Neighborhood: Greater Toluca Lake
Councilmember Tells Metro to Cut Back Development Plan
About 25 community activists from Toluca Lake, Valley Village and the surrounding area backed Councilmember LaBonge in his opposition to the proposed Metro Universal development.
Councilmember Tom LaBonge called on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, as chairman of the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, to scale back the Metro Universal development project that is proposed for Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.
“I’m calling on the Mayor and the Metro board to do the right thing and reduce the density of this project planned for my district,” the Councilmember told reporters at a press conference near the proposed development site this morning. “The MTA’s mission is provide public transit, not to develop overly dense speculative projects.”
The Councilmember presented a letter to the Mayor that outlines his objections to the proposed 1.5-million-square-foot commercial development. The Councilman has received an overwhelmingly negative reaction from the public on this proposal, which would include taking land from neighboring Weddington Park South by eminent domain. Phase I of the project would include a 22-story office tower, studios and parking lots.
The Draft Environmental Impact Report for this project is available online by clicking here.
The Councilmember urged residents to respond to the Draft EIR before the Nov. 24 deadline.
He called on the Mayor and the MTA board to renegotiate the development deal, reduce the size of the project and limit it to the parcel already owned by the MTA.
Joining the Councilmember were community activists from several area neighborhoods, including Roy Disney and Richard Bogy of the Toluca Lake Chamber of Commerce; and Terry Davis, president of the Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council.
September 11th Memorial
Councilmember LaBonge led a candle-lit memorial ceremony for those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
About 60 residents gathered at North Hollywood Park to light candles, sing together and remember those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Councilmember Tom LaBonge led the seventh annual memorial service, which was co-sponsored by Council District 4 and the Hollywood/Los Angeles Beautification Team (H/LABT).
“It’s important to remember the events of September 11th and honor the hundreds of New York City firefighters and average people who demonstrated extraordinary heroism in the face of terror,” the Councilmember said. “I am humbled by this event every year.”
The ceremony included invocations by the Revs. Charel Morris and Linda Melnick of the International Congregation of Sacred Healers and Earth Stewards as well as comments from Councilmember LaBonge; Department of Recreation and Parks Assistant General Manager Vicki Israel; Hollywood/Los Angeles Beautification Team Founder and Executive Director Sharyn Romano; Los Angeles Police Department Capt. John Peters and Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Peter Benesch of Battalion 14.
The H/LABT and CD4 planted 83 memorial trees of different varieties in North Hollywood Park in 2002, one for each Californian who was killed in the attacks. (Click on "Photo Gallery" above for more photos from this event.)
City Council passes anti-mansionization ordinance
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Tuesday that limits the building of over-sized McMansions on small lots throughout the city. This vote was a victory for Councilmember LaBonge, who championed this issue for more than a year. The result is a fundamental change in the city of Los Angeles zoning code.
“This ordinance is about preserving neighborhood character,” LaBonge said. “We wanted to make sure that neighborhoods that we know and love are protected by the proper zoning laws.”
Changes in land value, housing preferences and housing inventory have been contributing to a trend toward larger single family homes being constructed throughout Los Angeles. When larger homes replace bungalows built when Los Angeles was first developed, however, the larger structures are often incompatible with the established scale and character of older, single-family neighborhoods.
The Baseline Mansionization Ordinance grew out of a motion introduced by Councilmember LaBonge in June, 2006 and pertains to homes in flatlands only. A separate ordinance, which is now under consideration by the Los Angeles Planning Department, addresses the expansion of homes in hillside and coastal areas. As part of the discussion leading up to the vote on this measure, the City Council pledged to bring the hillside anti-mansionization ordinance for a vote within two years.
Under the new ordinance, which will be effective in 30 days, a bungalow on a typical 5,000-square-foot lot could be expanded to 3,000 square feet. Current zoning code allows more than twice that mass, with a 7,000-square-foot limit.
The ordinance will apply to 300,000 properties in single-family residential zones throughout Los Angeles.
NoHo Groundbreaking
Councilmember LaBonge joined Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Developer Jerry Snyder, Movie Theater owner Bob Laemmle and many others in breaking ground on a new office/theater/restaurant complex in North Hollywood on March 24th. The project is a public-private partnership between the City of Los Angeles, the JH Snyder Company and Laemmle Theaters. "What a great day this is for NoHo," the Councilmember said. "This project creates a nexus of culture and commerce at the transit crossroads of this very important part of the San Fernando Valley." This third phase of North Hollywood’s NoHo Commons project will include a seven-screen movie theater, 182,000 square feet of office space and restoration of a historic, San Fernando Valley diner under approvals granted Thurs., March 20, by the Board of Commissioners of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). The NoHo Commons project was approved in 2001. Developed by J.H. Snyder, Phase I was completed December 2006 and contains a 438-unit mixed-income residential rental project. Phase II, completed June 2007, contains 292 units of loft and live/work rentals and 60,000 square feet of retail/commercial space including How's supermarket, a bank, mobile phone store and several restaurants.
CM LaBonge Announces $50,000 Reward in Freeway Shooting
Councilmember LaBonge stands with the family of Bunthan Roeung, who was tragically killed in a freeway shooting on March 1. Mr. Roeung's sister Nikki held a photo of her 26-year-old brother, saying, "He was a good boy. Please help us."
Councilmember Tom LaBonge and Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Alan Hamilton announced the offer of a $50,000 reward today for information leading to the conviction in the murder of Bunthan Roeung. Standing in front of the North Hollywood police station, the Councilmember announced the reward while surrounded by Mr. Roeung’s family.
“Here it is the first day of Spring, a beautiful day, a day of renewal which has been denied to Bunthan and his family because of this tragic crime,” the Councilmember said. “There are people out there who have information on the murder of this young man, who was known as T. I hope this reward persuades them to step forward and do the right thing.”
Mr. Roeung, a 26-year-old architectural draftsman from the San Fernando Valley, had been riding in a friend’s vehicle on Hollywood Boulevard on March 1, when suspected gangmembers pulled up next to their car. Words were exchanged and Mr. Roeung’s friend tried to drive away quickly by getting on the 101 Freeway. The suspected gangmembers followed in a gray or black Cheverolet Monte Carlo with red pinstrips and a possible “F-1 motor sports” paper license plates.
Moments later, the Monte Carlo pulled up next to Mr. Roeung’s friend’s car and fired gunshots into the car, killing Mr. Roeung.
Councilmember LaBonge’s motion to provide the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction in the murder Mr. Roeung was approved by the City Council on Wednesday, March, 19. Anyone with information about this shooting should call Detective Richard Wheeler in North Hollywood Homicide at (818)623-4075.
First Community Congress of 2008 a success
Councilmember LaBonge and DWP General Manager & CEO H. David Nahai listen to the concerns of CD4 residents at the first Community Congress of 2008.
Councilmember LaBonge hosted his first Community Congresses of 2008 on Wednesday, February 27th. It was his latest in a series of meetings designed to bring city departments to the public.
“Information is knowledge is power,” Councilmember LaBonge said in welcoming about 50 CD4 residents to the event, held at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (DWP’s) John Ferrarro building on Hope Street downtown.
Councilmember opposes sale of peak
With Cahuenga Peak in the background, Councilmember LaBonge denounces developers’ plans to build houses on now-pristine land.
Councilmember Tom LaBonge held a news conference Wednesday afternoon to refute the claim by the owners of Cahuenga Peak that talks were ever held between them and the City of Los Angeles to purchase the land and annex it to Griffith Park. Representatives of the owners, Teles Properties of Chicago, had held a news conference earlier in the day claiming that the city had reneged on a deal to purchase the land. The owners also announced they were selling the 138-acre parcel on the ridge to the west of the famed Hollywood Sign for $22 million that they purchased seven years ago for $1.65 million.
Councilmember LaBonge answers questions and hears concerns of valley constituents
Councilmember LaBonge addressing valley residents and leaders at the CD4 Valley Leadership Breakfast
The NBC/Universal project and phase three of NoHo Redevelopment were the hot topics at Councilmember LaBonge's CD4 Valley leadership breakfast Thursday morning held at the Lankershim Arts Theater. NoHo Redevelopment and the changes it has brought to this southeast corner of the SFV garnered mostly positive comments from those in attendance, while a pending proposal to build towers on the existing MTA stop at Universal Studios elicited the opposite reaction.
