Wilmont Agenda 7

Category: 'Agendas'


2007-01-01

 

PARKING VOTED OUR #1 PROBLEM:

Wilmont recently conducted a survey to determine the top concerns of our residents.  People who live here probably won’t be surprised to learn that the majority of respondents said that parking is the number one problem facing our neighborhood.  Other issues that need to be addressed were listed as (2) homelessness, (3) traffic-congestion, and (4) overdevelopment-density.

Searching for solutions, 60% of polled residents said they would support implementing angled parking as a way to ease our parking problems.  Another 21% said they were unsure or wanted to find out more information about the proposal.  Depending on the width of the individual street, a diagonal plan could potentially increase available parking by 30-70%.  To read the complete survey results, log onto our website at www.wilmont.org.

Wilmont leadership continues to address these issues with City Hall.  Our Chairperson recently had a very productive meeting with Santa Monica’s new Planning Director, Eileen Fogarty.  They discussed our ongoing parking problems and how continuing development in the neighborhood is escalating an already untenable situation.

If you’d like to express your opinion about parking problems or get involved in other issues, please join us at our meeting tomorrow night, May 21st.  It will be held at the Ken Edwards Center, 1527 Fourth Street, at 7PM.  Free parking is available beneath the building.  Come one, come all!

LUCE UPDATE:

Why join your neighborhood organization?  Wilmont gives neighbors a place to discuss, to learn and to take action on issues related to life in our neighborhood.  One of the most important issues currently facing our city is the redrafting of the Land Use and Circulation Element.  The LUCE, as it’s called, is a part of the city’s General Plan and was last rewritten more than twenty years ago.

The LUCE determines such things as zoning ordinances, the integration of transportation systems, what types of projects can be built in which areas, how traffic will move throughout the city, etc.  It’s a blueprint for how Santa Monica will evolve in the coming decades.

Have you ever wondered why Wilshire Boulevard in our city looks so different from Westwood?  The reason we don’t have skyscraper canyons in Santa Monica is because the LUCE that was written in the 1980’s limited Wilshire buildings, in most cases, to four stories.

The updating of our General Plan will have a critical impact on the allowable density and livability of our city.  Research and planning have been ongoing for two years and the project will soon be entering a new phase of public outreach.  City Hall will be organizing open meetings to communicate their tentative plans and gather information from the community.  All residents are strongly encouraged to participate in this process and help us determine how Santa Monica will grow in the 21st Century!  To get more information on the LUCE process or to ask for periodic email updates, log onto www.shapethefuture2025.net.


NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS:

 

·         Beginning July 2007, fluoride will be coming to Santa Monica’s tap water!  Although 70% of large American cities have fluoridated water, some residents have become alarmed at a series of reports detailing the newly discovered dangers of the mineral.  To get more information on both sides of the issue, log onto: www.fluoridealert.org. or www.smdp.com/site/archives/011907.pdf

·         Wilmont residents will soon have a new and improved Reed Park.  Located at the corner of Wilshire and Lincoln, the park will receive upgraded lighting and landscaping.  The City will add new measures to discourage vagrancy and will also expand the children’s play area. 

·         Santa Monica’s neighborhood groups are working together to bring residents a new “virtual town square”. The website will provide a forum for neighbors to chat, express their opinions, and find out important community information.  A test version of the site is currently online and available for public use at www.sm4residents.net.  New functions will be added and the site will be made more user-friendly.  Construction is expected to be finalized this summer.

ABOUT WILMONT:

The Wilshire/Montana Neighborhood Coalition (also known as Wilmont) was organized as a non-profit corporation more than ten years ago.  Our district covers the 25,000 residents who live between Wilshire and Montana, Ocean Avenue and 21st Street.

Wilmont board members represent our neighborhood’s interests on various boards and committees, including the Montana Avenue Merchants Association, Community Corporation and the Workforce Housing Committee.  We speak at City Council meetings and have been working with City staff to find a solution to our district’s serious parking problem.

To find out more information about the organization, visit our website at www.wilmont.org, call our phone line at (310) 840-2257, or join us for one of our meetings.  We meet at 7PM on the third Monday of each month at the Ken Edwards Center, 1527 Fourth Street.  Free parking is available beneath the building.

To become a Wilmont member, send a check or money order, along with the following information:  

 

____________________________________

NAME

____________________________________

PHONE

____________________________________

STREET ADDRESS

____________________________________

CITY, STATE AND ZIP CODE

____________________________________

E-MAIL (if available)

 

Annual dues:

Individuals = $10.00

Seniors or those on limited incomes = $5.00

Families = $15.00

Businesses = $25.00

 

Mail this form and your payment to:

Wilshire/Montana Neighborhood Coalition

P.O. Box 607

Santa Monica, CA 90406


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