West L.A. College

Issues dealing with West Los Angeles College

General Meeting Tuesday June 12, 7pm

Posted by Antoine Durr on June 8, 2018
Posted in: Announcements, Meetings, West L.A. College. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

The next General Meeting of the Culver Crest Neighborhood Association will be at 7pm at the El Rincon Elementary Cafetorium.  Agenda items include:

  • Neighborhood Watch / CCPD – Lt. Troy Dunlap
  • West Los Angeles College
  • Oil Fields – Amanda Parsons, Sentinel Peak Ombudsperson
  • Coyotes – CC Animal Control Officer Corolla Fleeger and Lt. Troy Dunlap to present on latest coyote threats
  • Road Repaving Status
  • General Issues

Note that another meeting is taking place in the cafetorium that is scheduled to end right before our meeting.

 

CCNA General Meeting

Tuesday June 12, 2018, 7pm

El Rincon Elementary Cafetorium

CCFD Statement to Culver Crest Neighborhood Association

Posted by Antoine Durr on July 4, 2016
Posted in: Community, West L.A. College. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

The Culver Crest Neighborhood Association put in a call to Culver City Fire Department for a statement regarding neighborhood safety concerns expressed by some of the residents. First of all, the City of Culver City is only involved peripherally. West LA College is not in Culver City. It is in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County under LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. County Sheriff and Fire are responsible for safety. The event is sponsored by the Culver City Exchange Club, a dedicated community service organization. The proceeds from the event helps many great charitable causes that they support in our City. The money stays right here.
Culver City helps to support the event by providing Police and Fire at a nominal fee and will be providing patrols and traffic control as per the letter that went out to all residents last week. The CCFD (Fire Department) will be patrolling the area in coordination with LA County Fire. Their biggest concern is illegal fireworks set off in the neighborhoods. This is the greatest risk, not the organized show, which is highly regulated. Letters were sent out to most residents in the Crest regarding brush removal as it does each and every year. The City provides a large dumpster free for all residents to use for disposal of cuttings in compliance with the City Brush Clearance Codes. The bin is located on the vacant lot where Flaxton and Youngworth meet.
The Fire Department and the City consider the Fireworks Show to be in compliance with rigorous safety regulations for such shows. The process is highly vetted. The event is produced by Garden State Fireworks. This 125 year old company is the leading national producer of such shows and is operated by a highly trained team of pyrotechnic engineers. Some degree of licensing is required and their entire process is rigorously planned and tested. You have seen their shows at the Olympics, the Washington DC Capitol Mall, New York Harbor New Years Eve, and Disney Parks (who are the largest consumer of fireworks in the world.) All fireworks are manufactured in the United States under strict quality standards and are rigorously tested. Unlike illegal fireworks, they are designed so that the embers burn “cold,” meaning that when those big rockets explode in color in the air, the embers burn completely and are almost instantly cold. No hot embers fall to the ground. No one can be harmed by them, and brush cannot catch fire from them. This is not true of illegal fireworks. Even fireworks labeled “safe and sane” can cause brushfires or burn people. This is not to say that accidents cannot happen (and they occasionally do,) but you are safer at the event than you are driving to it. So is the neighborhood.
I was told by CCFD that there will be observers in the neighborhood, and around the oil fields. They consider the oilfields to pose little danger. Oil is too deep for concern and surface level gas and oil pipelines are theoretically protected by highly sophisticated, high tech fire suppression systems intended to protect their interests from potential loss or damage by fire. LA County Fire is also standing by and patrolling. Again, the biggest threat comes from the use of illegal fireworks in the neighborhood.
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer for the wildlife and pets. The best we can do is consult our Veterinarians for calming remedies and follow instructions that have been well publicized to keep your pets protected and as calm as possible under the circumstances.

Hillslide / WLAC Demolition

Posted by Antoine Durr on December 8, 2012
Posted in: City of Culver City, Hillside, West L.A. College. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

From City Manager John Nachbar’s Dec. 7th, 2012 bi-weekly email:

  • Cranks/Tellefson Hillside Slide Repair Project Reimbursement – In late November, the City received a payment of $425,000 from the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal-EMA) for the Cranks/Tellefson hillside slide repair project. Additional money is expected from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with the total of both sources expected to be approximately $1.6 million. Combined with payments that the City has already received, this brings the total assistance received by Culver City for the 2005 disaster to over $2.5 million.
  • West Los Angeles College (WLAC) Demolition Bash- WLAC has informed the City that it will begin demolition of 43-year-old “temporary” buildings during the Winter break as part of its on-going campus transformation funded by voter- approved construction bonds. To mark the occasion, WLAC is planning to hold a Demolition Bash at 2:30 pm on Tuesday, December 11th. All are invited to participate in the farewell photo. Be sure to wear your favorite 1970’s and/or construction worker apparel. Get your photo taken swinging a ceremonial sledge hammer then graffiti your thank you message to these well-used buildings on one of the walls. Following the event, guests are invited to explore the dramatically renewed campus with three new LEED certified, multi-story buildings and lovely new walkways and courtyards. The new Café West is open for lunch and the adjacent expansive lawn behind the Student Services Building offers a great view of Culver City. Parking will be free in Lot #5, which is located off of Freshman Drive.

West L.A. College Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Posted by Antoine Durr on February 6, 2009
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At our last general meeting, we gave an update regarding developments at West Los Angeles College.  In the discussion we repeatedly referred to an “M.O.U.” that we have between us and the college.  Below is a PDF of the document.  

compositemou

The MOU was created as part of the EIR process when the college commenced its expansion process.  Note that the document is not the actual one that was attached to the EIR — that one was never signed.  The version that the parties signed had several additional provisions, and even that was it was amended with further provisions.

Unfortunately we do not have a digital version of the final document.  What we have is a hand-modified version that incorporates (or at least references) all of the provisions of the amended document.

WLAC Update

Posted by Antoine Durr on June 1, 2008
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West Los Angeles College is moving full speed ahead toward completion of their new parking structure atop the southeast corner of the campus.  A new bus route was established up Stocker Road that caused a significant increase in the noise level for the bordering Culver Crest homes and after much discussion, a second temporary 20- foot sound wall was constructed to partially abate the noise.  

Regarding the Stocker strip of land, it has come to the attention of all parties involved, after much coaxing by your C.C.N.A. Board to further look into this matter, that Southern California Edison has now acknowledged that the College owns the Stocker Road property plus an additional 10 to 13 feet of dirt on the Culver Crest side of Stocker.  This means that the College will, if we request it, be able to build a permanent sound wall adjoining Stocker.  

Additionally, Mark Rocha, President of the College, is hoping that the $3.5 billion bond issue on the November ballot will pass.  This would provide $300 million for his College, which would enable it to construct new technology, cinema production, science and sport entertainment buildings, as well as a new physical education and fitness center.  It would also allow them to build a second new parking structure and free up the land near the Overland entrance for other development.  As neighbors of the College, we have to determine whether this is a good thing or not.  While we all encourage furthering education, the question here remains at what expense?  Will the added traffic and noise in our neighborhood be worth the gain?  Your C.C.N.A. Board has and will continue to follow these developments closely to assure that we benefit from and are not victims of this major expansion program.

College Update

Posted by Antoine Durr on March 15, 2008
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Late last year the College began work on the construction project that will affect Culver Crest, the new parking structure near the top of Stocker.  The College has agreed to post updated construction information about this and other projects, on their web site at: 

http://www.wlac.edu/events/West%20Week%20Back.html

 (Unfortunately, as of the date we go to press, they are a little behind on their updates.)  The updates include the name and telephone number of the College’s ombudsperson (Bob Miller – 310-678-6917) who should be contacted with any complaints, comments or questions.  They also provide a link to a site that gives sound volume readings from the three sound monitors that have been installed in Culver Crest. (http://www.atsconsulting.com/WLAC_Data/).  


The temporary sound blanket that has been promised for months has not yet been completely installed, although the College’s latest promise is that it will be finished by the end of this week.  The College’s failure in this area only increases the importance of reporting any noise problems.  If you are experiencing too much noise from the campus, please call the ombudsperson at the number listed above.

The reason the College is constructing a sound wall is that they have asserted that Southern California Edison, who have the property use rights there, will not allow the College to use any of the dirt to build an earth berm along the strip of land between Stocker Road and Culver Crest, as required by the 2005 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).  The MOU states that the berm was to be built concurrently with both the new parking structure and the second access road connecting the College to Jefferson, of which both projects are almost ready to commence.

The College also reports that their new recycling center should be finished and operational in a couple of weeks. As you may recall, CCNA was successful in getting the College to relocate this center from the top of Stocker to an area that is built into a hillside to the north of Stocker. It is everyone’s hope that this will prevent noises and odors from reaching Culver Crest.  However, if you notice any sound or odor problems, please contact their ombudsperson.

A brand new development now in the thinking stage is to develop the land near the bottom of Stocker, at the Overland entrance.  The C.C.N.A. Board will set up a meeting with the College’s consultant to review the tentative development options for this site, which is adjacent to Culver Crest.  There have been several thoughts thrown around about what will eventually be there, including an elementary and/or high school.  The C.C.N.A. Board is keeping a close eye on the planning process of this area and will report the progress as it unfolds, as it will surely affect us in many ways.

     Because of construction work on campus, the route of the Culver City bus on campus will be changed in a couple of weeks.  For the next 18 months.  the new route will turn up Stocker, and then immediately travel over the new cut-through that has been constructed near the Turner trailers.  It will proceed up that road and then head down Albert Vera Way and back to Overland.  Hopefully this will not add to the noise problems we have endured with the College.

Our W.L.A. College Subcommittee will closely monitor all construction activities by the College plus review alternate mitigation measures that the College has advised it is in the process of preparing.

West Los Angeles College

Posted by Antoine Durr on September 10, 2007
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The College notified your Board that they will not pursue obtaining rights to the dirt portion of Stocker Road and therefore have the right to construct what they want on that property.  This is, so the College says, due to the lack of cooperation they received from Edison who obtained ownership of this parcel when the Stocker Street expansion (over the hill to La Cienega) was scaled back and removed from the Los Angeles Master Plan.  Too bad we didn’t know about that because our ironclad (or what we thought was ironclad) written agreement with the College called for an earthen berm, which was to have been landscaped and managed by the College, was a pre-condition to the construction that the College so far has not been able to get started.  Without the consent of Edison, the College says no place to put the dirt from their excavations so no berm.  Your Board heavily contested the College’s position.  While we are looking at alternatives, see below, the College is poised to start construction on its new parking lot anyway.

In addition, the College recently announced their next phase of expansion including an expanded football stadium and a new baseball stadium.  They also want to expand into the 10100 Jefferson site that they acquired from the City to be developed in a public/private for profit partnership.  This portion of the campus will be within the confines of the City of Culver City.  They also want to enlarge the access and entrance on Overland.  This plan includes a second multi-story parking lot.

As an alternative to the berm, the College is proposing various forms of both temporary and permanent sound walls. While placement of these walls is problematic, the walls ignore other goals sought when the berm was proposed by the College.  These include neighborhood beautification, reduction of intrusions into the Crest from the College grounds along Stocker, noise and dust reduction and an open green space which could continue to be utilized by the neighbors.  Alternately, the College proposed to close Stocker permanently and turn it all, including the asphalt portion, into a green belt, to erect a few minor small sound walls and to place some signage there.  So right now discussions are being held with no really good alternatives in sight. Could litigation be a possibility?  Come to the General Meeting on Wednesday, September 19th and have your say.

Significant Change in Plans

Posted by Antoine Durr on July 28, 2007
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There has been a significant change in the plans of the College.  Its agreement to build a berm to shield our neighborhood, both during and after the College’s construction projects, have been stymied by Southern California Edison, which will not allow the College to use any portion of the dirt area between Stocker Road and Culver Crest. This means the College may not be able to construct the berm which, pursuant to the terms of our 2005 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), must be built concurrently with both the new parking structure at the top of Stocker and the second access road connecting the College to Jefferson, of which both projects are almost ready to begin.
 
A new subcommittee consisting of Board Members Mark Salkin, Howard Lichtman and Marlene Rose will review alternate mitigation measures that the College has advised it is in the process of preparing.

WLAC Track

Posted by Antoine Durr on April 28, 2007
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There are some hiccups that have occurred recently with regard to the use of the West Los Angeles College track.  The basic problem is that the track is being damaged by heavy use from a number of groups who train with their coaches.  The College wants to require these groups to obtain permits before using the track, which has been the district’s policy for many years.  Apparently the College is unable to get the sheriff to remove these people from the track unless they post a sign that clearly requires a permit for any outsiders to use the track.  We, however, negotiated in connection with the EIR that neighborhood residents should be able to use the track (and other facilities) so long as this use does not interfere with College activities.  Our current proposal to the College specifically states that neighborhood residents will have approval to use the track, but goes on to agree that “coached training” will require a permit.  Since we don’t believe anyone from Culver Crest employs a coach to help them with their morning walks or jogs, this proposal should be acceptable to all.