Saturday, May 05, 2007

Saturday May 5 Edition of More San Pedro

First, if you don't get More San Pedro, especially today's edition, go to http://www.dailybreeze.com/ and scroll down to find the location on the left hand side.

The letter to the editor section looks like the size of one of my shorter posts. It is filled with familiar names and several very touchy subjects in OUR community.

I had no idea that my letter would be between Michael's and Tom's letters. I was basically writing about Doug Epperhart's column in last Saturday's edition.

As you read Michael's letter, he has either sobered up, or decided to use the spell check feature. He still reminds me of other "supporter" of Bob's current plans, that lower themselves to name calling.

Mr. Field has again written a letter that I don't necessarily agree with, but I think some of his points have some validity as far as folks who think Doug is wearing many hats, possibly too many hats. The editor is correct in pointing out that the only "official" office holder of R Neighborhoods Are 1 is the treasurer. The treasurer is a certified bank auditor.

Now to Steve's column. I think he has touched an extremely sensitive nerve with the folks at Eastview Little League. It almost seems like every nerve with that group becomes more sensitive as the June 30 date approaches. Steve has his opinions, and I am not going to touch them with a 1,000 foot poll, on the subject of Eastview Little League.

Where Steve's genius does shine through is his inclusion of the following:

"Tale of the tape

We all received that fancy propaganda piece in the mail from Ponte Vista asking for support. It trumpets already having more than 10,370 local supporters. I'm sure Bisno is using that number in his push to convince Hahn to approve the project.

The number doesn't withstand close scrutiny, however. It turns out that of that 10,370, only 6,608 are from San Pedro and Rancho Palos Verdes, the two communities that will be most affected by Ponte Vista.

Of that number, 5,499 are from San Pedro, but here's the real kicker: only 1,575 are from the 90732 ZIP code.

That is significant, of course, because that is the ZIP code through which Western Avenue runs. This is the area that will be most impacted by Ponte Vista's traffic.

Which means Bisno virtually has no support for his project among the people whose voices should matter most.

Are you listening, Janice?"
Sometimes perfection finds its way into print, and it is my humble opinion that we have read some of it, in Steve's column. Thank you, Mr. Marconi.
Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council claims that is has stakeholders in well over 20,000 homes in its area. If 1,575 of them support Bob's current plans, how many of those also signed the R1 petition?
R Neighborhoods Are 1 is keeping track of the zip codes of over 6,000 folks who have signed their petition. Let's see how many folks living in the 90732 zip code oppose Bob's current plans and call for keeping the current zoning at Ponte Vista.
In a related item, my letter to the editor of Random Lengths News was published. I wrote about the Mary Star road issue before I learned that Taper Avenue would not be closed off to specific traffic, once the campus was opened and a route to Western was constructed. It is only my fault that I didn't learn the real situation earlier, and I apologize to everyone for making the error.
I still believe Mr. Allen should come out strongly against Bob's current plans, but I always turn to the back page of the paper and realize why he may be reluctant to bite the hand that feeds him.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

James Allen's retort (to your letter) that he is "looking at the big picture" is really weak.

BTW, has anyone else rec'd the hit piece in the mail against Neil Kleiner? (funded by Villariagosa's "Partnership for Better Schools.") It basically calls Kleiner a liar. I was undecided about who to vote for, but now I'm going to vote for Kleiner. I don't trust Villaraigosa, as he could care less about the harbor (unless he can use us for a photo op).

Anonymous said...

I noticed you didnt mention how may 90732 support R neighborhoods. What percentage of 90275 support R 1. More than half. this is important because Rancho PV residents get to use PV schools, use LA co Sherrifs and have their own Fire department. Us living in San pedro depend on LA and LAUSD for our services. The only way tp pay for that is economic development. Its a shame RPV should get to speak for the rest of us.

michael.meacher said...

Thank you Mr. Gonzales!

Finally, someone else who gets it! R Neighborhoods Are 1 claim to have a bunch of signatures on petitions, but as Mr. Gonzales said, how many come from RPV or Rolling Hills Estates? Huh, guys? Why don't you 'fess up with THAT breakdown?

The people who already have their nice homes don't want anyone else to move into their neighborhood. Unless you can afford to pay over a million bucks for a single-family home, no condo for you bucko!

Michael Meacher

M Richards said...

Howdy Andrew,

I too would like to know the number of signatures on R1 petitions from folks living in 90732 and 90275.

I will forward your request to the folks tabulating the petitions and see if they can provide all of us with a zip code breakdown such as the one done for petitions supporting Bob's current plans. It is a very fair request and I think R Neighborhoods Are 1 needs to honestly let everyone know what the zip code breakdown is.

Mr. Gonzales, please consider this one very true fact. If and when any new housing is built at Ponte Vista, the closest front door of a single-family home, outside of the gates of the development will be in Rancho Palos Verdes, and not in San Pedro.

Also Mr. Gonzales, the residents of the Eastview section of Rancho Palos Verdes have two LAUSD schools within their areas and cannot do anything about that. It is true that students in the area have a choice of attending either LAUSD schools or PVPUSD schools, but our portion of our property tax dollars (yes, Mr. Meacher I do pay the property taxes on my home) go to LAUSD and not PVPUSD.

It is also true that our area uses the services of LASD and the paramedic squad from L.A. County station 6 in Lomita. Most LASD and paramedic squad trips required into the area we live must pass the Ponte Vista site.

Actually R.P.V. and R.H.E. have little voice in what happens in Los Angeles. But the folks living in R.P.V. on both sides of Western Avenue will be more heavily impacted that anyone else, because in neighborhoods like Peninsula Verde, Rolling Hills Riviera, and Mira Costa Terrace, all drivers must either travel along Western Avenue or cross the avenue during portions of their trip. There are very few neighborhoods in San Pedro near the site that don't have access to Gaffey Street. On has to go either north to P.V. Drive North, or south to Summerland before you find neighborhoods in San Pedro that must cross Western.

My neighborhood has an outlet to Miraleste Drive and we are very fortunate to be able to bypass Western between 9th. Street and Trudie Drive if we wish to.

I hope Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Meachere are not upset by the services of the L.A.P.D. and the L.A.F.D. I think those folks have provided all of us with superior service when we needed them and many L.A.F.D. members are also local neighbors, serving in their hometown.

If we need to be critical of LAUSD, then I might join you, considering that I still pay for their services but have sons who graduated from Simi Valley High School. Their current bungling of the SRHS 14 and SRHS 15 fiascos would be funny if it weren't so serious.
MW

Anonymous said...

Michael M.

You must be kidding! Owning a "nice home" is not the issue. More units means more traffic on Western. Gimme a break about not wanting others to have a nice home.
What? Has Bisno's community outreach folks contacted you given your a nearby condo owner? Come on tell the whole story. What really going on here?

Anonymous said...

random lengths probably should come out a little bit harder on mr. bisno, ms. hahn, and others like gordon teuber, mike molina, etc. about ponte vista. the good councilwoman is letting the developer have his bloody way with the locals, and there's only so much the residents can take.

but remember folks, james allen has a wife and kid to feed, so don't come down too hard on the guy. everybody's got a price.