Dear VNC Board Members,
I am writing to indicate our organization's opposition to motions on SB
827 and changing parking rules for Pacific Avenue.
The Venice Stakeholders Association is a non-profit organization
committed to quality-of-life improvements, public safety, and traffic
and parking enhancements.
At the very least SB 827 would allow, by right, eight story buildings in
all directions one-quarter of a mile from the Windward Traffic Circle
and four story buildings one-half mile from the circle. It also would
waive existing parking requirements at a time that parking is scarcer
than ever in Venice.
Venice residents have consistently fought to keep Venice's shoreline
from being "Miami-ized." Residents have similarly opposed abandoning
the three-story height restrictions of the Venice Local Coastal Specific
Plan.
When I ran for City Council last year I consistently heard from
residents that they were opposed to the "maxing out" of just the
existing three-story building envelope. Almost to a person, there was no
support for allowing four story buildings, much less eight stories. No
one favored reducing parking requirements.
Senator Weiner should impose his misguided proposals on his Bay Area
district and refrain from attempting to legislate land-use rules for
communities he knows next to nothing about.
Within the small number of Venice residents who support SB 827 are
likely to be those property owners who would profit by a doubling of
their buildable envelope - from three stories to eight stories; I
believe that at least one VNC Board member should recuse themselves from
voting on this measure as they own property in close proximity to the
Windward Traffic Circle.
I also urge your Board to reject changes to parking rules along Pacific
Avenue. Residents and visitors alike sorely need the four lane
north-south traffic capacity provided during the day along Pacific,
especially on weekends. And residents sorely need the parking provided
over night on weekends and throughout the week. Increased traffic
enforcement, added traffic lights and crosswalks, and lower speed limits
are all better solutions.
These proposals are ill-advised and your Board would be out-of-step with
Venice residents were you to approve either of these motions.
Thank you for consideration of our views on these matters.
Sincerely,
Mark Ryavec
President
The Venice Stakeholders Association is dedicated to civic improvement. The VSA supports slow growth, protection of the limits of the Venice Local Coastal Specific Plan, neighborhood safety, better traffic circulation, increased parking for residents, neighborhood beautification projects, historic preservation and protection of coastal waters.
