Trouble on Lincoln Boulevard
Lincoln Center Rising
from the
Grave
By Jim
Smith
The Lincoln Center
mega-development project is back for the third
time.
Two earlier plans for a massive
shopping center and residential complex covering two blocks of Lincoln Blvd.
failed to gain support with the Planning Commission or the
community.
Last May 13, the City’s Planning
Commission rejected the first attempt at winning approval from the too-big
project. The Planning Commission’s rejection came after a nearly
year-and-a-half fight against Lincoln Center led by the Venice Community
Coalition (VCC) and the Grass Roots Venice Neighborhood Council (GRVNC). The
Beachhead chimed in with numerous articles and editorials opposing the
project.
Out of that fight came the
Envision Venice workshop in November, 2003, which in turn led to a Community
Design Overlay (CDO) for Lincoln Blvd. Whether the CDO will have any impact on
the proposed destruction of the beautifully designed Lincoln Place Apartments or
the not-so-pretty design of Lincoln Center remains to be
seen.
Last October 2, Lincoln Center
advocates Khalsa and Associates and Boston Developer Samuel Adams tried to gain
support for a new design with a Venice Community Open House, but they were
unsuccessful. The “Open House” had been organized by aides of
Councilmember Cindy Miscikowski.
On
March 27, the Venice Community Coalition, which is mainly an organization of
east-of-Lincoln homeowners, issued a warning that a new permit application has
been filed by the developers.
This time
they have called in heavy-weight political operatives who work for the law firm
of Manatt Phelps & Philips. The law firm claims expertise in winning
approval for big developments: “Our lawyers play a crucial strategic
role, working to secure the support of government staff, community activists,
and elected officials while aggressively advocating for your projects at public
hearings.”
Manatt, Phelps plays
in the big leagues. Founder Charles Manatt was Chairperson of the Democratic
National Committee, Co-Chair of the Clinton-Gore campaign and is a former
Ambassador.
On Feb. 2, Mayor Hahn
appointed Manatt, Phelps attorney S. Nancy Whang to the Planning Department,
creating a possible conflict of interest for the law
firm.
Meanwhile, the VCC has responded
by securing pro-bono lawyers of its own, albeit lower profile than Manatt,
Phelps.
The other organization that
played a pivotal role in blocking Lincoln Center is the Neighborhood Council.
But it’s been put out of commission by other Hahn appointees in city
government, and is currently not sanctioned to take action on the new project
proposal.
The VCC is insisting that
Lincoln Center submit an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on its project and
not the flimsier Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), as it did last time.
The new project would be
about the height of the original Westside Pavilion, 66-feet and covers nearly
two square blocks on Lincoln from Lake Street to the alley north of Palms Blvd.
It is proposed to have 280
residential units above two stories of retail, all of which would churn out
still more traffic on already-clogged Lincoln
Blvd.
The developer says the project
may take up to 10 years to complete. The prospect of all that dust, noise and
truck traffic – across the street from an elementary school – adds
to the need for a full EIR, say VCC leaders.
Posted: Fri - April 1, 2005 at 09:00 PM