Bits and Pieces 62

It's hot again, today. Please stay cool and hydrated. I know it's fall, but we're in Southern California.

From RPVListserver:

"Mark your calendars. The next EDCO sponsored paper/document shredding day for RPV residents is on Saturday, October 20, 2012 from 9 am to noon at the RPV City Hall parking area.

Similar to last year electronics waste will also be collected at the time. Free mulch (self serve and self haul) will be available for residents. This event is open and free to UWS and EDCO residential customers.

More information will be sent out by EDCO in September.

Thank you."

I am a fan of this and I hope our residents who could benefit from this, will take advantage of the service. 

But wait, there's more news.

"Caltrans will be performing paving work along Western Avenue between Avenida Aprenda and 19th Street in both the north and south directions over the next several weeks.

Work is scheduled to be performed Monday through Thursday evenings between 7:00pm and 6:00am, beginning Monday October 1, 2012, and concluding Friday October 19th. Motorists are advised to use caution and alternate routes, when possible.

Staff of Rancho Palos Verdes"

Oh goody, Mark writes somewhat sarcastically. Not only should we stay off Western between 7-9 AM and between 2-7 PM, now we need to avoid Western from 7 PM to 6 AM, the next weekday.

Oh thank goodness we can use Western from 6 AM to 7 AM on weekdays and between 9AM and 2PM. They say it is only until October 19. But have you been by the Sanitation Districts pumping station lately, at Avenida Aprenda and Western? How's that temporary work going for you?

Our side of the street power outage was far longer than 'normal' today. It lasted over one hour. Usually it only lasts for a few minutes. At night when it happens, we just look across out street and not that the other side always has power. I thought this would all end when the work along Western Avenue was finished, but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

There are still those wishing to 'fight the good fight' concerning The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project. The number of those continuing the fight is diminishing, though.

They are good souls, but it has long been time to allow that massive, years long project, fade away into memory and into files, for future reference.

Dr. Michael Brophy, the president of Marymount College wants a 20-year plan approved and the 463-space parking lot finished before he brings to our city a new, larger atheltic field proposal than the one approved of, back in 2010.

Wasn't watching the shuttle/747/2-Hornets flyover fun? It didn't follow the map laid out on KCBS TV. but it you weren't looking down at the ground, it was fairly tough to miss it.

Welcome to your new home, Endeavour.

I still have not heard or read anything regarding Ponte Vista at San Pedro, lately. I need to stick my nose further onto Internet sites that may contain more information.

The October concession promotion at our very own Starlight Cinemas involves free candy with the purchase of either a large fountain drink or a large 'ICEE' at the Terraces location.

When ordering a drink or 'ICEE' say to the person at concessions: "I'd like to sweeten the deal" and your reward will be free candy. This promotion lasts until October 31, a night where free candy will be distributed all over the place.

Bits and Pieces 61

I learned something new to add to my too-much-information trivia about eastern Rancho Palos Verdes and specifically the Eastview Post Office.

Many of you know about the small post office located in a strip mall along Western Avenue, in Rancho Palos Verdes.

If you mail a letter to be opened by someone at that post office, you would need to use "Rancho Palos Verdes" and its Zip Code: 90275.

Rancho Palos Verdes and three other cities on The Hill have as their 'main' post office, the big one by the large mall, in Rolling Hills Estates.

When our mail is delivered, it comes to us after being sorted at the big office on The Hill.

Now here's the thing. The small post office in Eastivew is serviced by the large post office in San Pedro, not Rolling Hills Estates.

I never knew that, until this morning.

Zip Codes make routing mail easier.

If you believe work will ever be completely complete on the Sanitation Districts pumping station along Western Avenue near Avenida Aprenda, I've still got two acres of The Moon and I'd be happy to sell you one.

I think we will see the new Outfall System sunk, tunnelled and completed years before work finally ends at the 'popular for workers' site on Western.

Broiler Express is still a good place to get some simple, great tasting food. They have a drive-through, too.

It's not Fall yet, so I'm not looking in my mailbox to see if the Environmental Impact Report for Ponte Vista at San Pedro has been issued.

I'm still wanting a park their first. I have absolutely no problem with the existing zoning remaining on the site which allows for up to 429 dwelling units. I would try my best to live with up to 850 dwelling units.

1,135 dwelling units at Ponte Vista at San Pedro must never happen.

Please have a safe and happy last few days of the true Summer season.

Resigned But Not Resigning

After what I heard from Dr. Michael Brophy, President of Marymount College, I am finally resigned to some truths I wish had not been shoved down the throats of those of us living in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Over a year ago, Dr. Brophy stated that his goals for what Marymount College becomes is a TWENTY YEAR goal and has relatively nothing to do with any eight year time frame established for The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project. It finally sank in.

College administrators and many supporters have basically no interest in following guidelines established in the Expansion Project and recent activities have proven that, repeatedly.

Dr. Brophy did state during last night's City Council meeting that, after the 120 new spaces are constructed such that Marymount meets the goal of creating a total of 463 permanent parking spaces on its Rancho Palos Verdes campus, he signaled that he and his associates will work strongly for the creation of a 'new' athletic field on the western side of the campus that is larger and in a slightly different position than the one approved of by the City Council in 2010.

I doubt he ever intended on following those guidelines for those approved plans for a field.

I have absolutely no confidence that Dr. Brophy and/or his associates will have many of the other plans approved for Phase One, completed in any near term, such as two-three years from now.

Dr. Brophy also offered a truism that he intends to ask for an increase in student enrollment at Marymount's main campus to "1200 students", as he stated last night.

Folks need to be reminded at this point that even with 463 permanent parking spaces built on the campus, still required a variance in at least one municipal ordinance because it if fewer parking space ratios than for other businesses in our city.

Last night, the council voted unanimously to extend the time period to complete Phase One of The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project, from September 30, 2012 to December 18, 2012.

Whether the permanent parking lot facilities are completed or not is any one's guess, but it probably no longer matters, in my opinion.

Since the eight year approved project doesn't contain what Marymount may really want to do and Marymount representatives claim that whatever they do is part of a TWENTY YEAR project, I must resign myself to the fact that The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project is a moot endeavour and it is time to simply deny any further extension of the Phase One time completion period because what Marymount representatives now intend on doing next is NOT PART of the Project and it will required more extensive studies and approvals than originally thought by some.

A wise member of our city's staff advised me to consider that whatever Marymount representatives ask for should be considered to be the last thing they will ask for, until they either ask for something else or simply stop for some reasons.

So, is there really any reason to continue with the ongoing charade between council members, staff, residents and college representatives? I have to now opine that the Project has been 'over' and that we all need to move on.

This is where the NOT RESIGNING bit for me comes along.

I won't resign from continuing to believe that our city's residents DO HAVE a stake in what happens at Marymount College and I put residents first!

I have opined that the majority of our current City Council membership 'SEEMS' to put businesses first before government and government before residents' wants.

I have not seen or read anything yet, during this current term, that would point to anything else.

That is why I continue to feel that residents need to stand up for their beliefs and work to help create the best RPV possible, no matter what the council or businesses do or attempt to do.

Marymount College is a business. It is vastly smaller and offers far less than a Catholic University less than 20 miles away from it. What it does offer, according to documents created by and for Marymount College, is an environment where just about anybody with enough money can attend, whether you have a high school or equivalent certificate or not.

I am also resigned to the knowledge that it only takes three members of our city's council to approve the construction of on-campus housing at Marymount's RPV campus and knowing that Marymount has a TWENTY YEAR plan, it looks like Dr. Brophy and/or others will simply wait until there are three members of the council who would approve dorms on campus, and then seek approval for dorms at that time. I don't think eight years is a long enough time span for people to forget what Measure P was and what happened over the over ten years of talk, studies and approval-gathering that continues to take place.

Personally I also have a 'bigger fish' to fry, dealing with Ponte Vista at San Pedro. Whatever is eventually built at Ponte Vista will also impact traffic for Marymount College students, so that needs to also be considered.

Increased student enrollment at Marymount College, increased student housing at Palos Verdes North, along with Marymount's other plans for Palos Verdes North, will impact those of us who live on the east side of The Hill in both the Miraleste area and the 'Eastview' area.

Whatever happens at Marymount AND Ponte Vista at San Pedro, those 'double-whammies' will affect us more than any other residents in Rancho Palos Verdes.

The new athletic field plan for Marymount College will create the need to export material from the site. with San Ramon Canyon not fixed yet and the idea of having many dirt haulers traveling along Palos Verdes Drive East and Palos Verdes Drive South, it looks pretty clear that folks living in the Miraleste area of eastern Rancho Palos Verdes will be adversly impacted.

I'm still going to be writing this blog. I'm not going anywhere, for the moment.

I encourage any and all of you who are concerned about issues swirling around Ponte Vista at San Pedro to look at my "Ponte Vista Blog" via its URL:  http://pontevista.blogspot.com/

It's time that the extension just passed for the completion of Phase One be the first and LAST extension granted and we let The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project die and fade into memory. It appears that Marymount officials would like to see that happen so they can build their college according to what they want and not be tied down by something, I believe, they never intended on doing in the first place.

To Extend Or Not Extend, That Is The Question.

On September 4, 2012 the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council, at its regular meeting, will have on its agenda the matter of extending the time frames for Phase One and Phase Two of The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project.

Below is the URL for the Staff Report dealing with the council's Agenda Item:

http://www.palosverdes.com/rpv/citycouncil/agendas/2012_Agendas/MeetingDate-2012-09-04/RPVCCA_CC_SR_2012_09_04_01_Marymount_College_Expansion_Project.pdf

You may also go to the city's Web site: www.palosverdes.com/RPV and look under the city council current agenda link to find, view and download the staff report.

Marymount College representatives would like a one year extension to complete Phase One of the Expansion Project which is now slated to end on September 30, 2012.

Representatives would also like approval, on September 4, 2012, to extend the completion date of Phase Two of the project from September 30, 2015 to September 30, 2016.

The Staff Report recommends extending the completion date for Phase One to December 18, 2012 with an additional recommendation to also provide for a further extension, should Marymount representatives need such an extension, to September 30, 2013.

The Staff Report recommends a denial of the request to extend the completion date requirement of Phase Two.

As of today, I seem to be warming to the idea of allowing an extension of the completion date requirement of Phase One, to December 18, 2012, which is the date of the last meeting of the city council in 2012.

HOWEVER, I hope for a vigorous discussion about any extension of Phase One and I believe there can be requirements placed on any extension of Phase One that should be considered, before any extension is granted.

Marymount officials have a list of what I term as 'roadblocks' to being able to complete all portions of Phase One during the more than two years they have had to complete anything on the Palos Verdes Drive East campus.

Yes, it has been a bad economy and yes there have been problems receiving enough financial support to complete items considered as part of Phase One.

But when 'roadblocks' are stated as being the needs of physical improvements in areas other than on the campus of Marymount College in Rancho Palos Verdes, there are more than a few RPV residents that question the use of dollars in other areas rather than on what Marymount officials committed to do, in RPV.

Furthermore, Marymount officials seemingly changed their road map for Phase One construction plans when they did not build the required 120 new parking spaces mandated to allow for the current student body population allowed for on Marymount's main campus.

Instead, they constructed a 'temporary parking lot' which did open on time but, as of today, has not been studied to see whether its construction has provided the necessary mitigation required from Marymount officials to lessen the number of vehicles parking off-campus.

IF a majority of the member of our city council vote to extend to December 18, 2012 or any other date, I hope there are stipulations created and adhered to such that nobody will have egg on their faces should things not go according to how it should go.

One of the large pieces of Phase One is the construction of a new athletic field on the western side of the Marymount College campus. The field approved of back in June, 2010 stood some chance of being built had Marymount officials worked towards that goal.

Instead, they came up with a new plan for an athletic field that will require new studies and a new Environmental Impact Report being studied and then approved of, before their concept of a new field goes forward.

Marymount officials changed their plans away from what was already approved and that should mean something to those making the decisions for our residents and our community, I feel.

So, I feel it is fair and not too late to inquire from Marymount officials what the truly intend on doing during any extension of the timetable for Phase One. The changes or 'minor modification' to the originally approved parking lot on campus also mandated a longer time frame that also needs to be considered.

City officials still don't have a clear picture as to what Marymount officials intend to do with the structures slated for demolition as part of Phase One or what may or may not happen to the tennis courts considered to be within the scope of Phase One construction plans.

I should think that before granting any extension, city council members should ask Marymount representatives for a more exacting timetable expected for the elements contained within Phase One, not needing a new EIR. Knowing what Marymount officials truly seek to do provides more foundation for considerations.

There is also the wish by Marymount officials, that the student body population levels existing at Marymount's main campus be raised to a number that is higher than it is now.

I feel it is within the scope of the discussion to require Marymount College officials to complete all of the elements of Phase One, minus the new athletic field, before any further consideration as to the increase in student enrollment at the RPV campus happens.

Marymount officials changed their own plans. They want more students taking classes in RPV. They have used monies that could have to towards work according to Phase One guidelines on other things, in other places. There has not been any study, to date, that their required mitigation of off-campus parking has been successful now that the new temporary parking lot has been installed.

Now, Marymount officials are claiming they will construct the new permanent parking spaces during the Fall semester when they originally signalled they would do the work during the Summer recess.

While I will not object to an extension of the Phase One timetable, I believe it should only be until December 18, 2012 and that there is true,  significantly varifiable movement forward to complete all that Marymount officials want to do, according to Phase One guidelines, prior to December 18, 2012, before any further extension up to and including September 30, 2012 be granted.

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.

Bits and Pieces 59

Remember that 'minor modification' that our City Council approved for Marymount College where they were going to mitigate the on-street parking problems, FINALLY, with a 'simple' addition of a few parking spots?

Remember when their Land Use Attorney got up in front of the council and made comments that seemed to indicate that the College would have the new parking spaces in by the beginning of this Fall's term?

Remember when folks like me questioned whether there is any true or real things to believe in as part of Marymount's ideas of how they want to proceed with Phase 1 of The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project?

Remember when I mentioned about the concept that some within the staff or our city consider that whatever Marymount currently wants should be the last thing considered, until something else might come along?

I seem to remember all of that, but it appears there are only a few of us in our city that wish to remember.

In a recent letter, it appears that Marymount, through what they contend is no fault of their own, has no intention of providing even the fifteen additional parking spaces on its main campus prior to the start of classes this fall.

I wonder how much more of this our current council makeup will tolerate.

I expect that during the upcoming August 7, 2012 council meeting, Marymount officials will do their best to illustrate why they must have more time (my guess is two years) to comply with what they agreed to do, as far as Phase 1 goes, by September 30, 2012.

I also expect to hear and read language that will be offered to our council that Marymount MUST have an increase in student enrollment numbers at their Palos Verdes Drive East campus before they find out if they get their extension on what they originally promised to do.

I was hopeful that Marymount officials would (at least) begin to do what they said they would do, several months ago. I may not like their new ideas about Phase 1 but I was encouraged that they said they wanted to have the new parking spaces in, on time.

Silly me!

We did have occasions to visit the new Broiler Express on Western Avenue. It is run by the same team that provide us and San Pedro with Fantastic Cafe.

The food was equal to what we have always enjoyed at the two Fantastic Cafe's two San Pedro locations and the added bonus of having another drive-thru,  increases opportunities to those of us in R.P.V. and elsewhere.

Do you think our city's Fourth of July Celebration will be different this years as it has been in the past? Aside from this not being an election year for our city's council, I wonder what, if anything, is new.

The celebration takes place this year on the 20th anniversary of Mark and Terri's wedding so thank you all so very much for celebrating, year after year.

Here is my first big 'shout out' for Scalawag Production's "Oklahoma" playing at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro on August 10 and 11.

I am the set builder for the youth production and I think audience members will enjoy a great show with spectacular performances by talented performers, ages 13-18.

While I have been to wonderful performances by youth productions on The Hill, "Oklahoma" will feature talent from on The Hill and off.

It's not July yet and this week has provided some hot days. Terri says 'June Gloom' may be returning to end June on a cloudy mornings note, but I think it will be nice to keep it as cool as it can be, for a bit longer.

Are you going to attend any of the festivities revolving around the public opening of the Battleship Iowa's first week?

There are quite a number of veterans in eastern R.P.V. and even though we all may not be Navy vets, I think we can enjoy this new attraction on the waterfront so many of us can see from our homes.

There is also the opening of a giant crafters' shopping area inside Warehouse 10 in the Port of Los Angeles. This old warehouse is close to 22nd Street and Minor Avenue, if I am not mistaken.

Perhaps there are crafters from R.P.V. who will have stalls in the shopping area. Please support them and others working to create artful things.

Right now I wish today was the first Wednesday in November. I am sick and tired of National and Statewide politics for the time being. I wonder if any readers of this blog have a working time machine I could use.

It looks like most of the work on the power polls along Western Avenue in R.P.V. is finished. THANK GOODNESS!

5-0 Vote Raises Your Fee and City Revenues

Hey conservatives, when you voted to elect (now Mayor Pro Tem) Brian Campbell, (now) Mayor Anthony Misetich, Councilwoman Susan Brooks and Councilman Jerry Duhovic, did you know you would be voting to elect folks who have no real trouble raising fees and generating revenue at the MAXIMUM level requested?

Being a very liberal person, I thought is was folks like me and the three former council members, Wolowicz, Stern, and Long who would raise fees to the highest level possible.

By a vote of 5-0, the R.P.V. City Council voted to raise the fees for Residential Customers of EDCO by the MAXIMUM allowable increase of 2.3%.

Sure, that's not really a big amount as far as how much we are going to pay, but what about the principle and campaign rhetoric we heard from all of the candidates.

With the MAXIMUM increase requested, our city's coffers also get an increase of about $10,850 this coming year from EDCO.

Then, let's take into account that everything that Marymount College's administration and supporters have asked for, from this council, has been approved.

It kind of continues to prove my point about the conservative-dominated City Council.

It looks like as far as they are concerned, business interests within and for our city come first.

Government size and increases in revenue come second.

Residential interests come last, of those three.

Is this a good thing? Not for me! I continue to think and feel that our elected representatives represent the residents who voted them into office, FIRST!

I then think the members should consider government working for RESIDENTS, second.

I would like to see business interests, especially one who are owned and/or operated by non-RPV residents coming in third, within the group of three.

Lower taxes? Well, considering the increase in revenue (tax) this council will require EDCO to pay, I guess all of them who claim or claimed they were interested in lowering your taxes might be saying something on one side of their mouths, but it comes out quite differently from the other side of they mouths.

Remember, the increase in revenue the city gets is from the increase in fees we are all going to now have to pay.

As for me, I didn't see my EDCO service improve even 2.3% during the previous year. We see a staggered collection time, during the day. Our waste is picked up fairly early in the morning and our recycle and green waste may hang around until late afternoon.

Sometimes we have to make trips at different times of the day to bring in our cans. Wouldn't a one-time period per day be better to bring our cans from the street, rather than taking one back in the morning or having it linger out there empty, until the last truck picks up the last container?

We all understand that costs go up. One chart in the package for the increase stated that there was an increase of 1.9% (in total for that graph), .4% less than the rate increase was approved for.

In one Email to one council member, I suggested that no rate increase should be voted on, but I did state that I thought a 1.15% increase could be considered favorable. As a liberal and someone who can afford the 2.3% increase, I really don't mind that too much, especially if it leads to raises for working folks at EDCO, they could all use a raise, I think.

Time and votes have demonstrated that business interests in our city, what businesses want and how they go about getting what they want, is going to be a major issue, for at least the next two years.

Watch Marymount get every extension they request. Sit back and witness Marymount being given an increase in student body counts at its Rancho Palos Verdes campus.

Consider what we might see in the awarding of contracts.

Gaze at the length of time it takes to make even emergency repairs necessary when dealing with San Ramon Canyon, when it could involve possibly great delays in traffic by our residents.

I'm the leftest. I'm the liberal, yes, you are most welcome to consider me a progressive. It would normally be odd for someone like me to mention the increase in fees to residents, approved of by this council. But after all the campaign jargon, literature, statements, ideals, mentions and now votes by the majority of members of our council, it appears they favor business more than they support our residents, in my sole opinion.