This famous quote from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" seems especially appropriate as I look away from the evolving eLetter on my computer and out the window - nothing but water to the horizon. This may be the first time a TERA newsletter was written at sea. It is also the first time TERA related work was allowed to be part of a vacation getaway. With plenty of time at sea and my days of napkin folding classes or ice sculpting demonstrations being way over, turning to this task from time to time was a nice link to reality and lessened the work in front of me when we returned home. Recalling some of the supporting details sitting in files on my computer at home became the larger challenge. Hopefully, adjusting back to the simplicity of the office at home, with no sea breeze and not surrounded by people whose goal is to take care of me, making sure there is much more than a drop of water or whatever else I want to drink immediately available will be an easy adjustment to make. One thing that is a constant is that we always look forward to being back home in Eagle Rock.  

 

Sweet Spot:  It is said that "All is fair in love and war." However, when addressing land use issues there are typically many and opposing definitions of what comprises fair. From the perspective of residents who own property next to a development project, they don't want the enjoyment of their property to be diminished in any way. However, those who own property that has a development or re-development potential want the freedom to realize the economic benefit of property ownership. It would often be more popular for TERA to ally with residents exclusively, giving little importance to the intrinsic right of developers to build. But, although that might help TERA win a short-term popularity contest, over time, being anti-development would benefit neither the community nor individual residents.

 

The eventual outcome of a new development project and how it impacts the surrounding area is often influenced by the initial reaction of the parties involved. Goals of impacted residents and land owner / developers frequently conflict, causing some to immediately take adversarial positions. Unfortunately, once heels are dug in,   and positions solidified, it is much more difficult to realize the benefits that can often be achieved by a collaborative rather than an adversarial dialog. However, in making the argument for collaboration first, it is recognized that there are some projects that are so clearly negative that they fall into the no way category, immediately earning TERA's opposition.

 

The Land Use section of this eLetter discusses three new projects, each with very different dynamics and each with the prospect of a win / win outcome. The TERA Board will consider each carefully and eventually take a position that we consider to be fair for impacted residents, developers and the overall welfare of Eagle Rock. Finding the sweet spot, the right place between the differing hopes of everyone involved, is always TERA's challenge.

 

Lunch with the Mayor:  Recently I joined other Eagle Rock Community leaders for lunch with Mayor Garcetti. However, this brief encounter with our Mayor is far from my most personal interaction with a politician. This connection peaked when a man who became the Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, showed up at our front door and asked Mike and me, by name, (he had been to our home before) to take a much needed bio-brake in our bathroom. While I can now add to my political moments, being seated directly across from Mayor Garcetti at lunch, he really didn't know me, and probably didn't know most of the others who shared a luncheon moment with him. The Mayor's outreach to Eagle Rock is greatly appreciated. However, Antonio's spontaneous pit-stop at our home took our political relationship to the next level, perhaps even plaque worthy.

 

Most feedback to the Mayor covered concerns specific to businesses and commercial property owners. Appeals for the Mayor to support a new dog park in Eagle Rock and more transparency regarding documentation submitted to the Los Angeles Planning Department in support of or in opposition to plans submitted for City approval, were made by David Greene, Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council President. The Mayor implied there might be hope for the park. However, publication of the latest proposed City Budget did not include the hoped for support for the Dog Park in Eagle Rock, a disappointment to many in the community.

 

My comments to the Mayor focused on two major concerns in our community and overall in the City, the growth of crime and the homeless. I asked the Mayor to support three goals. First, bring the LAPD up to a staffing level that is appropriate for the second largest city in the United States. The largest city in the country, New York, has 5.95 police enforcement staff for every 1,000 residents. The second largest city, Los Angeles falls to a distant 3.36 for every 1,000 residents. Finally, Chicago, the 3^rd largest city has a ratio of 4.71 for every 1,000 residents. It is amazing that the LAPD do as well as they do. But when we get frustrated that the crime level is higher than it should be, that a police cruiser is not visible as often as we would like, when it takes the LAPD forever to answer a call, we should channel our frustration into support for bringing the LAPD staffing level up to where it should be. 

 

The second goal is to strengthen LAUSD. Given that members of the Board of Education are elected, we the voters deserve some of the responsibility for the dysfunction that too often crawls into the Board's decision making and our education system overall. I hope the Mayor's office can be a larger presence at the LAUSD, providing counsel that will improve the effectiveness of our education system. As a society, we pay a great price for every young person who is deprived of an education that does not provide even a basic skill-set. 

 

Finally, developing and funding a long-range plan for the homeless is a must-do and is already being addressed by the Mayor and Councilmember Huizar, but their attention to this critical topic needs to be long-term and not a momentary response to a problem all acknowledge. "They shouldn't be allowed to park here or sleep there" is a frequent comment made by those who are frustrated by the presence of homeless people in their neighborhood. Unquestionably, it is disconcerting to have a homeless encampment in the proximity of your home; but adding overnight parking restrictions, increasing law enforcement presence and other strategies that attempt to keep the homeless on the move does nothing to solve the overall problem. With no better options the homeless simply migrate to another neighborhood that is also not welcoming. It is critical that the city do more to provide options to the homeless that allow them better alternatives than simply moving from my neighborhood to yours. 

 

Business Support:  TERA has a long history of supporting Eagle Rock's merchant community. TERA's business support was evidenced again this March. TERA was the first to respond when businesses in our commercial center asked for our support to remove street sweeping parking restrictions for streets that were rarely swept but frequently used by City Parking Enforcement Officers as a rich source of parking violation tickets. Many customers, patronizing merchants on Colorado Boulevard, rely on parking on side streets including Casper and Maywood Avenues, between Chickasaw Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. Street sweeping signage removes valuable street parking during prime business hours. When and if the City has street sweeping resources to actually maintain the streets, TERA would have no issue with the signs being replaced, but at hours that do not conflict with peak merchant activity.   

 

From 1992, when TERA was involved with the development of the Colorado Specific Plan, TERA has strongly supported a thriving locally based business community Specific Plan. Last year TERA was the first organization to request Council District 14's support to amend the Specific Plan so the requirement for businesses opened after the adoption of the Specific Plan to close by 9pm was removed. With this change to the Specific Plan merchant hours, which are now guided by city-wide policies, are more reasonable and consistent for all businesses.