Out of the Litter Box
by Ali
Katz
Grey fade to
Schwarz
After his investiture, and the
promise to cut the 300% car registration fee, guess what our new gobernator
proposes?
He wants to float a loan to get California
out of its financial troubles.
The
fiscally conservative Al Jarvis Taxpayers Association and Darrell Issa who spent
much money and time to remove Governor Davis, support Gov. Schwarzenegger in his
efforts to borrow.
Parm’ me, but
wasn’t that why Governor Davis was
ousted?
I don’t
recall.
Concerned citizens want
to know or treat us like mushrooms
dept.
The Metropolitan Transit
Authority recently sold the MTA bus depot on Main and
Rose.
There was no public notification
of this, and as far as this cat can learn the Coastal Commission was not
notified of any pending development. Councilwoman Miscikowski denies knowledge
of the transaction or what the plans might
be.
This is a big parcel of land for
its location. It would certainly affect the community and depending on what is
built there, the traffic flow. After scratching on the Internet—the
developer is represented by Venice Properties and the developer’s name
is…Robert D’Elia of GTO
Developments.
Venice Properties and Mr.
D’Elia are building the new Art bunkers on the east side of Main next to
the binocular building, former home of Chiat-Day. It is strongly suggested that
D’Elia approached the MTA and proposed a land swap for some land that Mr.
D’Elia has in Inglewood for the MTA
lot.
It is true that the MTA lot has
been a bone of contention for years because of noise, fumes,
etc.
The MTA Bus Depot has been a
transportation hub since Venice was a
pup.
But long-time residents in the
area who grew up in houses surrounding the depot, are complaining because of the
longer schedule of the busses and the noise and pollution last far into the
night.
While they might applaud the
exit of the bus depot, they are concerned about what will be built in its
place.
Concerned citizens want to
know.
Surely this development should be
reviewed by the immediate neighborhood and the community at
large.
Though the MTA claims it is not owned
by the state or city, it certainly is a public entity and should have informed
the public of its intentions of selling to a private developer. It is also
rumored that the County Supervisor had a hand in manipulating the
deal.
Is this a job for the Grass Roots
Venice Neighborhood Council or what? Or is GRVNC just another organization
created to keep activists and residents busy deciding on what kind of trees
should be used for landscaping while a megadevelopment is slid right by. I mean
don’t you know there will be requests for zoning exemptions, conditional
use permits, traffic cut-offs, height exemptions,
etc.
Other rumors are: that the
alternate bus depot is located at Rodeo and Jefferson, not in Inglewood, and the
Metropolitan Transit Authority will spend $8 million on rehabbing the MTA lot.
The MTA workers who struck to retain their health benefits are upset because
they are being deprived of health benefits. $8 million to rehab a yard
that’s not yet been used for transportation and not one buck for health.
The community should have input first,
before the developer puts plan on
paper.
Stars shine in
Venice
Riffling the elderly
magazines in the veterinarian’s office, the cat came across the October
2003 issue of a magazine called Hollywood Life. Never heard of it and this cat
goes through heaps of mags left next to the dumpster. Yup scale to the max its
one of those good life mags. Ads for $27,000 watches, $500 tee shirts, articles
on where to sweat with the stars, and bizarre eating habits of same. Definitely
for fat cats. In the pages of Hollywood Life was an article titled, “The
Other Venice.”
It croons and
cavorts about some of Venice’s new residents, e.g., Julia Roberts, Robert
Downey Jr., Dennis Hopper (well he’s a long-time resident), John Cusack,
Eric Clapton, and architect Frank Gehrey who are joining the long-time residents
of Venice such as Angelica Huston, Robert Graham (designer associated with the
new Catholic Church downtown known as the Taj Mahoney). Seems they abjure the
Ocean Front Walk and the freaky Venusians for the more Brentwoody Montana Avenue
scene of Abbot Kinney Boulevard, while it defines Abbot’s Habit, the
coffee shop at Abbot Kinney and California Avenues, as a “crummy looking
place” and in Dawg-like fashion rips those people who yearn for a sense of
lost community and diversity and after all while La Vie Boheme is fun to yearn
for “it’s no fun having a “drunk like Charles Bukowski”
living next door.
Actually this cat
doesn’t remember Charles Bukowski living in Venice drunk or sober. The
article goes on: “Orson Welles was able to pass off downtown Venice as a
seedy Mexican border town in 1958…much better to think of cutie Josh
Harnett and icon Harrison Ford romping through the canals in ‘Hollywood
Homicide.’ Those who hold the traditions of Venice dear may decry the
ongoing sell-out, but for those who realize the readers of Variety are more
likely than William Burroughs (note: he didn’t live here either) fans to
paint their bungalows, it can’t happen fast
enough.”
Stars
don’t shine at workshop:
No
stars or media moguls showed up at the “EnvisionVenice” community
design workshop on November 15.
The
first workshop envisioned a two-mile stretch of Lincoln Boulevard from Rose
Avenue to the Marina Freeway. Approximately 120 Venice residents and business
people showed up.
Doug Kruschi the
facilitator encouraged all to put on their “envisioning caps.” The
developer brings in his development and the community reacts. We need to find a
better way. Architect and member of the Venice Community Council, Win Pugh,
advised that the community come up with a plan: “We need to find a better
way of doing things. The reactive process does not work well. You can’t
lead from behind.
Despite the diversity
of the people in the room, several themes sounded loud and clear: concerns
regarding low-income housing—more of it, pedestrian friendly amenities
such as outdoor cafés, benches, windows at street level, traffic lights
friendly to pedestrians, bike paths, mixed use developments, and local
businesses.
Sustained applause for La
Playita, Lincoln Hardware, Azteca, Manny’s Bike Shop, and Lincoln Fabrics
when they were shown in the slide show. This is just the first step. This will
go on in more detail.
Other sections
of Venice will be envisioned hopefully before we’re buried by hardship
exemption, height exemptions, environmental exemptions, lot combinations,
etc.
Thanks to the diverse groups and
individuals who sponsored this—more to come. Thank you L.A. Groundworks
(coffee roasters), Abbot Kinney District Association, Ulan Bator Foundation, the
Boys and Girls Club of Venice, Staples, Venice Community Housing Corporation,
and the Venice United Methodist
Church.
For more information:
www.envisionvenice.org or 310-285-8001
Posted: Mon - December
1, 2003 at 04:04 PM