Venice: Residents Urged to Attend Workshops

I am writing this letter to ask the people of Venice to have heart and give the City of Los Angeles another chance.

The initial Venice Boardwalk workshop (Westside, June 1) was attended by only 100 people and was not a true representation of the community. If the first workshop is an indication, these workshops may be attended by far fewer people than the original Coastal Conservancy workshops. Unfortunately, that would be wasting another $97,000 we are paying for this new set of consultants.

I know you are tired of attending parking and traffic study meetings, land use plan workshops, neighborhood land implementation plan workshops, city LIP/LUP presentations, general plan workshops, cultural affairs workshops and Coastal Conservancy Workshops. Hundreds of thousands of your tax dollars have been expended on independent planning consultants and city planner staff time in Venice. Many of you have donated hundreds of your personal hours in community meetings to improve Venice. I know you are disheartened, but please do not give up!

Many of you have complained you did not receive legal notice of the impending workshop because you have not shown an interest in this latest planning effort. Many of you are property owners who are paying for Proposition A and should be notified of the next workshop. Please watch the papers and talk to one another when the next workshop is announced. If we had an approved coastal plan, none of this would be necessary and we might be able to move the community forward, but that is not likely. You must remain vigilant and communicate with one another.

I understand why you many not want to attend the workshops, but the city will act upon its threats of using your $10 million in Proposition A dollars someplace else in Los Angeles if you let them. Those of you who dream of a beautiful, safe Venice must come forward once more. No one will help Venice unless you help Venice.

MICHAEL KING

Venice