Thursday, May 15, 2008

Odds and Ends 65


I apologize. Mea culpa. I am so sorry. Lo siento. My bad.

I allowed hope to overtake reason in dealing with the upcoming public hearing that may occur in July. The hope I had over reason caused me to think that something big was finally going to happen, after about 1-1/2 years of virtually nothing going on with the Ponte Vista issue.

The hearing, which has not yet had a date officially set for it, is probably nothing more than certification by the L.A. City Planning Department, of the Draft Environmental Impact Report DEIR.

You may remember that comments to the DEIR were due by January, 2007. It looks like it has taken the Planning Department quite some time to deal with the comments. It also seems it has taken a good deal of time for individuals and groups representing the Ponte Vista issue, to respond to the comments sent it for the DEIR.

These processes may be ending soon and to those of us who wish to keep close to the Ponte Vista debate, the hearing is probably of interest to us.

For those who do not follow the processes as close as others do, I think they can just wait until the blog update and news from the media.

I am truly sorry that I had used more optimism, instead of realism, with this latest announcement.

Something is coming and the processes seem to continue at what may seem is a snail's pace.

There is no news on what the Planning Departments believes Bob could successfully build at his site in northwest San Pedro. This type of news would trump the release of the certification of the DEIR, but I have absolutely no idea when this much more important bit of news will be coming out of the Planning Department.

Again, if I have gotten any one's hopes up for something big to happen within the next few months, I am sorry.

For those of us who are looking forward to reading the comments to the DEIR and responses to them, I just hope we will be able to do that, after the July hearing, or whenever the hearing is held.
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For Ponte Vista supporters and others wanting information about Ponte Vista, the folks with the Outreach Team have revamped the project's Web site. You are invited to view the continuing statements that suggest folks other than taxpayers are paying for signal synchronization.

You can also view a floor plan for an "850" square foot studio and an "800" square foot 1-bedroom, 1-bath unit. I am still looking for the floor plans in the 600-650 foot range that many of us were given the impression that those were the smallest-sized units Bob would be offering.

I haven't been able to find the price range for possible units at Ponte Vista. I wonder if I have to sign up as a prospective buyer to get that information? At this point I do not consider myself a prospective buyer of anything at Ponte Vista.

I wasn't able to find "1950" as the number of units Bob wants to build at Ponte Vista, but I did find information the Web site directed me to, and please look below.
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When I went to the "Go Green" area of the newly transformed Web site, I found a link to the DEIR.

So far, what I have pasted below, is the only source of information I can find, via the newly transformed Web site, for the total number of units Bob wants to build at Ponte Vista.

Case No. ENV-2005-4516-EIR
State Clearinghouse Number: 2005091086
Council District: 15
Wilmington-Harbor City
Project Address: : 26900 S. Western Avenue
Project Description: The Project proposes a Specific Plan (proposed density is approximately 37 units per acre), General Plan Amendment, Zone Change, and Vesting Tentative Tract Map for the subdivision, construction, and operation of a 2,300-unit townhome and condominium development including approximately 10,000 square feet of ancillary retail use to serve the convenience needs of residents. Twenty-five percent of the proposed units (575 units) would be reserved for seniors only (age 55 and above). The proposed units would have floor areas ranging from approximately 700 to 3,000 square feet. Approximately 40 percent of the Project’s post-development acreage would consist of landscaped common area to include the following: a 2.5-acre central park (with community clubhouse and pool), a two-acre waterscape concourse, a 0.5-acre senior community park, and a publicly accessible six-acre park potentially featuring two little league baseball fields. The Project would also provide an access road from Western Avenue to Mary Star of the Sea High School. The Project site is approximately 61.5 acres. The Project would involve the demolition and removal of all existing improvements on the site, which include 245 residential units, a 2,161-square foot community center, and a 3,454-square foot retail convenience facility which were constructed in approximately 1962 by the U.S. Navy for the purpose of housing and accommodating personnel stationed at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. The site (formerly known as “San Pedro Housing”) was closed in the late 1990s.
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I would appreciate someone from the Outreach Team clarifying for me the location within the newly revamped Web site, where I can find "1950" as the total number of units Bob wants to build.
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I did find the number, "9771" in the "Need for Housing" section, of the Web site. Bob has applied for 1,950-units at Ponte Vista, and several of us have copies of that application.

So Bob wishes to build almost 20%, (19.9570%) of the residences the Web site claims is needed in the harbor area, all on one site, his site. Do we want 1/5 of the suspected need for more housing, all using Western Avenue and no other major street?
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And now, from the great "Your Mama" at: http://www.realestalker.blogspot.com/ comes part of a post that deals with Beverly Hills own Bob Bisno.

It seems he is again finding ways to remain in the house he still may owe millions of dollars on a loan he took out, for whatever reasons.

http://realestalker.blogspot.com/2008/05/mish-mash-monday.html

Bisno Bizness Update

"In other luxury property foreclosure bizness, we've learned that controversial Bev Hills based real estate developer Robert Bisno has once again managed to obtain a "temporary restraining order" to push back the date of his scheduled foreclosure auction to June 4, 2008.


The children will recall that the really rich Mister Bisno somehow landed himself in some financial hot water and his gigantic Beverly Park mansion was scheduled to be sold (see third item) at auction over what the Priority Posting website shows is a defaulted debt of $5,382,794.02.


Your Mama is flabbergasted that a man with Bisno's big bank accounts seemingly can't juggle his numbers and work his abacus in such a way that he would scare up five and some million clams to save his 11,984 square foot house. But who knows?"

Thank you "Your Mama", you have come through again!
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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You really need to make sure of your sources before you give out erroneuos information! Many of us want to see a hearing take place. Don't let people in the council office take advantage of you by using you to feed false info.

M Richards said...

Thanks anonymous 3:37 PM,

I allowed hope that something big may finally be happening to cloud my writing.

Nobody from any office claimed, when I first learned of the hearing, what the hearing would be about. That is how I let hope overtake reason.

It will be interesting to read if any responses to the many comments to the DEIR suggest what Bob's folks will be claiming as to the number of school age students POSSIBLY living at Ponte Vista.

If the non-age restricted number of units drop from 1,725 down to 1,100, then I wonder if Bob's people will claim that only 127 or so school age students will live at Ponte Vista.

I was surprised to find, in my regular inbox, a copy of the May '08 Ponte Vista newsletter.

I don't remember signing anything that remotely suggested that I had magically become a supporter of Bob's weapon of mass development. I wonder if visiting the Ponte Vista's revamped Web sites places a cookie that they feel they can claim visitors as supporters.

I've Emailed Elise Swanson and asked that any and all information as to whether I am a supporter of Bob's current plans be eliminated.

I'm keeping some information away from this blog until I make sure it is credible enough for publication. Nothing big, though.
MW

Anonymous said...

so, there's no hearing then?

M Richards said...

Thanks anonymous 4:26 PM.

There is going to be a hearing, but it is not going to be 'earth shattering' or be anwhere that close to a final hearing.

Folks closely connected with the Ponte Vista issues, especially with the Draft Environmental Impact Report, will be interested in attending the hearing, I feel.

I hope, but cannot say for certain, whether the comments from the DEIR and/or the responses to those comments will be made available.

The hearing is another piece of the journey that is still continuing to be a long, long one.

The months keep ticking away as nothing has been decided. This is probably not a bad thing for opponents of Bob's weapon of mass development, I feel.
MW