TheFoothillsForum

The new issue of the North Valley Reporter is out. No...neither it nor I am dead...as reported by a local disreputable paper, that is equivalent to the Sunland-Tujunga Enquirer. Now that my health is improving, we will be back on schedule. Please let us know how we can serve you better. Email: InformNVR@aol.com. Your comments are always welcome. Please visit http://www.northvalleyreporter.com

Don't worry Nina, nobody reads that phony paper. Glad you are feeling better!

Well done Sparkle: this is a beautiful edition. I just read it on-line, can you tell me where to pick up a hard copy?
Thank you,
Terre
Gold Leaf

OOOOPS. Appearantly my brain isn't healing as fast as my body

Check for the 1st Aid/CPR Class should be made out to:
Disaster Specialists.

Sparkle,

You are in good company:

"The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

-Mark Twain

Hi Sparkle,

Good to see you back and very glad to hear your health is improving!

I read the NVR online today, especially the article by Dick Platkin regarding the Hollywood Community Plan. The article appeared on Ron Kaye's page back on the 9th of July.

There are significant differences in the first paragraph or two between the version that Ron Kaye posted and the version in the NVR, I was wondering if you might care to comment on where these differences originated.

First, the beginning of the article as it appears on Ron Kaye's Page (it's still online, at least at the moment) at:

http://ronkayela.com/2011/07/beware-of- ... uence.html

>> After 18 years of work, LA's Department of City Planning has finally unveiled a draft update for the 1988 Hollywood Community Plan, including 105 pages of detailed amendments to increase permitted building densities in Hollywood, as well as a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). If or when this update is eventually adopted, it will then become a template for similar updates of LA's 34 other community plans. In theory, it also could become a model for Specific Plan amendments to permitting greater densities.

Because of the Hollywood plan's importance to potentially alter private land use patterns all throughout Los Angeles, many analysts have carefully scrutinized the draft, especially its DEIR, and submitted their analyses to the Department of City Planning. Among these many submissions, one theme stands out; the Draft Environmental Impact Report does not present a credible planning rationale for the proposed Community Plan update.

The following six points summarize much of this DEIR testimony: <<


However, when I read the article in the NVR, there were some significant changes in the first few paragraphs. The article as it appears on the North Valley Reporter says:

>> After 18 years, LA’s Department of City Planning unveiled a draft update for the Hollywood Community Plan, including 105 pages of detailed amendments to increase permitted building densities in Hollywood, as well as a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR).This plan is important because, if or when this update is adopted, it will become a template for updating LA’s other 34 community plans and will set a precedent throughout the entire city. The plan has been carefully scrutinized, especially its DEIR by many analysts who examined this document and recently submitted their statements to the Department of City Planning. Among their many comments, one stands out: The Draft Environmental Impact Report does not present a credible planning rationale for the proposed Community Plan update.

The following six points summarize much of this DEIR testimony: <<


Would you care to comment on where these changes originated? Given the current concern here in Sunland/Tujunga and amending the Foothill Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan, and the opinion of a man of Mr. Platkin's expertise and experience, the omission of the statement:

"In theory, it also could become a model for Specific Plan amendments to permitting greater densities."

from the NVR edition certainly seems to be a very strange point to have been removed.

Thank you for any light you might be able to shed on this subject.

SFT, Please pm me so we can speak in person. I will have to go back and study the column on the RK site. The article in the Reporter was written for the Reporter almost a month ago before it went one RK's site. I had a personal problem which prevented me from getting the paper out before the end of last month.

Hi Sparkle,

>> Please pm me so we can speak in person. I will have to go back and study the column on the RK site. The article in the Reporter was written for the Reporter almost a month ago before it went one RK's site. I had a personal problem which prevented me from getting the paper out before the end of last month. <<

Thank you. That's understandable. Your article predating Ron Kaye's article by a month would explain what happened. Apparently Mr. Platkin edited the article between the time he posted it to you and the time he posted it to Ron Kaye, adding the part about the Specific Plans in the process. It makes sense, as he would have had more time to think of the implications and consequences that the changes to the Hollywood Community plan could have.

Thank you again for the clarification and rapid response!

I enjoyed this current issue of the NVR very much. And the Community Calendar is a great feature. Thank you!

SFT,
There are no proposals to increase density in S-T in the memo sent to Councilman Paul Krekorian. The memo asks him to look at ways to safely improve the FBCSP. The memo seeks to give the FBCSP more tools to stop unwanted and inappropriate development, not increase it. The STA is a signer on the memo, and if you will recall, we are the organization that successfully stopped Home Depot, a Propane Station at the former Coffee Stop, and numerous other inappropriate developments in S-T. The STA continues to be the most active and effective organization in fighting bad projects that threaten our community. We certainly would never support a proposal that would harm our beloved Sunland-Tujunga.