Obviously Supportive

I just received an email forwarded to me which contained the actual language of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council supporting the Ponte Vista project and the statement issued by Sue Castillo, the Chairperson of the Land Use Planning Committee, which was issued to Elise Swanson with Bisno Development to clarify the Central Council's stance on the Resolution and the development project.

This sure reads like an endorsement to me. Although they do not give Bisno carte blanche, as detailed in Sue Castillo's statement, it is still support of the project. For those of you who would parse each word, "uncritically" does not nullify the word "endorse". It is merely a modifier.

Enjoy the reading.

Tom

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On Monday, 21 May, 2007 at 6:30 pm, at a Special Meeting, properly noticed, the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council passed the following RESOLUTION:

The CSPNC adopts the following position with regard to the Ponte Vista development.

1. In order that this vacant parcel be developed to best serve the needs of the greatest number of people of this community, we support residential development that optimizes the number of units, the variety of household types served, and the affordability of housing.

2. We support development based on a Specific Plan instead of the existing R-1 zoning.

3. Adequate amounts of open space for active and passive recreational use must be included. Developer shall be required to provide open space matching or better than the ratio of "persons served per park acre" recommended by City of Los Angeles Parks department within this development.

4. Neighborhood serving retail space needs to be increased above the current proposal, in order to reduce off-site trips for typical daily retail needs.

5. In order to contribute to Downtown San Pedro and support its economic growth, at least two DASH bus stops should be included in this development. Also, the route of the Ponte Vista shuttle buses should integrate a Downtown San Pedro stop.

6. Union labor should be utilized.

[signed]
Joe Gatlin
President

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Statement of Sue Castillo, Chairperson of the Land Use Planning Committee:

The board members of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council, along with most of the community, have been attending meetings, reviewing plans, and listening to arguments for and against the redevelopment of this site for many months. The resolution we adopted was broadly supported by our Board. Review of our past resolutions would show that we typically support the progressive principles of affordable housing, mixed land uses, public transportation, smart growth and the use of union labor. Many of us were influenced by James Allen's editorial in a recent edition of the Random Lengths News where he laid out a reasonable compromise between the R-1 proponents and the original 2300 unit plan. We understood that traffic concerns are paramount to many people, but felt strongly that this should not be the ultimate basis for all land use decisions. We felt it important to make a public statement to this effect.

What our resolution does not do is uncritically endorse Bisno's current plan (as of May 1, 2007). There are many issues to be resolved, including open space reservations, housing type mix, and, yes, traffic mitigations. We intend to continue to participate in the development process as it unfolds.

Sue Castillo
Chairperson, Land Use Planning
Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council