Friday, June 26, 2009

Odds and Ends 123

The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project received approval from the Rancho Palos Verdes Planning Commission this week.

What this probably means to folks dealing with Ponte Vista at San Pedro is that there may be more students living along Palos Verdes Drive North in the College's 'Palos Verdes North' off-campus housing site.

The College's supporters removed the addition of on-campus housing at the Palos Verdes Drive East site and there could be as much as a 40% increase in traffic for the College along Western Avenue between 1St. Street and Palos Verdes Drive North.

If folks at the College wish to attempt to significantly increase the off-campus housing at Palos Verdes North, they will need to deal with the Los Angeles City Planning Department, local residents, and perhaps, supporters of Ponte Vista at San Pedro.

I think there could be significant opposition to expanding the housing and traffic at Palos Verdes North by Eastview Residents and residents of parts of Lomita and Harbor City.
____________________________________________

I've seen no announcement about any public meetings or open houses in July by the Ponte Vista Outreach Team. But then again, I haven't done a good job of asking the folks in the trailers when the meetings may be.

The Outreach Team's www.yourpontevista.com didn't have any new information on it since early June.
____________________________________________

The rumors still continue to come to my ears and eyes about Ponte Vista.

I don't usually deal with rumors unless I have independent knowledge about things from multiple sources.

Sometimes it is fun to consider some rumors especially when they continue to come from a variety of folks who don't necessarily talk to each other.

I guess one very long running rumor can't hurt writing about once in a while. It can be even juicer when a new wrinkle or two are mixed in.

The very old, long standing, and perhaps correct rumor is that the developers of Ponte Vista is simply doing their best to receive whatever entitlements they can glean from those in power. Then, with entitlements in tow, put the land on the market for sale and leave town without developing the site.

This old rumor has been around for quite while and was very strong during 'The Bob Years'.

If continues to be spoken about by folks in many different circles and by folks who don't usually associate with each other.

The new wrinkle that may be gaining ground is that all of this is continuing so the folks at the Outreach Team can remain employed.

I have absolutely no problem with this new wrinkle because as an unemployed person, I think everyone who can keep a job should do their best to continue to get a paycheck.

Having open houses and other public meetings when the developer has already stated his intention looks like it is a great way to remain employed and also provide some funds to other businesses.

There has not been any indication that Mr. Fentin is considering anything other than his current project's details and numbers, with or without expected open houses or public meetings.

If folks wish to gather to discuss and debate prior to the Planning Commission's status report meeting on August 13, that seems great to me.
____________________________________________

Come to think of it, there may be a great opportunity for students in higher levels of education to study the marketing of Ponte Vista at San Pedro during 'The Bob Years' and up until the final decisions are made or the project folds.

There is now shortage of information, statistics, and writings on all sides to help marketing other business students learn how to or how not to market a project is difficult financial and social times.

Heck, between Pat Nave's and my collection of information and the library of information from the developers and Outreach Team, perhaps one of the members of the Outreach Team or even Pat could teach an entire class at U.S.C. or U.C.L.A. on the marketing of the largest residential development project since Playa Vista was approved.

I know there are a great number of folks who have already received more education concerning development than they ever expected or wanted to.

Maybe an upper division or graduate class called "Ponte Vista----marketing during a financial and civic disaster" could be developed.

There should be some room in the class for the study of how a great number of members of a community can fight development and how a great number of members of a community can support the same development.

Ponte Vista at San Pedro being used as a model to be studied would probably become a hit class to take.
_____________________________________________

May I offer a suggestion? It is a morbid, but sometimes necessary one when one lives or commutes along Western Avenue.

If you don't subscribe to "The Daily Breeze" you may wish to go online to www.dailybreeze.com and regularly check the obituaries.

Last Saturday I saw a funeral procession along Western Avenue making its way to Green Hills Memorial Park directly across the entrance to Ponte Vista. The procession contained five motorcycle units stopping traffic along the way.

Sadly, the more motorcycles one sees, the longer the procession.

Since I have lived five houses away from Western for so many years I have learned when to look at the paper and know when I can travel along Western and when it is stopped up by processions.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The traffic collision on Western near Toscanini earlier this week did nothing to improve things and was quite the problem.
____________________________________________

Summer is here and there are Internet sites that provide quite a bit of information about happenings in OUR community we all might enjoy.

www.pedrocalendar.com is Kristina Smith's site that spells out in about the best details what is happening.

www.sanpedrocalendar.com is part of SanPedro.com and offers a different style of listing events.

www.sanpedroissuestoponder.blogspot.com is my blog that has a summer events post that isn't complete, but it may help.

But probably the most important date we all are waiting for is August 13, 2009 when the Los Angeles City Planning Commission is expected to make more considerations concerning Ponte Vista at San Pedro.

During the last meeting, the Commissioners wanted the developer and the Planning Department to offer an update or ongoing comment on what is happening concerning Ponte Vista and the necessary steps all must take to move the project forward.

If not much has been happening between the developer and the Planning Department, that may signal something and mean more time is necessary to either move the project forward or watch it fade away.

I have no idea how long Planning Commissioners are willing to wait on a project's development or lack thereof.
____________________________________________

No comments: