Ad Hoc Samoa Subcommittee Meeting

Your community of Sunland Tujunga is being championed by a grassroots group of individuals who have created a working group of great skill in record time. The Ad Hoc Samoa Sub Committee met for only the third time last night to approve and present their letter created for the STNC LUC to confront the SB 1818 High Density Project slated for Samoa Avenue in Tujunga.

The meetings were ably chaired by Tomi Lyn Bowling, who slipped into the role of one chair after another with ease as the gathering relied on the presence of two committees meeting concurrently and she was the chair for both. [Correction, Bowling is the Chair for the Land Use committee and assisted Bill Skiles who is the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee. Skiles does a great job and we are glad to have his calm direction.] The Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council Land Use Committee accepted the prepared letter (and the work that went into it) from the Samoa Ad Hoc Committee to proceed with the STNC’s hard stand against the SB 1818 High Density Apartment Project.

The letter addresses key issues uncovered during long hours of research done by the Ad Hoc Committee members. Bill Skiles combined all the ingredients of diverse findings from each member tasked with a particular subject, to fashion an articulate argument in the letter. The letter is addressed to Michael LoGrande, the Director of Planning for the City of Los Angeles. Further Skiles compiled an extensive draft Subcommittee Report in anticipation of the discussions to follow with the Planning Department and the developer. This document is a work in (rapid) progress as committee members hammer out the details that form legal grade arguments against the project.

The public will be updated on the project and the Ad Hoc Subcommittee’s progress by LUC Chair Tomi Lyn Bowling this Wednesday September 14 at the STNC General Meeting and potluck at 6:30pm at the North Valley City Hall in Tujunga at 7747 Foothill Boulevard.

The Samoa Project Ad Hoc Committee 'Rolls Up Their Sleeves'

Reporting briefly on the most recent meeting of the Samoa Ad Hoc Committee...

You may remember the genuine and valid concerns committee members have regarding SB 1818:  the Density Bonus ordinance. We must not hesitate to go right for the throat of this ordinance as it threatens our community with its exceptions to the rules; rules which govern our Foothill Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan (FBCSP) and have been legally dismissed by exceptions built into the Samoa High Density Affordable Housing Project by SB 1818.

At issue is an overly large apartment complex slated to be built on a narrow street in Tujunga with pre-existing problems with traffic, parking, housing density, crime, and proximity to our own historical treasure: Bolton Hall, and schools and churches in the immediate area.

Several people with expertise in different avenues of research volunteered or were asked to concentrate their efforts on subjects we may use to stop the project entirely or at least modify it. (Of note are a few expressions from the committee that “affordable housing” in manageable amounts would be acceptable.)

Lydia Grant was a welcome addition to the group and immediately set about addressing the issues concerning the project and nearby school crosswalks and school age pedestrian concerns, traffic and construction during school days and hours. Lydia is Sunland Tujunga’s School Rep on the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council (STNC) and an expert in her field.

Nina Royal will approach those residents, church and neighboring property owners located in proximity to the construction site to discuss their perceptions of the project which will impact them the most. This group may be the key to halting the project by law as these stakeholders are entitled to file an appeal to the Planning Directors decision regarding the Samoa High Density SB 1818 Project.

Although Royal attempted to rally a group to appear with her and representatives on Friday at the site, the community that would likely hold banners was discouraged from attending this working committee meeting so was not present to respond to her appeal. If you would like to show support at this or future rallies please contact Royal at 818-563-1962

Kathleen Travers and Elaine Brown will continue to research the impact the project will have on Bolton Hall and potential for suit to halt the project based on a clause in SB 1818 that addresses nearby historical sites. The call went out to the community of Sunland Tujunga for a volunteer structural engineer to give the group an impact report of structural integrity and potential for damage by construction activity and increased traffic.

If you or someone you know can help the group with this or other areas of expertise please contact committee chair Bill Skiles at the new blogsite which has been created by the STNC for ready access to the information and documents concerning the project; you can access that site here:

http://samoaavetujungasb1818project.blogspot.com/

Terre Ashmore has determined Census Tract numbers for the site and surrounding neighborhoods and will compile economic data, income, population density or vacancy, veteran’s population, family size etc. The recent decennial census is only partially useful in this research as the data sets for income were discontinued in the decennial following the census of 2000. The American Community Survey is a Federal agency that continued that research which may be invaluable to this committee.

The prospect of hiring an attorney also was addressed and the costs associated with it. If a Sunland Tujunga stakeholder with legal expertise in this area of law can give a few hours of their time to the committee that also would be very welcome. Note this is a working committee deeply entrenched in the process of finding a solution to a community problem, The public is welcome to observe and those with expertise are especially needed as volunteers.

It isn’t so much that the “affordable housing” is at fault as that the condition (and accompanying Senate Bill 1818) is used to circumvent the normal and reasonable guidelines that make for a well planned community. A four story apartment complex is planned in a two story neighborhood. This will tower above existing design and alter the visual impact of the surrounding neighborhood… until the presence of one four story apartment complex invites another.

 http://brockbajer.blogspot.com/2011/08/sb1818-monolith-on-millimeter.html

http://brockbajer.blogspot.com/2011/08/sb-1818-vs-fbcsp.html

Community involvement: SB 1818 vs. the working committee meeting...

Received this email from Tomi Lyn Bowling regarding community participation at working committee meetings...her point is well taken with regard to avoiding public "burnout" however I feel the public is a vital contributor and should not be left to the final hour to get involved. Bowling made it a point when the Samoa Ad Hoc Committee was formed at the last STNC Land Use Committee meeting, to agendise and Brown Act this special working group, therefore making it open to the public. The public is needed to participate and assist the group. Already, the lions share of the research fell to a mere two Ad Hoc members and one community member.

I feel an informed public is the most serious adversary to right the wrongs and this subject is no easy one to comprehend without advance preparation and study; hence a special group to prepare the arguments against the Samoa Project. I also feel the public should be involved at this early stage because it is the best way to understand it all and finally I feel it is better to let a public speak from the heart because they really know what they are talking about rather than chant slogans someone else tells them too!

The best way to get started is to attend tonights STNC Land Use Committee meeting in which Bill Skiles, the chair of the Ad Hoc Working Committee will present the results so far on the Samoa working committee; if you feel moved to participate, attend tomorrow nights working committee meet and roll up your sleeves to help your community! Both meetings are at 7747 Foothill in Tujunga; tonights is at 7pm and tomorrow's is at 7:30 pm.

The email from Tomi Lyn Bowling is as follows:

Hi Terre!

Thanks for spreading the word about the Samoa project!

I just wanted to let you know that there will be meetings in the future, like when the developer comes, and when city council has attendees, where we will need massive outreach and as many people as possible to come and speak out.

These meetings with the team are more of a working group, each one researching and bringing their homework back to coordinate possible avenues to take for getting this project either fixed to make it more compatible to the area or removed from the use of SB1818 etc. If more people want to help with that research and development then that would be incredibly helpful!!!

However, if they think it's a rally meeting or one where they can voice their opposition they may be disappointed. If we have gotten people to come to these working meetings, when they thought it was a chance for them to speak out, they sometimes burn out and feel the meetings are a waste of time.  When we really need all of the shoulders to the wheel and as many voices as possible to be heard is the later meetings when the developer comes.

Just wanted to make sure you let folks know this is a working meeting.

Thanks again for all of your help!

Tomi Lyn Bowling

[And from Kathleen Travers: this invitation to the community has been posted:

I agree with Tomi regarding frustration and burnout from the general public were they to come to the SB 1818 working committee hoping to voice their feelings and concerns, and agree with you, Brock Ba'jer, that the Land Use Committee general meeting might be a better focus for that, especially on dates when City or builder representatives would be there to hear those concerns. However, the working committee could use the immediate volunteer assistance of those with land use public policy experience and knowledge (especially at the State and Federal levels, and/or in housing), statisticians, geologists, certain engineers (particularly structural) and environmental experts (chiefly in air quality and flooding/ground water recharging and contamination). If you think you might be able and willing to help, and can commit several hours and work on a tight deadline, please email me at arspoetica@yahoo.com, or come to the working committee meeting]

SB1818: A Monolith on a Millimeter

You’ve got to recognize the fault with Senate Bill 1818 almost immediately: it is called the High Density Bill. It could be more accurately named: the high density, no restrictions, no safeguards, no holds barred, destroys your neighborhood, makes a mockery of your specific plan, couldn’t care less about your community, bill…

Who fell for this foolishness? Well never mind; now we have to disprove its validity for use in our town of Tujunga. Lawsuits have been filed by other communities against it; we also have to file down its teeth before it chews this community up and spits it out. And we have to be quick about it as the SB 1818 Samoa Apartments are moving forward rapidly since they are bypassing the reviews and restrictions required by other projects.

SB 1818 is the reason we have this whole fiasco over the wretched plans to build on two lots on Samoa Avenue in Tujunga. This Senate Bill literally threatens to destroy a Tujunga neighborhood, a Tujunga historical landmark (nearby Bolton Hall), Tujunga community and lifestyle, endanger current and future residents with increased traffic and crime associated with overcrowding, school age pedestrian endangerment, flooding from undirected rainwater runoff,  and more.

SB 1818 was supposed to give builders incentives to create more affordable housing which is a good thing, right? Not this time! It allows developers to build bigger buildings than allowed if it is “affordable” housing. A four story building can be built where only two stories are allowed.

SB 1818 is exempt from many other requirements as well. When SB 1818 is put into the mix it allows privileged builders to bypass many essential regulations and reviews. Chief among these is the environmental act, Specific Plan demands, public review, and regulations of numbers such as parking spaces per occupancy and allowable number of units on a lot.

The only benefits derived by SB 1818 are those garnered by the developers, who build bigger, more expensive buildings on smaller, less expensive lots and bypass the usual restrictions for a fast track to disaster.

SB 1818 passed the legislature way back in 2005 but typically when a disaster passes you by, you breathe a sigh of relief and let it go. SB 1818 amends state law; in 2008 Mayor Villaraigosa signed into law the ordinance to Senate Bill 1818, giving developers free rein to build bigger apartment complexes than are actually allowed on the available land. This year SB 1818 has come to Tujunga in the guise of an “affordable” housing project. Disaster has hit home.

Let your voice be heard and your view be known: attend the next STNC Land Use Committee Ad Hoc meeting re: SB 1818 and the Samoa Apartment Project on Tuesday, August 30^th from 7:30-9:30pm at North Valley City Hall 7747 Foothill Blvd in Tujunga.

SB 1818 vs. The FBCSP

The Ad Hoc Land Use Committee Sub-Committee to oppose the SB 1818 Samoa Affordable Housing Project met for the first time tonight. Do not for a minute think you as a stakeholder cannot attend or participate and give your input. If this is a project that concerns you (and it should) then be bold: get involved and show your support for these dedicated volunteers vs. the Goliath housing project.

Despite some contentious beginnings the group managed to get through an entire list of nine Discussion Points. Bill Skiles has been elected as Committee Chair. Volunteer committee members Dean Sherer, Elaine Brown, Cindy Cleghorn and Stakeholder Kathleen Travers were assigned research projects of considerable magnitude while shared information from several knowledgeable members benefited the committee as a whole. Proceedings will be reported here in greater detail as the members begin to act upon them (the opposition is likely to prepare a defense by previewing this report so detailed information will be described when the committee has implemented it.)

The SB 1818 Samoa Project intends to build a massive 4 story complex of “affordable housing” on Samoa Street in Tujunga just 200 yards from historic Bolton Hall, a stone building that is priceless to the community and requires protection from the impact of increased traffic, parking, and land use that the proposed project would bring to the neighborhood. Of major concern to the committee is the impact of the Samoa Project on this historic resource.

Other impacts to the neighborhood include changing the flow of rainwater runoff which is already a problem, the magnitude of a four story building in a two story neighborhood, increased population (64 3-4 bedroom apartments or 200+ people but less than half the required parking spaces) increased vehicular traffic in a single lane roadway, failure to address fire truck access to the back of the structure, and numerous other issues.

What constitutes “affordable housing” was also discussed as it is reported the local residents in need may not necessarily qualify for residency in the project and of special concern are the veterans in need for whom no apparent provision appears in the project description. 

The project is inconsistent with the Foothill Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan which allows a maximum density of 55 multi-family units in this location. Although SB 1818 overrides the Los Angeles Municipal Code according to Dean Sherer, SB 1818 vs. the FBCSP is another issue, as Councilman Krekorian approved the Samoa Project with a letter of recommendation that it adhere to the FBCSP.

There is a probability there will be an attempt to push this project through without a public hearing but this Ad Hoc Committee will work to thwart that action and bring it to public review. Of special note is the appeal process; the Sunland Tujunga Alliance cannot file an appeal as they have done with other projects. A Planning Directors administrative decision on an SB 1818 project can only be appealed by an adjoining property owner.

The next meeting of the Ad Hoc Land Use Committee’s Sub-Committee will be on August 30^th at 7:30 pm in the North Valley City Hall.