Two identical meetings will be held on Wednesday, November 7, to inform commercial landlords and local business owners about the campaign to form a Business Improvement District (BID) in Pacific Palisades. Interested parties are invited to attend either the morning meeting at 8:30 a.m. in Steve’s Oak Room, 1035 Swarthmore, or the evening meeting at 7 p.m. at BOCA, 1020 Swarthmore. To RSVP, contact Laurie Sale at (310) 365-5123 or lauriesalemail@gmail.com. BID consultant Steve Gibson of Urban Place Consulting will give a full presentation and timeline and answer any and all questions. ’This is your chance to learn about and give your needed input into this proposed new community-building effort,’ wrote the organizing committee in a letter that was sent to all commercial landlords in the Village business district. A group of more than 20 business owners and landlords has been meeting regularly for more than a year to explore the possibility of forming a Business Improvement District that embraces both sides of Sunset from Carey Street west to Via de la Paz, including businesses on Monument, La Cruz, Swarthmore and Via de la Paz. ’The main goal of our BID is to promote Pacific Palisades as a destination for quality shopping, dining and personal services,’ said a statement by the organizing committee, which includes Chamber of Commerce President Nicole Howard and the Chamber’s Executive Director, Arnie Wishnick. ‘In order to enhance the business community and property values, the BID would take responsibility for services no longer provided by the city.’ Participants at Wednesday’s two meetings will be encouraged to provide feedback about the’importance of the possible programs that could be provided by a BID. These programs include: ‘ Street and sidewalk cleaning, including additional trash removal; ‘ Landscaping, beautification and maintenance of medians; ‘ Security and lighting; ‘ Tree Trimming; ‘ Sidewalk repairs; ‘ Graffiti removal; ‘ Business promotion and marketing. ’Storefronts and offices are more likely to stay leased, and property values to increase, as a result of forming a BID,’ said the committee’s statement. ‘Maintenance, repairs and security implemented by a BID attract upscale businesses that value a clean and safe area.’ A Business Improvement District is a geographically defined area within the City of Los Angeles in which services, activities and programs are paid for through a special assessment which is charged to all property owners within the district in order to equitably distribute the benefits received and costs incurred to accomplish the goals.
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