By the end of last night’s tidily tailored Town Hall meeting held by the City Council for Culver Crest area neighbors at El Rincon School, two not terribly popular facts had emerged:
Despite the recently implemented cold peace between City Hall and change-resistant residents — giving some a feeling of muscular empowerment — redevelopment eventually will be ubiquitous in Culver City, and
Neighborhoods are not monoliths. No matter how widely held an opinion may be throughout a neighborhood, a stiff opposing view is bound to surface.
Mayor Alan Corlin, wielding his gavel firmly, addressed both with executive deftness. After respectfully listening to 120 minutes of complaints about mainly parochial problems, he reminded convicted residents that no matter how strongly they felt about their problems, there were valid opposing views, which they should recognize.
Mayor’s Attitude
What could have been merely a fleeting, amorphous moment lost in space was, because of Mr. Corlin’s in-charge attitude, turned into an important pause and reflection for aroused neighbors.
Two or three times a year, Town Hall meetings allow the common folk and elected officials to renew acquaintances in the company of a battery of City Hall-types, with police and fire leaders appropriately uniformed.
Interlocked with the mayor’s friendly nudge for critics to be considerate of the other side was a remarkably conciliatory approach by City Hall officials.
Sorry, Sorry, Sorry
Squeezed into two hours were more face-to-face apologies to residents — from City Manager Jerry Fulwood on down — than are written into a country western love song.
The City Hall confession door swung open so wide it almost struck several people in the tush as genuine no-frills apologies rolled off city-certified tongues for blatantly ignoring pleas from exasperated residents.
Mayor’s Call to Alertness
One of the evening’s premium moments came near the close.
The mayor reminded his listeners not to misread the atmosphere of power-sharing with the people that has been recently sanctioned by City Hall.
Many South Sepulveda Boulevard merchants and Sunkist Park residents breathed relief earlier this autumn when the developer Bob Champion’s version of remaking South Sepulveda officially was junked by the City Council.
Don’t get too comfortable, was Mr. Corlin’s message. “Every area in town is going to be redeveloped,” he said. “You can count on it.”
How It Started
Four months ago, there was a perceived shift in the traditional dynamics gulf that divides activists from City Hall.
Led by Councilman Scott Malsin, who was determined to narrow the increasingly acerbic fissure, the people were promised a wider, more meaningful role in future decisions, especially those related to neighborhood gentrification.
The exact tilt, however, never has been finely defined. How much sway will regular people have in decisions formerly reserved, almost exclusively, for elected officials? Not clear.
Maiden Voyage
The Town Hall meeting was the City Council’s first venture into the neighborhoods since Mr. Malsin and his Council-mates tinkered with the balance.
With about 50 chairs set up for the conclave, all the seats were filled to overspill before Mayor Corlin even opened the informal back-fence chat.
It was a quirky evening, too. From the opening bell at 7:15, through 15 questions that concluded a couple ticks after 9, Councilman Gary Silbiger did not say one word. Or even sneeze. On the far end of the spectrum, Councilman Malsin was so loquacious that Mayor Corlin glanced at his friend after one lengthy soliloquy and cracked that he wished he had an on-off button for Mr. Malsin’s microphone. Returning his own smile, the periodically irrepressible Mr. Malsin said that he guessed he loved Culver City so much and was so enthused about its immediate prospects that he couldn’t stop talking about the present and future. Who could have demurred?
At the Crest
When the City Council takes its show on the road during months when there is a fifth Monday, it usually is a fun production with serious overtones. A Culver Crest evening typically is a model for the rest of Culver City because Crest residents turn out in strong, committed numbers. They know their subjects. They are prepared, they are passionate, and they are articulate.
Most of last night’s complaints were intensely personal rather than global, of abiding interest to the complainers’ several closest neighbors.
The most stirring moment came late in the neighborly chat when the spectre of South Sepulveda finally was raised for the first time.
A Touchy Topic
Harold Weiner, a 19-year resident, may have been a brave man raising a controversial subject in hostile territory.
He drew grumbles from the fully engaged crowd when he vigorously lamented the termination of City Hall’s year-long agreement with Mr. Champion and his spectacular vision for the west side of the aging and key street in the south end.
Mr. Weiner, who said redevelopment has considerably brightened Culver City’s image with outsiders since he moved here in1988, raised one other potentially testy topic.
Since Downtown has been sharply upgraded in the past several years with numerous new businesses, what does the City Council propose to do about the second-hand clothing store a half-block west of the last big redevelopment currently under way?
Blight Was Not Mentioned
The Council offered a two-tiered response.
Vice Mayor Carol Gross said the Council does not run through town willy-nilly, muscling out businesses that may be old and established but clearly below the new elevated image standard.
Funny you should mention the store, thought Councilman Steve Rose. He said the owner recently had made inquiries at City Hall.
