Also, please send an email to all your contacts asking them to send this message before Tuesday to the VNC Board at board@venicenc.org:
Please pass the Resolution opposing the use of the Westminster Center for storage of the possessions of the homeless. The Westminster Center is too close to the elementary school, a park and residences and thus is inappropriate for storage use because it will attract more homeless to camp out in the area, which poses a danger to school children and residents.
While both a deed restriction on the property and the City's new parks ordinance prohibits this storage use, the City Attorney has not yet agreed and Councilman Bonin has not let go of this inappropriate location for the storage - so we are asking the Neighborhood Council to underscore the opposition of residents to this use.
Resolution Opposing Use of the
Westminster Senior Center for Storage
Whereas, the Councilman of Los Angeles City Council District
11 has introduced a Motion (CF 15-1138 S-8) to convert the Westminster Senior
Center at 1234 Pacific Avenue for use as storage for the possessions of persons
who are homeless; and
Whereas, this facility is in a public park, and adjacent to
an elementary school and scores of residences; and
Whereas, the majority of the residents residing near this
facility are opposed to this use; and
Whereas, many parents of children attending Westminster Elementary School are also opposed to
this use; and
Whereas, there have been no public hearings on this
conversion; and
Whereas, the location criteria of the Los Angeles Homeless
Services Authority (LAHSA) includes the following language: Potential locations for
expanded storage and services will be evaluated based on the following: 3. Impact on residential and high-traffic commercial
areas; and
Whereas,
no study has been conducted of the impact of the proposed storage use of the
Westminster Center will have on park users, nearby residents or students
attending the Westminster Elementary School; and
Whereas, the City of Los Angeles is legally prohibited from
this use of the property by a a restriction to the property’s deed recorded by
the Los Angeles Superior Court on July 5, 1950, which limits the use to public
playground and recreation uses, and
Whereas, the proposed use is illegal under recently adopted amendments
to Los Angeles Municipal Code 63.44, which state at B. 26 (f):
Removal of Stored Personal Property;
Discarding of Stored Personal Property.
(1) No
Person shall Store Personal Property in any Park.
(2)
All Stored
Personal Property remaining in any Park after closing may be removed by the
City.
And,
Whereas, the use of a large
storage container at the Venice Beach Paddle Tennis Courts has proved the
efficacy of using such a container for storage use; and
Whereas, several other options
exist for storage which will not impact a neighborhood park, an elementary
school and adjacent residents, including the former MTA bus yard, which could be
rented by a non-profit such as Chrysalis and out-fitted with containers, and
private storage facilities, e.g. Stor It Self Storage at 4068
Del Rey Ave, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, which is located next to industrial and
commercial uses, not a school, park and residences; and
Whereas,
enforcement of the new versions of LAMC 63.44 (prohibition of storage in parks)
and LAMC 56.11 (limits on storage on sidewalks) will necessitate City storage
for abandoned property, prohibited bulky items, and illegally stored property;
now
Therefore, be it
resolved, that the Venice Neighborhood Council opposes the use of the Westminster
Senior Center at 1234 Pacific Avenue for use as storage; and
Further, the
Venice Neighborhood Council calls upon the Councilman of District 11 to
secure storage facilities at least 300 feet from any residences or parks for
the proposed storage use identified in CF 15-1138 S8 and for abandoned and
other property acquired by the City under LAMC 56.11 and LAMC 63.44 and when
operational to relocate the stored items at the Venice Beach Paddle Tennis
Courts to the new location to remove them from proximity to residences and their
location in the park, which now violates LAMC 63.44.
