New Meeting Date!

The Harbor Area Planning Commission has rescheduled its meeting concerning the Ponte Vista at San Pedro project.

The new meeting date is Tuesday December 2, 2008. The meeting time is 4:00 PM

A new location for the meeting has been found. It is the Port of L.A. Boys and Girls Club. The add address of the Club is: 100 W. 5th Street, San Pedro, California.

The phone number to the Club is: 310-831-5232.

This information has been confirmed on November 19, 2008 With at least one representative of local government.
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Here is a letter to the editor that appeared in last Friday's Daily Breeze. The signature the paper used was from Mr. Bruce Horton. He was just one member of the R Neighborhoods Are 1 Steering Committee who signed the letter. His signature was not the only signature on the original letter.

"Here we go again. Yet another Ponte Vista hearing.

This one is important. It is at the Warner Grand at 4:30 PM on Tuesday, November 18th, before the Harbor Area Planning Commission.

The trouble is, three of the five members of the Commission have already made up their minds. While all are fine persons, they are not impartial on this project and should recuse themselves..

Commissioners Camilla Townsend and Joeann Valle are the CEOs of two local Chambers of Commerce. Both Chambers have endorsed the project. In addition, the Chair of the San Pedro Chamber, John Ek [Townsend’s boss], is a paid lobbyist for Ponte Vista. Ms. Townsend has personally drummed up support for the project from local groups as part of her paid work. Ms. Valle has also been actively supporting the project. In fact, she is a member of Ponte Vista’s Advisory Board.

The third Commissioner, Gloria Lockhart, is the President and CEO of a local nonprofit organization in San Pedro that has received major contributions from Ponte Vista. Ms. Lockhart has appeared at previous hearings, complete with big “Ponte Vista Supporter” sticker, and spoken in favor of the project.

We deserve better. We deserve an impartial Commission. Los Angeles ethics rules say that a Commissioner should step down where the public might be reasonably concerned about their impartiality.

By now, these three commissioners should have recused themselves or the Mayor should have instructed them not to participate. Because this hasn’t happened, the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council and several board members of the Northwest San Pedro, Central San Pedro, and Harbor City councils have asked the City Attorney to rule on the matter.

We are still waiting for a ruling. We haven’t heard from the Mayor either.

The three Commissioners should do the right thing and not participate in the hearing on (November 18th.)" December 2, 2008.

Bruce Horton
San Pedro, California
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It is no secret that Bob Bisno needs to find a way to get some more support for his massive project.

He and his Outreach Team are trying their best to get some kind of recommendation from even three members of the Harbor Area Planning Commission, if it supports his plans.

The Harbor Area Planning Commission voted unanimously, earlier this year, to take up the Ponte Vista issue, receive comments about it, and then offer a recommendation to the Los Angeles City Planning Commission.

Since that vote was taken, it was learned that the Harbor Area Planning Commission is not authorized to take on votes concerning large developments, including Ponte Vista at San Pedro.

Whether a recommendation from a majority of three members of the Commission is going to happen is still up in the air.

Of course, it is not certain that the December 2 meeting will even take place. The Harbor Area Planning Commissions record of actually meeting on a regular basis is not good at all, with many canceled meetings already in their more recent history.

It is strongly suggested though, that all parties on any side of the Ponte Vista issue be prepared and willing to attend the scheduled meeting and speak on the topic.

Naturally, thousands of us would prefer that the majority of speakers oppose Bob's current plans, but I know that the Ponte Vista Outreach Team will be doing the paid work required to get as many supporters to show up at the meeting as possible.

It is also true that the Steering Committee of R Neighborhoods Are 1 will be doing the all-volunteer work at having the majority of speakers talk in opposition to Bob's current plans.

Whether Union members will come to support Bob's current plans is still up in the air.

In an earlier Daily Breeze article, an attorney representing Mr. Bisno suggested that the number of units in a new plan from Bob Bisno might only have "1700" units. Whether the agreements between Bob and some Unions were written to allow for unionized construction work at Ponte Vista on a number fewer than 1,950 is unknown.

I must comment here that I do know a total number of units Bob earlier suggested he could build and still be willing to use unionized labor, and still provide all the 'amenities' he has promised. That total number is less than "1700" units.

Whether you wish to attend the December 2 meeting or not, many of us feel certain that the most important of the two meetings coming up regarding Ponte Vista at San Pedro is the Los Angeles City Planning Commission meeting on December 11, 2008.

At that meeting, a recommendation could be provided to the Los Angeles City Council as to what the Commissioners feel should be allowed for at the 61.53 acre site in northwest San Pedro.

The City Planning Commission meeting will commence in the morning and the meeting site is in downtown Los Angeles. I know that this site and meeting time may be a struggle for many people, but it is absolutely vital for as many opponents of Bob's current plans to show up at that meeting as possible.

Please 'stay tuned' to this site, look for Emails, and keep your eyes and ears open as we move much more quickly towards real decisions regarding Ponte Vista.

The release of the Staff Report from the Planning Department is still somewhat expected on November 21, but do not bet the farm or even a chicken coop on that.