Meghan Sahli-Wells
Parcel B is the long-time empty lot between the Culver Hotel, Culver Studios and Trader Joe's in Downtown Culver City. Development proposals have come and gone throughout the years, the last project having been financed by now defunct Lehman Brothers. This acre of public land is slated for development once again, with the same entitlements as the former project: "Parcel B has entitlements for a three story, 118,000 square foot, office and retail development with 84 subterranean parking spaces" according to the 02/14/11 Redevelopment Agency staff report.
Along with many residents, I have taken issue with the fact that the Redevelopment Agency (RDV for short) has insisted on maintaining the existing entitlements - why would we need more office spaces when there are already prime downtown spaces that have been sitting empty for years? Since previous projects were unsuccessful, perhaps the public needs to rethink the space entirely, under today's circumstances? (See my previous post on entitlements and public input here.) But, the proverbial train has already left the station - the cost and time necessary to start the entitlement process anew is, according to RDV, not worth it.
What we have now is a choice between four development proposals: "Culver X" by the Tolkin Group, "Parc & Main" by Cardiff Realty Holdings, "Paseo" by Runyon Partners, and the "9300 Culver" Combined Properties Inc. proposal. After a rocky start with public input (see details in this article), RDV finally held a meeting where residents could see all four projects and speak freely with the developers on 10/24 (see staff report here). Furthermore, all five RDV Agency/Council members sincerely asked the public for their input, admitting it was a hard choice for them.
So, now it's up to us! Please review the projects online and let RDV know what you think would best fit on this prime piece of public land in the heart of our city:
Mayor Mehaul O'Leary: micheal.oleary@culvercity.org (310) 754-9787
Vice-Mayor Scott Malsin: scott.malsin@culvercity.org (310) 398-3183
Council Member Chris Armenta: christopher.armenta@culvercity.org (310) 384-1490
Council Member Andy Weisman: andrew.weissman@culvercity.org (310) 839-5217
Council Member Jeff Cooper: jeffrey.cooper@culvercity.org (310) 344-8033
To see the projects:
Curbed LA has a very succinct presentation of the four developments here.
To download detailed materials from each developer, city staff reports, as well as developers' contact information see Culver City's dedicated website page.
RDV/Council is expected cast their decisive vote on November 14th.
Meghan Sahli-Wells is the Chair of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, the Vice-Chair of the Culver City Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and a member of the Culver City Advisory Committee on Redevelopment. Please visit her blog at www.vote4meghan.com.
Hi Meghan,
ReplyDeletethanks for your article on this. I went to the City's website page, and it is very easy to view the proposals (view the PowerPoint slides). The 4 projects all have a very different feel - especially the Paseo and 9300 Culver. My personal favorite is Parc and Main, followed by Culver X. I sent an email to all Council members through the City website.
I encourage all of you to take Meghan's advice, view the plans and make your vote!
Sarah Dry
Thanks Sarah!
ReplyDeleteIt's rare to have the opportunity to voice concerns and preferences for such an important piece of public land.
Please ask your friends and neighbors to weigh in - the more public input we have, the better the project will be!
Many thanks, Meghan for sharing this info. I too, spent several hours looking at the information provided by all the developers.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I think it would have been worthwhile to re-examine the purposes to which the space could be used/developed and not be limited to the current entitlements.
so, I will provide my feedback to this effect along with my preference for a hybrid project with components from all the proposals and will send my input to all members of the Redevelopment Agency/City Council.
Thanks,
Disa Lindgren
Thank you, Meghan, for continuing to keep our focus on this important issue and encouraging public participation. Here is my letter to the Council regarding Parcel B:
ReplyDeleteDear Mayor, Vice-Mayor, Council-members,
A brief note to re-iterate my concerns about the proposals for development of Parcel B. My over-arching concern is that an opportunity for meaningful place-making will be missed. For a moment envision a continuation of the village we inhabit downtown..... walk-able, friendly, vibrant. There are a variety of places to rest, gather, play, eat and shop.We are fortunate that former councils had the wisdom to preserve the unique character of our downtown, while making the necessary changes to revitalize. Now, picture a shopping mall. It may offer activity ... walking, eating, shopping...but the experience is often hollow and anonymous...lacking a sense of place.
I have already spoken about the scale of the four proposals. They are not to human scale. They overwhelm and define us as consumers. We need to find ways to build on a human scale in order to "power-down" energy-wise - and nothing on the scale of these projects could be considered environmentally sustainable. I will admit to being very conservative when it comes to our consumer culture and feel strongly that we all must do our best to make a radical 180 degree turn. It is a misuse of resources to continue building over-sized shopping malls that house goods that squander energy to produce and are soon discarded.
We can have it all, however! We can have walk-able streets, vibrant commerce, and public space where our active, creative community can thrive. Please do not feel pushed or rushed to make a choice, when the appropriate project has yet to be proposed.
Consider your constituency and your legacy.
I appreciate all that you do for our city.
Michelle Weiner