Bits and Pieces 60

It seems it has been over three months since my last post. I guess I kind of had a vacation from blogging. The vacation must end because of new developments in our area and more things to write about.

If you haven't read or heard already, the Ponte Vista at San Pedro housing development is coming back to life this Fall.

Ponte Vista at San Pedro was originally considered by its former developer to be a 2,300 unit condominium project across Western Avenue from Green Hills Cemetary.

My first blog "Ponte Vista Blog" at: http://pontevista.blogspot.com deals with the Ponte Vista at San Pedro project and is too filled with information and comments from as far back as 2006. I will do most of my future writing about the project on that blog.

I feel it would be more fair for discussions about Ponte Vista to be from the standpoint of what the new development team is seeking, rather than rehashing all the bad things that occurred during "The Bob Years".

"The Bob Years" refers to the years when the developer of the project was Robert H. (Bob) Bisno and he came into town telling everyone HE knew what was best for OUR community and he spearheaded the fiascoes dealing with trying to get approval to build 2,300 condos (finally he 'relented' to 1,950 units) on land smaller than the 80 acre/1,000 home The Gardens complex.

Bob is gone from the picture, yet it would not be fair to anyone to suggest we forget those times. When we forget the past, we tend to repeat them, many think.

The new development team is not really all that new to the project, but they seem to have learned a whole lot of lessons from what Bob tried to do and they began their tenure.

Also, the financial team is associated with iStar Financial which has had a very bumpy road over the last few years.

The 'new' project details include a request to build 1,135 dwelling units with 392 of them being 'rental' units. There are a small number of single-family residential units planned, I think about 49, but they are on small lots and would also be considered to be condominium units.

During The Bob Years, a group called 'R Neighborhoods Are 1' was created and worked to strong object to Bob Bisno's plans for his development.

Working with many concerned residents, the group circulated petition pages to provide to (then) Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn, illustrating a collective call to keep the site of the development continue to have the zoning established on it, years earlier.

"R 1" stands for a zoning type in which one single-family dwelling unit is constructed on a lot of not less than 5,000 square feet in size.

The current zoning on the site contains R 1 zoning along with some open space zoning such that by keeping the zoning as it is, up to 429 single-family houses would be the only type of dwelling units allowed on the site.

I'll be posting some trivia and information on my Ponte Vista Blog about some of the history and analysis of the site.

Now, while Ponte Vista at San Pedro seems to be back in the picture, The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project has been and will continue to be 'back in the news' and it does concern those of us living on the eastern side of The Hill.

Classes for the Fall 2012 term at Marymount College begin on August 27.

A new 'temporary' parking lot, covered in gravel, just might open on time, this Monday.

Administrators and supporters of Marymount College will be seeking an extension of the Phase One timetable at an upcoming Rancho Palos Verdes City Council meeting, with the issue scheduled to be heard at the September 4 meeting.

I'll have to devote an entire post to issues related to the possibility of having the timetables extended.

Chipotle Grill is open! Yes, I know it is San Pedro, but it is viewable on the eastern side of Western Avenue by some folks in R.P.V.

The newly opened restaurant is near the Ross store in the Park Plaza shopping area.

There is work going on at the pumping station for the Sanitation Districts near the corner of Western Avenue and Avenida Aprenda.

Many residents believe that school starts this coming week. Wrongo Bucko if you consider that 'school' in our area consists also of two LAUSD campuses that have been back in session for a bit of time.

Crestwood Street Elementary School and Dodson Intermediate School, both LAUSD schools are on land within the city of Rancho Palos Verdes. Traffic is almost back to school-year 'normal' and when PVPUSD schools open back up this coming week and along with traffic associated with Mary Star of the Sea High School AND Marymount College, the most honest suggestion I could give you is to AVOID WESTERN AVENUE!

Thankfully, the city of Los Angeles had the street surfaces near Via Colinita refinished and restriped before PVPUSD schools and Marymount College went back into session.