[Editor’s Note: Just before the City Council voted unanimously last night to postpone the already-continued public hearing on 4043 Irving Pl. until Jan. 20, community activist Dr. Janet Hoult, a retired college educator, was the only person to speak out. Ailing recently, Dr. Hoult approached the podium with a tall, creatively shaped cane. “I carry a big stick,” she said in a stage whisper, “but I speak softly.” ]
She told the City Council:
The Culver City Downtown Neighborhood Assn. sent out an email indicating that a profitable meeting was held this afternoon with the city staff and the developers. When the lstaff reports on the productiveness of the meeting, I hope that you will favor the continuance of negotiations until January.
Community concerns that have been raised about development in any part of Culver City must be addressed and dealt with fairly and equitably with an eye to the future and what will be best for Culver City as a whole.
Development anywhere in Culver City affects all residents.
Negotiations as positive as these appear to be will, hopefully, provide guidelines for future discussions involving residents, city staff and developers.
[Dr. Hoult appended the following note in corresponding with this newspaper:]
In speaking with (my husband) Charley on the way home, we think that the reason these negotiations between the residents and the developers have been so positive is that the City Manager, Jerry Fulwood, has played a neutral role and, therefore, has been able to act as a mediator.
We have noticed that in past development situations – the Champion and Entrad cases come to mind – the staff members assigned to work with the developer appeared to be co-opted. They came across as being supportive of the developer’s needs…the community be damned.
When Vice Mayor Gary Silbiger picked up on my suggestion that guidelines for future discussions (and perhaps professional mediation) could come out of this, I was delighted. We may be able to get a Culver City Community Mediation Board established one of these days.
Dr. Hoult may be contacted at HOULTight@aol.com
