June 20, 2013
Local News & Culture Marina del Rey
Westchester
Free S a n ta M o n i c a
P l aya d e l R e y
P l aya V i s t a
M a r V i s ta
Del Rey
VenicE
Photo by Roy Persinko
GARCETTI RECEIVES WARM WESTSIDE WELCOME Mar Vista
Mayor-elect gets ‘back to basics’ with Westside constituents By Gary Walker The Eric Garcetti Listening Tour came to Mar Vista June 15, where hundreds of Westside residents greeted him and peppered him with questions on how they would like to see their city government function over the next four years. The mayor-elect, who beat City Controller Wendy Greuel in a May 22 runoff to become Los Angeles’ next mayor, is visiting different communities in “Back to Basics” community forums to get feedback from his soon-to-be constituents and answer questions before he takes office July 1. In an interview with The Argonaut at the Windward School in Mar Vista, where the town hall was held, Garcetti answered a number of questions about local concerns, including three controversial matters that have affected or have the potential to affect Westchester, Playa del Rey, Mar Vista and Venice. Garcetti was one of four council members, along with Councilman
Bill Rosendahl, who voted “no” on a Los Angeles International Airport Specific Plan Amendment Study that would allow Los Angeles World Airports to move the LAX northernmost runway 260 feet north and has enraged Westchester and Playa del Rey homeowners. The council passed the LAX motion 10-4. “I still feel quite strongly about my position on the airport,” the mayor-elect said. “I don’t think there will only be a single bite at the apple.” A Westchester organization has filed a lawsuit against the city and LAWA, alleging that the environmental impact report was deficient. “Lawsuits require mediation and I’ll be involved in trying to resolve these issues, stand up for the community and modernize this airport,” Garcetti said. The mayor appoints the members of the Board of Airport Commissioners, and while Garcetti said he will not impose a litmus test on his appointees, views on the
Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti made Mar Vista his second stop on his “Back to Basics” tour June 15.
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•This Week•
Page 13 The inaugural Venice Music Crawl Saturday, June 22 will feature performances by 47 musical acts including The Get Down Boys, playing at Witzend. From left to right: Matt Bruer (banjo), Evan Winsor (upright bass), Andy Keathley (guitar) and Israel Parker (dobro).
Venice
Third time not the charm for city as coastal board again denies overnight parking limits By Vince Echavaria For the third time, the California Coastal Commission has rejected a push by the city of Los Angeles to implement overnight parking restrictions on Venice streets. With a majority of new members since the last time the commission took up the controversial issue, the board voted unanimously June 13 to deny the city’s request for overnight parking district permits. The commission, which oversees issues impacting the state’s coastline, previously shot down such permit requests in 2009 and 2010. At stake was a tentative settlement agreement between the commission, city and Venice Stakeholders
Association, which sued the coastal board over its prior denial of OPDs. As with its two prior votes, the commission denied its staff recommendation for approval of the permits that would allow for parking restrictions on streets west of Lincoln Boulevard and near Marina del Rey. If approved, the OPDs would have been established between 2 and 5 a.m. on a block by block basis where at least two-thirds of residents voted to implement them. Proponents argued that the parking limits are needed to preserve parking for residents on streets where spaces are occupied by those living in vehicles, visitors travelling out of Los Angeles International (Continued on page 9)