Venice Stakeholders Association

2022 VENICE STAKEHOLDER ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS VENICE STAKEHOLDERS ASSOCIATION AND VENICE BOARDWALK PROPERTY OWNERS RENEWED "FIRE RISK" NOTICE TO THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. AN EARLIER LETTER NOTED THE CITY'S "EXTREME NEGLIGENCE- AND LIABILITY FROM ALLOWING HUNDREDS OF TENTS TO STAND NEXT TO OR WITHIN MERE FEET OF FIRE- VULNERABLE STRUCTURES ALONG OCEAN FRONT WALK AND ELSEWHERE IN VENICE. IN THAT LETTER, ATTORNEY JEFF LEWIS WROTE THAT "THE RECENT FIRE AT 723 OCEAN FRONT WALK ON JANUARY 13, 2021, WHICH DESTROYED A LARGE OFFICE BUILDING AND THREATENED AN ADJACENT APARTMENT BUILDING AND SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCES, REVEALED IN THE CLEAREST TERMS THAT THE LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT IS NOT IN SOME INSTANCES CAPABLE OF SUPPRESSING MAJOR FIRES IN VENICE TO PREVENT PROPERTY DESTRUCTION AND, BY LOGICAL EXTENSION, PREVENT LOSS OF LIFE OR SERIOUS INJURY TO INHABITANTS OF STRUCTURES IN VENICE." IN 2022, LEWIS ISSUED ANOTHER LETTER TO CITY OFFICIALS AGAIN NOTING THE EXTREME FIRE RISK INHERENT IN THE CITY'S TOLERANCE OF TRANSIENT CAMPING NEAR STRUCTURES. THE VSA CONTINUED, ALONG WITH FRIENDS OF THE BOARDWALK, TO CHRONICLE ILLEGAL CAMPING ALONG VENICE BEACH IN AN ONGOING COLLABORATION WITH THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT (LAPD), LOS ANGELES RECREATION AND PARKS DEPARTMENT (LARPD), AND THE DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION, TO LESSEN FIRE RISKS, AND INCREASE PUBLIC SAFETY FOR VISITORS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE. BY THE END OF THE YEAR THE NUMBER OF TRANSIENTS STILL CAMPING IN AND AROUND THE BEACH AND BOARDWALK WAS ABOUT 43. HOWEVER, WITH CONSTANT ATTENTION BY THE LAPD, LARPD AND DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION, THERE WERE FEW IF ANY TENTS AND NO STRUCTURES OR LEAN-TOS BY THE END OF THE YEAR. THE VSA CALLED FOR A COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT (CDP) FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE LEASE BY THE CITY OF THE MTA LOT AT MAIN AND SUNSET FOR BRIDGE HOUSING. IN JUNE OF 2022, VSA ATTORNEY JOHN HENNING SUBMITTED A LEGAL BRIEF TO THE CITY NOTING THAT ANY EXTENSION OF THE LEASE BY THE CITY OF THE MTA'S FORMER BUS SERVICE FACILITY FOR A HOMELESS SERVING FACILITY WOULD, UNDER THE TERMS OF THE COASTAL COMMISSION'S PREVIOUS THREE-YEAR WAIVER FOR THE PROJECT, REQUIRE A COMPLETELY NEW CDP. IN NOVEMBER, WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL CALENDARED THE RENEWAL OF THE LEASE WITHOUT A CDP, THE VSA AGAIN REMINDED THE CITY OF THE COMMISSION REQUIREMENT FOR A CDP AND INDICATED IT WOULD BRING SUIT IF THE EXTENSION WAS APPROVED WITHOUT ONE. (THE VSA EVENTUALLY FILED SUIT IN EARLY 2023 TO INVALIDATE THE ILLEGAL LEASE EXTENSION.) SUPPORTED CLEARING OF NORTH VENICE BOULEVARD WEST OF ELECTRIC AVENUE. THE VSA ASSISTED THE RESIDENTS OF THIS AREA IN KEEPING CLEAR A LARGE, PRIVATE DIRT STRIP ALONG THE BOULEVARD AND URGED THE OWNER AND HIS ARCHITECT TO ENCLOSE IT WITH A CONSTRUCTION FENCE TO PREVENT ILLEGAL DUMPING AND FIRES. (THE FENCE WAS INSTALLED IN EARLY 2023). MAINTAINED 55 PLANTER BOXES AND THE GONDOLA GARDEN. THE VSA CONTINUED TO PROVIDE REGULAR MAINTENANCE FOR THE 55 4'X10' PLANTER BOXES INSTALLED IN 2018 BY RESIDENTS AND THE VSA ON ALL THREE SIDES OF THE VENICE POST OFFICE. MAINTENANCE CONSISTS OF WATERING, WEEDING, RE-SUPPLYING OF STOLEN PLANTS, AND REMOVING TRASH, DEBRIS, AND HUMAN AND FOOD WASTE AT THESE LOCATIONS. THE VSA ALSO PERIODICALLY PAINTED OVER ANY GRAFFITI ON THE BOXES. THE VSA ALSO ROUTINELY HAS PAID FOR WEED CLEARANCE AND OTHER GARDENING AT THE GONDOLA GARDEN ON THE VENICE TRAFFIC CIRCLE. CONTINUED TO SUPERVISE PERMITTING OF 55 PLANTER BOXES. INITIALLY, CITY OFFICIALS HAD INDICATED THAT A PERMIT FOR THIS PROJECT WAS NOT NECESSARY. LATER, WHEN THE CITY CHANGED COURSE AND REQUIRED A RETROACTIVE PERMIT, VSA RAISED THE FUNDS FOR PREPARATION OF DETAILED DRAWINGS OF THE INSTALLATION AND FOR THE APPLICATION AND PERMIT FEES. VSA RECEIVED FORMAL SUPPORT FROM THE VENICE POST OFFICE MANAGEMENT ON THIS APPLICATION. VSA VICE-PRESIDENT RUSS CLETTA, A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, HAS LED THIS EFFORT ON A PRO-BONO BASIS. WITH A CHANGE IN THE COUNCIL'S REPRESENTATIVE IN DECEMBER, 2022, NEGOTIATIONS HAVE RESUMED IN FINALIZING THE PERMIT. REPRESENTED VENICE RESIDENTS WITH LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS MEDIA. THE VSA CONTINUED TO REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF VENICE RESIDENTS CONCERNED WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, PARKING AND OVER-DEVELOPMENT. VSA'S PRESIDENT CONDUCTED OVER 20 INTERVIEWS WITH LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PRESS REPRESENTATIVES, APPEARING ON SEVERAL LOCAL TV AND RADIO STATIONS, INCLUDING AN APPEARANCE ON THE NATIONALLY-SYNDICATED DR. PHIL SHOW IN A TWO-EPISODE SERIES ON AMERICA'S HOMELESS CRISIS.