RE: FAA CHANGE OF FLIGHT PATH AT SANTA MONICA AIRPORT

From: Zina Josephs - Friends of Sunset Park

Subject: WRITING CONGRESS RE THE FAA “TEST”

Those affected by the FAA “test” flight path may wish to use the sample letter below to write to Congressional representatives. You can edit, cut and paste, etc., to include pollution, quality of life, or the concern of your choice.

Please forward to as many people as possible, and remember to advise that the letters be sent by regular mail or by FAX for maximum impact.

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Senator Barbara Boxer

312 N. Spring St. #1748

Los Angeles, CA 90012

FAX: 202-224-0357

Email: http://boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/policycomments.cfm

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Senator Dianne Feinstein

1111 Santa Monica Blvd. #915

Los Angeles, CA 90025

FAX: 310-914-7318

Email: http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.Emailme

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Rep. Henry Waxman

8436 W. 3rd St. #600

Los Angeles, CA 90048

FAX: 323-655-0502

Email: http://waxman.house.gov/Contact/

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(Write a separate letter to each Congressional representative.)

June 16, 2010

RE: FAA change of flight path at Santa Monica Airport

Dear (Insert name here: Senator Boxer, Senator Feinstein, or Congressman Waxman),

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has chosen to test a new flight path for certain aircraft leaving Santa Monica Airport (SMO).

The previous flight path took aircraft over a sea level golf course and a primarily commercial street leading to the ocean before allowing pilots to turn north/right.

The “new” departure flight path, the 250 vector, takes aircraft directly over two densely populated residential neighborhoods (the Sunset Park mesa and the hilly section of Ocean Park), a busy amusement park (Santa Monica Pier), places of worship, and schools.

As a resident of the impacted neighborhood, I am very concerned about the effect on my quality of life and my peaceful enjoyment of my home, if this tested flight path were to become permanent. The change in the tested flight path has introduced as many as 20 planes overhead per hour, in addition to the already large numbers of planes criss-crossing Santa Monica due to its proximity to LAX. These frequent

low-flying flights are incredibly noisy and arguably a violation of the 1984 agreement between the FAA and the City of Santa Monica.

In addition, I have significant concerns about the safety of our community. The frequency of planes crashing just after takeoff from General Aviation airports like SMO is well documented. The danger level is far greater at SMO because homes are within less than 300 feet of either end of the runway.

The new “test” departure route raises the danger level still higher, as it takes planes over John Adams Middle School, Will Rogers Elementary School, Olympic High School, John Muir Elementary School, Santa Monica Alternative School House, and Santa Monica High School.

We need your help in this fight with the FAA. Please contact the FAA Administrator J. Randolph Babbitt and request that he respect your desire to protect the quality of life and safety of residents in the affected areas by continuing to use the flight path mutually agreed to in the 1984 Agreement with the City of Santa Monica.

Sincerely,

(Insert your name here)

(Insert your address here)

Santa Monica, CA (zip code)

**

http://www.NYTimes.com/2007/11/24/us/24airport.html?ex=1

http://www.santamonicapropertyblog.com/?p=188

http://www.friendsofsunsetpark.org/

Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series Needs Your Help

Edited by Jodi Summers

Budgets are being cut everywhere…and a number of the concerts may be cut from the Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series, unless you help.

The board of directors of the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation has given a deadline of March 24, two weeks from now, by which to raise $93,000 to complete the budget of the ten concert series.

Donations are needed. The Santa Monica City Council has lead the fund raising challenge with a grant of $35,000 to the series. Currently, it’s believed that the City has funding for seven concerts – looking to reach funding for a full 10 performances.

$57,000 more to be raised. Respond to the city’s challenge by donating today! – Click here to make a difference. https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=fPWWbmwof1OyikLcka41ycsxvNWgd6K_ogtXeQWUtBCxRXjplLwAdnmtNhC&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f059ee17e99acf195b5f3a4b6a78dddb43ff8dd61b662c86b

**

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001u8SjZbUCyfNOSBaTTmRh9wNV84TISY85hcdwXG6k5HMs0IyBaXJC9QAFI5eesjrPf52nM0KKxJpSZH6z97VtH8OA-LpdNIzqlbvN0EDvhqywu4b0rWVdbWaCWmHMDZgPSHW-m8kAEaoNhiHQWXtJmuRL9c06ZEiu4Oy44OiGx7kPKvA6LTuhmJL2jnS2db1T-laZgYz9Pxk%3D

http://files.posterous.com/santabarbara/hlhGaRuwZ5GFAnTtI8rAsGT13aySOgOLs86qolWlKwVfvhAfGo2nioQ9GBYX/pic-1.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=1C9REJR1EMRZ83Q7QRG2&Expires=1268894085&Signature=pRyOWeeLA6TlGCEAzerGaz4TM9k%3D

THE FUTURE OF TRAFFIC ON OLYMPIC BLVD

Courtesy of Zina Josephs

Edited by Jodi Summers

The distance on Olympic Blvd., from 26th St. to Centinela (north leg) is 0.64 miles.

The distance on Olympic Blvd. from 26th St. to Bundy Avenue is one mile.

Below are business development projects that are vying to go in near or along Olympic Blvd. in the LMSD zone, between 26th St. and Centinela. Except for Draft Environmental Impact Report figures, the following are “guesstimates”:

1) Agensys, Inc. – Possibly 1,200 daily car trips.

2) Bergamot Transit Village Center — Possibly 15,000 daily car trips

3) New Roads School (aka Herb Alpert Educational Village) – Possibly 1,200 daily car trips.

4) Paseo Nebraska –  Possibly 5,000 daily car trips.

5) Roberts Business Center — Possibly 2,200 daily car trips

6) SMC Academy of Entertainment & Tech – 450 pkg spaces — Possibly 2,700 daily car trips

7) Village Trailer Park — Possibly 2,700 daily car trips

2834 Colorado Creative Studio Project — 1,796 new daily car trips, according to the Draft EIR

This adds up to: 31,796 daily car trips.

As of 2006, Olympic Blvd. had: 33,880 daily car trips between between 26th & Centinela.

Now add the following:

9) Bundy Village & Medical Park – LMSD-adjacent, at Olympic & Centinela — 20,073 daily car trips, according to the Draft EIR.

The grand total is: 85,749 daily car trips.

That’s about the total number of residents we currently have in Santa Monica — it’s an astronomical amount of traffic – and impossible to integrate into our road capacity.

**

Info courtesy of Zina Josephs of the Friends of Sunset Park community group.

http://www.piercemattie.com/blogs/olympic.gif

SANTA MONICA TRAFFIC COUNTS

SANTA MONICA TRAFFIC COUNTS

Edited by Jodi Summers

According to the L.A. Times, vehicle counts in Santa Monica showed increases in evening rush-hour traffic from 2002 to 2007 as follows:

Olympic and 20th — 93% increase (7,082 cars every 15 minutes)

Olympic and Cloverfield — 14% increase (5,500 cars every 15 minutes)

Pico and Lincoln — 8% increase (4,844 cars every 15 minutes)

Wilshire & 26th — 7% increase (4,841 cars every 15 minutes)

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http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/19/wheres_the_subway.jpg

SAVE CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS – A LEGACY ASSET ISSUE WITH POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

SAVE CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS – A LEGACY ASSET ISSUE WITH POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

This post is inspired by an excerpt from a post from the National Trust for Historic Preservation titled “In California, ‘Fantastic’ State Parks News Doesn’t Hold Up to Scrutiny” written by Anthony Veerkamp @

http://blogs.nationaltrust.org/preservationnation/?p=6415

Last week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a press release concerning the fate of California’s state parks. Judging by most of the media coverage that ensued, you’d think that parks advocates had scored a major victory.

Alas, what the Governor called “fantastic news for all Californians” turns out on closer reading to be just a fantasy….By redefining what it means to close a park, it turns out that closures can be avoided. This game of semantics may have bought the Governor a couple days of positive media, but did nothing to address the $14.2 million hole in this year’s parks budget. In fact, the Governor’s plan bears out what the National Trust for Historic Preservation has been saying all along: that closing parks doesn’t really save money. In fact, all of the contemplated closures—err, service cuts—are projected to save just $2.1 million. The real savings are found the old fashioned way: $12.1 million is saved by reducing ongoing maintenance and eliminating all major equipment purchases.

Which takes us back to the crux of the matter. When the National Trust included California State Parks on our 2008 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, we highlighted years of chronic underfunding and deferred maintenance as the primary threat to the vast array of historic and cultural resources in California’s state park system. The Governor’s “budget solution” is just the latest chapter in a tragic saga of running the country’s best state parks system into the ground.

For the whole story, please go to

http://blogs.nationaltrust.org/preservationnation/?p=6415

**

Addendum:

The underfunding, and eroding of our state parks, is the issue that exists with many of our legacy assets. There has got to be another way… Many city and state historic properties sit in blighted condition.

http://www.santamonicapropertyblog.com/?page_id=1347

The state of California could generate revenue for the parks if they sold off some of their blighted legacy assets to individuals and corporations that would care for the properties. Monies raised from property sales and annual taxes could go toward maintaining our parks.

MARKET SNAPSHOT - SANTA MONICA CONDOS + HOMES UP AND DOWN

by Jodi Summers

Are we coming out of our recession? Perhaps when it comes to condos. From July 2008 – July 2009 condo prices in Santa Monica were up by 11% to a current median sale price of $685,500.

But truly, is it just about the price of what sells in any given month? In the single family realm, for the same time frame, Santa Monica Home Prices dropped 25% to an average price of $1.5m.

LA MINIATURA – FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S MOST ROMANTIC LOS ANGELES PROPERTY – BUY IT NOW FOR $4.95 MILLION

By Jodi Summers

The Millard House captures the romantic side of Frank Lloyd Wright. In his autobiography, FLW recounted his elation when he discovered the building site, “My eyes had fallen upon a ravishing ravine . . . in which stood two beautiful eucalyptus trees. . . . No one would want to build down in a ravine out there.” So fond was FLW of the property he designed for Mrs. Alice Millard, that he dubbed this three-bedroom, three-bath textile block villa “La Miniatura” This divine property can be yours for $4.95 milllion or thereabouts.

“I would rather have built this little house than St. Peter’s in Rome,” revealed FLW about the Millard House. One of only five Wright textile block homes in Los Angeles, La Miniatura is set in a picturesque arroyo near the Rose Bowl. The official location is the Prospect Historic District – a Pasadena neighborhood of admirable residences designed by such renowned architects as Charles and Henry Greene, Wallace Neff and Myron Hunt.

Originally designed for Alice (a.k.a. Mrs. George Madison) Millard, a dealer in rare books and antiques who knew Wright’s work in the Chicago area, La Miniatura uses more vertical lines than typical Wright designs. Built in 1923, La Miniatura features an open floor plan and the seamless indoor-outdoor flow, which is an identifying characteristic of FLW’s designs. A father/son property, son Lloyd Wright designed an additional studio in 1926,

FLW believed that La Miniatura brilliantly reflected his intention to create “a distinctly genuine expression of California in terms of modern industry and American life.”

The romance of this property comes from the dappled lighting that streams into the house through the carved, patterned blocks, and the scenic views from nearly every room. All three levels of the house revolve around a central chimney. The two-story living room opens to the pond and formal gardens; the textile block motif is pervasive throughout the home. At Millard’s request, Wright included rustic wooden doors and 18th century Delft bathroom tile in the home’s interior design. A long corridor on the third level, featuring a redwood ceiling, leads to the master bedroom, blossoming into high ceilings with views of the backyard arroyo and gardens. After the home was completed, Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, Lloyd Wright, added a complimenting two-story studio/guest house, with a sleeping porch. The younger Wright designed the property’s landscaping.

From 1919 to 1923, Wright spent time in Los Angeles, reinventing himself after the failure of his firm in Chicago. In was here he began experimenting with textile block designs (later to be used in the Arizona Biltmore hotel in Phoenix and the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo). His goal was to develop a flexible building system combining the merits of standardized machine production to his own innovative creative vision. He built a series of interlocking pre-cast concrete textile block homes in Los Angeles. These include the Hollyhock House, Freeman House, Storer House, Ennis House and our Millard House. Wright saw the relatively small scale of his textile block concept as a uniquely monumental, adaptable and efficient design which can closely follows the contours of the landscape.

La Miniatura was considered to be the most precious of Textile Block houses that Wright designed in the 1920s. It is constructed from a combination of plain-faced and ornamental concrete blocks, which were cast on site from molds designed by Wright. Many of the ornamental blocks are patterned with a design unique to the property; others are perforated with glass-filled apertures through which natural light flows into the home.

“The textile block method of construction consisted of stacking concrete blocks three inches thick, cast in molds, next to and atop one another without visible mortar joints. In all but the Millard House, thin concrete and steel reinforcing rods were run horizontally and vertically in edge reveals ‘knitting’ the whole together. A double wythe was common, held together by steel cross ties, the cavity air space serving as insulation,” explains William Allin Storrer in The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright: A Complete Catalog.

The block system was intended to be an efficient, low-cost method of building that incorporated ornament, but it proved to be time consuming and more expensive than traditional construction. The Freeman House featured 54 varieties of blocks - hand-created at a speed of 75-100 per day. 11,000 were needed to complete the whole house.

Issue for FLWs in LA is several… time and study have shown that Wright textile block construction style had inherent design flaws. The steel reinforcements used inside the blocks does not compliment the concrete block material. Concrete and steel expand and contracts at different rates in different temperatures; causing major preservation issues. Additionally, the composition of the concrete in the blocks and the way they have reacted with our air pollution –leading to premature decay.

The Ennis House – which is currently on the market for $15 million is said to need significant renovation. The price may be negotiable, but the cost of restoration is not.

One of the most beautiful things is that the Millard House has already had significant restoration. When La Miniatura last sold in 2000 (for $1.3 million), it was reported that the cost of restoration exceeded the price of the house. Inspection reports revealed that “glass was incorporated internally into the concrete blocks by hand. This method of construction caused the imploding/exploding difficulties found in Wright’s other concrete-block houses in Los Angeles.”

The University of Southern California owns the Freeman House and has worked diligently on its restoration. When they picked it up after the Northridge Earthquake, the property was actually sliding down toward Highland Avenue, and the walls were said to be bulging to the point of failure.  The $1.5 million restoration focused on bolting the walls on the uphill side. Engineers also installed 10 caissons to be lowered by a crane for stabilization on the uphill side.  12 caissons were placed on the downhill side.  They removed about 700 damaged blocks (and cataloged them).  1600 new blocks were made—essentially the house was rebuilt…on a site said to be virtually inaccessible by construction machines.

Many historic Southern California properties are facing major conservation issues…and there are two schools with how to approach solutions.The Europeans believe the architect’s intentions are paramount; Americans feel the historic fabric is more important, perhaps because we’re a younger nation. Buy great real estate and you, too, may have a say in history.

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http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/04/rumormongering_2.php

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-home24-2008aug24,0,3971050.story

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildbell/sets/72157603802723285/

http://www.santamonicapropertyblog.com/?page_id=1327

http://www.architectureforsale.com/press_details.php?nid=29

http://www.lottaliving.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=11983

Listing agent: Crosby Doe,(310) 428-6755,Mossler & Doe

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/resources/estates/2008/05/estates

http://www.arlisna.org/news/conferences/2001/proceedings/session_6.htm

http://www.millardhouse.com/

https://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?artistFilterInitial=X&criteria=O%3ACL%3AI%3A1&page_number=51&template_id=1&sort_order=1

BE HAPPY IF YOU OWN REAL ESTATE!

BE HAPPY IF YOU OWN REAL ESTATE!

LOS ANGELES WINS AS THE MOST OVERPRICED HOUSING MARKET IN THE U.S.

By Jodi Summers

Los Angeles is good at topping lists…best weather, prettiest people, throws the best party… recently, Energy Star noted that we topped the list of energy efficient cities. Now, the news is more infamous than famous…like being named to the worst dressed list. Forbes says that Los Angeles is the most overpriced city in the United States, citing “…bloated housing prices, lofty living costs and unemployment rates among the highest in the nation…”

But the weather is perfect here…and traffic will improve… and there is good news for those looking to buy property. According to reliable sources like DataQuick information services, our home prices are leveling off, noting that the median price paid for a home was unchanged from January and February, “indicating that the market may be exploring price floor levels.”

It has been reported that a total of 19,486 new and resale homes sold in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties last month. That was up 27.9 percent from 15,231 for the prior month, and up 52.1 percent from 12,808 for March 2008, according to MDA DataQuick of San Diego.

“…Go to Southern Cal, for example, we’re seeing a floor in pricing,” confirms Jeffrey Mezger, chief executive of builder KB Home. “We don’t see prices going down right now, which is a good thing, because then you can set a baseline.”

Truth be told, government- insured, FHA mortgages made up 37.8 percent of all purchase loans in March, up slightly from a revised 37.5% in February and up from 10.1% in March last year. And, regionwide, foreclosure resales accounted for 55.4 percent of March’s resales activity.

The median home price in the Los Angeles metro area has dipped from $525,000 to $319,000 over the last two years, Forbes noted that we still face one of the least affordable housing markets in the country. According to the NAHB/Wells Fargo’s Housing Opportunity Index, only New York, Long Island, N.Y., and San Francisco are more expensive.

Our housing issues are an over-the-top version of what’s happening, to lesser degrees, in the rest of the nation. Our unemployment rate is around 10.3%, right up there with Riverside. All of those new, mid-range housing projects are like fallow because of the lack of work.

“The unemployment [in Southern California] is definitely driven by the housing bust,” says Lee. “Prices are collapsing, but if you’re looking at buying a house, it’s still expensive.”

And that’s why we head up the over-priced housing market. Pathetic thing is, Chicago is second on the list; their weather sucks and the lifestyle is less dynamic than other list toppers like Miami (3) and New York (4)…

“For the average professional, New York’s premium is not as high as you’d expect, given the cost of living,” says Al Lee, director of Quantitative Analysis at PayScale.com. “The premium for a software developer in New York is actually less than it is in Seattle, and about the same as it is in Atlanta.”

Forbes came to this conclusion after analyzing earnings potential and living expenses in the 50 largest continental U.S. metropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan divisions–geographic entities defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for use by federal agencies in collecting, tabulating and publishing federal statistics. Sounds official and impressive, doesn’t it.

Sources

http://www.dqnews.com/Articles/2009/News/California/Southern-CA/RRSCA090415.aspx

http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/06/cities-expensive-top-lifestyle-real-estate-overpriced-cities_print.html

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-homes5-2009may05,0,2234983.story

http://www.socalmultiunitrealestateblog.com/?p=361

BE HAPPY! LOS ANGELES IS NOT ON THE LIST OF PLACES WHERE HOMEOWNERS HAVE THE MOST DEBT

by Jodi Summers

Sure, we’re all complaining about our decline in wealth, and the drop in real estate values. The bright side is if you’ve owned for any length of time, you’re still satisfied. In many parts of the Los Angeles area, real estate saw a 400% rise in a 10-year period – to have prices drop by a third is still 266% better than 12 years ago.

Other cities in California have a lot more to complain about, according to Forbes list of Where U.S. Homeowners are Most in Debt. Seven metro areas of the Forbes Top 10 made the list, including Modesto, Riverside, Yuba City, Merced, San Diego, Stockton and Vallejo.

In these cities, underwater mortgages–one on which more is owed than the home is worth–comprise an average 44% of outstanding mortgages, compared to the 29% nationwide average.

Modesto ranks as the worst city for homeowner debt. Household wealth has been reset to 2001 levels while housing prices have declined 57% since the peak in 2005, and 30% in the last year alone. This has dunked 81% of the last five years’ mortgages underwater.

Want to know more?

Check ou the whole story @ http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/11/homes-equity-debt-lifestyle-real-estate-mortgage-underwater_slide_2.html?thisspeed=25000

www.performermag.com/wcp.tourstop.0711.php

http://livedesignonline.com/theatre/State_Modesto.jpg

SHOULD LOS ANGELES SELL OFF LEGACY LIABILITIES?

By Jodi Summers

Welcome to the Breed St. Shul in Boyle Heights. From 1915 to 1951 it was the largest Jewish Orthodox synagogue in the western United States, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2000, the City of Los Angeles quitclaimed the property to Breed Street Shul Project, Inc., a subsidiary of the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California. The Shul, like so many other National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) properties currently lies in neglect.

It is one of many NRHP properties caged behind fencing decaying around Los Angeles.

Engine House #18

Bravo to the Governor for the bold suggestion that the state sell off high maintenance  legacy assets such as the Del Mar fairgrounds, the Los Angeles Coliseum and Alcatraz.

Perhaps Los Angeles County should consider selling off NRHP properties that have become legacy liabilities.

Washington Irving Branch Library

FYI - The City of LA currently has 195 properties on the National Register of Historic Places. Los Angeles County boasts another 148 properties.  

Garfield Building

Too many of these noteworthy historic properties are sequestered behind chain link fences, decomposing from neglect. 

Santa Fe Coast Lines Hospital

Wikipedia counts 2,414 National Register properties in the state of California.  Do the math.

Angelus Funeral Home

Let us suggest that Los Angeles County sell off properties that have become, to paraphrase the governor, legacy liabilities. This would give them the opportunity truly become assets to our city and our community. In addition, to reclaiming these local treasures from the scrap heaps of history, freeing local government of the rehabilitation and maintenance responsibilities of these properties would ease the budget crunch.

This would give be giving the city / state short term assets in terms of sales, and long term assets in terms of taxes and community improvement.

Golden Gate Theater

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Sources

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124233275075820819.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breed_Street_Shul

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places_listings_in_California

Angels Flight Railway