Neighborhood Council - Notes from October 2010 meeting

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Santa Monica Neighborhood Council
October 16, 2010 -- 10 AM
Ken Edwards Center

Neighborhood updates:

1. FOSP – The FAA test is still affecting residents in the
neighborhood as planes are still using the 250 heading over the
neighborhood. The FAA test noise report, commissioned by the City
council, was presented at the September Airport Commission meeting,
and was disappointing because it only modeled the 8 IFR departures per
day that were instructed to use the 250 heading. One attendee
suggested that we need to know what caused the 42,000 resident
complaints during the 6-month test. Kevin reported that the court
hearing in Washington, DC re the C and D jet ban took place on October
14.

2. OPA – The OPA Board met on Sunday and that a rep from the League of
Women Voters spoke about the state ballot measures as well as RR, Y,
and YY. Beginning September 28, food trucks have been stationed in
front of the Victorian restaurant on Main St. every Tuesday evening
from 6:30 to 9:30. The Ocean Park “Can We Talk?” meeting with the City
Manager is scheduled for November 8. The Wilmont meeting is on
November 15, PNA on November 17, FOSP on November 30, and NOMA on
December 2.

3. PNA – Board members met with city staff and Expo officials
regarding the buffer zone between residents and the Expo maintenance
yard. The planned Pico Neighborhood Library will add 30 parking spaces
at Virginia Avenue Park.

4. Wilmont – Discussion included a Subway franchise proposed for
Montana & 6th, the candidate forums, their upcoming city budget
meeting, and about a trial food truck court at Santa Monica Blvd. &
14th.

5. Mid-Cities – The working board members have finished writing their
bylaws and are discussing tax exempt status and boundaries. The City
Council will discuss an amendment to the St. John’s Development
Agreement in November or December.

6. NOMA – A residential drug treatment center is proposed for San
Vicente & 19th. There are apparently 3 similar proposals -- this one,
17th & Montana, and 12th & Arizona – and the issue is “congregant
housing” vs. a drug treatment center, which would require commercial
zoning.

7. Zoning – Neighborhood groups want to be involved as the Zoning Code
is updated. “Euclidian zoning” (named after Euclid, Ohio) doesn’t go
with “mixed use.” We might want to reduce height and mass in the R1
zones. One attendee has been reviewing the current zoning code to look
at permitted uses. Another attendee stated that Development Agreements
trump zoning and asked how we define a neighborhood. District overlays
can be within one district or overlap two districts.

8. Drunk driving – Santa Monica is #6 in the state re deaths caused by
drunk drivers. SMPD always announces the dates and locations of
checkpoints ahead of time. Police going into bars undercover might be
more effective. Regarding CUPs to sell alcohol, neighborhood groups
can contact the Planning Department to request a meeting with an
applicant.

9. Housing – New affordable housing rules will be adopted in January
or February and will establish one waiting list – “COMBINED AFFORDABLE
HOUSING LIST” – Santa Monica residents will get priority, and CCSM and
deed-restricted buildings would all use the same list from the Santa
Monica Housing Authority.

10. City-wide yard sale – October 23rd – an effort by the Resource
Recovery and Recycling Division to promote recycling.

11. Planning Commission -- October 27th will be Jay Johnson’s last
meeting as a Planning Commissioner. Jennifer Kennedy will be sworn in
on November 3rd. Consensus was reached that we present a framed
certificate of thanks, with the names of all the neighborhood
organizations listed, to Jay on the 27th.

12. Election – October 5th financial statements for local candidates
are now posted online.

13. City Council rule changes – Closed session will begin at 5:30 PM,
and the public session will begin no earlier than 6:30 PM with the
consent agenda. Rather than allowing disabled speakers to speak early,
staff will write down their comments and read them at the time the
agenda item is called. Oee attendee stated that limiting the staff
reports to 5 minutes makes it difficult for the public to understand
what’s being discussed. For example, she couldn’t get the water
quality report until 3 hours before the meeting, and the agenda item
took only 15 minutes.

14. Pet Fair Chip-a-thon – November 6th at Clover Park, with free
micro-chips for the first 400 pet owners, low-cost vaccinations, and
pet adoptions.

15. Roberts Business Center project – The Council may consider all
three adjacent projects together, in order to try to save the Village
Trailer Park.