by Lauren Holiday AND a 50 yard screamer by Carli Lloyd which beat the keeper.

"On the day baseball's All-Star starting lineups were announced, more folks were watching soccer. In a week when the NBA free agency dominated the headlines, the most revered athletes were women": Bill Plaschke. Follow the link to read full article.

This victory illustrates how important local playable field space is for our kids..because that is where championship dreams--and the determination to see them through--are born.

This LA Times sports section is going into the family archives smile emoticon

Congrats, Team USA players and coaching staff, on a job well done.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-usa-japan-plaschke-20150706-column.html

Let's Be Thoughtful

Let's be careful about #droughtshaming Los Angeles Rec and Parks for watering our kids' grassy field spaces. They are a City investment in health and well being.

Drought Shaming Curbed LA

GAME OVER!

Common sense has prevailed and the Mandarin Immersion project has been scrubbed. Full details at: www.stopcommuterschool

However, we must be vigilant and continue to protect field space at all our public schools.

Red Card: Eject the Twain DEIR's Rec Spaces Analysis

Let's look at the Twain DEIR Recreation 'impact analysis' in Subchapter 3P. 

The  DEIR states on page 3P-5, under Paragraph 3P-4:

Less than Significant Impact

The proposed project would not increase the use of existing neighborhood and regional parks or

other recreational facilities that would cause or accelerate substantial deterioration of the facilities.

And, the DEIR concludes on Page 3P-7:

            3P.5 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS

The proposed project would not result in significant impacts to recreation. Therefore, there would

be no cumulative impacts.

By conflating field space acreage with other rec spaces, including asphalt space occasionally doubling as parking space, the DEIR deliberately avoids analysis of the removal of one half of the existing sports field utilized by community youth sports under the Civic Center Act at Mark Twain Middle School.

Users will be forced to seek other space in a domino effect, thereby increasing use of other field space in the area. The DEIR fails to investigate impacts of this loss because it omits any study of existing area ball fields’ permit availability for team practice/game play. The DEIR somehow assumes any additional burden upon other facilities will somehow be absorbed to the level of less than significant impact.

Area fields’ physical condition and maintenance cycle with regard to the ability to handle more hours of play was not assessed.

Nor was the potential availability of adequate permits. 

Ask any youth teams sports parent--permits for consecutive practice dates/times/games are notoriously difficult to obtain at local public rec facilities. 

Schools; state parks; and neighboring municipalities all have different threshold policies on field permits for groups—particularly groups which draw membership from outside the municipality--and it cannot be assumed those other jurisdictions’ fields would have available permits, or that they would absorb more users without physical impacts such as increased wear and tear; traffic; and noise.

Twain Mandarin Immersion DEIR 

Stop Commuter School

800

800 Parents and Kids Want Playable Field Space in Santa Monica…

But the working group recommendations for the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium property include—drum roll—a high rise hotel!

This in spite of the assurances made to local families as Tongva Park was developed:

“According to the 2002 Civic Center Specific Plan, there was to be a high intensity multiple use park (Tongva Park) with the understanding that there would also be real open space at the corner of 4th and Pico. It is now time to deliver on that promise”.  The Need for Civic Center Open Space, by Mario  Fonda-­Bonardi AIA  for  SMart, letter dated September 26, 2014 to the Santa Monica Lookout.

Time to remind Santa Monica’s government what was promised. Join the Save the Civic Center Field Facebook Group’s rally. Show up and speak up at the Civic Working Group meeting May 20 at 6:30 pm at the Civic Auditorium. Free parking.

If you can’t go, email civic@smgov.net and Council@smgov.net to let them know it is time to keep their promise to local families on the field space. Get your neighbors involved.

Details at: Save the Civic Center Field Facebook Group

Wallace Motion to be Withdrawn at BOD Meeting

MVCC will send out an email blast this evening confirming the following statement:

"The Motion to remove Steve Wallace as Co-Chair of the Planning and Land Use Committee and appoint Mitchell Rishe as Chair" will be withdrawn at tomorrow's meeting". Bill Koontz - Chair MVCC

CALL TO ACTION or, no good deed goes unpunished

In an astounding turn of events--proving the adage that no good deed goes unpunished--the Mar Vista Community Council will consider a motion to REMOVE Steve Wallace as MVCC Planning and Land Use Management Committee Co Chair on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, 7 pm, Mar Vista Rec Center.

Steve Wallace advocated strongly--and some people apparently take exception to strong advocacy-- for saving the field space at Mark Twain just one week ago. In his speech, he recounted the thousands of man hours of work our hundreds of MVCC Zone 6 neighbors have done on a response to an inadequate Twain DEIR. The MVCC BOD then voted to support the community's motion and rejected the confusing conflicting motion.

Now, Steve's volunteer job is on the line.

For those of you who might not know, Steve has served Mar Vista ably, well, and fairly for a decade on our MVCC land use committee. He championed the reconstruction of the Venice Bl median; the opening of the new restaurants and businesses we all enjoy now in our town center; and he has worked diligently on land use issues large and small for US. When LAUSD wanted to put a bus operation-- wiping out 3 fields at Webster--Steve helped us save that space.

If you support saving field space for our kids, and you want to help Steve, email the MVCC BOD today and tell them to RETAIN Steve; SEND the official letter on the April 27, 2015 action to LAUSD's EIR consultant forthwith [as they should have already done]; and WORK  WITH our neighborhood in genuine partnership on planning issues in the future. Send to:

Chair
At-Large Director
Bill Koontz
bill.koontz@marvista.org

First Vice Chair
At-Large Director
Mitchell Rishe
mitchell.rishe@marvista.org

Second Vice Chair
Community Director
John M. Kuchta
john.kuchta@marvista.org

Secretary
At-Large Director
Melissa Stoller
melissa.stoller@marvista.org

Treasurer
Zone 3 Director
Bill Scheding
bill.scheding@marvista.org

At-Large Director
Yvette Molinaro
yvette.molinaro@marvista.org

At-Large Director
Robin Doyno
robin.doyno@marvista.org

At-Large Director
Sherri Akers
sherri.akers@marvista.org

Zone 1 Director
Ken Alpern
ken.alpern@marvista.org

Zone 2 Director
Brad Wilhite
brad.wilhite@marvista.org

Zone 4 Director
Michael Millman
michael.millman@marvista.org

Zone 5 Director
Michelle Krupkin
michelle.krupkin@marvista.org

Zone 6 Director
Valerie Davidson
valerie.davidson@marvista.org

A very big thank you to FC Los Angeles parents, players and coaches who came out last night and spoke to the importance of retaining playable field space on the Mark Twain MS campus. With an overflow, SRO crowd,  the Mar Vista Community Council voted to support the West Mar Vista Residents Association motion--that is, the motion that preserves the field space at Twain. Well done! 

Whereas the Mar Vista Community and the parents of the Mandarin Immersion
Program at Broadway Elementary School agree with Board Member Zimmer’s
statement, and as quoted: "To find a balance for educational needs and the
protection of the quality of life of the Mar Vista Stakeholders", and

Whereas the Draft Environmental Impact Report “Mandarin and English Dual-
Language Immersion Elementary School Project” prepared for the Los Angeles
Unified School District ‘LAUSD’ by Sapphos Environmental, Inc. for the LAUSD Office of Environmental Health and Safety was released for review March 26, 2015, and

Whereas that Draft EIR clearly states the alternative of least impact is the
‘Redistricting Alternative’,

Therefore, the Mar Vista Community Council asks that LAUSD and Board
Member Zimmer implement "The Redistricting Alternative", and the MVCC also
requests the support of Councilmember Bonin going forward, as it offers the
least impacts to the community; preserves valuable open space; enhances
community equity by promoting use of existing local underutilized campus
facilities--thereby improving neighborhood schools; and saves the public $30
million on a new campus that is not needed.

MARK TWAIN/MANDARIN IMMERSION PLAYGROUND ACRES

In 1986, LAUSD was sued, and forced to apply a reasonable student density/playground space formula to campuses:

“In the case of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), compliance with the Rodriguez Consent Decree, which additionally recommends the following playground areas:

Elementary School

Up to 500 students           1.4 playground acres

Up to 750 students           1.7 playground acres

Up to 1,000 students        2.0 playground acres

Up to 1,250 students        2.3 playground acres

Junior High/Middle School

Up to 2,400 students        6.0 playground acres

High School        

Up to 3,600 students        9.0 playground acres

When the consent decree was lifted in 2006, LAUSD issued Policy Bulletin BUL-2574.0 which stated:

“On April 7, 2006, the District obtained a favorable court ruling that ended the Rodriguez Consent Decree. The court denied the plaintiffs’ request to extend the term of the decree beyond December 2005. While the District has prevailed, it is important to continue to maintain the established policies and procedures used to ensure that the school density guidelines are kept and that the highly qualified and experienced teachers are equitably distributed among all schools.”

Screen shot of Twain showing existing playground acres

Proposed project states on page 3P-5 of the DEIR that there is ‘no net loss’ of rec facilities/acres:

Implementation of the proposed project would provide the new Mandarin and English Dual-Language Immersion Elementary School with elementary and kindergarten play areas, potentially resulting in no net loss of recreational facilities after the removal of a portion of an athletic field (1.9 acres) and an oval track (1.0 acre). Approximately 2 acres of the turf athletic field would remain as part of the middle school campus, as well as approximately 3.06 acres of asphalt recreation area, including nine tennis courts, 12 full-sized basketball courts, six half-sized basketball courts, 11 four-square courts, multiple handball courts, and a straight track for short-distance running. The oval track would be redrawn around the remaining asphalt recreation area.

·        DEIR states the total of the remaining playground space as approximately 5.6 acres.

·        Rodriguez Consent Decree Bulletin recommends space of 1.7 acres [elementary school] for up to 750 students and 6.0 acres [middle school] for up to 2400 students for a total of 7.7 acres. ZIMAS calculates existing Twain playground space at about 7.8 acres.

·        LAUSD is therefore violating its own stated policy on playground space at Twain by creating a potential net loss of 2.2 acres or about 1/3 of the existing space. LAUSD needs to retain all the existing playground space if a new campus is added.

Game On: 2015 version

By now, most of you have heard about the Mark Twain commuter school project.
And 500 of you are opposed to it based on traffic; noise; waste of taxpayer funds.
But there is another impact to our community here: it will pave over one half--that's right, a whopping 50%--of the existing green field space utilized by students and youth sports at Twain.

I'm not just going to tell you, I am going to show you why this is a significant impact to public ball fields in the area bounded by the Pacific Palisades, the 405, the Pacific Ocean, and LAX.

Take a look at the fields available: a measly total of 50.69 playable acres for all our kids--and adults, too. Note that fields shared between baseball and soccer cannot be used by those sports simultaneously. 

Right now between AYSO and club soccer, there are approximately 712 youth soccer teams with 8,250 players active in the area.

I didn't count other programs which need large field space to be properly taught and safely played: baseball; softball; lacrosse. I also didn't count park programs which have priority over other users. Or adult leagues.

You do the math--and remember, there is NO way to replace this space. Once it is gone, it's gone. 

FIELD SPACE SURVEY W405 BREAKOUT
Facility	Address	Zip	Lights	Park Area	Playable Fields	Soccer Fields	Baseball Fields
				Acres	Acres
Admiralty Park	Admiralty Wy, MDR LAco	90292	no	6.19	0	0	0
Ballona Wetlands/Playa Vista LL	Lincoln @ Jefferson, LA	90292	no	556.01	5.57	0	3
Barrington Rec Center	333 S Barrington LA	90049	yes	5.02	1.11	1	1
Burton Chase Park	Mindinao Wy, MDR LAco	90292	yes	9.66	0	0	0
Carl Nielsen Park	Will Rogers St, LA	90045	yes	8	5.48	1	2
Culver Slauson Park	5070 Slauson, LA	90230	no	1.99	0	0	0
Del Rey Lagoon Park	6660 Esplanade, PDR	90293	no	10.64	1.26	0	1
Dockweiler State Beach	Vista Del Mar, PDR	90293	no	249.81	0	0	0
Glen Alla Park	4601 Alla Rd, MDR	90292	no	4.79	0	0	0
Mar Vista Gardens Park	4901 Marionwood Dr, LA	90230	no	2.28	2.28	1	1
Mar Vista Park*	11430 Woodbine Av, MV	90066	no	18.45	7.65	2	3
North Venice LL/Ocean View Farms	Rose Av @ Centinela LA	90066	no	14.39	4.35	0	3
Oakwood Rec Center	767 California Av,  Ven	90291	yes	3.64	2.23	1	2
Palisades Recreation Center	851 Alma Real LA	90272	yes	17.18	3.15	0	2
Penmar Park/Golf Course	1341 Lake St, Ven	90291	yes	62.08	5.83	2	5
Playa Vista Central Park	E. Waterfront Dr. LA	90292	no	7.7	0.5	1	0
Stoner Rec Center	1835 Stoner Ave LA	90025	yes	8.9	3.42	0	2
Venice Beach	Venice @ Speedway, Ven	90291	no	211.97	0	0	0
Vista Del Mar Park	Vista Del Mar, PDR	90293	no	1.06	0	0	0
Westchester Rec Center/Golf Course	7000 W Manchester, LA	90045	yes	96.97	7.86	2	3
Westminster Park	1234 Pacific Av, Ven	90291	no	2.17	0	0	0
			Totals	1298.9	50.69	11	28
				Acres	Playable Acres	Soccer Fields	Baseball Fields
City of Los Angeles Rec and Parks facilities in the area bounded by Pacific Palisades, 405, 105 Freeways and the Pacific Ocean
Inglewood, Culver City, Santa Monica, Will Rogers, and Veterans Administration facilities are  excluded because permitting by outside groups is problematic
LAUSD athletic fields are excluded; there is no uniform fields’ access policy. Each principal makes the call on availability
Sites leased to local Los Angeles youth sports groups are included: North Venice LL (DWP/LARAP) and Playa Vista LL (CA DFG)
LA County facilities at Marina Del Rey (Admiralty Park; Burton Chase Park) are included
'Park Area-Acres' defined as all open space/park/rec  space: beaches, wetlands, golf courses, hardscape (ball courts, community centers,  etc)
'Playable Fields Acres' defined as the total acres physically available and sized appropriately for baseball & soccer game play
'Playable Fields Acres' measured and calculated using the City of LA ZIMAS website tool