Just Say No – Town Hall packed with 1,200 Playa Vista
opponents
By John
Davis
A monumental gathering of
Neighborhood Councils and non-profit organizations turned out residents in
droves to oppose the Playa Vista Phase 2 development.
The Department of Neighborhood Councils
indicated this is a historic first for locally elected Councils in Los Angeles.
Of the over twelve-hundred people attending only one could help stop the project
at City Hall, Councilwoman Cindy Misckowski. She was the guest of honor, dressed
as a grim reaper all black outfit portending her future yes vote for the much
condemned project.
The afternoon prior
to the meeting I visited the Venice High School auditorium. As I sat in the back
row, I was impressed with the beautiful art deco architecture and the subtle
blend of brown and tan colors. Many good things had happened here, it lingers in
the air.
Seeing the magnitude of the
venue I could only hope that the evening’s event would fill even a
fraction of the seats. However, the Town Hall Meeting spearheaded by the Venice
Neighborhood Council was greeted with every seat filled and standing room
only.
Suzanne Thompson, President of
the Venice Neighborhood Council and Tom Ponton President of the Mar Vista
Neighborhood Council hosted the evenings activities. Co-sponsored by other
Neighborhood Councils, Surfrider Foundation, The Ballona Wetlands Land Trust,
and the Ballona Ecological Education Project, the Town Hall was a resounding
success.
As people were seated they
watched a documentary film, Heroes at the Ballona Wetlands, by producer Sheila
Laffey. It was airing on the National Public Broadcasting System that same
night. The film included such noted actors as Ed Asner, Martin Sheen, with music
by Joni Mitchell, Kenny Loggins, and Joe Walsh. The crowd grew warm and
enthused.
A moving presentation was
made by members of various groups including the Vice-Chair of the Gabrielino
Tongva Indians of California Tribal Council, Johntommy Rosas. His Council
objects to the destruction of Native American graveyards at Playa Vista and the
Ballona Bluff. He reminded us the California Native American Heritage Commission
also rejected Playa Vista.
Sound
environmental, legal, and historical reasons were presented in strong opposition
to the project.
“The environmental
impact report on which the City Council will base its decision is seriously
flawed,” said Suzanne Thompson, President of the GRVNC. “The full
impact of Phase I is not yet known – and the Council made a promise to all
of us in 1993 that Phase II would not be approved before the first phase was
completed. A hurried decision now would both abandon this promise and would
result in further damage to all surrounding communities,”
Thompson said Surfrider’s
message was that the project would produce negative effects on coastal waters.
Tom Francis of the Ballona Land Trust gave an impassioned speech to prepare for
litigation if the full City Council failed to hear the community pleas. Rex
Frankle of the Ballona Ecological Education Project showed the City could save
taxpayer money if the project were
denied.
And Laura Burns of the GRVNC
Land Use and Planning Committee provided overhead maps as proof that the City
had not even considered the impacts of other major developments like the massive
Channel Gateway development on Lincoln Blvd.
Candidate for State Assembly Jim Smith
and U.S. Congressional candidate Alice Stek both spoke out and vowed to fight
the project. Other candidates running for Councilwoman Misckowski’s seat
also condemned Playa Vista
roundly.
Although Playa Vista was
invited to defend itself, in a cowardly style no representative, not even
project dictator Steven Soberoff showed
up.
As a lame duck with no mandate (she
was selected not elected) Councilwoman Misckowski, a seasoned politico, faced
the crowd and offered them platitudes such as “we saved everything West of
Lincoln.” Of course the gathering knew that it was they, not she, who had
worked tirelessly to preserve those wetlands. There were even more platitudes
meeting with the same response.
And
the public response to her was pitiful. Only one person clapped for her. It was
the same suited man who walked in and sat next to Cindy. Perhaps he was
taxpayer-funded staff and clapped to keep his
job.
Petitions from over six thousand
stakeholders were presented to Cindy in a giant stack demanding representation
against Playa Vista, but they were
ignored.
Twice, a thunderous chorus
ensued chanting at the Councilperson, “Just Say No!, Just Say No!”,
again and again.
The chants were not
designed to get Cindy Misckowski off of drugs but to elicit a no vote against
Playa Vista at the next City Council hearing.
Posted: Fri - October 1, 2004 at 03:05 PM