Issues Committee Report

9-23-08

In attendance

Committee Members: John Mavar, Julia Parker, Barbara Schach, Gabriel Rivas, Ray Patricio, Mollie Abbatiello, Craig Goldfarb

NWSPNC and Community members: Dan Dixon, Diana Nave, John Greenwood, Chuck Hart, John Anderson (LAUSD), Jacob Haik (LAUSD), Rafael Ruvalcaba (LAUSD), David Kooper (LAUSD), Office William McDonald ( LAPD Traffic), Yvonne Schueller (NOISE) and Chad Christian (NOISE)

 

TRAFFIC

LAPD Traffic Officer McDonald attended and reported that he has places a radar trailer on Channel Street. This is because of car speeding up and down this neighborhood street. The radar trailer will also count cars to see how much traffic there is. The trailer should be up for about one week.

 

Barbara Schach said that Officer McDonald is always responsive to traffic issues around Tapper Ave School.

 

Chuck Hart would like to see no parking signs along Gaffey to help with big trucks parking in the area.

 

COMMITTEE ACTION ITEM: Issues committee will work with CD 15 on signage and enforcement.

 

PROPERTY ISSUES:

Park Plaza Shopping center has responded to our concerns  about the trash dumpsters. They said they would have the maintenance manager working on keeping it cleaning. But our committee is requesting better condition such as locking of the dumpsters and even trash enclosures. This would help on cleanliness, safety and over all look. I (john Mavar) have taken some photos and have emailed to the property owners (Regency Center/Property).

COMMITTEE ACTION ITEM:  Suggestion was made to have building and safety reviews the property/dumpsters.

 

STREET SERVICES:

Streets around San Pedro have been slurry and are competed for this fiscal year. The chairpersons of the committee have been given a details list of streets that were completed and conditions. If you would like a copy please contact us. The council office has been helpful on that report and soon as they have 09-10 street paving and slurry schedule they will provide it. 

 

Channel Street as been reported in the past as scheduled to be repaved this year or by July of 09. Paving would be from Park Western Drive to Gaffey St.  The committee would like to suggest that non- neighborhood traffic traveling to and from Western Ave and Gaffey please use Capitol Dr.

Committee Action:

Motion passed on painting of additional red curbs near the fire station and Jersey Boys Car wash exit. 

Motion passed on formal request to repave Channel St from Park Western Dr to Gaffey Street.

 

Major Community Issues

South Region High School No.15 is being proposed at Angels Gate near the Korean Bell.  Many neighbors have concerns with a new high school in these relatively quiet streets. On the property at Angeles Gate LAUSD owns that section of property and the school would be build near Alma St.

 

With limited location around San Pedro to fit a needed high school to help with overcrowding at SPSH LAUSD is studying the site and the Draft Environmental Impact Report  (DEIR) is expected out soon.  Reps from LAUSD School Board member Dr. Richard Valadovic's office attended to provide back ground on the project and process.

 

The School is propose to be built for 810 students and will start off with 500 students. Magnet students will dominate the school.  LAUSD say this is an annex of San Pedro High on 15th street and will work together.  LAUSD will make this a joint use for the community and other city organizations. The School will have a pool which is needed.  Solar panels and wind mills would be installed to maximize natural use to cut energy costs to almost 75%.

 

Neighbors have issues with access of cars and traffic flow with the School. After the Issues Committee members met a few time with LAUSD it now looks like all traffic will be diverted only to  Gaffey St.  A new traffic signal at 32nd ST and Gaffey would be installed. More details to come when the DEIR is released.  This would eliminate the need for access on Alma St to only emergency.

 

Curbs, gutters and sidewalk will be improved or replaced on Alma along with landscaping. Larger Landscaping and more parking for students and staff would be provide because the Committees concerns as SPHS students park blocks away to get to school.

 

The Neighborhood group that has formed to stop or work with LAUSD is called N.O.I.S.E.  (Neighborhood, Organized, Involved, Support, Education.) Members of the organization, Chad and Yvonne, provided a well detailed power point presentation on the issues related to what the school may do to harm the neighborhood and other surrounding issues.  NOISE is in favor of education and students but want to make sure all other site are looked at. If the school is built at Angeles Gate how much mitigation will be put into place for real and how can they believe that the school will never expand to more than 810 students.

San Pedro High School current enrollment is 3561 students and when the school hits 3600 SPHS will go to year round.

Committee members express the issue of using the bond money to build new school to fix up San Pedro High now. Removing bungalows, then construct new buildings to seat more students.  The bond that was passed by voters to build new schools all over Los Angeles did not have language for remodeling current schools.  A new bond measure (Measure Q) is on the November Ballot to do just that, fix our existing schools. 

The Committee did not take a formal position on the New High School as the formal plans and the DEIR is not complete.  The NWSPNC governing board will review this in November.

 

Respectively Submitted by:

John M. Mavar and Julia Parker Co-Chairs, Issues Committee

NEXT ISSUES COMMITTEE MEETING 10-28-08