We had a terrific community meeting with our fantastic new LAPD Senior Lead Officer, Tyler Shuck discussing safety and security in Hancock Park. Michelle Flores from CD5  gave updates on the devastating effects of the City budget cuts on key issues in HP such as streetlight repair, street and and sidewalk repair and tending the Highland Median. 

Watch a recording of the Town Hall.

Grief and Gratitude in a Difficult Time

The horrific fires that cost thousands of our neighbors in the Los Angeles area to lose their homes and, in some terrible cases, to lose their lives has made all of us grieve.  It’s also made us appreciate our communities and those hardworking people who helped combat the fires, to keep everyone informed, to organize relief efforts and to do everything possible to keep us safe.

First and foremost, we are grief stricken at the loss of precious lives, and at the loss of the homes that contained thousands of our neighbors’ lives and memories.  Nothing replaces such loss and we extend our hearts out to all who are suffering. 

Second, we thank the incredibly brave and hardworking LAFD fire fighters and the firefighters who raced to help LA from around the country, Canada and Mexico.  The LAPD, our utility workers and everyone else who fought the fires back, kept public order, helped people evacuate and restored power.  An event like this reminds us of how this infrastructure of human effort keeps us safe.  Some of these fire fighters fought the roaring fires with very little sleep – working double shifts for days.  Such dedication inspires all of us and builds our ties stronger.

And we thank our City workers, our CD5 Council Member, Katy Yaroslavsky, and her fantastic staff for keeping everyone informed and doing everything possible to care for the community.

The size of such a catastrophe will require a major effort on the part of everyone living in the Los Angeles area.  Stay safe.

If you missed the HPHA Security Town Hall, you can view it HERE.

You can find information about security companies HERE.

You can find contact info for the LAPD and for CM Katy Yaroslavsky's office HERE.

One key takeaway: please get to know your neighbors on your blocks! Contact your block captain and ensure that you have a text string for your block in case you notice anything odd happening. If you don't have a block captain, consider volunteering to be a block captain! Contact the HPHA Block Captain Committee Chair to find out more.

Public Hearing on Pawnshop Sports Bar!

 

Plan to attend the virtual public hearing on Thursday, June 6th at 9:30 a.m. and provide your comments about the proposed plan for the conditions of operation for the Pawnshop Sports Bar at 5901 Melrose (corner of Melrose and Cahuenga). The owner is asking for extended operating hours of 6 a.m. until 2 a.m., seven days a week, has not provided a parking plan as requested by the neighbors, and has shared no plans for security and noise management. The Pawnshop can host 275 patrons and will be the site of broadcasts of international sporting events.

 

This part of Melrose Avenue has a number of restaurants, all of which close by 11 p.m. Many of them have full bars, but the number of patrons is much lower than would be hosted at the Pawnshop. Without some reasonable controls and agreements, this quiet part of Melrose immediately adjacent to residential homes, could change dramatically. The Association and the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council have asked the owner to limit the hours of alcohol service from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., to provide a parking plan, and to set up a security plan. To date, the owner has refused the communities’ requests and his permit application is unchanged.

 

Any permissions for extended alcohol service granted for this bar/restaurant will stay with the property. It would also set a new precedent for business owners on other properties along Melrose to receive the same kind of extended alcohol service hours. This is an important transition time for Melrose and Hancock Park. We ask you to think carefully about what’s important to you about living in our diverse neighborhood — home to many houses, apartments, condominiums, schools and churches.

 

The Hearing is: Thursday, June 6th at 9:30 a.m. This hearing allows for public comment. We have learned over the years that strong community attendance and participation at these hearings is needed to get the attention of the Department of City Planning. We encourage everyone living in Quadrant One (Lillian Way, Cahuenga and Wilcox) as well as other Hancock Park residents to please attend. If you can’t attend, please submit a letter to the Hearing Officer, Yasmin.Diaz@lacity.org.

The ZOOM link is: https://planning-lacity-org.zoom.us/j/85765192714

Meeting ID:  857 6519 2714 and Passcode:  563278

If joining by phone: (669) 900-9128 or (213) 338-8477.

When prompted, enter the Meeting ID: 85765192714#

The meeting’s agenda will be provided no later than 72 hours before the meeting at planning4la.org/hearings.

We welcome volunteers! We’re also asking every homeowner to become a dues-paying member. See our website for more specific information about how you can participate

             March 5^th Election!   Be An Informed VOTER!

Voting has started! It’s important we are informed on the issues and who we are voting for! The people we send to LA City , County, Sacramento, and Washington DC will make decisions that will impact our lives for decades to come.  Here’s what is on the March 5^th Ballot!

1). 30^th  Congressional  District  Congressperson                                                                               2) State Assemblymember 51^st  District                                                                                                                     3) LA County District Attorney                                                                                                                                Two very important initiatives: Measure HLA  and  Proposition 1.

Measure HLA   would convert Mobility Plan 2035, an aspirational planning document adopted by the City Council in 2015, into a mandate that requires the city to add bike lanes and  traffic-slowing “road diets” to city streets whenever - at least 1/8 of a mile is repaved.  The Mobility Plan 2035 was intended to improve all forms of mobility in LA, but  HLA deals primarily with bike mobility. It allows any City resident to file a lawsuit against the City for noncompliance.  Matt Szabo, the city’s top budget analyst, warns the measure could cost more than $3.1 billion over the next 10 years.  Szabo also states that projects required under Measure HLA would reduce the number of streets that are repaved or improved each year.                                                                            

The HLA initiative was written by Michael Schneider, bike advocate  founder of Streets For All ; https://www.streetsforall.org/initiatives Schneider says adding bike lanes and road diets make  streets safer and would force city agencies to complete a list of  projects.  It would allow any City resident to file a lawsuit against the City for noncompliance.                                                                                           

Read the Mobility Plan 2035 here: https://planning.lacity.gov/odocument/523f2a95-9d72-41d7-aba5-1972f84c1d36/Mobility_Plan_2035.pdf

Please refer to your City of Los Angeles VOTER INFORMATION PAMPHLET https://clkrep.lacity.org/election/2024_Primary_Ballot_Measure_Eng.pdf  for more detailed information on HLA.

Proposition 1would change California’s 20 year old Mental Health Services Act and includes

funding to build more than 10,000 new treatment beds.  Many unhoused people on

our streets have mental health problems, and Proposition 1 proposes an approach of more

funding and uniformity of services in order to help solve this problem. It would

mark a major change in the state’s approach to homelessness and mental health and it’s

critically important that voters inform themselves and vote.

For more detailed information on Proposition 1 please refer to the voter guide : https://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/1/

We welcome volunteers!  We’re also asking every homeowner to become a dues paying member.  See our website for more specific information about how you can participate - Hancock Park Homeowners Association Est 1948 - Home

                                Using MyLA311 and Safe Sidewalks LA

If you see a tree down or a couch left at the curb or you see graffiti or … and you wonder how to get the situation handled; try the MyLA311App or the website https://lacity.gov/myla311 to make a report.  You’ll open a ticket, someone will be dispatched and when the situation is cleared up you’ll get notification.

Some of the additional things MyLA311 can handle are:

-       Reporting dumping or trash collection issues

-       Requesting bulky item pick-up appointments

-       Reporting graffiti

-       Asking for parking enforcement

-       Animal services, such as dead animal pickup

-       Streetlight outage

-       Reporting gas leaf blower violations

                                            Safe Sidewalks LA

As everyone who walks on a sidewalk in Los Angeles  knows, most of our sidewalks are broken and dangerous. Our Hancock Park neighborhood has been requesting help from our Council Office for months and have been told there was no funding available for our sidewalk infrastructure.  However, we discovered a program called – Safe Sidewalks LA https://sidewalks.lacity.org/ .  The goal is to repair sidewalks so they are accessible to all of us.  The Association will be starting an initiative and task force to help Hancock Park residents log problem sidewalks, get involved in the program and keep track of the progress.  Stay tuned for more information.

We welcome volunteers to help with our work.  We’re also asking every homeowner to become a dues paying member.  See our website for more specific information about how you can participate - Hancock Park Homeowners Association Est 1948 - Home

                                  We’re Still Looking for Answers?

 

Our Councilmember, Katy Yaroslavsky and her team have been in place for almost a year.  The Association and its members have a number of important and pressing issues that we’ve asked our Councilmember and her staff to help us with and, unfortunately, we’re still waiting for answers:

1)    How will the City address the dangerous flooding on Clinton between Lillian and Rossmore on Clinton that occurs during rain storms; hopefully before someone drowns;

2)    What progress has the DWP made in fixing the lack of communication to consumers when there is a major power outage.  Four days without power or information is inexcusable;

3)    When will repairs to our sidewalks and streets be done so pedestrians don’t trip and break bones and cars aren’t damaged;

4)    When will the street lights on Rossmore be fixed and the utility boxes secured so the vandalism stops;

5)    Graffiti, tagging and illegal flyer removal/cleanup is never done with  urgency -inviting more vandalism.

Lastly your constituents would like an accounting of how your office’s Discretionary Funds are spent.  The Association would like to continue our history of productive working relationships with our Council Office and look forward to these and other issues being addressed fully and expeditiously. 

To our residents and neighbors, please remember these are not the only concerns  we have, but these are the specific issues we have been trying to resolve for months!

There is always lot to do on behalf of the community and there are many efforts underway to improve all areas of life in Hancock Park.  We welcome volunteers to help with our work.  Again, see our website for more specific information about all these initiatives and other efforts.  A recording of  the meeting is available on

our website, Hancock Park Homeowners Association Est 1948 - Home

A link to our 2023 HPHA Annual Meeting video recording can be found here:

HPHA Annual Meeting 

The agenda for the meeting included:

Welcome from HPHA President, Cindy Chvatal-Keane
Council District 5 : CM  Katy Yaroslavsky                        
Board Member Introductions
Assembly Member : Rick Zbur    
Neighborhood Security:

• LAPD Wilshire Division: Captain Sonia Monico
• Acting Senior Lead Officer: DeantreDantzler
• Neighborhood Preparedness: Ben Goldfarb

HPHA Committee Updates  
Announcement of Board Election Results

The Hancock Park/Windsor Square Town Hall on the recent prolonged power outage in our area was held last night over Zoom. If you missed it, a recording is now available at the link posted below. The Town Hall participants included the WS and HP HOAs, Councilmembers Yaroslavksy and Soto-Martinez and representatives from DWP. 

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/IFbxb_OGn0SkiaJFTpeLT-WrhNMxwr0LLiX1J_Rq0wWwptvYExXNh7SdZPwxQovj.X-8XLg0575XWicLh?startTime=1678157792000

Passcode: ^h.H6$hy

Below are the 12 questions the HOAs sent to DWP in advance of the meeting.

Question 1 - Hancock Park and Windsor Square Outages 

Why was there a delay of multiple days for LADWP to restore power to homes in Windsor Square and Hancock Park? What caused the delay? Was there insufficient staff available to respond to power outages in multiple areas in the city? Was the cause of the outage in Windsor Square/Hancock Park so severe and technically difficult to fix that it caused the delay? Was there a paucity of hardware/parts that had to be sourced to fix the problem, causing the delay? 

Question 2 - Incorrect Outage Data 

Why are outage maps and messaging to the community re - repair times - incorrect and inconsistent? How can they both be improved to show outages in real-time and send accurate messages to the community? 

Question 3 - Infrastructure Upgrades 

What plans are in place to upgrade critical infrastructure around the city? (Crews tell residents that our infrastructure is old and failing.) 

Question 4 - DWP Coordination of Upgrades 

If/when LADWP upgrades infrastructure — water and power— who would be leading that effort? How is that coordinated? Who at LADWP is responsible? Is DWP working in coordination with the Mayor’s office? 

Question 5 - Availability of Federal Funding 

Feds have put aside millions for upgrading infrastructure. Has LADWP reached out for Federal funding and what is/would that funding support? 

Question 6 - Preparation for Future Events 

If the woeful response DWP had to the current storm is any indication - a storm for which we had ample warning - how will we all be impacted in the event of a major earthquake with no warning? How is LADWP preparing? 

Question 7 - Impact of Housing Plans on Infrastructure 

With more and more housing units being built – ADU's, TOC projects, LA Housing Element calls for 460K new units – how is infrastructure going to keep up, especially now that the City Via Executive Directive is streamlining / fast tracking permitting? 

Question 8 - DWP Staffing 

What is the staffing situation? Are we down crews— both on the power and water side? Are we at capacity or still trying to recruit? 

Question 9 - SLTRP Impact on Staffing / Solar 

The 2023 SLTRP (STRATEGIC LONG TERM RESOURCE PLAN) includes, "Preliminary budgetary estimates include approximately 2,500 to 3,000 additional positions to address existing system needs and also PSRP (Power System Reliability Program) revamp and load growth. How many of those positions will be for upgrading existing infrastructure problems or are they mostly for LA 100's solar? 

Question 10 - Reimbursement for Losses 

Is LADWP going to reimburse us for all the food we had to throw away? All perishable and frozen goods were a total loss for us. 

Question 11 - Past Upgrades Insufficient 

Last year in Hancock Park a number of residents withstood multiple electric shut offs when they were upgrading the area. Why did this upgrade, deemed necessary enough to disrupt traffic, light, water and home access for months, not prepare us for or avoid the recent outage ? 

Question 12 - DWP Tree Trimming 

Many residents were told their outage was due to trees hitting/knocking down power lines. LADWP told these residents that residents were responsible for keeping the trees trimmed. However, California regulations require utilities to trim trees or vegetation so they don't grow into or fall into high-voltage power lines, which could not only cause a power outage but could spark a fire or be a danger to the public. Who is responsible for trimming trees near power lines?

WHY VOTE?

                                   

Every registered Los Angeles voter automatically received a ballot in the mail. Mail in that ballot, drop it in a Drop Box or make a plan to vote in person.Don’t sit this one out! Return your ballots or vote in person by June 7!                                 

1. Elections have consequences. You have the power to decide on the quality of life you want for yourself and your  family. Voting is your chance to stand up for the issues you care about like  public safety & security, homelessness, protecting neighborhoods and planning smart development, ending institutional corruption in City Hall.  This is your community - your City!

2. Not voting is giving up your voice.
Elections are decided by the people who go out and vote. Take some time and learn about the measures and the candidates. If you don’t vote, someone else will make the decision for you. Your power is in your vote.

3. Voting is an opportunity for change.                                                               Do you want to make a positive impact? Voting gives you that chance! Support the candidates and ballot measures that can help your community and state for the greater good. Make your voice heard in this election.

4. The community depends on you!
Our communities are made up of friends, loved ones, neighbors, and children. Some may not know how important voting is, while others don’t have the privilege. Make the decision to vote for yourself and those around you.

                              Make your voice heard!

                                              VOTE!

Please see our website at www.HancockPark.org!   Join a committee! Come to a Zoom Meeting!     Participate!     We are all volunteers!