Friday, September 12, 2008

Odds and Ends 82

A very tiny trickle of information has seeped out of the trailers of the Ponte Vista Outreach Team as to the minimum number of units Bob will accept at the 61.53 acre site.

The number, in my personal opinion, is still way, way too many units no matter what types they are.

Since the information is coming out by the Ponte Vista folk(s), I think if you wish to learn that number you should inquire of them as to that figure.
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The above now allows those of you who have been thinking that Bob has had a certain number in mind all along, but has been trying for more, some grounds for more speculation.

Perhaps the number that came out of the trailers is the number Bob really wanted all along.

Perhaps the number suggests that Bob and the Outreach Team may have been 'playing' supporters with two different sets of numbers, but really are willing to accept a number Bob established long ago.

Now of course I think it is perfectly natural and probably justified to learn from the Outreach Team that my 'perhapes' are totally incorrect, but it might make some wonder.

I have always tried to believe that the numbers given out by Bob and the Outreach Team are the numbers he is/was trying to get acceptance to build.

I use "Bob's current plans" liberally throughout my postings because as the numbers have changed in the past, so might they change in the future.

Since Bob and his Outreach Team seem to now know the number he and they will accept, I will continue to use "Bob's current plans" rather than suggesting any other number.

I can imagine that between now and the reveal by the Planning Department, Bob and the Outreach Team may open up their reveal of the minimum number of units that has trickled out in a last ditch attempt to garner more support for that number of units.

Are there, already in the works, illustrations of Ponte Vista at San Pedro with the number of units that Bob may be willing to build on the site?
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A little birdie told me to look towards the last week in September or the first week in October to learn what comes out from the Planning Department.
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It is with great joy that I announce the demise, passing, folding, end of, and exiting of R Neighborhoods Are 1's Rudderless Steering Committee.

The group has decided to place a rudder on itself and you will not believe what is in store, for the group.

I am not going to issue a report about what is going to happen, but I strongly believe that when we hear from the newly ruddered Steering Committee, there will be some really big news items that will not be liked by folks in the trailers.
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Just about everyone reading this blog and thousands and thousands of individuals now know that R Neighborhoods Are 1 is ramping up their fundraising drive.
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An Important Message From R NEIGHBORHOODS ARE 1
We need your help!

The developer of Ponte Vista is working hard to change the zoning at the old Navy property on Western Avenue so he can build as many as 2,633 condominiums, including a “density bonus”.

He has several big money lobbyists working to convince the planning commission and city council that San Pedro actually wants his mega-project.

The planning department will soon make a recommendation; its report will then go to the planning commission and city council.

NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE OUR CASE
WE NEED TO RAISE MONEY TO PAY OUR ATTORNEYS!

If you are concerned about adding 8,000 new residents, if you are concerned about adding 60 percent more cars on Western THEN PLEASE DONATE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

Here is a way to contribute to this important cause:

Send a check payable to “R Neighborhoods Are 1" with a notation that it is for the legal defense fund to:

R Neighborhoods Are 1
1840 S. Gaffey St. #316
San Pedro, Ca. 90731-5361
info@rneighborhoodsare1.org

Several people have asked whether we can recoup our attorney fees. The answer is maybe. For example, if we are successful in an action against the city or the developer, we could receive an award of attorney fees. If we do, we will return pro rata shares of donations. If you have further questions, please respond to this e-mail or leave a message on the website and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Thank you in advance for all you can do
to help preserve our community’s quality of life!

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Here is an explanation about the use of "2,633" used by R Neighborhoods are 1:

If Bob were to be approved for a Specific Plan that would allow for "1,950" units, and having approximately 340 of them with prices set for "workforce families" and "first-time home buyers" it is strongly suggested that he would be automatically allowed to have a "density bonus" that would allow for a total of 2,633 condos on the 61.53 acre Ponte Vista at San Pedro site, instead of the "1,950" he is currently using according to his current plans.

Since the city of Los Angeles continues to claim that there is a housing shortage in the area, it is almost guaranteed that Mr. Bisno would be granted such a "density bonus" that would allow him to build almost 700 more units that his current plans includes.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

THE ALL-ABOUT-ME MAYOR: ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA'S FRENETIC SELF-PROMOTION

Hours of travel, fund-raising and PR leave little time for his job

BY PATRICK RANGE MCDONALD

Published on September 11, 2008

http://www.laweekly.com


HOW MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA SPENDS HIS 16-HOUR DAYS

BY PATRICK RANGE MCDONALD

Published on September 11, 2008

MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA logged roughly 900 hours of work during a 10-week period from May 21 to August 1, a time during which he repeatedly touted his 16-to-18-hour, seven-day-a-week workload. (Click here for main feature, "The All-About-Me Mayor," by Patrick Range McDonald.)
L.A. Weekly found that his days actually average about 13 hours, and we sorted the approximately 900total hours into five categories. (To view a PDF of his schedule obtained by the L.A. Weekly go here.)

TRIPS: 34 percent of his official workload, 310 hours, was spent on out-of-town travel — 10 times in 10weeks. Most of it was blacked out by Villaraigosa's office, but the Weekly has independently determined that he made fund-raising jaunts to New York, Chicago and San Francisco, plus traveled to Hawaii, Israel, London, Miami (where he fit in a quick fund-raiser), Oakland and San Diego.

GAP TIME: 24 percent of his official workload, or 220 hours, was only vaguely identified. These areas of his hour-by-hour schedule were dominated by gap-time activities, such as continually moving from one event to another.

BLACKED OUT: 21 percent of his official workload, or 186 hours, was largely blacked-out time the Weekly could not identify but which was said by the mayor's aides to be spent on fund-raising for his 2009 mayoral race, and personal, family and "security-related" activities.

CEREMONIAL OR PR: 10 percent of his official workload, or 88 hours, was spent on largely ceremonial or public-relations endeavors, including staged press conferences (usually on noncritical or fluffy topics rather than breaking news), prepping for staged press conferences, giving prearranged media interviews and attending ceremonies, receptions, luncheons, banquets and awards.

CITY WORK: 11 percent of his official workload, or 96 hours, was spent in Los Angeles doing direct work on city business. A big chunk of that time involved meeting with special-interest or lobbying groups, while another chunk — 11 hours — went to participating as a voting board member at Metro transit meetings. This category also included policy work, three hours and 45 minutes in discussions with his chief of staff, three hours and 15 minutes signing legislative documents, two hours and 25 minutes spent on "call time/correspondence," and occasional meetings with city department heads.

Anonymous said...

I find it interesting that there is both a "housing shortage" according to City hall and a "glut of homes on the market keepng prices down," according to everyone else. These seem to be mutually exclusive states. It is a fact that single family homes are available in San Pedro for less than Bisno's proposed prices at Ponte Vista, R-1 homes on their own parcels with no common walls.Yet Bisno's people continue to claim that they will be building "workforce housing" that would not be possible at R-1. Interesting.