Community Development Dept.
Beats by Dr. Dre – Building plans have been submitted for an addition of new exterior stairs and an overhead shade structure, at 8600 Hayden Pl. Plans also have been submitted for a tenant improvement at 8501 Stellar Dr., which includes a reroof, ADA upgrades, and replacement of existing doors.
Bar 9 Collective – A permit has been issued for a tenant improvement for a new coffee shop, 3515 Helms Ave.
Baldwin Site/Axis-Mundi – A Ninth Implementation Agreement and Revised Schedule of Performance has been drafted.
Media Park – Staff has met with representatives from the City of Los Angeles and an official from Councilmember Paul Koretz’s office to review the Zoning and Building Code requirements to open a LAMILL Coffee concession business in Media Park.
Parcel B – The city has signed a license agreement with FTP Productions for use of Parcel B as a base camp to produce an episode of the “Mistresses” television series.
New Agreement – Staff is evaluating the response from Thomas James Capital to the proposed purchase and sale agreement for former Fire Station No. 3. The City Council is scheduled to consider the agreement on April 21.
10745 Cranks Rd. – The city and the property owner have executed a purchase and sale agreement. Escrow has closed.
Bunny Hop – Culver Village, businesses bounded by Sepulveda Boulevard, Culver Boulevard and Franklin Avenue, will host a Bunny Hop on Saturday, April 19, from 1 to 4. Candy, treats and other promotions will be available.
Changing Time – Sweat Pilates studio will be relocating in the Arts District, in the Fresh Paint Art Gallery, 5835 W. Washington Blvd.
Humble Potato – This Japanese/American fusion concept restaurant, which originated in Westchester, will open a second location at 12608 Washington Blvd., complementing the burgeoning restaurant district in the West Washington Area Improvement District.
Tilden Terrace – Los Angeles Housing Partnership has hired the real estate brokerage firm of Newmark, Grubb, Knight, and Frank to lease the project’s first floor commercial component.
Fire Dept.
Sister City Tour – The Los Angeles Marathon runners from our Sister City of Kaizuka, Japan, were given a tour of Fire Station No. 1 to learn about the types of services we provide. They inspected apparatus and equipment carried. .
Station Tour – STAR Prep Academy students toured Fire Station No. 1. The visitors were given information regarding a career in the fire service, typical job duties, and the type of education and training required.
Parks, Recreation and Community Services Dept.
Hoop Fire – Haynes Building Service will refinish the Vets Auditorium basketball court floor and the stage floor this week.
Renovation – Parks staff has gone into Blair Hills Park to renovate the existing picnic and playground areas, perform tree trimming, complete simple repairs, apply fresh paint, replenish playground sand, and schedule repairs to the resilient rubberized fall zone surfacing.
The Season – At Spring Camp parent orientation, staff gave a 30-minute overview of the camp, rules, camper conduct and discipline policy, field trip rules and the payment schedules. More than 50 parents and children participated. Camp ends this week.
A Clothes Call – The Teen Center has completed a month-long clothing drive when 10 bags of clothes were collected for the Downtown Los Angeles Homeless Shelter. The Teen Center’s Young Women’s Group rallied the teens to collect much needed clothes.
Police Dept.
First Place – The Department sent 20 runners to compete in the 30th annual Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay, each running a relay leg of 3.9 to 8.2 miles, depending on the difficulty of the leg. Even European teams competed in this 120-mile relay race recognized as the largest law enforcement sporting event of its kind in the world. The race starts during the daytime desert heat and lasts through the night. Temperatures sometimes drop to freezing as the runners reach the summit of the Mountain Springs Pass (5600 feet). Two hundred and twenty teams participated in the event intended to promote camaraderie and discipline among law enforcement officers. Top finishers in each division are awarded a coveted Winner’s Mug. By posting an outstanding time of 16 hours, 1 minute, Culver City finished first in the 99-Team Division.
Public Works Dept.
Partnership Accomplishments – The department participates in the Community Energy Partnership, aimed at saving energy in Culver City. The partnership funds city engagement in activities supporting the California Public Utilities Commission’s Long-Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan. These activities shape the city’s green policies and support the city’s sustainability efforts. In 2013, the city completed the following projects totaling an annual energy savings of 358,113 kWh:
- Plug Load Occupancy Sensors
- Streetlight Upgrade Completion
- Vets Auditorium HVAC Optimization
- Energy Upgrades at the Watseka Parking Structure
- Several projects are planned this year, including the installation of a Variable Frequency Drive at The Plunge to save 122,000 kWh annually.
Compost Giveaway – Culver City is closing the loop and replenishing the earth with nutrient-rich compost. On Saturday, April 26, from 9 to 4, Public Works and American Organics will offer free compost through the city’s Food Waste Program. We are proud to be a positive part of the recycling loop by receiving local organic material from American Organics and creating beneficial soil amendments to help grow healthy soil in our community.
This compost material is Organic Materials Review Institute-listed®, and licensed by the California Dept. of Food and Agriculture. It is approved to be used in agricultural operations certified organic under the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture National Organic Program.
The event is in the lower Bill Botts Field parking lot, on the left, just before the Boneyard/Dog Park. Access is at the Jefferson Boulevard and Duquesne.
This is a self-haul event. Participants should bring a shovel and containers to hold compost for transport. Residents are responsible for shoveling and bagging their own compost, up to the equivalent of seven garbage bags of compost per household. 310.253.6411.
Project Update – To date, the contractor Insituform has installed 12 of the 19 miles of cured-in-place pipe liner for sewers to be lined in this phase of the sewer main rehabilitation project. The contractor has completed 20 sewer main pipe local failure point repairs, rehabilitated 30 sewer manholes, and installed 30 trenchless sewer lateral connection repairs.
In the coming months, the contractor will continue to install trenchless liner in the remaining sewer mains and construct a separate connection to the Los Angeles’s sewer trunk line at the intersection of Overland Avenue and Braddock Drive for the recently reactivated secondary sewer force main from Braddock pump station. The project is scheduled to be completed by mid-year.
For Pedestrians – The Pedestrian Improvement at Intersections with Bus Stops Project consists of constructing pedestrian safety improvements at eight intersections. Improvements for this federally funded project include new Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible curb ramps with truncated domes, high visible crosswalk and pavement markings, accessible pedestrian push buttons, more versatile vehicle video detection and bicycle detection devices, and reconstruction of damaged concrete pavements at the intersection of Washington and Inglewood boulevards.
The following intersections were selected:
1) Sepulveda Boulevard and Washington Boulevard.
2) Sepulveda Boulevard and Sawtelle Boulevard.
3) Washington Boulevard and Robertson Boulevard/Higuera Street.
4) Washington Boulevard and Landmark Avenue.
5) Washington Boulevard/Washington Place/Zanja Street.
6) Washington Boulevard and Inglewood Boulevard.
7) Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue.
8) Washington Boulevard and National Boulevard.
The project is expected to be finished in early June. Seven of the eight intersections are near completion.
Construction began this week at the Washington Boulevard and Inglewood Boulevard intersection. Heavy traffic delays are anticipated.
To expedite construction, the intersection reconstruction was programmed with three phases of construction. Phase 1, will be limited to one lane along the eastbound direction of Washington Boulevard, and will take three or four days.
The most extensive work will occur during Phases 2 and 3 where westbound and eastbound directions of Washington Boulevard will be limited to one lane in each direction and northbound and southbound directions of Inglewood Boulevard will be limited to right turn movements only. Phase 2 and 3 will each take 10 days.
Detours will to assist motorists travelling along northbound and southbound directions of Inglewood Boulevard.
Stakeholder Meeting –In November 2012, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted a new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit under the Federal Clean Water Act for discharges from municipal separate storm sewer systems within Los Angeles County.
This latest permit incorporates water quality based effluent limits via adopted Total Maximum Daily Load provisions, is a regulatory term in the Clean Water Act describing the maximum amount of a pollutant a body of water can receive while still meeting water quality standards. TMDLs have been issued to Ballona Creek, Ballona Creek Estuary and Marina del Rey addressing trash, metals, pesticides and bacteria.
In developing this permit, the board acknowledged the need to allow municipalities to develop comprehensive management plans for compliance purposes. For this reason, the permit established criteria for the development of Watershed Management Plans or Enhanced Watershed Management Plans. It allows agencies alternatives to achieve compliance.
Culver City and all other watershed agencies have elected to pursue the Enhanced Watershed alternative to achieve compliance within both the Ballona Creek and Marina del Rey watersheds. Last June, both watershed groups submitted notices of intent to prepare watersheds by the June 2015 deadline.
Last November, the City Council approved staff’s request to enter into two memoranda of understanding to develop enhanced plans for the Ballona Creek and Marina del Rey Harbor watersheds. Each would establish cost sharing of development costs based on area percentages (4 percent in Ballona Creek and 3 percent in Marina del Rey).
The first memorandum of understanding would allow Culver City to work with the Ballona Creek agencies for an amount not to exceed $53,452.30. The second would allow Culver City to work with the Marina del Rey Harbor agencies for an amount not to exceed $13,022. The plans will be submitted to the Regional Board by June 2015. O
As part of the development phase, the Watershed Management Groups will hold a planning workshop on Thursday, April 10, from 10 to 2:30 at the Los Angeles Zoo. Interested parties are welcome.
Skate Park Ramp – Construction has been completed at the Skate Park to add a new ADA Ramp.
Mr. Nachbar, the City Manager, may be contacted at john.nachbar@culvercity.org
