To: Members of Homeowners of Encino
and Encino Residents

From: Gerald A. Silver,
Pres. Homeowners of Encino

Subject: #299 ENCINO COMMUNITY UPDATE



NEW YORK STYLE TENAMENT ROW HOUSES COMING TO ENCINO! 4726 Petit Ave. between Petit & Rubio

And who will we be able to thank for this madness? The City Planning Dept. and City Council that promotes minimum lot sizes and maximum density at all costs!

Each unit will be separated by only 2 1/2 inches -- no side yards!

A developer is proposing to construct 12, narrow, eastern-style row houses on a group of lots in Encino. They propose rezoning and subdividing several larger lots into a group of postage stamp lots at 4726 Petit Ave., between Rubio and Petit, Encino. The current zoning is RE9 (9,000 sq. ft. minimum lot size), and it would be divided into a series of sub-standard lots. This will result in 12 row houses, with no side-yards, separated by only 2 1/2 inches, all facing Lauren Way (just south of Ventura Blvd.), between Rubio and Petit.

No City Planning Dept. hearing date has been set as yet. However, the Encino Neighborhood Council's Planning and Land Use Committee will take up the issue:

December 11, 2008 - 7 pm
4933 Balboa Blvd.

Please attend this meeting and make you voices heard!

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LAND ROVER SCALES BACK PROJECT - VENTURA & DENSMORE
DROPS 170,000 SQ. FT. PROJECT IN FAVOR OF 4,500 SQ. FT.


The Encino Neighborhood Council's Planning and Land Use Committee will take up the issue:

December 11, 2008 - 7 pm
4933 Balboa Blvd.
__________

December 3, 2008

Dear Neighbors:

On behalf of the team at Land Rover Encino, I am writing to share some news about our plans to update our dealership and improve our operations as well as to make our property more attractive and efficient. For several years, we have been evaluating options to modernize our facilities, allowing it to continue to be competitive in the market place, while being consistent with the vision for the Encino community.

As you know, this property has been used as an automobile dealership since the 1950’s. Land Rover of Encino has occupied it since 1999. We are proud of the fact that we are consistently ranked as one of the top sellers of Land Rovers in the nation. As a result, we employ a talented team of 75 employees, most of who are Valley Residents (including me). As a top seller we generate significant tax revenues for our schools, the City and the County of Los Angeles.

Recognizing the need to address congestion in Encino, here is what we would like to propose to improve our property and improve our neighbors’ quality of life:

Reduce congestion in our neighborhood by shifting access to and from the dealership to Ventura Boulevard only. Furthermore, our cars will not be delivered by a large truck parked in the middle of Ventura Blvd. Instead, they will be delivered by smaller trucks that will be able to access our property and without presenting a traffic hazard. Fewer cars will be stored on our lot.
Beautify the neighborhood by better caring for existing trees on our property and partnering with the city to replace aging city owned trees with species that are consistent with the Encino Specific Plan and do not cause damage to the sidewalks.
Reduced noise by shifting much of our maintenance work to a new facility to be located on Sepulveda Blvd. at Burbank Blvd.
Improve the aesthetics of Encino by constructing a new building that complements the architecture of other nearby commercial buildings-and will be more energy efficient.
Continue the current use of the property and maintain our job base and tax revenue stream to the city during this turbulent economic period.
On the evening of December 11, 2008 our architect and representatives of our dealership will make a more detailed presentation to the Encino Neighborhood Councils Land Use Committee about our proposal. If you are not available on December 11th, I encourage you to e-mail us with your thoughts and questions. Please send your comments to rickettsm@autonation.com or mazaherianc@autonation.com by December 31st, and I will personally read each one and share them with our architects and corporate leaders.

Thank you for your consideration of our proposal.

Sincerely,

Cyrus Mazaherian Michelle Ricketts

General Manager Customer Relations Director

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Arclight Cinemas (Sherman Oaks Galleria)
November 11, 2008

Dear Neighbor,

On September 28,2007, the City of Los Angeles approved Planning Case No. ZA-95-0724 (CUB) (PA3), which authorized the sale and consumption of a full line of alcoholic beverages at the Arc Light Cinemas in the Sherman Oaks Galleria. This included allowing the consumption of such beverages to persons age 21 or over in one theatre auditorium (Theatre #15) for certain predestinated film screenings.

I am pleased to inform you that since opening on November 16,2007, this facility has experienced no problems associated with the allowed alcohol service and has enjoyed a positive relationship with the community, including the LAPD, which it continually strives to maintain. As one of the conditions of approval, ArcLight Cinemas is required to seek a one year approval to renew the conditions of approval, which it is doing at this time.

If you would like more information about ArcLight Cinemas and its compliance with the Conditions of Approval, or a copy of the conditions of approval, please contact me directly at the phone number or address located at the bottom of this letter.

To assist the Planning Department in determining if a public hearing shall be held when considering our request for renewal of the September 28, 2007 plan approval, interested parties should contact the City of Los Angeles Planning Department, Office of Zoning Administrator, at either of these addresses:

City Planning Department
200 North Spring Street, 7th Floor Los Angeles, California 90012
Marvin Braude
San Fernando Valley Constituent Service Center 6262 Van Nuys Blvd.
Van Nuys, California 91401
You may also call (213) 978-1318. In any instance, please reference Planning Case No. ZA-95-0724 (CUB) (PA3).

Again, please feel free to contact me at (310) 855-8300 if you have any questions or would like additional information regarding this notice. Lastly, I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to all of our neighbors in Sherman Oaks who have made ArcLight's first year there a great success.

Kind regards,
Mari Garcia Porter
Director of Marketing, Food, and Beverage
120 N. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048-3115 tel (310) 855-8300 (direct dial)
****

Digital Billboards Become a Bohemian Blasphemy
Silver Lake, Hollywood, the Valley and Westside take on City Hall's anti-green transformation of LA
By Christine Pelisek
Published on November 19, 2008 at 7:39pm
Early this year, when the first digital billboards showed up, Encino resident and longtime activist Gerry Silver decided to challenge the Villaraigosa administration’s decision to put up a bright, digital billboard on Ventura Boulevard, near his home. The terse notification of the city’s action read: “Modernization of an existing 14-foot x 48-foot billboard with digital technology.”

Silver contacted the city’s planning department and asked for a copy of whatever paperwork had been generated that would allow a flashing billboard, directly facing a rush-hour crowd of 30,000 commuters.

Last February, Silver received the paperwork — and was surprised to see that Clear Channel Outdoor got the go-ahead from Villaraigosa’s planning chief, Gail Goldberg, the city’s top planner, who promotes herself as someone interested in “community” and a “sense of place.” A busy woman, the architect of the mayor's relentless push for desne apartment complexes citywide, Goldberg had made the final decision on a single billboard approval in the Valley.

Silver, who is plugged into the arcane rules of City Hall, formally asked the obscure South Valley Area Planning Commission to rule against Goldberg’s decision. He argued that Goldberg wrongly gave Clear Channel Outdoor a “categorical exemption” from environmental review on the inappropriate grounds that switching a billboard to digital is a “minor” alteration.

To Silver, the proposed sign, with its gigantic, changing images, raised questions of driver distraction, would use far more energy than a conventional billboard and created potential light pollution for residents — all environmental issues.

The day before an August 27 meeting of the South Valley Area Planning Commission to decide Silver’s case, Clear Channel Outdoor got cold feet. For the first time in anyone’s recollection, a huge billboard company chose to walk away from a fight with L.A. residents.

The “Encino incident” is now talked of as a watershed moment in the gathering war by Angelenos against digital billboards. In fact, Silver and others fighting billboards are charter members of the Valley Secession movement, long sick of decisions from downtown that change their lives. Many are accustomed to drilling deep into the downtown bureaucracy in order to be heard.

The group Silver belongs to, the Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight, was the first in L.A. to challenge the absence of environmental review in digital-billboard approvals. But such challenges soon spread to other areas of the city. The same week Clear Channel abruptly abandoned its Ventura Boulevard plan, Westwood residents protested an enormous new digital sign switched on along Westwood Boulevard with no notice given to the Westwood Homeowners Association or Westwood South of Santa Monica Boulevard Homeowners Association.

To read full story, go to:

http://www.laweekly.com/2008-11-20/news/digital-billboards-become-a-bohemian-blasphemy/1

****

RESPONSES TO #298 ENCINO COMMUNITY UPDATE
Friday, November 07, 2008 8:13 PM

Hi Jerry:

Funny how life just keep coming back at us... The Burger King was a project of Burger King management , BCCI , and U.S. Bank also tied into BCCI. A project that was not to be built in the "Corridor" but thanks to Marvin [Braude] we have the entire mess to deal with.

I remember going to the City of Los Angeles to protest this construction because of the mess and cross Ventura Bl traffic. Seams miniscule now to the amount of traffic the City of L.A. has DUMPED on us. The promise of keeping a security man on duty at Burger King went in the first 6 months.

I live on Gloria and pick up wrappers from Whoppers (cute hah) at least 3 times a week.
BUT I have learned that as long as we are attached to Los Angeles all of the Valley residents have to "turn the other cheek"

Take the Van Nuys Airport issue...OVER 50 YEARS AND NOTHING , NOTHING , NOTHING but expansion and more mess.

It's a shame. And the mayor of Los Angeles should keep his promise to you and Wayne.
There I go again !!

BB
Encino

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Saturday, November 08, 2008 1:43 AM

Interesting tidbit for you, Jerry:

Management personnel of the retirement structure on Etiwanda wanted to plant trees across the street from their building(s) to screen out the wash. Their request was turned down. They were told "only the City can plant trees at that locale".

This is just one example of L.A.City "Oh my God....more stupidity". Something that could have been done as a beautification project with no cost to the City, and it was rejected.

I truly cannot understand just how DOT gave the go-ahead to the blasted sructures across from Ralphs and at Woodley. The evil wheel keeps turning.

MG
Encino

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Call the Councilmembers below now, and demand action!

Councilmember Jack Weiss weiss@council.lacity.org
(818)971-3088, Fax (818)788-9210
Beverly Kenworthy, Planning Deputy beverly.kenworthy@lacity.org

Councilwoman Wendy Greuel wendy.greuel@council.lacity.org
Planning Director, Dale Thrush Dale.Thrush@lacity.org
(213)473-7002, (818)755-7676, Fax: (213) 680-7895

Coucilmember Dennis Zine zine@council.lacity.org
Jose Martinez Field Deputy, Tarzana & West Hills Jose.M.Martinez@lacity.org
19040 Vanowen Street
Reseda (818) 756-8848 (Office), (818) 756-9179 (Fax)

****

TO KEEP YOU INFORMED ABOUT ENCINO OVER-DEVELOPMENT,
HERE IS A TALLY OF WHAT IS COMING TO THE ENCINO AREA:

33 unit condominium, 4741 N. Libbit Avenue (just off of Ventura Blvd.)
42 unit condominium (Balboa Grand), 5021 - 5041 Balboa Blvd.
62 unit condominium, 4949 Balboa Blvd.
131 unit apartment (Avalon Bay), Ventura Blvd. near Noeline
51 unit apartment, (Woodrise), 16100 Ventura Blvd. at Woodley
51 unit condominium, 15222 Ventura Blvd., just each of Sepulveda
500 unit apartment complex, Sepulveda Blvd. and Camarillo
125 unit apartment (Gold Mountain) 16704 Ventura Blvd.
58 unit condominium, 5239-5305 Lindley Ave. (replaces 39 apartments)
31 unit condominium, 4410 Sepulveda Blvd. (near Greenleaf off-ramp)
43 unit condominium, 5168 Yarmouth Ave. (replaces 29 apartments)
120 unit apartment, 5501Newcastle Ave. (replaces 71 aparts.) incl. 9 low income units
43 unit condominium, 5445 (5501)Lindley Ave. (replaces 44 apartments)
112 unit apartment, 18301 Ventura Blvd., at Etiwanda
12 row houses, 4726 Petit (between Petit and Rubio) (sub standard lots, no side yards)

****

HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Attend the hearings and meetings and speak out against intrusive
developments.
2. Write/phone/email Councilmember Jack Weiss and state your objections, ask
his Planning Deputy Beverly Kenworthy to attend the hearing and support the
residents' position.
3. Meet with your Councilmember Weiss and his Planning Deputy.
4. DEMAND a building moratorium along Ventura Blvd. in Encino.
5. DEMAND that the Ventura Blvd. Specific Plan be amended downzoned to
reduce by-right development and mixed use density bonuses.
6. Call your friends and neighbors in Sherman Oaks and Tarzana and ask them
to insist on amending the Ventura Blvd. Specific Plan.
7. Join Homeowners of Encino and assist in bringing back some sanity to
Encino.
8. Sign and return Petitions opposing over-development projects.

HANDS OFF OF VENTURA BLVD.!!!

****

Homeowners of Encino (HOME) serves as a watchdog over Encino community issues. It monitors the work of elected officials, the Encino Neighborhood Council (ENC), Van Nuys Airport, etc. HOME is NOT another form of Neighborhood Council. Neighborhood Councils by law must represent Chambers of Commerce, business interests, developers, apartment associations, high-rise building owners, homeless, and "anyone who lives, works or owns property" in Encino. HOME's mission on the other hand is to preserve the single-family habitability of residents living in Encino. As such, it actively addresses issues of traffic, congestion, aircraft noise, over-development, sign blight and air pollution. While the Encino Neighborhood Council seeks to be all things to all people, HOME targets issues that specifically affect the residential quality of life, and is
NOT under the control of the City of Los Angeles Department of Neighborhoods (DONE).

If you are not a Homeowners of Encino member, please join, mail a $30.00 check to: Homeowners of Encino, PO Box 260205, Encino, CA 91426

Name________________________________________________________

Address___________________________City___________ Zip__________

Phone_________________ Email_________________________________

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