We're onthe Tele Again and Again

Here is the body of an Email that was sent to me by a wonderful fellow:

Hi Mark,

FYI, the Ponte Vista public hearing will be shown on LA City Channel 35 at 11:25 PM on Friday, July 4th. It will repeat once immediately afterwards. This is service for households in the City of LA that receive this channel.

For residents outside the City boundaries or those who prefer to watch it online, there will also be a hyperlink to the City's website early next week so that folks may view at their convenience. I will send you the link once it is up and running.
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I hope you all watch the broadcasts and see it online. I think as you see and hear each speaker, you will get a better understanding of why so many of us oppose Bob's current plans.

You should also be able to not see or hear from many of Bob's 'supporters' who came as a group. Sure those folks has a speaker speaking for them, but what interested them was the 'agreement' signed by Bob and the Union.

There was a representative for Walden House speaking about those gentlemen were hoping for more employment from Bob.

Seems to me that those two groups were after financial benefits from Ponte Vista. How is that different from 'being bought' as one opponent opined?

You will also see and hear from representatives of business groups and several business owners. Now don't you think it is quite natural for those speakers to support the possible added income pointed their way by residents of a massive development?

And how is that not 'being bought' by Bisno's fairy tale of a plan?

I hope you all remember, while watching the tele, that folks who claim support for the '10,000 square feet' of retail within Ponte Vista understand that that part of the project is slated to be the last thing built IF the project heads to build out, instead of not finishing all phases of the project.

You will be able to watch, and hopefully tape (6-hour mode) all the folks who oppose Bob's current plans.

Of course traffic issues were repeated, but Bob has acknowledged privately and publicly that traffic issues are the number one through about a thousand of the first issues.

David Shinder, Bob's traffic engineer told Bob that "2300" was the maximum number of units he thought Bob could build and still successfully mitigate all traffic issues.

Mr. Shinder's opinion was the reason Bob came up with "2300" in the first place and not because he wanted to provide the area with more or fewer units, but because it was always based on traffic.

I have written my recollections of my discussion with Bob directly on that issue. Bob may deny it, but I think folks trust me more than Bob.

When watching the hearing you will also see the diverse reasons, beyond traffic, that are given in opposition to Bob's plans.

On the supporting side there is:

"Bob will mitigate traffic"

More jobs will be created in the community.

More spending will come from residents and into the community.
Seniors need housing.

There is a great need for "workforce housing" in the community.
It will be "affordable".

There will be on site retail.

Eastview Little League will get fields and Mary Star will get a road.

Now, let's contrast those reasons with just some of the reasoning given by speakers, during the hearing:

Traffic mitigation is already being constructed at taxpayers' expense.

The site is within the blast zone of twin 13 Million Gallon LPG/Propane tanks.

Residences at Ponte Vista will have residents who will not be able to spend enough money within the five-mile radius of the property, in the city of Los Angeles to fund infrastructure.

There are only 6/10 of a job per resident in San Pedro meaning that most employed residents of Ponte Vista will have to commute.

Bob is not legally bound to build anything. Once he receives entitlements to the properties, he has legal rights to sell some or all of them off.

The closest stop for any direct mass transit system is in the middle of the Harbor Freeway at P.C.H.

Nobody has objectively asked members of the community whether they feel they want or need the types of housing Bob is planning on building.

It's just too big.

Ponte Vista sits at the "front door" of Rancho Palos Verdes, a city unto its own that Bob has not actively worked with constructively.

Western Avenue may still be victimized by more storm drain issue.

Residents will shop at Target or at stores in other cities and thus not generate enough income to maintain even the infrastructure of Ponte Vista, leaving other Angelenos to cover costs with their taxes.

The only ingress and egress road for Ponte Vista is also one of the very few access routes out of San Pedro should terrorists strike or some other disaster strikes the Port of L.A.

It is NOT "affordable" within the framework of true low-income housing.

Bob claimed that the starting price of a condo (600 square feet loft) would be approximately "$330,000" or "mid 300,000's" with a median price of "$467,000" at this time. There would be units at Ponte Vista exceeding 1 Million Dollars in price.

Supporters did not site the monthly fees and costs associated with living in a condo project.

How can Eastview Little League use a public park owned by the city of L.A. and how would EVLL compensate the Dept. of Parks and Rec. for the use of fields?

Student generation numbers used by Bob's organization are extremely flawed.

Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council DOES NOT endorse Bob's current plans no matter what their President (a Bisno supporter) says.

Traffic counts, tables used to calculate traffic, levels of service, and just about all of the traffic studies undertaken for Ponte Vista are flawed and do not accurately represent what might truly be at a built-out Ponte Vista.
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I could continue to illustrate the diversity of the opposition to Bob's plans and how they contrast with the far fewer reasons given to support the development, but is would be like shooting fish in a very small barrel.

I don't get the city of L.A.'s channel at my house, so I'll have to watch the Internet and take notes.

Because it is being shown before July 11, you all have more chances to get ideas on what you want to submit in the form of written comments to the hearing officer. Goody!