Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer
By Deborah Stambler | Contributing Writer
Pacific Palisades Community Council summer meetings usually have a light agenda as people are out of town and the council meets less frequently.
The July 28 meeting was an exception to this with issues around BMO/BHO planning ordinances leading to an intense and sometimes terse debate that highlighted different philosophies between different areas of the Palisades, the personaltities that represent them and the very purpose of the council itself.
The BMO/BHO issue remains complicated in the Palisades with areas requesting different zoning regulations. (For background on BMO/BHO proposals, see the Post story on July 21.)
Temperatures started rising when Area 8 representative Reza Akef appeared forceful in declaring that the PPCC was missing an opportunity to insure the development needs of the community were met.
Akef said, “An opportunity was presented by the planning department for the community council to be a participant in the recode effort for our area and the community council has declined to participate in that process.
“I find it very disconcerting because we have representatives from Marquez here, that we had an opportunity to be … a participant and provide a forum like Stuart always reminds us to be a forum for the community…And it’s very disconcerting to me that as a board we didn’t get to make a decision on whether we should pursue such an agenda or not, that the executive committee made that decision for us.”
Maryam Zar, enjoying her first meeting as chair of the PPCC, said she took issue with that claim.
“The executive committee hasn’t taken a position at all.
“We actually were not asked as a community council to come in and help re:code LA. We, I need to make clear for the record, have not taken a position and the executive committee has not taken any position on declining to work on the re:code LA plan with council district 11.”
In an effort to work through this issue and keep the process transparent Zar will open the Aug. 25 PPCC meeting to the public to discuss this issue.
Tricia Keane from the office of Councilmember Mike Bonin will be present at the meeting to take questions and help clarify the re:code LA effort and the councilmember’s involvement.
Yet at the same time the clock is ticking: The city is expected to hold a second public meeting in the Palisades in September to work out an overall plan which can be approved by city councilors later in the year.
Invites to the other meeting later this month are expected to go out.
Another large part of the evening was spent discussing the new LAPD bike patrol in the Palisades.
Acting Senior Lead Officer Levinson and LAPD Officer Rusty Redican reported that in the last two weeks, two task forces have gone out checking for encampments and homeless camping on the beach has been cited.
They stressed that the bike patrol is looking for patterns on the streets, beaches and encampments. By varying the times of day they do sweeps, they keep the element of surprise—so they can find out what is really going on.
Officer Redican urged the community to fight to keep the bike patrol active in the Palisades.
David Lindner of Generic Events presented a brief overview of the upcoming Jessica M.
Berman Foundation second Annual Wonder Woman Walk on Sept. 18.
Last year was the first year for the walk and the event raised over $500,000 for breast cancer research. They’re hoping to raise $750,000 with the walk this year.
The next PPCC meeting will be on Aug. 25 in the Palisades Branch Library.
Check the PPCC website for updates to the agenda as an extensive discussion of BMO/BHO is now being planned.
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