A Twist on the Usual Rules

While most associations are a part of the existing landscape when a new owner moves in, some communities without an association opt to start one. Such was the case in Mar Vista.

Although it has been around since the early 1900s, the community didn’t form a neighborhood association until 2000. Started by resident Bryan Gordon and others, the Mar Vista Neighborhood Assn. oversees 1,200 homes.

Unlike many traditional associations, however, their focus is not on the color of homes and where to park cars.

“We started the association because we felt that our community stood to gain a great deal by forming a group that could speak out for the rights of our neighborhood,” said Gordon, who worked on a project to protect land in the Santa Monica Mountains before moving to Mar Vista.

“Since creating the association, it’s been rewarding to see the community becoming more cohesive,” he said.

“We’ve spearheaded various beautification projects like tree plantings, and there have been significant changes in formerly dangerous traffic patterns. One four-way intersection now has stop signs and the accident rate has gone down considerably.”