Suggestions From 9 Neighborhoods : Development Standards Proposed for Venice

About 200 residents representing nine Venice neighborhoods met Saturday at Westminster Avenue Elementary School and proposed standards for development to preserve diversity without overdevelopment.

Based on nine committees’ recommendations, the city Planning Department will present a Local Coastal Program to the City Council for approval.

“Basically, we’d like to maintain the spirit and funkiness that makes Venice unique,” said Charlene Richards, co-coordinator of the group representing southeast Venice.

“We see continued development as further compounding our problem,” said Jeffrey Solomon, a member of the group representing part of the North Venice area. “At some point, quality of life must have priority over financial interest.”

Range of Suggestions

Several groups recommended placing height restrictions on residential units without discouraging architectural variety. They also addressed the need for affordable housing and proposed allowing low-income housing units to exceed height limits.

The committees expressed their desire to see trees, landscaping, trash pickup and controls on billboard advertising in Venice. They urged planners to protect pedestrian streets and historic districts, control traffic and find ways to ease Venice’s acute parking problem.

“I would like to walk out to the clean water of Santa Monica Bay, turn back and see the old buildings restored and still standing,” said architect Lewin Wertheimer, addressing the question of what Venice should look like in 20 years.

“I would like to see Windward Avenue lined with arcades, new buildings rich in their diversity of function and design, and know that behind the intense activity of Ocean Front Walk there still exists a neighborhood that reflects the unique character of life in Venice.”

‘Tribute’ to Residents

Councilwoman Ruth Galanter said she would like to push the final plan through the City Council by the summer.

“I think it’s really a tribute to the people in the community that they’re willing” to participate in the planning, Galanter said. “They should be proud of themselves.”

Although most committees agreed among themselves on the issues, the group representing part of North Venice was divided on how much development to allow. The committee split into two factions and presented separate proposals.

Those opposed to intensive development hissed as James Murez proposed allowing large lot consolidations at the discretion of an architectural review board.

“We understand that development does go on,” said Barbara Palivos, chairwoman of the North Venice committee and an advocate of slow growth. “The major question is the intensification of it and what parameters the development would have.”

‘Reaching Saturation’

“There is agreement that the area is over-commercialized already,” said Steve Schlein, a member of the same group. “Since we are reaching saturation, the logical thing to do is to start mitigating it, not to make it worse.”

Murez, a computer consultant, said he owns 1,800 square feet and wants to build a duplex and a 1-room, 250-square-foot office for his wife’s translations agency. He said he encountered opposition from area residents despite the modesty of his project.

Murez said the pro-development group was trying to come up with creative solutions to the conflicts, making development acceptable to residents but economical for developers.

On Nov. 30, the nine committees will meet at Penmar Recreation Center to discuss possible solutions to the issues. Planners will try to identify proposals made by individual committees that can solve problems in Venice.