March 8, 2004
Public Safety & Transportation HUNC Committee Minutes. First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 6054 Yucca, Los Angeles
Upper Terrace-Community Room: 6:30-8:30PM
Agenda Item #1: Welcome & Roll Call
Attending were Board members Susan Polifronio , Joel M. Fisher, Susan Swan, Maurece Chesse , Viktoria Gaw and Robert Abranamian. Over 100 members of the Public were present. Meeting called to order by Co-Chair Joel M. Fisher at 6:35PM.
Agenda Item #2: Public Comment on Items Not on the Agenda
None
Agenda Item #3: Presentation On the LAFD No Parking Priority Enforcement Program for Discussion & Possible Action.
Joel M. Fisher: Introductions: LAFD John Ware from Division #1, LAFD Craig Brian Battalion Chief Hollywood, Captain Greenup Task Force LAFD #27 and Commander Terry Manning along with Glenn Ogura of DOT and Rory Fitzpatrick and Michelle Fleenor from Councilman Tom La Bonge's District 4.
Joel M. Fisher referred to the September 2003 LAFD document stating that there needs to be access during the high fire risk season (October thru December) and that the LAFD is mandated to educate the Public first, notification second and that DOT is to familiarize itself with the Zone and to make sure the area is properly posted before giving tickets. Commander Terry Manning : Reflected on what happened in the Oakland urban area fire and in San Diego County and the loss of life. He stated that if a wild fire starts up in the hills with the access difficulties we would be facing the same type of problem with safe evacuation. Every April 125,000 parcels are inspected, notices are sent out and there is 95% compliance. Starting in September there will be a No Parking Priority Enforcement Program on streets less than 20 feet wide and parking on one side only for streets less than 28 feet wide. Notifications will start mid-September.
Questions: How do you balance safety and still provide parking in areas where there is no offstreet parking? Is DOT not responding to calls? Is there an Ordinance or is this just policy? What about smaller first responder fire trucks for the hills? How do we deal with trash trucks and construction vehicles blocking access? If there is no signage, which side of the street is the right side to park on?
Responses: Division #9 in the Municipal Code provides for the LAFD and DOT to ensure safety in the hills. The Fire Department will come up and measure the street for you. DOT will check to see if there is appropriate signage. LAFD has small brush patrol vehicles with 100 gallons of water moving throughout the hills during brush season. With a major fire they would not be adequate to preventing a disaster. Rory Fitzpatrick requested DOT to remove ambiguity and put up appropriate signage.
Resolution: Motion by Joel M. Fisher for a Hillside Road Fire Access Committee formed from the representative groups: 3 LAFD, 1 DOT, 3 HUNC, 3 Homeowners (one from each hill district)& 2 others to be named later.
Second: Susan Polifronio
Disposition: Unanimous
Agenda Item #4: Proposal by Cheryl Gaskill & Argyle residents for Angled parking on Argyle north of Franklin for Discussion & Possible Action.
Cheryl Gaskill made a detailed presentation with excellent illustrations. Cheryl has heard from 6 building owners representing 311 adult tenants with only a small percentage having off-street parking. At this time there are 93 street spaces and a need for 174 total for just these six buildings. After measuring the street, with parameters necessary for angled parking, angled parking on the East side of the street would increase the number of spaces from 47 to 86. This is possible because of a long stretch without any driveways. The street width is 49 feet 9 inches. Residents wait 30-60 minutes on average for a space to open up. DOT tickets waiting cars causing an undue burden on residents with no other options. The left turn lane down the middle of the street has become a hazard forcing people to drive on the wrong side of the street to get around illegally parked cars. Permit parking would not alleviate the problem as the street is not close to businesses or clubs and the problem is lack of off-street parking for residents.
Discussion: There was a very large contingent of residents from Argyle, approximately 100, all in favor of the angled parking. They also requested that DOT stop punishing residents with the frequent ticketing when there is no other alternative but to wait for a space to open. Glenn Ogura of DOT expressed his admiration for the amount of work that had been done by Cheryl Gaskill on her presentation. Glenn stated that he will be able to move forward much more quickly due to the work already done by the Argyle residents. There are different designs for maximum safety and these will be looked at along with ways to relieve the pressure in the short term. Public comment for this proposal by Ian McCubbin , Ishmael Arredondo, Jesse Bethune, Joan Vanderbur & Denis Hennelly . Against, Laura Dodson. The majority of the public were wearing "Angled on Argyle" stickers.
Motion by Susan Polifronio to Support the Residents on Argyle in increasing the available parking with angled parking and to look for short term solutions to the problem of frequent ticketing and the possibility of removing the left turn lane down the center of Argyle once the angled parking is in place.
Second: Susan Swan
Dispositon : Unanimous
Agenda Item #5: Old Business
Parking on Ivar: According to Baydsar Thomasian of CD13 the study has been concluded in regards to angled parking on Yucca & Ivar. Glenn Ogura stated he was not sure of the disposition of the request and would look into it. Robert Abranamian from HUNC will follow up on this with Fabio Arias of DOT and report back to the Board.
Ivar north of Franklin: There is a request from some residents on Ivar north of Franklin that the possibility of angled parking be looked into. The Argyle plan has been forwarded to the interested residents for guidance and the HUNC Parking Committee will follow up on this issue.
Agenda Item #6: New Business
None
Agenda Item #7: Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 8:18 by Joel M. Fisher
Minutes Respectfully Submitted: Susan Polifronio
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