FW: {Santa Monica Treesavers} ALERT! Urgent! Please protest REMOVAL of more than 600 trees & bulldozing Oxford Lagoon

[Michael and Arlene Lindley-Kustak]

 

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Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2014 14:30:01 -0800
Subject: Fwd: {Santa Monica Treesavers} ALERT! Urgent! Please protest REMOVAL of more than 600 trees & bulldozing Oxford Lagoon
From: susanha...@gmail.com
To: arlenea...@hotmail.com


LAW OFFICES OF SUSAN J. HARTLEY
2907 Stanford Ave.
Venice, CA 90292
310/866-8102
susanha...@gmail.com

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Susan Hartley" <susanha...@gmail.com>
Date: Dec 8, 2014 2:06 PM
Subject: Fwd: {Santa Monica Treesavers} ALERT! Urgent! Please protest REMOVAL of more than 600 trees & bulldozing Oxford Lagoon
To: "Michael and Arlene Lindley-Kustak" <arlenea...@hotmail.com>


LAW OFFICES OF SUSAN J. HARTLEY
2907 Stanford Ave.
Venice, CA 90292
310/866-8102
susanha...@gmail.com

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Kathy Knight" <kathy....@verizon.net>
Date: Dec 8, 2014 2:02 PM
Subject: {Santa Monica Treesavers} ALERT! Urgent! Please protest REMOVAL of more than 600 trees & bulldozing Oxford Lagoon
To: "Treesavers" <trees...@googlegroups.com>

Dear Treesavers - If you could make these 3 phone calls that would be really good!   We are trying to get a postponement of the cutting down of all the 650 trees until we can meet with the County and address this issue.   There was supposed to be a working group set up to talk about the plans, but the County never did that.

Thank you very much.    More word soon on a rally tomorrow.

- Kathy Knight

(310) 450-5961

Begin forwarded message:

From: Marcia Hanscom <wetla...@earthlink.net>

Subject: ALERT! Fwd: Urgent! Please protest REMOVAL of more than 600 trees & bulldozing Oxford Lagoon

Date: December 8, 2014 at 1:41:52 PM PST

Friends ~ 

It appears there is an ONGOING ASSAULT of nature on the LA coast - especially in the Ballona Valley - and especially in Marina del Rey.

Please read below and MAKE A FEW PHONE CALLS TODAY AND TOMORROW to THREE of the County Supervisors.

Besides the more than 1,000 trees that are planned to be removed at Mariners Village - which we are working diligently to stop (and making SOME progress, which I hope to update you on in person very soon) — and besides the plans to build a 7-story hotel atop the Marina Marsh at Tahiti & Via Marina -  we’ve just learned this past week that the plan for Oxford Lagoon - which is near the Marina City Club - to the northeast of it - and is part of the historical Ballona Wetlands - includes removal of more than 600 trees!

We were told by Beaches & Harbors officials that ONLY diseased trees (other trees would stay!) would be removed and NO native plant life would be removed.  Now, it appears that ALL trees are slated for removal and all plant life is planned to be removed - starting TOMORROW!

Below are the phone numbers and email addresses for the County Supervisors and either their chiefs of staff or special assistants.

Tell them that you would like the tree killing and marsh plant bulldozing stopped.  

Tell them that you would like the project at least stopped until their offices AND 

• Sierra Club (Kathy Knight and Marcia Hanscom) AND 

• Ballona Institute (Marcia Hanscom & Roy van de Hoek) AND 

• West LA Democratic Club representative (Kathryn Campbell) AND • Marina Peninsula Community Council (Sandie West) AND 

• Venice Neighborhood Council (Marc Saltzberg) 

are invited to a meeting to discuss the plans and to determine how to proceed with plans that are not destructive to nature.

She...@bos.lacounty.gov   (Gilbert 213 974-3333)

mmo...@bos.lacounty.gov

hi...@hildasolis.com   (Olivia 213 974-4111)

ph...@bos.lacounty.gov

markridl...@bos.lacounty.gov   (Jacklyn 213 974-2222)

njen...@bos.lacounty.gov

THANK YOU!  (read below for further detailed info)

And please let us know of any responses you think are important for us to know!

~ Marcia Hanscom

Sierra Club & Ballona Institute

Begin forwarded message:

From: Kathryn Campbell 

Subject: Urgent! Please protest bulldozing Oxford Lagoon

Date: December 6, 2014 at 5:01:47 PM PST

To: "WestLADemClub

Cc: Marcia Hanscom 

West LA Dem Club Friends:

Here are some quick facts about the Oxford Lagoon bulldozing that is scheduled to start on TUESDAY, September 9 and what we can do about it.

Quick Facts

• The name of this basin/lagoon may not be familiar to you, but there is a good chance that you regularly walk, drive, jog or stroll past it. It is the body of water with mature trees and various flocks of waterfowl surrounded by a chain link fence that lies between Admiralty and Washington Boulevard, next to the Hilton Garden Inn and across from FantaSea & Killer Shrimp.  (see map image). 

  

  

• This 10+ acre wooded parcel is home to 650 trees as well as a more than 30 identified species of birds. Its primary function from the county's perspective is simply as a water retention basin for flood control. According the Bird & Terrestrial Vertebrate Report commissioned by the County, however, "This site now represents the largest remnant of open space, and the only area of tidal wetland habitat, in Marina del Rey." 

  

  

• LA County Department of Public Works wishes to replace the tide gates, remove excess sediment and regrade the basin. They also wish to improve the water quality, remove "non-native vegetation," add a bike bath, and put in more appealing fencing. All of which sounds great...

• However, to accomplish these goals, the County has decided to a) remove ALL trees from the area this December; b) wait six months, then c) spend 6+ months doing construction. Then they will replace all of the trees with approved native species.  Why is the County rushing to remove all the trees now, instead of waiting until the start of construction in May? Because they know that several bird species nest there, and they don't want to get in trouble for disturbing them. So, they consider it less disturbing to just remove all the trees up front before any nesting can take place, and leave us with a giant mud hole for 6 months. After which they will replace mature, 30 - 60 foot trees with new plants. 

Why do our land use engineers want to start all "enhancement" and "restoration" projects by first leveling everything in their path?! They do not seem to have any understanding at all of the length of time it takes a healthy, balanced ecosystem to become established. Let's face it, in the 20 - 30 years that it is going to take for this area to fully recover from being razed to the ground, the water will once again be polluted and the silt will have built up again, and then they are going to want to do the same thing all over again! There has to be a better way.

I don't know that it is possible for us to stop the bulldozers headed our way on Tuesday. But, at a minimum, I would like us to all raise an outcry and let them know that we are watching, we are not happy, and we want to change business as usual. I'm asking you to take at least one of the following three actions:

1) Write or call Project Manager Rick Sun at (626) 300-3259 or rs...@dpw.lacounty.govand let him know that you are extremely unhappy with the way that this project was formulated and communicated. Ask why we were only notified on 12/1 that the project's Coastal Development Permit was approved to move forward on 11/5, or that the entire plan had shifted into a two-part affair that will leave this area completely denuded for at least a year.

2) Pass along this info to your friends and neighbors. I think one reason this has slipped through (in addition to the higher profile threats at Ballona Wetlands and Mariner's Village) is the fact that no one knows what or where the "Oxford Retention Basin" is, and therefore won't realize how much it will impact them until it's too late and all the trees are gone.

3) Reach out to Supervisor Sheila Kuehl  (she...@bos.lacounty.gov) about this issue. Unfortunately, I think her district stops at Washington Boulevard, so most of this basin is probably in Knabe's district. Nonetheless, it will still affect her constituents in many direct and indirect (and long lasting ways. 

Thanks in advance for your help!

Best always,

Kathryn Campbell

President, Beach Cities Democrats

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To: kath...@hotmail.com
From: in...@marinacityclub.net
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2014 19:22:04 -0500
Subject: Construction Notice from LA County

Oxford Retention Basin Multiuse Enhancement Project Project Commences December 9, 2014 The Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Works is pleased to announce the commencement of construction for the Oxford Retention Basin Multiuse Enhancement Project. This project will significantly improve the existing Oxford Retention Basin, located between Washington Blvd and Admiralty Way (map: http://goo.gl/maps/u0p7F), enhance flood protection, reduce runoff pollution, provide passive recreational features including a walking trail, and significantly improve the quality of plant and wildlife habitat within the facility as well as its aesthetic appeal. There will be significant vegetation removal as part of the approved project. In order to avoid disrupting wildlife activities that take place during bird nesting season, tree removal will commence on December 9, 2014 and is expected to be completed by December 30, 2014. During this time, drivers in the area should expect some traffic control on Washington Blvd due to truck entry into the facility. There will also be temporary disruptions to the bicycle path on Washington Blvd and on the Marvin Braude Bike Trail between Washington Blvd and Admiralty Way. The remaining construction of the project is scheduled to commence following the storm season in May 2015; therefore, there will be a scheduled break between removal of trees and commencement of construction. We will send more notices as we approach other work. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as construction progresses. For more information, please visit the project website athttp://dpw.lacounty.gov/go/oxford or contact the Project Manager Rick Sun at (626) 300-3259 or rs...@dpw.lacounty.gov.

Marina City Club, 4333 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292, USA 

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