Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Excited About the Future

Currently while we are all waiting to find out what Bob Bisno's "new" proposal will be for Ponte Vista at San Pedro, I am excited about our future and what it may signal for all of us and possibly the rest of the L.A. area.

Might that little band of "ranting elitists" and "thugs" who are just a "lunatic fringe" actually be starting a major change in the way OUR community looks and the looks of the entire region?
I don't really know the answers, but I am looking forward through the next approximately 4 weeks to see what happens.

On June 18, Bob Bisno will reveal his "new" proposal. We shall see how similar it is to another proposal published on this blog on or about March 22, 2007. That proposal called for 1,700 total units, with 700 Senior Housing units, 200 "Patio" style residents, and 1,000 other condominium units in a non-age restricted portion. This proposal, not created by me, is still way, way too large for any reasonable consideration, in my opinion and I think signalling Bob Bisno to "think 1,000" total units, may be something many in the community might find favorable.

In about 31 to 33 days a mythical, mysterious, and previous unbelievable thing will occur. I wrote "will occur" as a matter of fact and something that probably cannot be stopped. On that special day, the 10,000 signature will have been gathered on the petitions demanding that the Ponte Vista at San Pedro land be kept with its current zoning of R1-1XL for the buildable land.

Back when the group, R Neighborhoods Are 1 was announced in public, 3,096 signatures on petitions supporting keeping the site with its current zoning, were delivered to Councilwoman Janice Hahn's office. That was also on or about March 23, 2007 and about the same time the proposal I mentioned earlier was published.

Truly and never in my wildest dreams did I ever think the number "10,000" could possibly be reached by volunteers gathering signatures from their friends, neighbor, community members, and everyone else who sees R1 as the best and only solution to this issue, from the time they all signed the R1 petition, till now.

Some talk has been bantered around that once the 10,000th signature had been verified, and by the way, that would be just halfway to the next goal of 20,000 signatures, then everyone would need to consider R1 to be a done deal. I am excited to find out what the local leaders of the communities think about how they will deal with the issues, once the 10,000th signature has been handed to them.

It will also be somewhat exciting for many of us watch how Bob Bisno and his supporters react, if they choose to do, once the 10,000th signature comes in.

The little band of "nobodys" seem to have gotten the message out that a big development at the Ponte Vista site has too many obstacles to OUR community. People began to listen and learn. The more they learned, the more they disliked Bob's current plans and probably will not like his "new" plan, either.

I full went to the R1 side on May 29, 2007. Previously I have had several proposal I was considering, all of them as compromises to the plans laid out by the Bisno organization.

What would I consider if Bob came up with a 1,000 total unit number? I need to state that I probably would sit with him and other supporters of a 1,000 total unit or fewer total number proposal and say, "let's talk". Since I have always been the "oddball" in the R1 group, I don't mind getting excited about continuing to talk to the Bisno folks if they come up with the 1,000-total, or fewer, count for the project.

What will Councilwoman Janice Hahn do when the last of the first 10,000 signatures are presented to her, in just about one month's time? That is also exciting to wonder what her response might be.

What will the rest of OUR community think when they learn that at least 10,000 folks have called for keeping Ponte Vista at San Pedro, with its current zoning of R1?

There is something even more exciting to think about, too. Is OUR community going to be the first in the L.A. area to say, "enough is enough" to all the smart growth folks?

Is ever increasing density of new construction going to have to take a time-out because of what is happening in San Pedro? Could OUR community signal that it is in the forefront of looking at the development of Los Angeles and thinking that we should all look to more reasonable, realistic, responsible, and respectful growth in the area?

Our Community might just be able to start something good and help our friends on the West side of L.A., and in other areas of L.A., by helping to slow the growth of new construction in the larger area. Consider R Neighborhoods Are 1 as the teacher who tells his or her students that it is nap time and to take a pause in their busy days of building so many new units.

What might happen if all those folks coming to our already over crowded area, have too much difficulty finding a place to live? Could the great influx of folks wanting to live in the L.A. area be slowed, at least somewhat by the intentional lack of housing in the area?

Why must all of us living in the greater L.A. area suffer the consequences of all the people who want to live in the area but have not place to call home, yet?

People are going to still come, but I think we have every right and responsibility to those of us already living in the area to say to those who wish to come her; "not now, not so fast, and not so many."

Let the people choosing to leave the greater L.A. area, allow folks to move into the homes that are being vacated, and let's all take a bit of a breather, for let's say 5-7 years on new over developments in the area. They may need the housing, but maybe they will need to wait.

Why and where do our rights end at protecting our quality of life and our area?

Exciting to think about, isn't it?

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