Brentwood Community Council

March 4, 2008 Meeting Highlights

Apr 01, 2008

Public Safety
?• Phil Enbody ?– Senior Lead Officer, LAPD
o Crime and traffic accidents are down this month. Officer Enbody reminded everyone to lock their cars, put valuables in the trunk, and to lock their residences.
o With a tip from a neighbor the police arrested a man that had been burglarizing homes in the Bundy/San Vicente area. Approximately 2,000 pieces of jewelry and other objects were recovered. After cataloguing the items, they will be advertised to the public for retrieval.

?• Ray Klein ?– Public Safety, Committee Chair
CPAB (Community Police Advisory Board) will produce a public awareness program with the slogan, ?“Leave it and lose it!?” to encourage people not to leave valuable items in their vehicles.

Government Reports
1) State Assembly Update, Ellen Isaacs, AD-42 Representative
Chairwoman Rosen read Ms. Isaacs report in her absence.
?• All legislation in both houses had to be introduced by Feb. 22, and is now getting set for hearings in committees. Mike?’s transportation package will be heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee in late March/early April.
?• The Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) on the 405 Sepulveda Pass High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Project has been released. Alternative 2, which provides for a northbound only HOV lane, is the preferred alternative. Some details are as follows:
o No homes will be taken in Brentwood Glen, although six will be taken in Valley Vista near Ventura Blvd. as the off ramp there is rebuilt.
o Sepulveda Blvd. between Montana and Moraga will be realigned to the east to accommodate the new HOV lane; there will be new retaining and sound walls in various places throughout the length of the project.
o The northbound 405 Montana off ramp will be closed due to widening of the freeway.
o The Sunset overcrossing will gain a lane in each direction, along with additional lanes on onramps.
o The FEIR is over 1000 pages long, and homeowners groups and electeds in the affected area are studying it in detail. Next step is federal review. Then if approved, design and engineering would begin.

2) State Veteran Home Update ?– Andrea Campbell, Consensus Planning Group
Ms. Campbell reported the following:
Highlights of Key Activities Completed in February:
o Foundation Concrete Placement in Building A
o Foundation Excavation in Buildings B & D
o Underground Main Line Plumbing in Buildings B, C & E
o Installation of Sewer & Water Point of Connection Lines
o DWP also began unrelated installation of Water Main Improvements at Montana Avenue

Highlights of Key Activities Planned for March:
o To account for recent and anticipated rainfall, construction days and hours will be extended outside of our typical construction hours on the following Saturdays: March 1, 8, 15, 22, & 29 to occur from 8am to 5pm.
o Foundation Concrete Placement Building A
o Foundation Excavation in Buildings C and E
o 10?” Main Fire Water Line Around Building Perimeter

For more information or to report a problem, call (310) 651-5066 or visit the website at glavc.org.

3) City Council Update Jennifer Rivera, CD-11 Field Deputy
Jennifer Rivera reported the following:
o Funding of $23+ million has been obtained for a dedicated bus lane during peak traffic hours on Wilshire Blvd. It has not been determined if an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is required.
o Street Furniture sites have been identified in Brentwood by the Street Furniture Committee of the BCC on tour with the Contractor and the City. Ms. Rivera reported that if the approved sites are adjacent to businesses, the City has to send a letter to adjacent owners giving them a chance to appeal. Once the Street Furniture is approved by the Council and Contractor, there is a 1-1/2 to 2-year permitting process.

The Barry Building ?– Charles Munger, Owner & Ray Keller, Architect
o Mr. Munger shared his latest model of the Barry Building site. He acknowledged the benefit of working with the community and the Brentwood Community Council.
o Mr. Munger is requesting an exception to the Code by proposing that two RS zoned lots on Saltair Avenue be utilized for parking. He is proposing the underlying zoning stay RS and a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) be granted for the change, which would allow the community the opportunity to propose restrictions on the project. He also suggested that a Covenant be entered into between himself and the neighbors to ensure that all such conditions are attached to the property.
o While Mr. Munger plans to preserve the Barry Building?’s patio and create a low-density two-story building, he is not planning to integrate the culturally historic elements required by the designation of the building as an historic-cultural monument. In fact, he plans to make significant changes to the Barry Building. This will require an Environmental Impact Report on the historic-cultural elements. Mr. Munger will have to present four alternatives for the project and explain why he cannot preserve the historic-cultural elements required.
o According to Mr. Munger, the new project will be less than 40,000 square feet (not including the Embrey Building which is approximately 8,700 square feet) and will allow street-level parking only.
o Doug Dutton has announced that Dutton?’s will close on April 30, 2008. Jim Rosenfield, a partner of Mr. Munger?’s in this project, plans to lease space in the Barry Building as soon as Dutton?’s has vacated the premises. The leases will be short-term until the project is approved and construction begins.
o Mr. Munger plans to offer more parking spaces than are required by City Code. He will be required to do a traffic mitigation study. Mr. Munger said he will ration the amount of traffic at the site by price so that the project will not be a traffic burden on the community.
o Mr. Munger explained that his project will conform to all City Codes and the San Vicente Scenic Corridor Specific Plan.
o Mr. Munger?’s team is working on a new set of plans and models that take into consideration many recommendations and comments presented at community meetings over the past several months. He agreed to return to the BCC to present his revised plans as soon as they are ready.
o Mr. Munger?’s plans are laid out in his press release printed in the March edition of the Brentwood News.

Announcements
o West Coast Arborists have pruned all the San Vicente London plane trees, paid for by the new Brentwood Beautiful Endowment Fund. The City of Los Angeles, Urban Forest Division, planted London plane trees in front of the Vintage Capital Building, Starbucks, Brentwood Presbyterian Church, and Fast Frame. They also removed the Coral Tree stump near the VA. Permanent plaques are on order and should be installed soon. Topa Management Company installed 5 handsome iron grates in front of the Soup Plantation Building, helping to beautify our Scenic Corridor. Many thanks to everyone in Brentwood for making this a successful project. Two London plane trees are still available for adoption, one at the Presbyterian Church & one at Fast Frame, for $1500 each. If interested, call 310/472-1000. Barbara Goldenberg for Brentwood Beautiful.
o Hotel Angeleno has filed an appeal to the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission. The Hotel is allowed to keep the lights on during the appeal process.

Next BCC Meeting on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Future meeting agendas over the coming months will include an address by Councilman Bill Rosendahl, Stream Ordinance, Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation presentation on Lateral Root Notification Program, proposed Brentwood School expansion, and a future update on The Barry Building project. The BCC meets regularly on the first Tuesday of each month at the Brentwood Kaufman Library. The BCC agenda is posted at the Brentwood Kaufman Library one week prior to the meeting date. To receive the BCC?’s monthly agenda by e-mail, contact Chairwoman Wendy-Sue Rosen at RosenFree@aol.com or visit the BCC website: http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/la/brentwoodcc.

(Sue Casamassima serves as Recording Secretary and Representative of Zone 8 ?– Brentwood Glen)