Venice has long struggled with the question of how to deal with tensions between people living out of cars and RVs, and local neighbors who don't want to wake up to refuse running down their streets. And while the Coastal Commission, which controls certain decisions in western Venice, rejected a proposal earlier this year that involved creating overnight parking districts, (a lawsuit regarding that decision is pending), an older motion put forth by Councilman Bill Rosendahl that proposed creating overnight districts is back in the news. At Tuesday's Venice neighborhood council meeting, the VNC came out in full support of Rosendahl's motion, VNC president Mike Newhouse tells us. [Image via Yo! Venice blog]
From Tuesday night's meeting notes regarding Rosendahl's motion, which looks like it was first suggested back in 2008.
The Venice NC voted unanimously to request the VNC send "send a letter of support to City Council, members of the Transportation Committee & to Mayor Villaraigosa in support of Councilman Rosendahl’s Council motion #08-3125 to create a provision for Councilmembers to designate discrete and distinct areas of their council district where people would be allowed to park and sleep overnight by permit & with case management services." Newhouse calls Rosendahl's efforts "right-headed" and said he's "doing an excellent job with what he’s trying to do [about the homeless situation]."
Meanwhile, here's a letter of CC'd* TO THE Mayor that was posted on the VNC's web site:
RE: Support for Motion 08-3125 – Creation of Safe Parking (Rosendahl/Zine)
Dear Bill:
In September 2007 the Venice Neighborhood Council voted to ask you to research and study the feasibility of an ordinance to establish safe parking areas in the City of Los Angeles for persons living in vehicles. You responded by introducing City Council Motion #08-3125 to create a provision for Council members to designate discrete and distinct areas of their council district where people would be allowed to park and sleep overnight, only by permit & with case management services. http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrec?
The VNC request came as a result of VNC member Dede Audet’s on site visit to Santa Barbara to observe the successful program operating by ordinance in that municipality. Since that time, other municipalities have also established successful programs and we feel that Los Angeles needs to do follow suit.
Since the California Coastal Commission rejected LA City’s application to create Overnight Parking restrictions in the Coastal zone they suggested that the City come up with alternative solutions to this social problem.
On October 20, 2009, the Venice Neighborhood Council voted to support your draft ordinance to develop a workable program for Venice and for the City of Los Angeles that will partially address the very real issue of individuals and families who for many reasons live in their vehicles.
We look forward to working with you to this end.
Sincerely,
Cc: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa & Councilman Dennis Zine
* Originally, we wrote "from" the mayor; the mayor was cc'd
· Out of the Car [Curbed LA]
· Homeless Fond of Skateboard Park [Curbed LA]
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