Still No Light on Tramonto

Residents of the Ocean Woods Terrace Condominiums at 17337 Tramonto are currently asking two questions: why hasn’t the street been finished in front of their building and how did they end up with a street light they didn’t want? In July, residents received a ballot in the mail from the City of Los Angeles regarding a street light in front of their building. The residents thought the ballot was asking them if they wanted a light installed. They were told it would cost about $45 a year, increasing by two percent every year. The residents voted 10-9 against the light being installed. A public hearing was scheduled for July 25 with the final hearing set for August 3, but even before the first public hearing the street light was installed. It’s now December and the street light has not yet been turned on by DWP. The residents have been upset from the beginning, feeling their voices haven’t been heard. Paula Williams, a homeowner and auxiliary member of the board of directors for the Ocean Woods Terrace Homeowners Association, has tried since July to find out why the light was installed and why it remains unlit. She contacted Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s office; Romel Navarrow, city project engineer; the developer, Brunelle Construction; Rudy Mulroney, an inspector for DWP; and Frank Maglich of DWP’s contract operations. “Every person I’ve spoken to has been nice,” Williams said, “but nice isn’t the issue. We just want to get it resolved.” She contacted so many people without results that she started referring to the project as “Bureaucracy Run Amok.” Williams finally called the Palisadian-Post on Monday. The Post contacted Stan Horwitz, the senior street lighting engineer for the city. Horwitz explained that Ocean Woods Terrace is part of city tract 50322. There are seven lots in the tract and the condominiums sit on one of them. The other six lots are being developed: two have new houses, two have homes under construction and two are vacant. In order to get permission from the city for the development, Brunelle Construction was required to install three street lights and improve the portion of Tramonto that runs through the tract. Joyce Brunelle of Brunelle Construction confirmed that in order to build, the company was required to install the three lights as well as pay for Tramonto improvements. The ballot the residents filled out in July did not clearly state the issue because residents thought they were voting on whether or not they wanted a street light. At the time the residents voted the light had not been installed, so its easy to understand the confusion. They did not realize they were voting to approve street lighting maintenance’in other words, to turn the lights on and pay for the electricity. Horwitz said they looked at the maintenance numbers again after the ballot had been defeated and every condo owner would be assessed approximately $25 per year. The houses in the tract would be assessed $61 a year. “Since the vote was close the first time we anticipate doing another in early 2006,” Horwitz said. If this vote passes, the street lights will be turned on. As far as the street, the curbs are in but there are still rough edges at driveways and the pavement on the street isn’t complete. “We’re as frustrated as the condo owners,” Brunelle said. “All of the delays as far as finishing the street are because of DWP. We thought we had finished our portion, but then they told us we had to install a vault. We did that. We did whatever they asked us to, but now we’re waiting on them. “I called them before Thanksgiving and they promised they’d come out the Monday after, but they never did.” Brunelle told the Post she called DWP again on Tuesday. “I spoke to someone who said they’d be out sometime within the next seven working days. After DWP is done, the street will be done.” Brad Bassett, DWP’s underground superintendent for West L.A., said that his department was in charge of installing the cable and power hook-up and that portion of the work was done. He wasn’t clear why there was a delay, but if he was given Brunelle’s DWP contacts, he would look into the matter. The Post provided him with this information in an effort to help the Tramonto residents of Tramonto see their street finally finished.