Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Buh-Bye Mark

Mark Waronek, the current Mayor/councilman of Lomita was ousted from office on November 6 by the very fine folks of Lomita, California.



Neighbors helping neighbors in OUR community demonstrated their lack of trust of a Bob Bisno/Ponte Vista supporter who also worked as a lobbyist for Bob, by not just throwing him out of office, but kicking him out by a large margin over the highest vote-getter.



Mr. Sominaga received approximately 42% of the votes cast,
Mr. Blackwood received approximately 36% of the votes cast,

and Mark got about 21% of the votes cast.

Mark was praised by many Lomitans for the Centennial celebration he worked so hard on.
Mark outspent both of his competitors with slick advertising and mailings.

Was this election a repudiation of Bob and his efforts to bring a weapon of mass development to OUR community and so close to the boundaries of Lomita? Perhaps the folks at R Neighborhoods Are 1 can claim, rightly so, that sending Mark packing, with such a dismal show of support, demonstrates to just about everyone watching that, if you support Ponte Vista, you need to watch out for your future, as far as politics go.

I hope folks see that our good friends in Lomita have used a giant marker and written quite a message on the wall: It may be time for supporters of Bob Bisno's current plans for Ponte Vista to rethink their support and begin thinking about real compromise and working WITH the community, instead of against it.

There are plenty of supporters who have called for compromises which are reasonable and could stand the light of discussion. But Bob and his gang continue to ignore even many of his own supporters, while attempting to get as much profit out of the land as he can.

Many of Bob's supporters are seniors who, like me, wish for some senior housing at Ponte Vista. The more Bob is steadfast with his current proposals, the less likely there will be enough senior housing, if any, at the site.

This election is another signal that it is time, once again, for supporters and opponents of Bob's plans to try and discuss compromises that will benefit OUR community over Bob's profits and outlandish attempts to bring too large of a development to OUR community.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mr. Richards,

I keep hearing people say they would like senior housing at the Ponte Vista site, but I have NOT heard or seen any FACTS supporting this theory. I think this is just a strategy used by Mr. Robert Bisno to increase the condominium totals at Ponte Vista. Does anyone have any factual data to support his theory?

M Richards said...

Thanks anonymous 4:06.

Yes, some of us would like, or wish for some more Senior Housing in the area, but I haven't seen any factual reports to indicate there is a true NEED for that specific type of housing, in San Pedro.

Bob is trying to use the lesser number of daily trips generated by "Senior Housing" condominiums, as part of his overall traffic studies.

However, the "seniors" Bob is looking to attract are folks who are only 55-years old, or older, and also they are more active than seniors who live in assisted living facilities, or with relatives.

I have always had a strong feeling that Bob wants Senior Housing, both with the 525 and now the 850 numbers, as about the only way to find any real support in OUR community to build condominiums in San Pedro.

Torrance now has many more Senior Housing units than can be sold, right now. Torrance is nowhere near Hemet or Riverside, or anyplace else Bob claims seniors would have to move, if they sold their San Pedro homes.

The Senior Housing condominiums on Arlington and Sepulveda have their smallest, 1-bedroom unit going for under $300,000.00 right now. Why would seniors wait to pay at least $330,000.00 for a condo at Ponte Vista where the HOA dues and fees would probably be much higher.

Today, a senior could sell their pre-prop 13 house in San Pedro, move into the Centre Street Lofts, and have two years worth of HOA fees and dues paid for.

You are correct that it has been impossible to find out the "need" for "senior housing" in San Pedro. But there are still wishes and wants, for that type of housing.

How much should OUR community pay, just to have some seniors find housing at Ponte Vista, in a separate Senior Housing section?

I may always wish for it, but that doesn't mean it should ever happen.
MW

Anonymous said...

everywhere has more units that can be sold. maybe, like the project near disneyland, it will also ultimately fail.