Venice Stakeholders Settle with Coastal Commission

The latest email from Venice Stakeholders Association:

Dear OPD Supporter:

I am pleased to inform you that the Venice Stakeholders Association has reached a settlement in our lawsuit against the California Coastal Commission and the City of Los Angeles to reverse the Commission’s denial of overnight restricted parking for residents in Venice.

In the coming weeks, we will be providing more details about the settlement. There are still some legal and bureaucratic procedures ahead before we get the settlement in place and signs can go up, but we can now see the light at the end of tunnel (and see the parking spaces freeing up in front of our homes).

There are many individuals to thank for this progress in winning Venice residents the same rights enjoyed by all other residents of the City of Los Angeles.

Personally, I am especially indebted to Stewart Oscars and Georgann Abraham, who have chaired the Venice Neighborhood Council’s OPD Committee for over four years now and who remained steadfast in our mission.

There are the many donors, who contributed sums large and small, which provided the funding for the lawsuit (actually, since we not quite done, checks are still needed and can be sent to John Henning at 125 N. Sweetzer Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90048).

Our attorney, John Henning, has done a wonderful job for us. He is bright, capable, personable and persistent. Our city councilman, Bill Rosendahl , has also remained committed to our effort.

Once City Attorney Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich understood our plight with hundreds of RVs and campers on our doorsteps, he jumped in with both feet, joined our suit against the Commission, and committed his able staff to winning Venice the right to OPDs.

Finally, I want to recommend for your consideration Assemblyman Ted Lieu, who is a candidate for State Attorney General. I am not easily impressed by elected officials, and I am impressed by Mr. Lieu.

In the midst of his campaign for AG, Mr. Lieu made the time to understand our issue and then to craft legislation (AB 2228) which would accomplish the same result as our lawsuit. AB 2228 would have removed the Venice coastal zone from Coastal Commission jurisdiction on the narrow issue of overnight restricted parking (the Commission’s jurisdiction on all other matters, such as development, would have remained intact). This bill drew serious attention from the Coastal Commission and was a significant factor in the Commission agreeing to settle the lawsuit on terms acceptable to the VSA. Now that a settlement is in place, we asked Mr. Lieu to withdraw the bill, which he did.

To take on a controversial issue like OPDs in the midst of a campaign reflects Mr. Lieu’s strength and commitment to do what’s right for his constituents. I would encourage you to seriously consider Mr. Lieu as you review the candidates for AG.

Thank you for your many emails and donations in support of our cause; we could not have accomplished this settlement without everyone’s support.

Mark Ryavec
President
VSA