Call Councilmembers to Support Stricter Anti-Camping Ordinance (CF 20-1376)

I am again asking for residents and business owners to make calls to specific council members to support a stricter anti-camping ordinance (CF 20-1376) that has been languishing in the council’s Homelessness and Poverty Committee since last November.  

(This is in addition to calls to Council president Nury Martinez asking her to hold a hearing on a Motion to return to "tents down" 6 AM to 9 PM (CF 20-0147).)

On June 23, Councilmen Joe Buscaino and John Lee invoked Rule #54, which took the proposed ordinance from the Committee and moved it to a June 29th L.A. City Council meeting for consideration. 

The draft ordinance would restrict people from lying, sleeping, sitting or placing tents and personal property on sidewalks 1) where it reduces the path of travel required by the American with Disabilities Act; 2) within 10 feet of an operational utilizable entrance, exit, driveway or loading dock; 3) within 500 feet of a facility that provides housing, shelter, supportive services, safe parking or storage to unhoused people (i.e., near Bridge Housing), 4) within 500 feet of a designated freeway overpass, underpass, ramp, tunnel or pedestrian subway, and 5) at all times and at all locations if a person has been offered shelter (emphasis added).

I am told that if the Motion is approved for discussion before the Council on June 29^th, that the authors intend to amend into the ordinance a prohibition on lying, sleeping, sitting or placing tents and personal property on sidewalks within 500 feet of schools, childcare centers and parks (such as the Venice Beach Recreation Area).

If adopted, the ordinance would go to Mayor Eric Garcetti, who would have 10 days to either approve or veto the measure.

I would encourage residents to call these “swing” votes, who are on the fence, between now and Monday evening.

Councilman Gil Cedillo  213 473-7001

Councilman Paul Koretz         213 473-7005

Councilman Curren Price       213 473-7009

Councilman Kevin De Leon    213 473-7014

And our own councilman Mike Bonin    213 473-7011

Ask them to vote to hear and pass CF 20-1376, to make our sidewalks passable for everyone.

If you wish to weigh-in on the ordinance on the morning of the 29^th, you can call 669-254-5252 after 10 AM, the meeting ID is 160-535-8466.  Press # when prompted for participant ID

Please Call to Support a Return to "Tents Down" at 9 AM and the Limit on Possessions on Sidewalks

 

Councilman Joe Buscaino has introduced a Motion to amend CF 20-0147 to rescind the suspension of the law that mandates that tents be dismantled between the hours of 9am and 6pm. 

 

Please call the office of the council president, Nury Martinez, and ask her to put the Motion before the City Council for a vote.

 

The number is 213 473 7006.

 

Please call today. Takes literally two minutes.

 

Venice Organizations Endorse Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach Services Team’s Humanitarian Efforts to House the Homeless and Return Venice Beach to Public Use

 (Venice, CA.)  Today leading Venice organizations announced their support for Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s initiative along Venice Beach to assist the over 200 homeless campers here to connect with services and shelter. 

The Venice Stakeholders Association (VSA) and Venice United, representing residents, and the Venice Chamber of Commerce and Venice Beach Merchants Association, joined together to welcome the Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach Services Team (HOST), which has been interviewing all the homeless individuals living along the Boardwalk and beach.

“The Venice community has longed for just this kind intervention for several years,” said Mark Ryavec, VSA president and member of the Venice Neighborhood Council.

“The City of Los Angeles has abandoned us and ignored our repeated calls for enforcement of the city ordinance that bans tents and camping in city parks and beaches,” Ryavec said.  “It’s enforced at Will Rogers Beach and in San Pedro’s beach parks, but oddly not enforced in Venice.”

George Francisco, the president of the Venice Chamber of Commerce, said, “The city’s failure to help those living on the beach to find shelter has hurt the homeless…and has hurt hundreds of our businesses.  Sadly, it has made the public scared to visit Venice.” 

“We applaud the Sheriff’s decision to assign the highly-experienced HOST team to help this population link to services and shelter,” the Venice leader said.

Venice Stakeholders Attorney Calls for Coastal Development Permit for Will Rogers Beach Shelter Plan

Pacific Coast Highway, and Will Rogers Beach Parking Lot, proposed site for homeless shelters

 

The Venice Stakeholders Association has submitted a legal brief to Los Angeles' Chief Administrative Officer that establishes that any use of the Will Rogers Beach parking lot for homeless shelter will require the city to secure a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) due to the loss of coastal scenic resources and the inability of up to 500,000 people a year to visit the popular beach.  Further, the letter states that one of the purposes of the CDP process is to identify measures to mitigate the loss of up to 500 parking spaces, such as paving over existing sandy areas to provide replacement parking.

In the letter, VSA's attorney John Henning states, "As the Coastal Commission and its staff have repeatedly recognized, any reduction in public parking in the coastal areas of the City of Los Angeles manifestly has a negative impact on visitor access to the beach and coastline.  Thus, the permanent removal, 7 days per week and 24 hours per day, of some or all of the present 500-plus parking spaces at Parking Lot #2 East from the parking supply available to beachgoers would constitute “development” under the Coastal Act.  Before removing these spaces from the public parking supply the City must obtain a Coastal Development Permit from the Commission."

"The VSA opposes any use of the Will Rogers State Beach or its parking lot (or any other beach or beach parking lot within the City) for this purpose," said Mark Ryavec, VSA president. 

"Indeed, our organization is concerned that the use of Will Rogers State Beach for shelter would set a precedent that could soon be applied to open Venice's three beach parking lots to shelter structures without the necessary consideration of the impact to beach access, coastal views and other environmental and safety factors," Ryavec said.

Ryavec added, "If the city fails to apply for a CDP, the VSA is prepared to file a lawsuit to force compliance with the Coastal Act."

To receive a copy of the letter please write to venicestakeholders@ca.rr.com.