UN4LA News - November 2021
A monthly newsletter published by United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles.
UN4LA's mission is to bring communities together to plan for a sustainable future. Growth must be shaped by community engagement, not developer dollars.
THE REDISTRICTING BATTLE RAGES ON
The heated debate over the City of LA's redistricting process got even hotter at the November 2 meeting of the City Council. Councilmember Paul Krekorian levelled accusations that Valley districts had been carved up in a secret meeting. This followed earlier accusations by supporters of Councilmember Nithya Raman that they were being disenfranchised by the new boundaries, and complaints that low-income communities of color had been unfairly sequestered by the process.
And it seems likely the process will get even more contentious. An Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee has been formed to draw council district boundaries over again. Council President Nury Martinez named herself Chair, and Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell will serve as Vice Chair. Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield, Kevin de León, Paul Koretz, Curren Price and Nithya Raman will also serve on the Committee. As Tim Deegan explains in CityWatch, the creation of the Ad Hoc Committee will almost certainly result in less transparency and more back room deals.
Nury Martinez’ Gang of Three Dissent
The Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee will meet on Friday, November 5 at 1:00 pm. You can find the agenda here.
If you'd like to submit a comment on the process, the council file number is 20-0668-S7.
Meanwhile, Fred Ali, Chair the LA City Redistricting Commission, says we need to rethink the process and make future commissions truly independent.
Op-Ed: By All Means, Make Redistricting in Los Angeles Truly Independent
L.A. CITY HOUSING ELEMENT SPEEDS TOWARD APPROVAL
The City of LA is rushing the update of the Housing Element toward approval. It was quickly placed on the October 27 agenda for the Housing Committee, which barely gave public notice of the meeting. The very next week it was jammed onto the November 2 agenda for the Planning & Land Use Management Committee with a number of other items.
The council file for the Housing Element is packed with comments from the public, both pro and con. Supporters favor approval as is, or call for even more upzoning. Opponents ask if the current version will create needed affordable housing, what impacts it might have on historic resources, and question the wisdom of pushing aggressively for growth at a time when the City's water resources are declining.
UN4LA feels that the proposed Housing Element update is based on false assumptions, and is geared toward promoting real estate speculation.
UN4LA Comments on Housing Element
You can view all comments submitted by clicking on the link below.
Housing Element, 2021-2029 Update
CARSON RESIDENTS SUE OVER FOUL ODORS FROM DOMINGUEZ CHANNEL
After weeks of contending with overwhelming odors from Dominguez Channel, Carson residents are fed up. Officials from LA County have claimed that the stench is caused by decaying organic material in the Channel, and originally said their remediation efforts would solve the problem in a few days. But area residents are still suffering from headaches, eye irritation, dizziness, insomnia and nausea. There's growing skepticism in Carson regarding the County's story, and many believe that the odors were actually caused by chemicals that entered Dominguez Channel as the result of a warehouse fire. That's the basis of a lawsuit filed by eight residents at the end of October.
Residents Sue over Foul Smell in Dominguez Channel
PORTER RANCH RESIDENTS STILL FIGHTING TO SHUT DOWN ALISO CANYON GAS STORAGE SITE
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has presented two proposals to bolster natural gas supplies in LA, and both of them involve increasing storage capacity at the SoCalGas Aliso Canyon facility. Porter Ranch residents are furious. After suffering through a massive leak at the site in 2015, they believe the facility should be closed. Protesters gathered in Granada Hills in October to send a message to the CPUC and Gov. Gavin Newsom: Shut Aliso Canyon down.
California Considers Increasing Aliso Canyon's Gas Storage, Despite Calls to Shut It Down
Save Porter Ranch Facebook Page
REMAKING TAYLOR YARD
It will take many years and lots of money, but the City of LA has teamed up with California State Parks and the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority (MRCA) to transform a former railyard into a space for recreation and relaxation. Right now Taylor Yard is a mostly barren strip of land wedged between the LA River and San Fernando Road. Among the many projects planned to improve the site are a mile-long greenway, a playground, playing fields and natural open space. The Eastsider has the details.
Reclaiming Taylor Yard: Reshaping 100 Acres of Railroad Property into Parkland
