The Baz
September 18th, 2007, 02:47 AM
I believe Playa Vista is signifigant enough to warrant its own thread.
http://www.carnevale.us/PlayaVistSponsorLogo.jpg
Playa Vista I
http://www.tndwest.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/PlayaVistaaerialmap.jpg
Proposed II & III
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b9/axb8000/SSC/PlayaVistaoverallmap.gif
I was just sent this email bombshell about the proposed Phase II of PVA, Village Town Center.
Phase II is the more aggressive and substantial portion of the planned zip-code in LA. It has been under heavy attack from enviromentalists and it seems that the NIMBYs have scored a blow against the developers.
California Court of Appeal Overturns L.A. City Council's
Approval to Expand the Playa Vista Development
Court Rules L.A. City Violated State and Local Environmental Laws
LOS ANGELES -(September 13th, 2007) - The California Court of Appeal today overturned all approvals of Phase 2 of the massive 111 acre Playa Vista development and ordered all construction activities to cease immediately: "All construction activities on the project by any person are hereby ordered to be stayed effective immediately. The superior court is directed to issue an order enjoining all project activities that it finds would prejudice the City's consideration or implementation of mitigation measures or alternatives and that could result in an adverse change to the physical environment, until the City fully complies with [the California Environmental Quality Act."
The court's landmark ruling is a major victory for the citizens of Los Angeles, the environment, civil rights of Native Americans, and overall quality of life in Los Angeles. The ruling covers two consolidated cases involving groups as diverse as Ballona Wetlands Land Trust, the Tongva/Gabrieleno Tribal Council of San Gabriel, city of Santa Monica, Surfrider Foundation and Ballona Ecosystem Education Project.
The Court held: "the [Environmental Impact Report on the project] was deficient in its analysis of land use impacts, mitigation of impacts on historical archaeological resources, and wastewater impacts."
The City must now comply with the California Environmental Quality Act, write a new Environmental Impact Report ("EIR") and hold new public hearings. They must respond to public comment and give the public and City Council and opportunity to reconsider the proposed project or some alternative to it. The full 114-page opinion may be read at the Court's website: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/nonpub/B189630.DOC
The Court repeatedly called the City and developer's statements "untrue", describing the project's environmental analysis as to land use impacts "illusory" and "materially misleading".
Rex Frankel, President of the Ballona Ecosystem Education Project stated, "This victory for the people of Los Angeles is a victory for telling the truth on development decisions. The Court rejected the developer's masquerade about benefits to the public which in fact did not actually exist. The Playa Vista developers threatened the public with a monster development to beat the public into submission to accept a slightly smaller, but still enormous, project. However, the Court agreed with us that the developers never had the rights to build this monster project in the first place."
The Court ruled that the City failed to discuss methods of requiring the developers to preserve in place historical archaeological sites, including Native American gravesites, impacted by the massive development. By omitting this discussion, the City "effectively precluded both meaningful public participation and informed decisionmaking with respect to the decision on mitigation measures." The Court required the City return the project to the drawing board, noting that the City has the power and discretion under the law to consider restoring Native American graves to their prior resting places, even if the developers already have dug them up.
The Court further ruled a revised EIR must include analysis of how the City proposes to dispose of sewage ("wastewater") generated from the project, and provide a discussion of any significant cumulative impacts to the Santa Monica Bay from the project's sewage discharge.
Surfrider Foundation's California Policy Coordinator, Joe Geever, responded: "We are ecstatic that the issue of questionable wastewater planning and associated environmental impacts is finally seeing the light of day. Our major concern was that the City was approving more pressure on out-dated sewage treatment capacity and unabated urban runoff without fully understanding the additional adverse impacts on coastal and ocean water quality and human health risks."
Playa Capital L.L.C.'s 111-acre Phase 2 is the largest, undeveloped, privately-owned parcel of land in the City of Los Angeles. Until today's ruling, the development was to include 2600 dwelling units, 175,000 square feet of office space, 150,000 square feet of retail space and 40,000 square feet of other uses adding 24,000 new daily car trips. The development would have paved over a portion of the historic Ballona Wetlands ecosystem, the 111 acre parcel favorably known by environmentalists as "Ballona Southeast."
Tom Francis of the Ballona Wetlands Land Trust responded, "The Court has given the City Council another chance to get it right. The Council can save taxpayers millions of dollars, clean up Santa Monica Bay, and avoid increased traffic congestion by approving the alternative to more development at Ballona: a natural treatment wetland with parks. We trust Councilman Bill Rosendahl and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will say "no" to more developer-driven land use planning, and lead the way to greening Los Angeles by supporting alternatives such as this one."
Numerous health and safety issues to residents and the environment have plagued Playa Vista since its inception. Media investigations have exposed a series of methane dangers at Playa Vista including methane gas leaking through the so-called impermeable membranes placed under buildings at Playa Vista Phase 1.
http://www.carnevale.us/PlayaVistSponsorLogo.jpg
Playa Vista I
http://www.tndwest.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/PlayaVistaaerialmap.jpg
Proposed II & III
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b9/axb8000/SSC/PlayaVistaoverallmap.gif
I was just sent this email bombshell about the proposed Phase II of PVA, Village Town Center.
Phase II is the more aggressive and substantial portion of the planned zip-code in LA. It has been under heavy attack from enviromentalists and it seems that the NIMBYs have scored a blow against the developers.
California Court of Appeal Overturns L.A. City Council's
Approval to Expand the Playa Vista Development
Court Rules L.A. City Violated State and Local Environmental Laws
LOS ANGELES -(September 13th, 2007) - The California Court of Appeal today overturned all approvals of Phase 2 of the massive 111 acre Playa Vista development and ordered all construction activities to cease immediately: "All construction activities on the project by any person are hereby ordered to be stayed effective immediately. The superior court is directed to issue an order enjoining all project activities that it finds would prejudice the City's consideration or implementation of mitigation measures or alternatives and that could result in an adverse change to the physical environment, until the City fully complies with [the California Environmental Quality Act."
The court's landmark ruling is a major victory for the citizens of Los Angeles, the environment, civil rights of Native Americans, and overall quality of life in Los Angeles. The ruling covers two consolidated cases involving groups as diverse as Ballona Wetlands Land Trust, the Tongva/Gabrieleno Tribal Council of San Gabriel, city of Santa Monica, Surfrider Foundation and Ballona Ecosystem Education Project.
The Court held: "the [Environmental Impact Report on the project] was deficient in its analysis of land use impacts, mitigation of impacts on historical archaeological resources, and wastewater impacts."
The City must now comply with the California Environmental Quality Act, write a new Environmental Impact Report ("EIR") and hold new public hearings. They must respond to public comment and give the public and City Council and opportunity to reconsider the proposed project or some alternative to it. The full 114-page opinion may be read at the Court's website: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/nonpub/B189630.DOC
The Court repeatedly called the City and developer's statements "untrue", describing the project's environmental analysis as to land use impacts "illusory" and "materially misleading".
Rex Frankel, President of the Ballona Ecosystem Education Project stated, "This victory for the people of Los Angeles is a victory for telling the truth on development decisions. The Court rejected the developer's masquerade about benefits to the public which in fact did not actually exist. The Playa Vista developers threatened the public with a monster development to beat the public into submission to accept a slightly smaller, but still enormous, project. However, the Court agreed with us that the developers never had the rights to build this monster project in the first place."
The Court ruled that the City failed to discuss methods of requiring the developers to preserve in place historical archaeological sites, including Native American gravesites, impacted by the massive development. By omitting this discussion, the City "effectively precluded both meaningful public participation and informed decisionmaking with respect to the decision on mitigation measures." The Court required the City return the project to the drawing board, noting that the City has the power and discretion under the law to consider restoring Native American graves to their prior resting places, even if the developers already have dug them up.
The Court further ruled a revised EIR must include analysis of how the City proposes to dispose of sewage ("wastewater") generated from the project, and provide a discussion of any significant cumulative impacts to the Santa Monica Bay from the project's sewage discharge.
Surfrider Foundation's California Policy Coordinator, Joe Geever, responded: "We are ecstatic that the issue of questionable wastewater planning and associated environmental impacts is finally seeing the light of day. Our major concern was that the City was approving more pressure on out-dated sewage treatment capacity and unabated urban runoff without fully understanding the additional adverse impacts on coastal and ocean water quality and human health risks."
Playa Capital L.L.C.'s 111-acre Phase 2 is the largest, undeveloped, privately-owned parcel of land in the City of Los Angeles. Until today's ruling, the development was to include 2600 dwelling units, 175,000 square feet of office space, 150,000 square feet of retail space and 40,000 square feet of other uses adding 24,000 new daily car trips. The development would have paved over a portion of the historic Ballona Wetlands ecosystem, the 111 acre parcel favorably known by environmentalists as "Ballona Southeast."
Tom Francis of the Ballona Wetlands Land Trust responded, "The Court has given the City Council another chance to get it right. The Council can save taxpayers millions of dollars, clean up Santa Monica Bay, and avoid increased traffic congestion by approving the alternative to more development at Ballona: a natural treatment wetland with parks. We trust Councilman Bill Rosendahl and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will say "no" to more developer-driven land use planning, and lead the way to greening Los Angeles by supporting alternatives such as this one."
Numerous health and safety issues to residents and the environment have plagued Playa Vista since its inception. Media investigations have exposed a series of methane dangers at Playa Vista including methane gas leaking through the so-called impermeable membranes placed under buildings at Playa Vista Phase 1.