It’s the bi-weekly report from City Manager John Nachbar – find out all the latest on Development, Police, Parks and Rec, Transportation and more.
Community Development
• Sprout JK – Waffle – Building plans were approved on July 18th, for a 2,700 square foot tenant improvement for a new restaurant at 3599 Hayden Avenue.
• Culver City Transfer Station – Building plans were approved on July 20th to demolish and reconfigure the layout to create a new men’s restroom and locker room at 9275 Jefferson Boulevard.
• Bank of the West – A final building inspection was completed by Building Safety on July 22nd for a 3,199 square foot tenant improvement for a new bank at 8770 Washington Boulevard, The PLATFORM.
• Bacoshop – Building plans were submitted on July 21st for a tenant improvement to an existing restaurant space, which will add a cooking line, service counter, updated bathrooms (to ADA compliance), and the replacement of the store front at 9552 Washington Boulevard.
• WMN Space – Paula Mallis – Building plans were submitted on July 20th for a 1,400 square foot tenant improvement including demolition of non-load bearing walls to combine two spaces into one, and to construct one new load bearing wall at 10764 ½ Washington Boulevard.
• The Reformation – Building plans were submitted on July 12th for a 7,456 square foot tenant improvement of an existing space at 8840 Washington Boulevard, #201, The PLATFORM.
• Washington-National Transit Oriented Development Project – The Water Board has approved a Work Plan to obtain closure for the environmental remediation work at 8801 Washington Blvd. The contractor/consultant is currently performing the tasks required for closure. The Developer has performed additional soil testing over the entire site. The Consultant submitted its draft Final Report to the Water Board on July 14th.
• Department of Finance Long Range Property Management Plan – The City is awaiting the Department of Finance’s approval of the City’s proposed Amendment to the Long Range Property Management Plan submitted in April. The review period expired on July 27th.
• Media Park – Media Park improvements, which include clearing shrub planting and leveling soil along the building, are nearing completion.
• Hayden Tract Spur – The following work has been completed on the Spur Parking Project as of July 18th:
o Drive-aisle and parking stalls have been striped.
o Parking stalls have been numbered.
o Electrical conduit has been trenched for connection.
o The electrical power box is in place.
o Lighting has been installed.
o Irrigation lines are in place.
o Trees and shrubs have been delivered and planted.
o Signage has been installed.
o Graffiti has been removed.
o Trash enclosures and compactor areas have been rebuilt.
• Parking Structure Maintenance – Monthly maintenance services and bi-annual pressure washing of the three downtown parking structures continue to be on schedule and there are no current issues. The City Hall Courtyard was pressure washed after the summer concert series event of July 14th. Three additional post-concert cleanings are scheduled.
• Committee on Homelessness – The Committee on Homelessness (COH) held its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 26th at 7 pm in the Patacchia Room. Two members were appointed/re-appointed, Dr. Ira Diamond and Karlo Silbiger. The COH received an update from staff and Saint Joseph Center on homeless outreach throughout the City and informed of the status of various homeless persons. The COH will host a round table discussion at the latter part of this year with west side homeless service providers to discuss rapid re-housing programs, service entry and coordination of services. The COH has also made review of the County of Los Angeles Initiative on Homelessness a priority and will make recommendations to the City Council on ways the City adopt and/or support these initiatives.
• Landlord Tenant Mediation Board – The Landlord Tenant Mediation Board (LTMB) held its regular quarterly meeting on Wednesday, July 27th at 7 pm in the Patacchia Room. Three members of the Board were re-appointed, Michael Berlin, Tara Lewis and Justin Lescoulie. The meeting focused on a brainstorming session about how the LTMB can expand its scope beyond rent increases. The members considered neighbor to neighbor disputes such as barking dogs and tenant to tenant disputes such as upstairs noise concerns. The members also thought they could work with neighborhood groups and facilitate discussion regarding housing projects.
• Globe Project – Agreements are being finalized for the Globe Avenue “for sale” affordable housing project.
• Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program – Housing will open the Section 8 waiting list and accept new applications before the end of the year. It is anticipated that over 20,000 households may apply. Based on the anticipated massive number of applicants, the application process will be on-line only.
• Planning Commission – David Voncannon is the current Chairperson and Dana Amy Sayles is the Vice Chairperson of the Commission.
• Baldwin Project – A resolution was adopted approving a proposed 5-story mixed use project consisting of 37 multi-family residential dwelling units above 7,206 square feet of ground floor commercial space with surface and subterranean parking including 21 public parking spaces at 12803 Washington Boulevard.
• Mixed Use Project –Tentative Tract was approved to allow for a subdivision to create five residential condominium and one commercial unit for a mixed use project currently under construction at 12712 Washington Boulevard.
Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department
• Culver City Just 4 Kids and Teen Camp – The Just 4 Kids and Teen Camp are heading into their seventh week of camp. With summer more than half over, there’s only three weeks of camp left. The good news is we still have great trips to Knott’s Berry Farm and Magic Mountain coming up. Other fun events include the Camp Carnival, The Red Carpet Experience, and trips to LA County beaches to name just a few upcoming activities. There’s a lot of fun still ahead at Just 4 Kids and Teen Camp!
• CarFit at the Culver City Senior Center – The Culver City Senior Center and Social Services Division hosted the annual CarFit event on Saturday, July 23rd. Offered in partnership with AAA & AARP, the event was a great success, with 33 seniors taking part in the educational/safety program checking how well their personal vehicles “fit” them. Six participants were Culver City residents and 27 were from surrounding areas. The event would not have been possible without the support of five amazing volunteers recruited through the Culver City Volunteer Program and six specially trained volunteers provided by CarFit coordinator Bob Vatz.
• Culver City Senior Center Partnership with Symantec – This August marks the 8th year of the partnership between Symantec and the Culver City Senior Center. Thank you to the volunteers from Symantec who provide quarterly one-on-one assistance to Center members regarding technology and their “gadgets.” Just one of many complimentary notes received by the Senior Center said, “I was one of the many fortunate seniors that received help with my Android cell phone. The Symantec volunteers were so kind and patient. I actually had two men helping me; this is such a valuable contribution volunteers are making to seniors. I have no one else that I could ask to help me. Thank you for having this program.”
• Fiesta La Ballona – Fiesta La Ballona returns to Veterans Park August 26th – 28th with live music, a beer and wine garden, food trucks and food court, carnival rides, a petting zoo and pony rides. Visit the Entertainment Tent for a 3-day music and dance party featuring Latin Jazz and Fiesta-Palooza on Friday night; the sounds of Mariachis, the British Invasion, 80s funk and 90s rock on Saturday, culminating in SoCal Saturday Night featuring tributes to The Beach Boys and The Eagles; and World Music on Sunday featuring Caribbean, Klezmer/Mediterranean and Brazilian music as well as Siberian Surf Rock. 2016 Fiesta sponsors include Sony Pictures Entertainment, Cedars-Sinai, Access Culver City, Tito’s Tacos, Culver City Volvo -Mazda, Kane, Ballmer & Berkman, Southern California Gas Company, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, The Culver Studios, Backstage Bar & Grill, Heather & Art Realtors, Lowe Enterprises, Golden State Water Company, Echo Horizon School, AYSO Region 19-Culver City, Cavanaugh Realtors, The Conservatory for Coffee, Tea & Cocoa, See’s Candies, Staples – Baldwin Hills Crenshaw, Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum, ZogSports, Palms Cycle, Angel City Derby Girls, LA Kings Ice Crew, Galaxy Star Squad, LA Weekly, KCETLink, Steeldeck, Inc., Haynes Building Services, L.L.C., Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and West Coast Arborists, Inc. Visit http://fiestalaballona.org/ or call 310-253-6650 for more information.
• Fiesta La Ballona Volunteer Opportunity – We are looking for volunteers to help us make the event safe, clean, green and, most importantly, fun! Fiesta 2016 takes place the weekend of August 26th, 27th and 28th. In addition to reliable individuals, we welcome volunteer groups from corporations, houses of faith, schools, clubs and neighborhoods. Families are also welcome to volunteer together. We provide credit hours for students fulfilling service requirements for their schools. We need folks to help with everything from stage management to helping festival goers recycle their trash and make our event as green as possible. To sign up as a volunteer at Fiesta, please visit http://fiestalaballona.org/.
• Veterans Memorial Complex Rental Operations – The Cultural Affairs Foundation received a generous bequest from The Sydney Kronenthal Trust in the amount of $10,000 towards the upgrade of stage lighting in Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Syd Kronenthal, who passed away in 2015, was the Directors of Parks, Recreation and Human Services for 52 years until his retirement in 1998. His tenacity and vision led to the building of the Veterans Memorial Complex. The overall stage lighting project will include the de-installation of the outdated dimmer system followed by installation of a new dimmer system, theatrical lights and a lighting console.
Police Department
• Police Department Training- During the week of July 18th, all officers attended the department-approved training for active shooters, force protection, and the Incident Command System for responses to critical incidents. The training was held at Culver City Middle School.
• National Night Out – On Tuesday, August 2nd, the Police Department will host its annual National Night Out event at Veterans Park located at 4117 Overland Avenue. The purpose of the event is to bring the community and Police Department together to help build relationships with each other and to help prevent crimes. The event will start at 4:00 pm. Please bring your family to enjoy live music, free food, activities for the children and to meet your police officers.
Public Works Department
• Tree Maintenance & Management – On July 27th, the Public Works Department hosted a tree maintenance & management workshop in the Dan Patacchia Room sponsored by the City’s tree trimming contractor, West Coast Arborists. Approximately 20 tree maintenance professionals (some from Culver City) were in attendance representing surrounding municipalities. Presenters discussed current trends in the tree maintenance industry, plant health care, potentially new and concerning pests that have been identified, and a review of the Arbor Access mobile app – which is utilized by City staff to track tree trimming maintenance and history of the City’s urban forest.
• Street Closure – On Saturday, July 30th, Duquesne Avenue between Jefferson Boulevard and Lucerne Avenue will be closed from 9 am to 5 pm to through traffic. All American Asphalt will be reconstructing a portion of Duquesne Avenue between Jefferson Boulevard and Ballona Creek. Four changeable message signs were strategically positioned to advise motorists of the road closure. Detour signs will be installed on the adjacent streets advising motorists how to get to Culver Boulevard or Jefferson Boulevard.
• Senior Center Audio-Video System Replacement – Integrated Media Systems completed installation of a new audio-video system at the Senior Center that included new speakers, microphones, a projector and screen, an assistive listening system, and a wireless control pad to operate the system. This week, staff received training on how to operate the new system, which was entirely funded by a $200K grant received from the Los Angeles County Open Space District.
• Energy Efficiency Project – With the installation and programming of the City’s new Energy Management System at the Police Department, City Hall, Veterans Memorial building, the Senior Center and the Transportation facility concluding this week, the City’s Energy Efficiency project has been completed. The project included entering into contracts with three vendors to install lighting, HVAC mechanical and a new energy management control system. The project is anticipated to save the City approximately $1,769,480 over the 12-year life cycle of the project. The City maintains a “Gold tier” status within Southern California Edison’s Energy Leader Partnership Program in recognition of its energy efficiency accomplishments.
• AB 1826 Regulatory Requirements – Every California local jurisdiction is required to implement an organic waste recycling program to provide organic recycling options, educate businesses and multifamily complexes about their local organic recycling options, and monitor implementation.
The law requires that businesses arrange for recycling services for the following types of organic waste: food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, nonhazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper. Multifamily complexes must arrange for recycling services for the same material with the exception of food waste and food-soiled paper. Most organic waste is recyclable through methods such as composting, mulching, and anaerobic digestion. Organic recycling services often accept a wide variety of different types of organic waste.
Businesses and multifamily complexes must start recycling organic waste by the following dates:
• Generators of 8 or more cubic yards of organic waste per week: April 1, 2016
• Generators of 4 or more cubic yards of organic waste per week: January 1, 2017
• Generators of 4 or more cubic yards of solid waste per week: January 1, 2019
• Generators of 2 or more cubic yards of solid waste per week (if statewide disposal of organic waste is not decreased by half): January 1, 2020
Contact the Public Works Refuse and Recycling team to learn how to obtain a complete recycling services program today. Complete service from start-up assistance to program implementation. Staff can help local businesses comply with the law. Schedule a complimentary site review and our staff will provide recommendations, training and educational marketing material to help your business set up a successful recycling organic program. For more information, please contact Environmental Programs & Operations Customer Service staff at (310) 253-6400.
Transportation Department
• Bus Stop Relocation Project – The updated date for the summary of all input received to be communicated to the City Council is August 22, 2016.
The City Council has approved the implementation of a Bus Signal Priority System (BSP) that will improve the efficiency of bus service by providing traffic signal priority to buses at signalized intersections along their routes in Culver City; by extending the green time a few seconds, a Culver City bus running late may catch up to the schedule. As part of the BSP Project, 35 existing nearside bus stops are recommended to be relocated to the farside of the intersection. This relocation is necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the BSP System. The relocation away from nearside will provide the opportunity to regain some parking spaces, in most instances, in the nearside, and will also cause the loss of some parking spaces in the new farside.
Interested parties can find out more about the project here. You can also have questions or comments addressed via telephone at (310) 253-5634 or by emailing [email protected].
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