In his role as chair-for-the-year of the Redevelopment Agency, City Councilman Andy Weissman was invited to address the Chamber of Commerce last Friday afternoon on the state of city growth.
He flipped the roles. He made his audience feel the way tradition says that chambers of commerce are supposed to make the good burghers of their community feel — lucky to be living in this town.
A measured, middle of the road political veteran who has established an enviable reputation by diligently practicing moderation, especially in stressful situations, Mr. Weissman laid out a half-dozen in-progress developments that portrayed Culver City that is or should be the envy of surrounding cities larger and smaller.
How It Happened
Before such a parochial debate would descend to the level of my-dad-can-beat-up-your-day, Mr. Weissman offered a rational explanation of why Culver City has abandoned its historic standstill position in the last decade and a half.
He sought to describe why and how it has evolved, practically overnight, from a sleepy little town into a thriving, shiny modern, richly competitive, increasingly visible hot-button community where the young and the accomplished want to live.
“Because of the attitude of past City Councils,” Mr. Weissman said, “combined with efforts from city staffers, we have managed to position ourselves economically to do things that some other communities would like to be doing.”
Geographically, there is no doubt that Culver City is at the vortex of globally vital sections of Los Angeles — Century City, Beverly Hills, Playa Vista, downtown Los Angeles and LAX. To get anywhere in West Los Angeles, and most destinations out of Los Angeles International, lead through Culver City, the crossroads of the Westside.
This can be a plus and a negative, Mr. Weissman said — the exposure to all of the cultures of Los Angeles and many far beyond, may be beautiful. The downside is the tear and wear on a small town’s vulnerable infrastructure.
The Ingredients
“In order for a city to be able to maintain a strong standard of living, which includes top- notch police and fire services, “ said the chair of the Redevelopment Agency, “a hard-working municipal services operation is necessary, including street light and traffic light maintenance, trash pickup and tree trimming, the kinds of services easily overlooked.”
How does a responsible city support such stiff upkeep.
“It’s always a balancing act,” says Mr. Weissman, “between the need for revenue and the need to balance the residential concerns with regard to traffic congestion and parking, for example,” Mr. Weissman said. “To do that, you need money.”
City Hall says that a city prospers by a steady infusion of new money (from developers seeking to improve your town) and old money (from residents for upkeep).
“We are fortunate to live and work in Culver City,” said Mr. Weissman, a native son, before outlining current redevelopment projects in a power-point ppresentation.
He cited mixed use projects on the northeast and northwest corners of the Washington-Centinela intersection, long vacant and troubling.
He also talked about the major improvements to come along West Washington Boulevard , where the Redevelopment Agency is offering a dollar-for-dollar program to business owners who want to spruce up their grounds; the massive refurbishing of the Fox Hills Mall; and the severe mixed-use upgrade and splashy greening of property formerly occupied by the Baldwin Motel, which may come in front of the Planning Commission before the end of the year.
Perhaps the most closely watched development in town is the high-powered twin projects at the heart of Downtown —the expansion of Towne Plaza and the Culver Studios’ sparkling new structure in the giant lot between the Culver Hotel and Trader Joe’s, a building weeks away from groundbreaking.
“We are fortunate to live and work in Culver City,” Mr. Weissman said.
