What is Wrong With Bob's Current Plans, the Last Part

I hope I have outlined several of the problems with having 1,950 condominium units built in northwest San Pedro, in the previous posts.

I know there are many more reasons that other people can give me to also oppose this over development.

Earlier this morning I had a good discussion with a representative from Mayor V.'s office. This gentleman who I have discussed many things with, during my time on the CAC is clearly interested in learning what all folks think about the need for more housing in the L.A. area, and how it can be provided under the best terms possible.

In our discussion, I think I was able to gel together some basic points that I feel makes a development of 1,950-units a very bad idea for the San Pedro area.

1,950 units is a remarkably over sized development for the community. San Pedro and the five-mile radius around Ponte Vista, within the City of L.A. cannot create the tax structures to fund not only the infrastructure it needs, but infrastructure always needed for the rest of San Pedro.

When I talked to the Mayor's rep, I said that other areas of the City of Los Angeles would effectively be subsidizing Ponte Vista and San Pedro's infrastructure and those areas would lose benefits their tax payers feel they deserve.

The town of San Pedro has a character, lifestyle, environment, and population that should not be tasked with accepting such a giant development within it. Might government services go to the loudest voices if Ponte Vista has so many units? How would that affect others in San Pedro?

The transportation infrastructure of the entire area will not allow for such a huge project.

There is absolutely no way the great L.A. area can continue to develop with a complete change in how the area deals with traffic, traffic mitigation, and traffic engineering. Using the data that has been used for so many years has gotten us into the fix we are in. We must not allow continued over development and the engineering of these massive projects, until we have a new set of rules and regulations concerning traffic.

The needs of those of us who have to deal with traffic on a daily basis far outweighs any need for more housing in the area.

Placing so much development so far away from downtown San Pedro means that necessary development such as a supermarket closer to the port than Von's currently is, and other downtown community needs will probably be opposed because of all the combined development, including Ponte Vista.

The Mayor's representative was curious about how we allow for the "need" for more housing in our area. I suggested that a development of the size Bob currently wants, is NOT the way to go.

Infrastructure
Traffic
Community character/lifestyle
Needs, concerns, and wants of the current residents of the area
It just doesn't fit into OUR community

These four basic issues really form a definite basis for opposing such a large development anywhere in San Pedro or on the peninsula.

Is there really a "need" for more housing in the L.A. area? I can't truly say, but I do know that if the issue of traffic isn't completely studied AND re-engineered, there should be no new developments approved of UNTIL that happens.

I did tell the Mayor's representative a number of units that I would not oppose. As there are zealots on both sides of the Ponte Vista issue, I do not count myself as one of them. If you have read previous posts, I do feel there can be a compromise number of units.

Supporting R1 doesn't have to mean anyone must demand only R1, no matter what Bob and the Planning Department finally come up with, but as long as Bob refuses to even consider any reasonable number of units, folks calling for R1 must stand their ground. Bob MUST move first, and a 350-unit drop in total number of units is not first, by a long shot.

If there truly is a need for housing, where should it be built? This is a very loaded question. There is an area in San Pedro that I have been told can have allowances for up to 45 units per acre. I doubt highly that residents near that area would appreciate that much development.

IF the same density of The Gardens were used at Ponte Vista, the Bob would be able to build about 650-units. It that enough, too many, or too few?

Years ago the large Channel Heights neighborhood's housing units were torn down in spurts to make way for Tarragonna and other developments. Should an area of existing housing units be leveled to make room for housing with greater density?

Bob Bisno's current plans call for a housing project that is out of character with the entire community, would cause extremely bad traffic problems, will not be able to have enough revenue generated withing the City of L.A. to fund its infrastructure and infrastructure in other areas of San Pedro, and would contain far to many units in the area.