Westwood Neighborhood Council recap – June 8

The Westwood Neighborhood Council meets monthly to discuss issues pertaining to Westwood Village and the surrounding areas.

Wednesday’s meeting was the last to be headed by retiring Westwood Neighborhood Council President Jerry Brown. Congressman Ted Lieu recognized Brown with a certificate of congressional recognition, honoring his leadership and dedication to the community of Westwood from 2010-2016.

Discussion

• Jasmine Shamolian, field deputy for LA City Council member Paul Koretz, said Westwood Gardens Park will reopen June 25. The park, which will be open from sunrise to sunset, will have a security camera installed and a self-locking gate to keep homeless people out of the park after-hours.
• Megan Furey, marketing and communications manager for the Westwood Village Improvement Association, said two bikeshare hubs will be installed on the sidewalk around Broxton Avenue or Glendon Avenue by fall 2016. The hubs will be part of a UCLA program that would allow students to rent bikes for a fee.
• Steve Sann, chair of Westwood Community Council, said the seventh annual “Night Out in Westwood Village” will be June 19 and will feature the world premiere-run of Big Sky at Geffen Playhouse at 7 p.m.
• Lisa Chapman, vice president and co-chair of outreach and communications, said the WWNC will not vote on the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative, which would limit housing development in Los Angeles, until March 2017. She added the council will discuss election controversies, in particular the vote-by-mail ballots, at its next meeting once all votes have been counted.
• Sandy Brown, president of the Holmby-Westwood Property Owners Association, said Assembly Bill 2602, which would take away the financial incentive for using handicap placards in parking meter spaces, did not pass in the State Assembly. Instead, an audit of the Department of Motor Vehicles passed.

Motions

• The council approved a motion to support the original, first draft of Koretz’s Basic Mansionization Ordinance, which would allow renovations, new construction and expansions to residences while protecting the neighborhood from reckless development and unchecked short-term real estate speculation.
• The council also unanimously agreed to endorse the candidacy of architect Alex Wuo to the Design Review Board.