I have a hard time with people in office denying the facts, he said. That is mostly what I am interested in.
Unfortunately when I come to speak before the City Council, I have a lot of anger I have to get through. I am often frustrated with the way they are dealing with what we are saying. What the Council is reading, I think, is my anger not what I am saying. Thats a shame. It hurts my effectiveness when I am angry.
Managing Anger
I have tried for years to bring my anger level down.
Mr. Waters laughs ardently again.
The problem is I am incensed with what is going on, and nothing is being done about it.
I get the feeling when we approach the microphone the Council members roll their eyes. They say to themselves, Well, we have got to go through with this. Two Council members in particular dont care what anybody says. They will do what they are going to do.
Perplexed by Attitude
I dont know how it is possible that we bring up objections and they are ignored.
My goal is to keep together the Culver City we all love.
What will happen if they replace our single-family homes with condominiums?
A chunk of Mr. Waters activism is devoted to somehow reducing traffic on the Westside.
Part of his ammunition arsenal includes a video of an important philosophical ally, County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. Zev wont take a weekday appointment after 2 oclock because he, himself, doesnt want to get caught in traffic, Mr. Waters said.
The Mission
The Gateway Neighborhood Assn. was organized as a counter-force to prolific developments around mid-Culver City. Especially on Lincoln Avenue, Mr. Waters said, where they have put up horrendous, out-of-scale (projects) that do not respect the scaling character of the residential neighborhood. I have in mind the 4000 block and the 4100 block of Lincoln.
Our organization is like the Minutemen, he said in reference to the sentinel group of anti-illegal immigrant activists who, uninvited, have been patrolling the Mexican border. When a crisis arises, we arise, he said, punctuating his statement with a hearty laugh.
Speaking of Borders
Like an umbrella, the Gateway Neighborhood Assn. spans from Duquesne on the east to LaSalle on the west, from Culver Boulevard in the north down to Ballona Creek.
For the past several months, 9900 Culver has been in the sights of the association (see todays lead story, By the Time This Night is Over, 3 to 2 May Look Good to Builders of 9900) after other targeted cases were resolved.
A Big House
Previously, the association protested a so-called mansionizing project at 4230 Madison Ave. that was allowed to proceed because, members said, this oversized house takes up the whole lot.
Three or four huge and mature trees are going to be torn out and, essentially, replaced by cement, Mr. Waters said. People are building right to the line. That was the case here.
Recalling a recent action by the Los Angeles City Council stipulating that homes should not occupy more than 55 percent of property, Mr. Waters said the onset of global warming has affected the dynamics of community development.
Global Warming Response
Speaking as a onetime forester for 15 years with the organization Tree People, Mr. Waters said:
In a larger sense, with global warming, we have an obligation to make sure there are trees and shrubs turning this carbon dioxide back into oxygen. This is critical for the people who live in Culver City.
