For the second consecutive
Monday, at least three members of the City Council enter tonight’s 7 o’clock
meeting in Council Chambers bearing a degree of anxiety over the Entrada Office
Tower proposal.
Will 12-story Entrada
levitate or remain buried?
Presently, the Council stands
2 for, 2 against, 1 neutral.
Both Mayor Scott Malsin and
freshman Councilman Andy Weissman say that the Council’s approving vote on
April 15 should stand.
After weeks of being wooed by
opponents of Entrada, first-year Councilman Mehaul O’Leary remains staunchly in
the middle, uncommitted to either camp.
For the second consecutive
Monday, these three Council members suspect that either Vice Mayor Gary
Silbiger or new Council member Chris Armenta will pounce on the first opening,
early or late in tonight’s meeting, to resuscitate Entrada and try once more to
kill it off.
But they are not sure.
No signals have been
detected.
In a closed session before
last week’s meeting, city attorneys warned Council members of the legal
vulnerabilities City Hall will face if the presumed-settled matter is
re-opened.
Even though all five members
heard the same presentation, Mr. Malsin, Mr.Weissman andMr. O’Leary did not
have any idea whether their colleagues would swerve into a resurrection mode at
last week’s meeting.
When the subject arose during
the public comment period, neither Mr. Armenta nor Mr. Silbiger was inclined to
capitalize on the opening.
Will tonight be different,
if, as anticipated, a number of residents speak against it?
Residents Organize
Meanwhile, out in the
neighborhoods, particularly along the Culver City/Westchester border, opponents
of Entrada remain as aroused and determined as they were one month ago this
week when the supposedly final vote was taken.
Shortly after last week’s meeting,
a community email campaign — focusing on Mr. O’Leary, the swing voter— was launched. Opponents hope to persuade
the freshman Councilman to cast a crucial third vote to re-agendize Entrada.
Behind the Campaign
In her emergency eight-sentence
email, community activist Sandy Balek urged similar-thinking residents on both
sides of the city line to bombard Mr. O’Leary with their most persuasive
arguments for defeating the tall tower. (See“Opponents of Entrada Are
Trying to Turn up the Heat on O’Leary,” May 9.)
Ms. Balek told the newspaper
the email campaign “was an attempt to connect concerned residents and citizens
to Mr. O’Leary, and to provide him with a sampling of public sentiment to
further assist him in his evaluation of this matter.”
Ms. Balek and her allies say
they want Mr. O’Leary to remain true to the campaign pledge he made before he
was elected to the City Council on April 8.“He promised to put people first,” she said. Ms. Balek quoted him as
saying: “As your City Council member, I will treat my employers (the Culver
City residents) with respect by keeping an open mind and by listening very
attentively to all of their concerns. I will put people first.”
Another Silbiger View
Karlo Silbiger, son of the
Vice Mayor and manager of Mr. Armenta’s winning campaign, says of Entrada:
“I don’t think it will end up
being built, at least to its present size (190 feet).”
If the present division
stands, Mr. Silbiger warned that “I know Westchester people have their attorneys ready to go.”
To the question of whether he
will bring up Entrada tonight, Mr. Armenta said, “I have no comment. We’ll have
to wait and see.
“I am still new, you know. I
am navigating through the process, trying to solidify what I am going to do.
“If you saw me on my first
night on the Council (April 28), you may be able to read the tea leaves on
where my mind is.”
Starting Strong
Barely having been installed
on Opening Night, Mr. Armenta said firmly that Entrada should be brought back
to the Council for further inspection. Momentum, and pressure, have been
building since.
Mr. Weissman said he is not
sure whether he would be more surprised if Entrada came up again or if it were
ignored.
As for the mayor, “I
expressed my feelings clearly during our public hearing last month,” Mr. Malsin
said. “I believe the Entrada project will be good for Culver City.”
If the earlier official
Council approval is rescinded, he said, “the city will be exposed to tremendous
legal risks.
“We have done so much to
protect Culver City neighborhoods over the past year. We have reduced the
density of new buildings by more than half and we have reduced height from 56
feet to 45 feet.
He Says Location Is Right
“Further, the Entrada Tower
is appropriately located, in proximity to other office buildings.
“It is important for residents to recognize that we must
pursue growth where appropriate to fund the level of services they expect and
have come to depend on.”
Mr. Malsin will not be surprised if Mr. Armenta
or Mr. Silbiger attempts again to bring back Entrada. “The City Council is a
democratic body,” he said. “If there are three votes to agendize a discussion,
so be it.”
