Their email is caltrans.director@dot.ca.gov 

Sample Letter:

Mr. Malcolm Dougherty, Director

California Department of Transportation

P.O. Box 942873

Sacramento, CA 94273-0001

 

RE: Millennium Hollywood Project's Disregard of Caltrans and Public's Objections; Inadequate CEQA Review of Traffic/Circulation

 

Dear Mr. Dougherty,

 

Thank you for the persistence that Caltrans has shown in demanding a CEQA compliant traffic study that accurately measures the impact of the Millennium Project on the State Highway System and Hollywood. As you may know, the Mayor has described Hollywood as the "template" for all 35 Los Angeles neighborhoods. What happens now is critical for shaping Hollywood's future.

CalTrans' letters to the City point out that the traffic review in Millennium's plan is unlawful under CEQA because it has failed

If you combine the Millennium Project with just five of the 57 other projects expected in Hollywood, you will find that the record says that there will be 26,000 NET trips - all within blocks of the 101. Citizens repeatedly asked for this cumulative study and were repeatedly ignored by Millennium and the City.

Absent from any Millennium study was summer traffic. There are 18,000 patrons at the Hollywood Bowl, and the Greek, Pantages, Arclight, and Dolby theaters, repeated street closings for "premieres," and the tens of thousands of out-of-area visitors to Hollywood's over 300 bars and bars masquerading as restaurants in the summer months.

 We respectfully ask that Caltrans remain steadfast in demanding that the City to provide a proper traffic study that follows Caltrans standards and that examines backups into the hillsides, cut-throughs, and the cumulative impact of other developments nearby.

An accurate traffic study is critical. It will enable us to understand the true impact of unprecedented density on our health, our ability to get to work, to drive our children to school, and to live with adequate police and fire protection.

If freeway access is shut down, it only makes sense that emergency access will be challenged as well as evacuation routes from the hillsides directly north of this project.

Sadly, the City has failed to provide any assessment by the Fire Department as to the impact of this building on its already-delayed response times.

The SCAQMD has also told the City that its traffic studies are inadequate, likely underestimating GHG and air pollution against our hillside community.

We must at least have accurate data before forcing incredible density into our town with no attempt whatever to assess the impact on existing residents, rather than those few who will live in Millennium's Trump-like tower.

For these reasons, the Final EIR must be rejected. We have only days before the City Council will hear this matter. They must not be allowed to defy Caltrans' authority. We need your voice at this hearing. As a responsible agency, we should expect no less.

Thanks for listening,

Sincerely

Please help us by going to  www.stopthemillenniumhollywood.org and donate to our ongoing effort to appeal to the City Council and in court, if necessary, to defeat this grotesque monstrosity. 

  

    

Donate now for Hollywood's future! Click the image above to go straight to our website.  

Please forward this email to any friends or family. Go to the website above and click on the donate button. Or send your tax deductible donations to BCNA, 2751 Westshire Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068. Make your check payable to the BCNA. It's important that you write "Stop the Millennium" in the memo field.   

 

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Millennium Project Hearing

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Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association  

Summer Meeting July 8, 2013
 

Senior Lead Officers John Washington and Ralph Sanchez shared a crime report. As always, there are car and home burglaries. These burglars work in pairs, usually carrying backpacks and pretending to sell magazines. Keep aware and if you are victimized, please make a report.

Sanchez does cite people for smoking but he has to see it first. The fine is $800 and 8 hours community service.

Officer Sanchez says that the released parolees are being spot checked by the PIT Team. They check up on those newly released, following up to make sure they are in compliance with the terms of their parole.

West Traffic Officer, Pete Cordero says that they are enforcing the weight limit issue of 6,000 pounds for tour vans and buses. He's been writing tickets. They come in through side streets where signs are not yet posted to skirt liability. When there are weight limit signs, he can write citations.

There are requests on file for these signs but the Department of Transportation has 140 requests for signs and 50 are safety issue related. In a few weeks, West Traffic will start the commercial enforcement program once again. (1.5 points against their commercial license when they are cited for parking or other violations)

If you see a tour van stopped or parked incorrectly, take a photo or write down the details and send to LAPD.

When they pull over an overweight vehicle, they check and cite for other commercial violations.

"Anything that is developed down on Hollywood brings tourism up here. They go to the new business and then drive up here." Officer Pete Cordero, West Traffic.

An ice cream van has been setting up at the top of Deronda. Sanchez says to call the SLO and they will cite for this.

Checkpoints have been set up on the weekends. The south checkpoint has to allow cars when there are so many in a long line so that the businesses don't lose customers.

Officer Cordero says that this is a work in progress. He says that it might have worked better at Scenic where they could make a left turn more safely.

Regarding permit parking for upper Deronda, this might be difficult since it is adjacent to the park/public land. Currently there is a moratorium on permit parking districts but the City is working to lift this. Petitions must be collected.

Mike Aguilera, Congressman Adam Schiff's representative spoke on helicopter noise and HR 456, Los Angeles Helicopter Noise Relief Act. It's getting resistance since the FAA wants to protect the industry.

Schiff hosted a round table discussion with resident stakeholders and emergency responders to see if they can moderate their behavior when they are in non-emergency situations.

Schiff's office has sent the Millennium Project issue to Yvonne Hsu in Washington, DC.

Justin Hager, Assemblyman Gatto's rep says that Gatto authored a bill to get them to pass a helicopter bill.

Regarding tourism, the state cannot do much for us. They are working with DOT and Caltrans to fund the weight limit signs. Highway patrol has control of tour vans coming on and off the freeway.

Regarding the Millennium project, the state has two dogs in this fight; Caltrans and, Geology CEQA issues. Gatto has called for extensive review of these projects to ensure they are safe and that their impacts are known.

These Caltrans and geology issues are under the governor's authority.

Justin says there is a bill proposed by Gatto that will allow you to park at broken meters. If it's signed, it won't go into affect till Jan 1.

Gatto's bill, AB405 will open up HOV lanes 134/210 and any other freeways that may apply so people can use these lanes on off peak hours.

Neighbors want the dividing line on Beachwood repainted.

Hosted by Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association and Hollywoodland Homeowners Association

July 11, 2013 at the Basant Lodge

Tour Bus at Hollyridge Trail Sat. July 13, 2013

Neighbors from all over the canyon met in the charming historic Basant Lodge to share their thoughts on tourism and its impacts on our community.

Everyone seemed to agree that the number of tourists gathering on our narrow streets has grown beyond the City's ability to control it. Much frustration exists as we approach the summer tourist season. One neighbor said, "We are having to baby sit large groups of people who don't know what to do, where they're going and end up behaving badly. We need help!"

One person suggested that, "issues exist with websites promoting our area as a tourist destination such as DiscoverLA.com, which suggests our trailheads as prime hiking destinations and tells the readers to go on helicopter tours to see the Hollywood sign."

"Sometimes it feels like this is becoming the Beachwood 500 with cars speeding up and down not bothering to stop at stop signs" one neighbor added. People see the huge number of hikers walking in the middle of the street on Beachwood. They want a solution! In the meantime, one resident suggested that we all need to slow way down on Beachwood and stop deliberately and completely so that the tourists can see that there is a sign there.

"There is an Eiffel Tower, a Statue of Liberty and what LA has is the Hollywood Sign...we need to divert the tourists. We need to give them another way to get to their shrine." said a Mulholland Highway resident. He said we should make the top of the hill accessible with a tram from the Equestrian Center on the other side of the hill.

"The Hollywood Bowl, the Greek Theater and the Getty enjoy manned barricades to protect the residential streets" said one resident of upper Beachwood. Several feel this is what our community needs and deserves. While Tom Labonge's staff has done much to attempt to control the traffic during recent holiday weekends, it would seem the situation is clearly beyond them.

HHA's president noted that it's time for the neighbors to get involved creating photo and video evidence of our situation. He says that it's not just up to the organizations.

Plans are in the works to create an ongoing photo gallery at the BCNA's website. While we set this up, please feel free to send your jpg photos and any short video footage along with a date and location to beachwoodcanyon@sbcglobal.net. We will be forwarding these to the city along with a list of every suggestion made the Town Hall meeting.

Thanks goes to the owners and managers of the Basant Lodge and to everyone involved in making this a great first joint Town Hall meeting.

Webtraker - See flights over the canyon 

Parking Enforcement