Alternative Sought to Developer’s Plan

Culver City has been offered a number of suggestions, which, if pursued, could produce a subregional accord on development along the Lincoln Boulevard Corridor. Culver City officials have been sent a proposal to put the regional mall, which they want so much for civic pride and revenue reasons, on the redevelopment site at Overland Avenue and Venice Boulevard. Los Angeles should then be amenable to negotiations over the widening of Overland Avenue, which Culver City has so long sought.

A much smaller, residential project, perhaps like the Channel Gateway project, should then be considered for the Marina Place site. Such a shift would significantly lessen the impact on Lincoln Boulevard and the negative impact on coastal access. Culver City would not lose financially in this scenario and neither would the owner of the land, Prudential. The only loser would be the Melvin Simon developer group, which is carrying this proposal on spec.

It is not only the Playa Vista project that threatens to strangle Lincoln Boulevard and choke public access to the coast. It is Los Angeles County and its plans for second-generation development at Marina del Rey. Culver City and Los Angeles need to get together and forge a compromise. Then they have to persuade Santa Monica to join in a cooperative effort to plan Lincoln Boulevard development. Once such an alliance is created, we at the local level will be able to resist and turn back the money-hungry and developer-captured plans for second-generation development in Marina del Rey.

Revenue sharing and a reduced retail-commercial component are central to any agreement on Playa Vista, as is a plan to salvage as much affordable housing in the coastal zone as we can. Thanks for the good coverage on this issue.

ARNOLD SPRINGER

president,

Coastal Access Support Team