Odds and Ends 119

I have seen more "Road Work Ahead" signs in a larger area but still near to the Ponte Vista site.

There is an orange sign with black lettering along eastbound Palos Verdes Drive North as it nears Western Avenue. 

I still don't know what is going on, but I will try to learn more next week.

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In John Mavar's monthly column in the San Pedro Today magazine he states that R1 is dead.

I think Mr. Mavar needs to be reminded that there are a significant number of members of OUR community who do not believe this is true. They are still working for that type of zoning to remain at the Ponte Vista at San Pedro site whether we like it or not.

There are many factions and many voices still to be heard even in this climate of more understanding and communication. 

As I can continue to repeat, there is still no human on this or any other planet, nor in orbit inside the International Space Station that knows what will be approved of for Ponte Vista.

Not even John Mavar.

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I will be dealing with the Marymount project and some new information about the Terranea project on my east R.P.V. blog.

Marymount has rescinded its request for on-campus housing but there has been no decision made at this time whether the College will seek to enlarge its "Palos Verdes North" off-campus housing facility that currently houses about 300 students at the site along Palos Verdes Drive North, close to Ponte Vista.

Folks representing the College do not wish to let OUR community know about the injury accident that involved two students on Western Avenue recently. Perhaps they lived  at the Palos Verdes North facility, but I haven't been able to confirm that yet.

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The recent and related news about the very sad fatality of a student at Marymount must be taken as a moot point where any concern about on-campus housing is concerned.

Marymount rescinded its request for on-campus housing prior to the one-vehicle incident that also injured a student of the campus.

The tragedy should not play a part in any discussion about on-campus housing as it has been eliminated from the current project's plans.

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There are many upcoming Summer activities in OUR community that may involve folks representing Ponte Vista.

I hope that Ted and his development team become involved with as many of these great events as they wish to.

I believe that now we have a reasonable team assembled to work with OUR community and interacting with them should be much more pleasurable than having to deal with folks during "The Bob Years".

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Odds and Ends 118

Maybe I haven't been paying much attention lately. When I saw the "Traffic Fines Doubled In Construction Zone" facing NORTHBOUND Western Avenue traffic right at the most southern point of Ponte Vista, I didn't remember seeing it before.

Now I have no idea what is up with any construction along northbound Western Avenue adjacent to the Ponte Vista site. I didn't see any street paint that would indicate any utility company paint on the roadway pre-marking anything for future digging.

If anyone knows what is up, please reply to this blog via a comment.

I'll try this coming week to find answers.

It probably has nothing to do with the Ponte Vista development per se.

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I know that during "The Bob Years" many of us had called for tarps to be placed along the fencing to block what we called the blight of the area.

I still feel we should continue to call for more blockage of views onto the property even though there is a new developer involved. The place does look a bit better, but blight then is still blight now.

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Odds and Ends 117

I'm still working long hours and doing my best with rehearsals for "Upton Sinclair's Singing Jailbirds, the Musical" and I haven't been attending meetings I normally would have attended this month.

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It is becoming clearer to me that a new working relationship has taken hold between members of OUR community and the Ponte Vista team.

While it is certainly true that there are still many different ideas surrounding the size and scope of the project, there seems to me more avenues of communication that have opened.

There are still many people and groups that have strong opinions about the number of units and the zoning of the property.

Quite a few members of OUR community still insist that the site remain as it is currently zoned for single-family, detached housing only. These members need to be included with everyone else in the comments and working relations towards finding the best solutions for OUR community.

I am still holding firm to my current belief that the Ponte Vista Project should have equivalent dwelling density to that of The Gardens. I continue to feel that the Ponte Vista Project's team can find ways to include the different types of housing within the number equivalent to The Gardens.

There are a great number of members of OUR community who wish to see the currently preferred number of 1,395-units built on the site.

It is probably true that there are many more opinions in OUR community about the size and amenities at Ponte Vista that haven't been heard from. 

There are truly a great number of folks who also don't care about the Ponte Vista at San Pedro Project.

I continue to be encouraged by what I have been learning in the last few months. I don't know what will actually be brought before the Planning Commission when it meets again on this matter.

I strongly suspect the developers will continue to seek the 1,395-unit count whether any of us like it or not. But I do think there is now a team in place that can work much better with OUR community than during "The Bisno Years".

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The last newsletter that came in the mail from a realtor was quite dismal.

That realtor painted a bleak picture as far as home values and foreclosures in the area she deals with.

But by the time anything is under construction at Ponte Vista, the market had better be in a much better condition or we are all going to be in some real straights.

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The other big development news in the San Pedro area revolves around the new high school campus approved for the Palisades area of San Pedro.

The actual demolition and/or movement of historical buildings on the Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur has either just begun or will begin very shortly.

There is plenty of asbestos up in them thar buildings and an AQMD inspector was scheduled to visit the site this week.

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Odds and Ends 116 Late Update!

This update came via U.S. Mail on Friday.

I received copies of documentation sent by the Los Angeles City Planning Commission.

The documents represented the outcome of the appeal that the developer filed after the members of the Planning Commission voted to deny the application, vesting tract map and other things related to the Ponte Vista at San Pedro project.

It was not only natural but completely expected that the Applicant would appeal the Planning Commissioners votes.

It was also expected that the appeals would be denied.

The denial of the appeals were sustained.

All of this doesn't really mean even a mound of beans because the new development team already began new ideas for the project.

All of the above really means is that "The Bisno Years" are over! It means we all can get working together with new leadership and new visions to provide the best project for OUR community.

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With the news of the ouster of Bob's attorney Alan Abshez from the project, we might wonder who else from the "Bisno years" team may need to find new endeavors.

I have been very busy with "Upton Sinclair's Singing Jailbirds, the Musical" and I haven't had my thoughts dealing much lately with Ponte Vista.

I did notice that some of the yards are continuing to be weeded and we are thankful for that.

Please visit www.sanpedroissuestoponder.blogspot.com to learn about the production beginning in two weeks at the historic Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro.

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Other development news in the area concerns the developer of the Terranea project along the coast and his project of attempting to hold back Rancho Palos Verdes bed tax revenues once the place opens for business.

Mr. Lowe wants to hold back 8 Million Dollars of tax revenue that city would collect. This is a hot button issue in R.P.V and the May 26 meeting of the City Council should be filled beyond overflowing.

A downtown L.A. hotel developer has managed to get an agreement from the city of L.A. to hold back bed taxes for twenty years.

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The LaSalle project in downtown San Pedro in now open and looking for new residents. It is still a dismal market so folks are watching all the developments in the area to see if they can attract buyers or folks willing to sign leases.

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As far as the addition of the new environmental attorney onto the Ponte Vista team, while it looks to be a wonderful thing, I am not going to retreat from my idea that the project's dwelling density should be equal to The Gardens. I'm still looking for reasons why that is such a bad idea.

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A Wonderful and Possitive Addition for OUR Community!

Mr. Ted Fentin has done some good things recently that are very encouraging.

I do have to repeat though that I still find 1,395 units too many for the project.

The development team is moving forward in a very positive way now that should benefit everyone in OUR community. Except for those who continue to demand R1 as the only way to go.

Alan Abshez, the long time Bisno attorney who was part of the transition and continued for some time, is gone! The more everyone moves away from "The Bisno Years" the better.

Now on board is Ms. Patti Tubert. She is a retired L.A. City Attorney who specializes in environmental matters.

Mr. Pat Nave, a strong member of R Neighborhoods Are 1 spent some time talking with Ms. Tubert, who he as known for some time.

Pat reported that he is very pleased with Ms. Tubert coming on board and that she is someone that understands and can work well with OUR community.

Pat believes we can rely on Ms. Tubert's "integrity and judgement".

The timeline for going forward is still in flux as Ms. Tubert comes onboard.

Ponte Vista has also hired another environmental person.

I think we all have a much better opportunity to work along with the Ponte Vista team rather than continuing to fight or challenge them.

There will be time to deal with specific numbers in the future. But it looks like we are all going to have more input into the new environmental studies for the project.

After too many years of fighting, working together to provide the best outcome for OUR community including Ponte Vista is looking brighter and brighter, I feel.

But as I continue to write, 1,395-units is still far too many.

Thank you very much Ted, Tim, and the Outreach Team. 

Odds and Ends 115

I've got nothing this week.

I haven't seen anything new on www.yourpontevista.com recently.