|
|
At the Omni Los Angeles, CCA's Architects Panel
"Designing for the World," from left to right: moderator Peter
Devereaux (Harley Ellis Devereaux), Douglas Hanson (De Stefano), Scott
Hunter (NBBJ), Brian Kite (Leo A Daly), Dan Meis (Nadel Architects),
Carol Schatz (CCA), Hal Bastian (DCBID), Brian Girard (Kohn Pedersen Fox),
Richardson Robertson, III (Robertson Partners). See article below.
Critical Week for CCA Legislative Affairs:
City Hearings on Industrial Land, Rent Control, Living Wage
and ACLU-LAPD Settlement Agreement
CCA has been leading the business community on
several key issues that came before the City this week, including:
industrial land, rent control, living wage, and the ACLU-LAPD settlement
agreement.
Council Declines to Approve ACLU-LAPD
Settlement
Upon Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's request, the Los
Angeles City Council once again declined to approve the ACLU-LAPD
settlement agreement, which would institutionalize street encampments in
Downtown. Council chose not to vote on the matter in light of
strong community opposition, which was organized in large part by
Councilmember Jan Perry
and
CCA
. In addition, CCA's President & CEO
Carol E. Schatz
gave compelling testimony at Council on Tuesday
in opposition to the settlement agreement. In the weeks leading up
to the November 14 vote, CCA sent letters to the City Council opposing the
settlement agreement, and met with numerous Councilmembers and their staff
to persuade them to oppose the agreement, including Councilmembers:
Greuel, Cardenas, Garcetti, LaBonge, Perry,
Hahn, Padilla
and
Huizar
. In addition, CCA alerted Downtown
residents and stakeholders to the proposed settlement, and led them to
City Hall to oppose the agreement.
Condo Conversions
CCA urged the City Council to allow 45 days for a
report back on the enforceability of a City law prohibiting condo
conversions based upon the vacancy rate and cumulative effect in the
planning area. The City moved to immediately begin enforcement of
the law. However, CCA will continue to investigate the matter
and propose alternative solutions to the affordable housing problem in Los
Angeles. In addition, CCA will fight the City's efforts to extend
this section to multi-family residential demolitions.
Rent Stabilization
CCA's efforts resulted in the postponement of a
hearing on extending rent control to newly constructed rental units built
on the site of demolished, rent-stabilized units. CCA staff and
member
Kate Bartolo
of the
KOR Group
met with representatives from
Council President Garcetti's
office,
Councilmember Herb Wesson's
office, the City Attorney's office, representatives
from the Apartment Association of Greater L.A. (AAGLA), and
representatives from several law firms to urge Council to
postpone this motion until there is sufficient opportunity to analyze its
policy and legal implications. The hearing is currently
scheduled for Wednesday, November 22nd.
City Releases Industrial Land Use Policy For
Downtown
CCA's President & CEO
Carol Schatz
attended a workshop outlining the Planning
Department's and CRA's recommendations for the future use of Downtown's
industrially-zoned land. CCA found the recommendations
detrimental to Downtown's continued revitalization.
CCA has been the business leader on the industrial land issue since
the Mayor's office cautioned City departments against converting
industrial land to other uses almost one year ago. CCA released a
white paper on this issue in July and has been actively voicing the
opinion of the business community to city officials. CCA has
organized a subcommittee to review and respond to the recommendations for
Downtown and is drafting a letter asking the City to extend the deadline
for comments on the plan.
Living Wage Ordinance
CCA and other business leaders testified in
opposition to a package of laws aimed primarily at extending the City's
living wage ordinance to hotels near LAX, and CCA sent letters to Council
opposing the law. The living wage ordinance was intended to apply
only to businesses that contract with the City, not to other private
employers. Hence, approval of the ordinances amounts to an
improper insertion by the City into a private business matter.
Nevertheless, the package of laws will likely pass through a second
consideration in City Council on November 22nd.
CCA continues to express concern over the
cumulative effect of Concil's recent actions, which negatively impact
businesses. CCA and other business leaders are coordinating efforts
to fight the City's progression towards an increasingly unfriendly
business climate.
At Thursday's Housing, Land Use & Development
Committee, from left to right: Paul Rohrer, Munger, Tolles
& Olson; Cindy Starrett, Latham & Watkins; Mercedes Marquez, LAHD;
Carol Schatz, CCA; Krista Kline, Mayor's Office
CCA's Housing, Land Use & Development Committee
Meets with LAHD's Marquez
Mercedes Marquez
, General Manager of the Los Angeles Housing
Department (LAHD), spoke to CCA's Housing, Land Use & Development
Committee about her priorities for LAHD over the next year.
Krista Kline
from the Mayor's Office on Economic Development
also attended the meeting. The Committee discussed plans for
another affordable housing bond, condo conversion issues, and a new
soft-second loan program Ms. Marquez would like to initiate at LAHD.
CCA's Housing, Land Use & Development Committee
will be meeting with Jane Usher, President of the City Planning
Commission, on January 17, 2007.
CCA Architect's Panel a Success!
CCA presented CCA's "Architect's Panel: L.A.
Architects Designing for the World" on Thursday at the Omni Hotel (see
photo above). The panel demonstrated the influence of Los Angeles
architects in cities around the world. Panelists included
Douglas Hanson,
AIA from
De Stefano Partners
;
Scott Hunter
, AIA from
NBBJ
;
Brian Kite
, AIA from
Leo A Daly
;
Brian Girard
, AIA from
Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects
;
Dan Meis
, FAIA from
Nadel Architects, Inc.;
and
Richard Robertson, III
, AIA from
Robertson Partners, LLC.
CCA would like to thank
Peter Devereaux
of
Harley Ellis Devereaux
for moderating this panel discussion.
|
* CCA's President & CEO Carol Schatz met with Councilmember Parks and other business organizations on creating a business advisory committee that seeks to retain and attract business to L.A. * The business organizations are drafting a letter asking Council to pause before enacting any other mandates on business. * CCA staff attended a meeting of the Skid Row Safer City Initiative Outreach Team to comment on the effectiveness of the Safer City Initiative, which has brought 50 more police officers to Skid Row. * CCA staff attended a fundraiser in support of Councilmember Tom LaBonge's re-election campaign. * CCA signed on to a letter with other business organizations requesting further community input into the Port's Clean Air Action Plan. The Action Plan is scheduled before the Port Commission on November 20th. * CCA testified in support of Phase II of the L.A. Live project at the Council's Planning & Land Use Management Committee and the Community Redevelopment Agency. Both bodies approved updated plans for L.A. Live. The final hearing will be at City Council on December 1st. Phase II of L.A. Live will bring a much-awaited Convention Center Hotel to Downtown. * The Downtown Resident Managers Association met at Noe Restaurant on Monday. CCA IN THE NEWS "Carol Schatz, president and CEO of Central City Association, said the council vote 'sends a negative message to existing businesses and the businesses we are trying to attract. It sends the message that labor always wins and business always loses. If business loses, we lose jobs.'" November 16, Daily Breeze, " Pay Rules for LAX-Area Hotels Set for Check-In ," by Dan Laidman on living wage ordinance. 
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|