Odds and Ends 194

The Wednesday evening Scoping Open House for Ponte Vista at San Pedro was fairly typical of other Scoping meetings/Open Houses, including the first one for Ponte Vista.

The one remarkable thing I am taking away from the event is seeing Mr. David Shinder returning as the project's Traffic Engineer.

Even though there are a few representatives of the new development company who may not belive what I told them, I really did ask Mr. Robert H. Bison why his originale number of "2300" was the number of units he orginally applied to build.

Bob and I were seated next to each other on the return trip from an 1100-unit Apartment complex that was the model for the Bob's original designs.

As we rode south on the 110 Freeway to view another complex as a comparison, I asked Bob Bisno directly my question of why was the number of "2,300" selected.

His response directly to me was that he asked his Traffic Engineer, Mr. David Shinder, what was the most number of units that could be built at Ponte Vista at San Pedro by doing every one of the traffic mitigation elements proposed.

Bob Bisno said that according to Mr. Shinder, 2,300-units could be built as long as all traffic mitigation was applied.

Now I heard the word "lie" used by an unnamed representative of the current development team as to the truth of Bob's statements to me.

But I was sitting next to Bob when he offered what he offered, and I didn't feel I needed any more questions about the number of units he was considering at that time.

I do have photos of the group that toured the Newport Beach complex and Bob is in some of the photos.

One of the most heated parts of the debates concerning Ponte Vista was, is, and will be traffic.

There was little, if any, respect for the numbers generated in the first Traffic and Transportation Study part of the first Environmental Impact Report.

Why the new development team continues to use Mr. Shinder and his firm as their Traffic Consultants does not work with my considering the explaination I got on Wednesday night as to why Mr. Shinder is still around.

After Bob Bisno's departure and Mr. Alan Abshez's departure, I would have thought Mr. David Shinder would have been and maybe should have been, the third departure.
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Most of the folks who attended the Open House I would refer to as, "the usual suspects".

Naturally I am a proud member of that group and it seemed revealing just a bit that the majority of those I saw in the auditorium were opponents of all of the previous plans coming during "The Bob Years" and Mr. Ted Fenton's tenure as developer.

There were some familiar faces of those who supported whatever the plans were for Ponte Vista as far back as 2005.
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Please remember that you have until November 29, 2010 to get your comments on the Initial Study and Scoping Session to the Los Angeles City Planning Department.

No matter what your opinions and comments are, they are important and will be published in legal documents regarding the project.
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Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council has a new site address. It is www.cspnc.org and that goup was opposed to the plans coming from Bob Bisno.

I do not believe that Council has taken a position on the newest parameters of the project.
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Mr. Shinder did confirm to me that the Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project's Traffic and Parking Section of its Environmental Impact Report will be included in the new Traffic and Transportation Study for the Ponte Vista at San Pedro Development.

This is a good thing for all of us because it means that newer dialy trip counts along Western by those driving to and from Marymount's campus will be studies and this was something that could not be done for either the Marymount E.I.R. or the original Ponte Vista at San Pedro E.I.R.
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I was very pleased to find a much more supportive attitude towards community members by everyone representing Ponte Vista at San Pedro at Wednesday's gathering.

I do think that the new Director of Communications for the Project might have his hands full trying to deal with R Neighborhoods Are 1, which has its Steering Committee back into having meetings. I also think challenges and issues by those stakeholders of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council might test the new fellow a bit.

It is still quite apparent that all five local Neighborhood Councils have the history and information to work with the folks at Ponte Vista towards having a nicer and better relationship between them and the new development team.

I it still to be determined whether the Communications Director would be invited to and/or accept an invitation to attend any meeting of the Steering Committee of R Neighborhoods Are 1.
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