Meeting Date: 05/27/04 07:00 PM
Meeting Type: Regular
Location: St Thomas Church Parish Hall at 7501 Hollywood Blvd.
Details: ENVIRONMENT, BEAUTIFICATION, PRESERVATION
&
AESTHETICS COMMITTEE
May 27th , 2004 at 7:00pm
St Thomas Church Parish Hall
7501 Hollywood Blvd
AGENDA
1 Welcome and Introductions
2 Discussion of partnering with the Hollywood Beautification Team. Possible vote.
3 Street vendor and yard sale issues. Possible Vote
4 Arborscape issues and tree planting initiatives discussion. Possible vote
5 Discussion and Possible Vote on the parking situation on residential streets surrounding Runyon Canyon.
6 Discussion and possible vote on brush clearing and unauthorized camping on public land.
7 Report on aesthetics and preservation code proposals
8 General Comments
9 Public Comments
10 Adjourn
ENVIRONMENT, BEAUTIFICATION, PRESERVATION
&
AESTHETICS COMMITTEE
May 27th , 2004 at 7:00pm
St Thomas Church Parish Hall
7501 Hollywood Blvd
MINUTES OF THE MEETING
The meeting started at 7:00pm with the members signing in and introducing themselves to each other. The chair noted that to the best of his knowledge the meeting and agenda was properly noticed under the Brown Act and the following number headings correspond to the previously published agenda. Please see the attached sign-in sheet for the list of stakeholder attendees/participants.
2 Michael Koslosky led the discussion of partnering with the Hollywood Beautification Team. The committee noted that the graffiti removal work done by the Team was primarily in the commercial area of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards. Michael moved that HHWNC grant to the Hollywood Beautification Team $1,000.00 out of this year’s funds and encourage the Team to pay more attention to graffiti in and around Runyon Canyon and Wattles Park. The motion passed unanimously.
3 Michael expressed concern about the continual presence of street vendors selling fruit near the Gardiner school. Bob said that the continual yard sales by some persons who have yard sales every weekend on Hollywood Boulevard also needed attention. The consensus of the committee is that both activities degrade the quality of life in our neighborhoods and that the HHWNC Board should be asked to take a position against such activity. The committee would like the Board to authorize the HHWNC President to print form letters to be given to these merchants explaining our concerns. If these letters are ineffective, then individual committee members will involve the police and the State Sales Tax personnel. Passed unanimously.
4 The committee asks the Traffic Committee and the interested Area Committees to join it in preparing a recommendation for the HHWNC Board with respect to tree planting on Sunset Boulevard between LaBrea and Laurel, the planning for interplanning of young trees to eventually replace the aging palms on Hollywood Blvd, and to consider a planted center median on Hollywood Blvd in the same area, giving due weight to the West Hollywood lessons from the Santa Monica Blvd Project. Bob noted that the Wattles Farms folks had expressed an interest in helping the HHWNC and City choose drought, smog and people resistant trees. Passed unanimously.
5 The Committee voted to take no position on the various parking proposals with respect to Runyon Canyon at this time.
6 Bob noted that there is a lot of brush to be cleared from Runyon, Nichols and Curson Canyons and that experts in native, drought resistant plants have been critical of the “scalping” of the hillsides that destroys native plants, encourages non-native grasses, and may create an unsightly fire hazard. The committee unanimously voted to ask the HHWNC Board to authorize the President to create a subcommittee to include himself, this committee’s chair, the Area 6 chair, and other interested parties including the Wattles Farms folks such as Dr. Trueblood who have knowledge in this matter to reach out to the City brush clearing effort to help sensitize the people doing this work to our concerns. Passed unanimously
The committee also noted that the population of apparently otherwise homeless people living on the public lands in and around Runyon Canyon seems to be increasing. It voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of the HHWNC to ask the City authorities for strict enforcement of the “no camping” rule. The committee believes that the brush fire danger attributable to this camping is huge, and that the liability to the City for failure to enforce its rules is great.
7 Jon Padgett reported that the Aesthetics and Preservation Codes proposals are not yet ready for the full committee’s consideration.
8, 9, &10 As there were no general or public comments the committee adjourned until June 14, 2004.
Submitted-
Bob Cook