Oppose Stripping of Environmental Protections from Los Angeles Residents

Dear Ms. Limon,

I am writing to express the opposition of our organization to AB 1197.

The Venice Stakeholders Association supports slow growth, the protections of the limits of the Venice Local Coastal Specific Plan, neighborhood safety, improved traffic circulation, increased parking for residents, neighborhood beautification, historic preservation, habitat restoration and protection of coastal waters.

AB 1197 would rob residents of Los Angeles, and in particular, residents of highly impacted coastal districts of Los Angeles, of rights enjoyed by all other Californians under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The housing of the homeless in Los Angeles should not come at the expense of our neighbors' quiet enjoyment of their homes, the loss of their parking, an increase in crime, or the further pollution of Santa Monica Bay caused by yet more encampments that leach human sewage and food waste directly to the ocean during wet season.

All permanent supportive housing facilities and emergency shelters must fully assess impacts under CEQA and mitigate those impacts to assure that helping the homeless does not come at the expense of residents who happen to reside - through no choice of their own - right across the street from these facilities.

To remove these protections from just residents of Los Angeles would be highly discriminatory.

Thank you for your consideration of our views on your legislation.

Please add this correspondence to the official file for AB 1197.

Thank you.


Sincerely,

Mark Ryavec, President, Venice Stakeholders Association, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization

You may register your opposition to this unfair and misguided bill by writing to: 

Marilyn.Limon@asm.ca.gov
Ashley.Ames@sen.ca.gov

Ben.Allen@sen.ca.gov.