Law Abiding Citizens Vow Crime Spree Over Fencing Regulations
By Georgie
Gravel
Always, just always, it amazes me how
people will move to Venice, attracted by the openness, airy, loose lifestyle,
and freedom of expression, and then put up fences to keep all that good stuff
out.
I am an innocuous-looking gent that observes, asks
questions and listens. Listening is key. Listened to people at the
Farmers’ Market discussing the upcoming Venice Neighborhood Council Board
meeting on Fences and Hedges. Checked out the proposed motion on the VNC web
site – noted that the last two paragraphs of the draft recommendations
describe the city action that is requested and there is a special section on
retaining decorative gates.
Read
the many emails and flyers I got about it. So I went. Well, ol’ Georgie
here got a lesson in participatory democracy gone stark, raving mad at that
meeting. Definitely world class ranting and
raving.
If you didn’t go, you
missed quite a show. Out of almost 200 locals attending, 90 percent were
screaming and hollering, “…How dare VNC tear down my
fence...Draconian measures to enable the few to dictate to the many….Over
my cold, dead body….Fight to the last stake in my fence……you
are evil, EVIL and a curse on you and your family…How dare there even be a
LUPC task force on this…of all the things wrong in Venice you focus on our
fences…” A list of sex offenders in two communities of Venice was
submitted with instructions as to how VNC could address that problem. And my
favorite, “…you antichrists you, how dare you spring this on us at
the last minute like
this.”
Sorry folks, even the
most casual look at VNC/LUPC web site over the past year revealed a draft copy
of the report with an email reply address for public comment through July 25,
2007. There was many an opportunity to read and comment on this report before
January 29th.
My, my, my. Makes one
wonder if the creationists are right and we sprung full blown into life four
thousand or so years ago without the benefit of learning to live together,
acquiring good manners and/or eschewing foul
behavior.
Attendance was seriously
slanted to people wanting to keep their illegally high fences and damnation to
anybody that wanted to reduce them for any reason. The few that spoke in favor
of the LUPC paper were booed and hissed until the VNC president, Mike Newhouse,
reminded the audience that civil behavior was
expected.
On Tuesday, February 19,
the VNC Board will consider recommendations on the LUPC paper. If anybody out
there is in favor of low or no fences in our fair city they had better show up
and be heard. I drove slowly through most of Venice last week and IMHO only
about 30 percent of our homes have over high fences. That means that 70 percent
observe the law.
Perhaps it would
be a good idea for the 70 percent majority to testify at the next VNC Board
meeting, Tuesday, February 19 at Westminster Elementary School
auditorium.
Posted: Fri - February 1, 2008 at 03:12 PM
