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Parklets - Where are Ours?
The City Council's support for streetscape improvements throughout the city was recently publicized. The first projects include four new pilot parklets. Parklets are selected areas of the sidewalk made wider for street furniture, plants, bike racks, etc. They make for an improved pedestrian experience and have a traffic calming effect. Two of the new parklets are located on Spring Street downtown, another in Highland Park (York) and the last in El Sereno. With the announcement of these new parklets councilmember José Huizar remarked "I am thrilled that all four of these pilot parklets are in Council District 14." I am happy to see more evidence of the city embracing the streetscape improvement message that Take Back the Boulevard has been putting out for over a year. However, it is reasonable to ask, with these parklets now planned for elsewhere in CD14, what happened to Eagle Rock? Healthy income levels are typically a blessing. In this case it is both a curse and a blessing. Government led efforts to reinvigorate neighborhoods typically focus on neighborhoods with lower income and typically with the greatest need. Although the potential for Colorado Boulevard to be improved is huge, the need for streetscape improvements in the other areas of CD14 is probably more urgent. It is true that the average household income in Eagle Rock is higher than in Highland Park, downtown and El Sereno. The higher average income level in our community was an issue that precluded support when we initially approached agencies whose mission is to provide support for neighborhood improvement efforts. Usually being proactive is a good thing, but may be of mixed benefit in this case. More than once José Huizar has pointed out that while in other areas of CD14 the council office often takes the lead in community mobilization, Eagle Rock distinguishes itself in being proactive in initiating efforts on behalf of the community. Take Back the Boulevard was born based on a community led initiative. Although the Council Office has been a strong and supportive partner in Eagle Rock's Colorado Boulevard improvement campaign, the degree of involvement from the office has been in a supportive rather than a leadership position. The flip side is that had we not been proactive, given the comparatively healthy economics of Eagle Rock, there would probably be no active effort to improve Colorado Boulevard in existence today. Timing is everything. Take Back the Boulevard began community meetings in August, 2011. Using York Ave. as an example, in 2006 a road diet was implemented on York. A bike corral was installed in 2010. Community meetings for the parklets began in January, 2011. Based on that initial success, the Council Office provided $100,000 to support the installation of a parklet and more. In retrospect, Take Back the Boulevard is a relatively "young" community initiative as compared to the efforts that resulted in the four pilot parklets.
Eagle Rock will get its parklets, and more. Not as soon as I wished, but in good time. Take Back the Boulevard is moving forward, following a typical life-cycle for similar initiatives. Below is a Status Report for Take Back the Boulevard, explaining where we are and what comes next.
Kudos to the City Attorney's Office: It is so easy when writing a newsletter to focus on the negative. One of the negatives that many of us have experienced is when we look to one department or another at Los Angeles City Hall for assistance. It is often a frustrating experience. Writing this newsletter required me to seek updated detail information regarding the status of marijuana dispensaries. After unsuccessfully trying the normal route to get this information with no response I went directly to Jane Usher at the City Attorney's Office. Jane responded quickly and substantively. She provided a very impressive and appreciated level of response. I have not always been kind in my comments regarding the City Attorney's Office. I certainly don't want to miss this opportunity to say something good about the office and give kudos to Jane Usher.
Cirque du Rock: TERA's annual fund raiser and membership fees, which we have kept at modest levels for many years, are TERA's only source of income. In the last couple of years TERA sponsored an event that was an "evening out for drinks and dinner"; this year's event is more casual with a strong focus on the "fun factor". More information regarding the event is found below in the "Come One Come All" section. Please join us on October 27.
Membership - it Gets Better and Better: Not only does your membership in the Eagle Rock Association provide the financial support we need to continue working for the betterment of Eagle Rock, but you also get something tangible in return. This month I am pleased to announce the addition of three new merchants to our Membership Benefit program, bringing to 23 the total number of merchants giving deals to our members.
Eagle Rock Music Studio provides private music lessons and small low cost group music classes to the Eagle Rock community. The staff consists of professional musicians teaching all ages and skill levels from beginners to professionals. Students can learn a wide variety of music styles from classical, rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Latin, blues, Afro-Cuban, and everything in between. and learn to play even more instruments from a guitar to a mandolin to an accordion to an autoharp. Lessons are available for over 27 different instruments. Visit the website for more information about lessons and staff background. www.eaglerockmusicstudio.com
323-309-8467 Mission Property Services was founded in 2004 by Teresa Fulper Schrader. It acquired the clients and business of Crown Hill Realty where Ms. Schrader had been a co-owner from 1987-2003.
Mission Property Services offers a comprehensive approach to managing your real estate investment. Serving the Greater Los Angeles region, Mission Property Services offers worry-free, full service property management to owners of single family homes, condominiums, multi-family and commercial properties.
Mission Property's pioneering business model integrates the customer service and management disciplines of the property management industry at a local level. This approach and our commitment to hiring the very best professionals have resulted in strong business growth and our long-lasting tenure in the area.
Mission Property Service is pleased to offer TERA members a 10% discount on their services. Get more information regarding Mission Property Management at www.missionpropertyservices.com. You may also email Teresa at teresaf@missionpropertyservices.com or contact her by phone at 323.474.6541. Isla Cocina Pilipina: Enjoy a 15% discount on food and drink when you dine at one of Eagle Rock's newest restaurants, Isla Cocina Pilipina located at 4420 Eagle Rock Boulevard. This family owned and operated restaurant just opened its doors this past April. The restaurant offers guests a fun, educational, and casual dining experience while showcasing a menu full of modern takes on traditional Pilipino cuisine. Some of the house specialties include grilled pork belly, chicken bbq, and grilled seafood. The Tolosa family have been residents of the Eagle Rock community for 20 years. They are excited about the opportunity to make Pilipino food one of the options to choose from within the culinary hotbed that defines Eagle Rock. Isla also offers catering services and a banquet room/restaurant space that is available for meetings, mixers, parties, or other events.
http://www.islacocinapilipina.com, (323) 474-6012  Bob Gotham, President
Support TERA - Become a Member
Join now at http://www.tera90041.org/join-paypal.htm . Memberships begin at only $15.
Membership has benefits! Discounts are available for TERA Members at the following participating merchants. Look for the TERA Membership Decals at merchant locations. Just show your active membership card. Click on http://www.tera90041.org/benefits.htm to see the member benefits offered by each merchant.
If you are a merchant and would like to participate in this program, which includes free advertising in the eLetter, please email president@tera90041.org.
The more things change the more they stay the same. A year ago the city was stymied. Based on the experience in Eagle Rock, the city had virtually no effective way to regulate or limit medical marijuana dispensaries. Recently after much City Council effort, an announcement was made that a "gentle ban" had been put in place, and the city would now have necessary tools to bring order to this industry until the State finally clarified the issue. Enthusiasm regarding the "Gentle Ban" may have been premature.
In response to the ban, dispensary advocates successfully mounted a signature gathering campaign requiring that a referendum be placed on a ballot. Until the issue is voted on, implementation of the gentle ban is on hold; it cannot be enforced. The City Attorney's Office feels it still can take some action based on land use considerations. However, for 9 months, over 40 cases based on land-use violations have been in front of a judge who is reluctant to rule that these cases have merit and can go forward. This leaves little hope that this strategy will change the dispensary landscape here or elsewhere in the City.
Replacing the Gentle Ban with something called the Limited Immunity Ordinance is another approach. At the City Council's request, the City Attorney's Office developed the Limited Immunity Ordinance concurrent with the Gentle Ban. The Limited Immunity Ordinance would allow 182 long operating dispensaries that meet certain criteria, to stay in operation. Of the 15 dispensaries currently located in Eagle Rock, only 4 of them are found on the list of 182 dispensaries.
Should the (LIO) Limited Immunity Ordinance become the law, one could theoretically anticipate just 4 dispensaries in Eagle Rock. But there are two factors that will significantly influence the real outcome. While limiting the number of dispensaries city-wide, the LIO does allow dispensaries to relocate city-wide within certain parameters (distance from a school, church, etc.). Given that Eagle Rock appears to be an unusually desirable dispensary location, it is likely that some dispensaries will relocate here when others here are closed. It is also very likely that dispensaries not on the "authorized" list will join forces to litigate against the LIO. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
As reported in the last eLetter, requests for various cross walk improvements have been submitted to the DOT by the Council Office. I am continuing my efforts to get an update on the status of those requests.
The Master Vision Plan document, which will articulate an overall vision for the future Colorado Boulevard, and provide a framework for moving forward with various improvements, is still in the process of being developed. We revisited the approach for developing this important document. I feel that the changes we incorporated will make it a stronger and more effective document.
Friday, September 22 was national Park(ing) Day. Take Back the Boulevard sponsored a demonstration parklet on Colorado Boulevard. This will be more fully report in the next eLetter.
I am happy to report that the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council approved our request for $4,900 in assistance for the 2012 - 2013 time frame. However, questions were posed regarding the validity of some supportive council members' votes. Neighborhood Councils must adhere to city-wide rules when voting to provide financial assistance. In the broadest interpretation of the rules, since TERA is involved with Take Back the Boulevard (Financial Administrator), anyone who is a TERA member and a member of the Neighborhood Council could not vote on any TERA related financial matter that comes before the Neighborhood Council. For instance, the council president, Michael Larsen, is a TERA member. In discussing with Michael Larsen, we both feel the guideline intent, which would be valid, is to not allow an individual to vote on something in which they have the potential to receive a financial gain. That certainly makes sense. None of the questionable voters will receive any financial benefit from a grant from the Neighborhood Council that is to be used totally by Take Back the Boulevard. Michael is asking the City Attorney's Office for guidance.
In the near future we will begin the process of applying for grants. There are many factors that determine the winning applicants. One of the qualities that makes a grant application stronger is for the grant reviewers to note that the grant application includes a well-defined, easily understood vision of how the grant funds would be used. We are fortunate that a very skilled graphic artist has offered his services pro-bono and will soon begin creating photograph mock-ups of how the Boulevard might look once various improvements are implemented.
On another note, the Glendale City Council recently approved a plan that calls for roughly $5.8 million in bicycle improvements. This will add about 40 miles of bike lanes and routes, doubling the amount the city of Glendale currently has.
This abandoned project continues to provide largest single area of blight in our neighborhood. Both scale of the project and the very visible location make solving this problem key to the character of Eagle Rock. There is a little good news. But first the background. As regular eLetter readers may recall, TERA began meeting with the Council Office months ago to brainstorm how to better move forward on this challenge.
It is usually true that virtually any piece of property will sell if the price is right. That is true when the buyer has a relatively clear view of how much it will cost them to develop the property. If price were the only issue I think the property would have sold long ago. With this propterty, the difficulty is for any developer to adequately assess what it will cost them to complete the development. Especially troubling is the fact that building codes have changed significantly since this project was begun. There is not a lot of clarity regarding how much that is done can stay, and how much would need to be demolished and rebuilt.
There have been several interested buyers. Unfortunately, each one ultimately decided that there were too many unknowns and they walked away. To help the process along, an individual within the planning department has been given the responsibility of being the center-post for all communication regarding this property. This should ensure that consistent answers are provided. In the past conflicting information from Planning Department personnel has been an issue.
Currently the Council Office is working with a very interested buyer. Progress is slow but it does appear that some move forward is being made addressing the issues that have been created by the changes in building codes.
For the first time, anywhere in the world, Cirque du Rock will pitch its unique tent in Eagle Rock on Saturday, October 27, 2012. We hope you will be there.
Lion tamers, ghosts and goblins, ring masters, witches, mystics and bearded ladies are all invited to convene at the Twentieth Century Women's' Club. Cirque du Rock is a unique celebration honoring the spirit of Halloween and paying homage to the special feeling of the circus of our youth.
Music of today and yesterday will entice the spirits of this world and the other to dance the festive night away. Guests will enjoy a selection of tasty circus treats. Visit the Three Ring Bar where a wide array of beverages will be available for purchase. Come dressed as your favorite circus cast member of the past or today, and participate in the costume contest.
Please support TERA and plan for a unique and fun evening by saving October 27, 2012 for Cirque Du Rock.
Tickets are on sale now at http://www.tera90041.org.
For further information, please email president@TERA90041.org or call 323.799.1190.
Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council Elections - October 13 This is a unique year in which all positions on the Council or in play. Many candidates have placed their names before the community for support. Recently our Neighborhood Council has been a disciplined, organized and thoughtful group that surely made contributions to the welfare of Eagle Rock. It has not always been that way and there is no guarantee it will be in the future. As always, our Neighborhood Council will be defined by the quality of those who are elected to the Council. Do your part by becoming informed regarding the candidates at http://www.eaglerockcouncil.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=120&Itemid=129. Then show up and vote on October 13.
TERA could not exist without the support of our membership. Many thanks are extended to the individuals listed above who have recently become TERA members or renewed prior memberships. We couldn't do it without you!
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