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December Newsletter

Posted on 12/14/2023

BEL AIR-BEVERLY CREST NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL

REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

DECEMBER 2023

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL TO PROVIDE NOTICE TO URBAN FORESTRY
OF UNPERMITTED TREE REMOVAL

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL SENDS LETTER TO LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL TO IMPROVE HILLSIDE CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL VOTES FOR REHEARING
ON DRIVERLESS VEHICLES

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL SUGGESTS IMPROVEMENT
IN HOME SHARING PLANS

PLANNING AND LAND USE DECISIONS
APPROVED BY THE BABCNC BOARD

LOS ANGELES PUBLIC HEALTH INVESTIGATING
RESPIRATORY DISEASE IN LA COUNTY DOGS

BUDGET ADVOCATES REPORT

LAPD COMMUNITY BURGLARY ALERT

HOW LIGHT POLLUTION IMPACTS MOUNTAIN LIONS

PET ADOPTIONS

BEL AIR–BEVERLY CREST NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL
REPRESENTATIVES AND COMMUNITIES

Scroll Down for Details

A grove of fifty year old Oak trees at 2451 Nalin Drive was cut down into stumps and logs without permit and in apparent violation of the law.

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL TO PROVIDE NOTICE TO URBAN FORESTRY OF UNPERMITTED TREE REMOVAL

Unpermitted Tree Removal at 2451 Nalin Motion: To write a letter to Urban Forestry Division to reiterate that the protected tree ordinance was recently violated at 2451 Nalin. The police need to receive further training on handling a call to go to a property responding to unpermitted tree removals taking place during the call, especially during weekends and holidays. The calls should not be transferred to their non-emergency number!

Walker King representing Los Angeles City Councilperson Nithya Raman in conversataon with the Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council. Monthly meetings with City representatives creates a continuing working relationship between the Neighborhood Council and City officials.

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL SENDS LETTER TO LOS ANGELES CITY
COUNCIL TO IMPROVE HILLSIDE CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

A Community Impact Statement was adopted by the Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council stating:

The Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council represents hillside residential areas with narrow winding streets and limited points of entry and exit. For residents’ safety, emergency vehicles need to be able to pass through our streets freely and quickly.

When an emergency medical situation arises, residents need to be able to get help without delay.

Furthermore, our entire area is in a designated very high fire hazard severity zone, and many of our neighborhoods are already quite distant from the fire station that serves them.

Protecting the ability of first responders to enter and for residents to evacuate quickly should a catastrophic fire or other disaster occur is also critical to public safety.

For nearly a decade, our neighborhoods and our stakeholders - your constituents - have also experienced the adverse impacts of a high density of construction, resulting in hazardous conditions threatening our safety and creating potential liability for the City.

The letter continued:

We are conscious of property rights and understand that homes may need to be updated but putting residents’ lives at risk is an unacceptable cost. The fact that this decade-long hazard continues is a travesty. Your constituents deserve better.

The letter continued with suggested change to construction ordinances which will increase public safety.

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL VOTES FOR REHEARING
ON DRIVERLESS VEHICLES

Because the BABCNC recognizes the public safety risks arising from driverless vehicles, it supports the motion in Council File 22-1196 to request that the City Attorney work with the San Francisco City Attorney in support of the application for re-hearing on the California Public Utilities Commission’s decisions on Resolution TL-19145 and TL-19144 regarding permitting of autonomous vehicles.

NEIGHBORHHOD COUNCIL SUGGESTS IMPROVEMENT
IN HOME SHARING PLANS

The Bel Air Beverly Crest Neigborhood Council has provided improvement plans for Los Angeles Home Sharing regulations to the Los Angeles City Council:

Short-term
Fines must be levied at a level that has a deterrent effect. This level is not the same for all property owners, therefore in order to ensure compliance with regulations, fines should be commensurate with listing rate or property value.

A mechanism must be created to handle neighbor complaints, and for those complaints to have an impact on the eligibility of a property for participation in the home-sharing program.

The home sharing complaint line must collect complaints before callers are transferred to any other department. Properties with frequent nuisance complaints must be suspended, and if the decision is appealed the suspension must remain in effect until a decision is reached.

Particularly, neighbors’ claims that the person holding a short-term rental permit for a residential property does not reside at that location must lead to action on the part of either the Director of Planning or the City Attorney. Neighbors do know who lives next door. Further, consequences for providing false information and documentation should be sufficient to deter others from doing the same.

Medium-term
A new department should be created to handle all aspects of the home sharing program. This program should have a citizen-oversight body with members that represent the residents of the City, not the elected officials. We suggest nominations to this commission or committee be made by Neighborhood Councils.

Long-term
The ordinance is overdue for a revision, and the City now can take advantage of years of global experience with short-term rentals to create the best possible regulations. We urge funding to be provided so that this may be accomplished.

PLANNING AND LAND USE COMMITTEE MOTIONS
APPROVED BY NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL

1261 N Tower Grove Dr. ZA-2022-9453-ZAD-ZAA ENV-2022-9454-EAF Project Description: Remodel of existing 2-story single-family dwelling into a 1-story, 6,755 sq ft single-family dwelling incl additions to the existing footprint; new 2,330 sq ft accessory living quarters; and haul route request in the RE20-1-H-HCR Zone.

This item came without a recommendation from PLU because of an error in not rescheduling it after an initial appearance. The September PLU motion was to continue the item, and have the presenters come back to the PLU Committee with information on the exact location of the pinch points, along with pictures of that location, with some sort of narrative that provides an explanation of why pulling a B-permit to improve the roadway would be impractical and infeasible.

Board Motion: to take no objection to side-yard set back and noted that the project does not meet State Fire Requirements for continuous paved roadway width.

9369 W FLICKER WAY ZA-2023-1071-ZAD ENV-2023-1072-CE Project Description: Remodel/additions to existing single family dwelling. Lot Area 10,717sqft. Existing development contains 5,781 sf of RFA with exception that prior for an additional 500 sf of RFA permitted if building complies with setback requirements, height limits and grading limits of the Hillside Area Ordinance. Existing building has envelope height, max envelope height 39ft 6in. Basement, 1st & 2nd floor.

Board Motion: to support, with a request that the applicant confirm that there is no additional relief needed for items including the location and front yard height of the vehicular gate or walls, street improvements and/or dedication.

74 S BEVERLY PARK LANE DIR-2023-4690-DRB-SPP-MSP ENV-2023-4691-EAF90210 Revised Project Description* Construction, use, and maintenance of a new 2-story, 21,862 sq ft SFD w/basement and attached garage, on a currently vacant lot, with swimming pool and/or hot tub, exterior deck, associated grading and landscaping, located in the Mulholland Scenic Parkway zoned RE40-1-H-HCR; near the intersection of Beverly Park and Beverly Park Lane. The proposed project includes a Haul Route for approximately 5,524 cubic yards of export. Vacant Lot Total Area 96,394.4 2 Acres sf SFD. RFA 21,862 sf

Board Motion: To support the project with the recommendation that the applicant review the tree species for fire safety and the location of the tree planting, make revisions to the glass following LEED credit 55 (regarding bird collision deterrence), and to include a condition that the haul route will not include San Ysidro.

BUDGET ADVOCATES REPORT

The Budget Advocates are an elected, all volunteer, independent
advisory body, charged with making constructive
recommendations on the City budget to the Mayor and the City Council

Los Angeles City Budget Update November 2023

There is the bad news and the good news. But the impact on the City’s budget is up in the air because of the litigation involving the Measure ULA (UNITED TO HOUSE LA) tax and the lack of transparency.

The bad news is the impact of the new and prospective labor agreements with the City’s public sector unions will result in deficits of $170 million this year (2023-24) and $440 million next year (2024-25), a total of more than $600 million.

The good news is that a Superior Court judge dismissed the challenge to the voter approved (57%) Measure ULA tax that will levy a 4% tax on property sales of $5 million or more and 5.5% on sales of $10 million or more. The plaintiffs plan to appeal.

This year, the City allocated only $150 million of the estimated $600 million in Measure ULA revenue because of the litigation risk. This leaves $450 million in the ULA fund. Coupled with next year’s ULA revenue of an estimated $600 million, the City will have $1.05 billion of ULA money for its homeless and related initiatives.

If the City decides to use all of the ULA funds, it would be able to repay the $475 million that the General Fund allocated to this year’s $1.3 billion Homeless Services and Housing Program.

These funds would be able to cover this year’s shortfall of $170 million and all but $135 million of next year's projected short fall of $440 million.

To balance the General Fund budget, the City may need to rely on the Reserve Fund. This fund should be used only for emergencies, not operating expenses.

The remaining $575 million of the ULA tax will be dedicated to the City’s Homeless Services and Housing Program. This is $700 million less than this year’s appropriation of $1.3 billion.

Unlike last year, the City will not be able to rely on a one-time infusion from the already stressed General Fund or tap into the Proposition HHH money because the last $261 million was allocated to this year’s program. Instead, the City will have to rely on grants and other funds which totaled almost $400 million this year and other sources of funds to match this year’s $1.3 billion expenditure level.

This is the best-case scenario. It assumes that the City will prevail in the Measure ULA litigation, that ULA revenues are $600 million this year and next which some doubt, and that ranks of the Police Department and the many vacant positions throughout the City will be filled.

By not releasing some or all of the ULA revenues, the City will have less exposure to an adverse decision on the Measure ULA litigation. But then it will have to resort to drastic measures to balance the General Funds budget and fund the homeless program, including budget cuts, fewer services that are already at an inadequate level, layoffs and furloughs, and increased taxes and fees.

The Mayor and the City Council need to update Angelenos on the status of the budgets for this year and next year. Transparency is required.

LOS ANGELES PUBLIC HEALTH INVESTIGATING
RESPIRATORY DISEASE IN LA COUNTY DOGS

LOS ANGELES, December 4, 2023 – The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recently issued a release about dogs becoming ill with a respiratory illness known as Atypical Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease (aCIRD) after visits to group settings for dogs, or boarding and daycare facilities. Since Nov. 16, at least 10 cases have been detected in Oregon, Colorado, and California. The disease can be fatal.

Given the lack of knowledge about the cause of this disease, dog owners are advised to be on the lookout for symptoms such as cough, sneezing, nasal discharge, and lethargy (lack of energy) in their dogs.

If a dog is experiencing these symptoms, owners should take the following steps:

Contact their pet’s veterinarian so the pet may be evaluated, and, if indicated, the appropriate tests and medications may be provided.
Isolate sick dogs at home for a minimum of 28 days past the first day of the onset of illness. Dogs exposed to the sick dog should quarantine at home and away from other dogs for 14 days to monitor them for signs and symptoms of illness.
Clean regularly and disinfect surfaces, doorknobs, keyboards, and animal equipment. To disinfect, use an EPA-registered disinfecting product or a stronger bleach solution.
Keep the dog home and away from day care, boarding kennels, grooming facilities, and dog parks.
If a dog becomes ill after being boarded or being in a facility, owners should take it to a veterinarian for evaluation and they should also notify the facility about the illness.

For more information, visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
COMMUNITY ALERT
BURGLARY WARNING

In the last several months West Los Angeles, LAPD has reported a wave of burglaries targeting residential single-family homes in the Pacific Palisades, Riviera, Brentwood, Westwood Hills, Bel Air, Bel Air Crest, Beverly Glen, Benedict Canyon, Holmby Hills, Little Holmby-Westwood, Westwood South, Cheviot Hills and Beverlywood areas.

2 to 4 unknown males are a part of an organized burglary crew impacting the West Los Angeles community. Suspects related to this crew are known to target large homes that appear to be unoccupied at the time of the break-in.

On several occasions, suspects have been depicted using a ladder, step stool, outdoor furniture or exterior drain pipes attached to the rear of the residence to get up to the master bedroom 2nd story balcony. The suspects then smash or cut out a glass partition of the door and crawl in and remove property. These suspects are particularly ransacking the master bedroom and master bedroom closet for jewelry, watches, high-end purses, safes and US currency. Often times, suspects leave a lay-off/ getaway vehicle out front with a suspect acting as a lookout in case of law enforcement response.

Suspects are known to carry handheld short-range radios for communication with the lay-off vehicle/lookout. Suspects also carry a WIFI Jammer in an attempt to disrupt the WIFI signal of wireless residential security cameras like RING or NEST.

HOW LIGHT POLUTION IMPACTS MOUNTAIN LIONS

Mountain lions alter their behavior in response to light in a variety of ways, according to a new study by conservation and academic researchers published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B reported to the public through the UCLA Newsroom.

“Even though they’re a top predator, their aversion to light is a clear and influential pattern,” said UCLA ecologist Travis Longcore, an adjunct professor at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and a co-author of the research. Dr. Longcore also serves as President of the Bel Air Beverly Crest Neigborhood Council.

According to the UCLA Newsroom story, the study shows that mountain lions steer clear of upward radiance, the light that goes straight into the night sky from ground-level sources, such as housing, development and commercial areas. General sky glow — scattered light in the atmosphere caused by urbanization — seems to have little effect.

Longcore suggests that mountain lions are deterred by upward radiance because it signals the presence of humans, a potential threat. Well-lit areas also interfere with their stealthy hunting methods, reducing their chances of catching a mule deer, their main prey according to the report.

Still, the study revealed some significant variations among individual lions. While most scrupulously avoid well-lit regions, some are more adventurous, boldly venturing into these areas. Such variance may stem from individual animals’ ability to adapt or their unique “personalities,” Longcore said.

From 1906 to 1963, government programs offered rewards for killing certain predatory animals, leading to the disappearance of grizzly bears and leaving mountain lions as the last free-roaming apex predators in Southern California.

“One of the more underrecognized threats is how much the artificial light we shine into every dark place can impact their ability to move around and survive,” said Fraser Shilling, senior author of the study and director of the Road Ecology Center at UC Davis.

NEXT BEL AIR BEVERLY CREST NEIGHBORHOOD
COUNCIL MEETING

January 24, 2024
7:00PM
Meeting Place To Be Announced

And by Zoom in your home

All Neighborhood Council meetings are open to the public

SCRAPBOOK:
The history of the Bel Air-Beverly Crest
Neighborhood Council Communities
and the Communities around us

Land for sale in Beverly Glen around 1911.

A NEW FRIEND MAY BE WAITING FOR YOU
There are so many wonderful animals waiting for new homes.
The Los Angeles Animal Shelters are inundated..
If you can adopt or foster an animal, please visit one of the six L.A. shelters.

https://www.laanimalservices.com/search/cats?field_species%5B28%5D=2

The City's shelters are suffering from extreme overcrowding and hundreds of beautiful animals desperately need new homes -- dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, turtles, chickens, and more.

If you can’t adopt, consider volunteering, fostering an animal for a period of time, or providing items from the shelter’s Wish Lists. Every bit helps!

Visit the Shelter
Closed Mondays
Tuesdays through Friday 8 a.m.—5 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m.—5 p.m.

West Los Angeles Animal Shelter
11361 W Pico Blvd (just west of the 405)
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Phone (310) 207-3156
https://www.laanimalservices.com/shelters/west-los-angeles/

Volunteer: https://www.laanimalservices.com/volunteer/
Foster: https://www.laanimalservices.com/volunteer/foster-program/

Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council
bringing together volunteer representatives
and these communities
for a better Los Angeles

Bel-Air Association: Mark Goodman, M.D., Gail Stroloff,
Jaye Rogovin, Leslie Weisberg,
Bel Air Crest Master Association: Irene Sandler
Bel Air Hills Association: Andrew Paden, Patricia Templeton
Bel Air Glen District: Timothy Steele, Ph.D
Bel Air Ridge HOA: André Stojka
Benedict Canyon Association: David Scott Kadin, Donald Loze,
Nickie Miner, Robert Schlesinger
Casiano Estates Association: Robert Garfield, DDS
Franklin-Coldwater District: Steven Weinberg
Holmby Hills HOA: Jason Spradlin
Doheny-Sunset Plaza Neighborhood Association: Mirco Gros
Laurel Canyon Association: Jamie Hall, Robert (Bobby) Kwan,
Stephanie Savage, Cathy Wayne
North of Sunset District: Aaron Kamin, Vadim Levotman,
Angela Roessel
Residents of Beverly Glen: Dan Palmer, Robert Ringler
At-Large Traditional Stakeholder: Shawn Bayliss,
Mindy Rothstein Mann
At-Large Youth Representative: Alonzo Wickers
Commercial or Office Enterprise Districts: Maureen Smith
Community Interest At-Large: Ellen Evans
Custodians of Open Space: Travis Longcore, Ph.D.
Faith-Based Institutions: Robin Greenberg
Private 7-12 Schools: Jon Wimbish
Private K-6 Schools: Elisabeth Barcohana
Public Educational Institutions: Kristie Holmes

THE LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL SYSTEM

Because of the size of Los Angeles, each Los Angeles City Council member represents around 250,000 people. To keep City officials in closer touch with the neighborhoods of the City, in 1999 Los Angeles adopted a Neighborhood Council system to advise the City Council members of local issues.

There are 99 separate Neighborhood Councils in the City of Los Angeles. Members of the Neighborhood Council are considered City employees without compensation of any kind. They are formally elected by the public or communities and must live, work or own property in the area they represent.

The Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council represents approximately 28,000 people in a beautiful mountain and canyon area of the Santa Monica Mountains within City of Los Angeles bounded on the West by Sepulveda Boulevard, on the North by Mulholland Drive, on the South by Sunset Boulevard and on the East by Laurel Canyon. All Board and Committee meetings are open to the public.

SWAN LAKE AT THE BEL AIR HOTEL
part of our Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council community

The Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY is published by the Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council Outreach Committee:
Robin Greenberg, Mindy Rothstein Mann, Nickie Miner,
Robert Schlesinger, Maureen Smith, Patricia Templeton,
Alonzo Wickers
Andre Stojka: Newsletter Editor and Outreach Chair
BABCNC President: Travis Longcore, Ph.D.
Newsletter (c) 2023 Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council
Photo Credits: Robin Greenberg, UCLA, LAPD, Shutterstock, Dorchester Collection, Wickipedia, USDA

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