A few days ago, at an Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council Meeting (ERNC), the vast majority of attendees (mostly Eagle Rockers) said "yes" to bike lanes and the Council listened. As a result of the strong support the Council voted to send a letter to the Department of Transportation (DOT) in support of buffered bike lanes for Colorado Boulevard. Again at the DOT meeting held the previous week, attended by more than 100, a strong majority of the attendees expressed support for bike lanes on Colorado. Finally, for more than two years Take Back the Boulevard sponsored a series community meetings attended by more than 300 attendees. The need to slow traffic down on Colorado and doing that by changing one traffic lane in each direction to a bike lane again and again was affirmed by both meeting participants and 280 respondents to an on-line survey. If you attended a meeting, contributed to a blog, wrote emails in support or opposition, or in any other active way joined the conversation, pat yourself on the back. You got on the playing field and you made your voice heard and you made a difference!

When are the bike lanes going to happen is the obvious next question. The Department of Transportation has hinted that they may be implemented by June, 2013. However, I would not consider that a firm commitment. Like most things, it is more complicated than simply changing the stripes on the road; the stripes need to go in the right places. Engineering studies will need to be completed, detailing how bike lanes can be optimally implemented on the Boulevard. Some of the things the plans will need to consider are pedestrian crossings, the responsibility to support traffic movement, and to place the bikers at the lowest level of risk possible. Below you will find more information on what's next after bike lanes.

Vons at Figueroa: Make it the best it can be: It is stating the obvious to point out that any development in our community has the potential to be to the benefit or detriment of Eagle Rock. Vons (aka Safeway) is now moving forward on the long-delayed project at the intersection of Figueroa and La Loma. In November of 2010, TERA made its initial outreach to Vons to better understand the proposed project. Vons' response was that the project was being redefined. More information including renderings would be provided in 2 to 3 weeks, as soon as project details were finalized. Follow up contacts to Vons were made in January to inquire about the promised information. The Vons representative did not respond. Since it was logical that the project would be delayed pending an improvement in the economy, and there were no indications that construction was eminent, no further follow up was made at that time.

When it became clear the project was resumed, TERA reached out and Vons responded promptly to TERA's inquiry last month. Contact information was provided regarding the project. Concurrently the project caught the attention of the Council Office as well as to the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council. Very recently, the Council Office organized a meeting with an array of Vons representatives and invited TERA, David Greene (ERNC Vice President) and selected stakeholders to attend. All agreed to the importance of a community meeting, which will be co-sponsored by CD14, ERNC and TERA. The Council Office understands the importance of community feedback and has taken the lead in expediting the meeting date, time and place with Vons. As soon as those details are available, a special meeting announcement eLetter will be sent.

TERA's view is that if the project is completed with a view of making it the best it can be, the result will be a win win. Eagle Rockers will view the new complex as a welcome and fresh addition to the neighborhood. This should translate into greater patronage for Vons and the new merchants. It will be unfortunate if Vons pursues a goal that is narrowly focused on building a row of new stores (i.e. strip mall) adjacent to the existing supermarket, ignoring how this project could easily benefit both Safeway and the community of Eagle Rock. The things that could be done to elevate this project are not extraordinary and within the context of the overall project budget, modest expenses.

First impressions are important. A walkway and a front door imply a lot about what will be found inside. Even before this latest construction began the minimal surrounding landscape, the bleak parking lot and entrance to Vons gave no hint of the remodeled interior, no hint of the attractive and pleasant market inside. TERA's hope would be that the shortcomings of the exterior of the current Vons property would be resolved with a robust landscaping plan that includes the existing Vons and the new retail locations. Greenery scattered through the parking area, abundant perimeter landscaping, bike racks, and other qualities that soften the blacktop impact would improve the aesthetics and appeal of the entire property. The renderings that we viewed did include a landscape plan. However, it was not possible to understand how robust the plan is. Attractive signage, perhaps giving the expanded property a more community-centric branding (e.g., La Loma Square) would further elevate the perception of the whole property. Add decorative lighting to the exteriors, scatter some street furniture (benches) here and there and the row of new stores would be more inviting, evoking a more community centric spirit. These small but very visible improvements are likely to deliver benefits that far outweigh the minor budget impact. The other point of concern is the routine traffic challenge on La Loma when exiting Vons. This has been mentioned by several eLetter readers in the past. Based on the first joint meeting everyone agreed that more attention needs to be given to this issue. My understanding of the current plan is that La Loma would only be used as an access / exit point by customers. Deliveries would be made through a rear alley.

In conclusion, I think the new development makes sense and, over time, area residents will come to enjoy the convenience found at the new retail sites. A trip to Vons may turn into a multi-purpose trip. The point of this writing is to encourage Vons, in the process of making this long empty area productive, to consider doing the small things that make a big impact; the small things that say, "We care about Eagle Rock". Make this new development the best it can be, for your company and for our community. Be sure to attend the community meeting - details coming soon.