An Imperfect Record
There still will be five meetings, as promised, Mr. Goldman said, with the finale yet to be scheduled.
Speaking of scheduling conflicts, all nine members of the Citizens Advisory Committee have not yet been present at any meeting.
One of the headline attractions on Wednesday was going to be a first-hand report by Marianne Kim of the Advisory Committee on Mr. Champions references.
She was to join City Hall personnel in interviewing leaders of two communities where the developer has completed major projects.
The unusually large size of the South Sepulveda plan, among other attributes, has sparked a community-wide debate, now in its seventh month.
The tone of the first two meetings of the Citizens Advisory Committee bordered on tepidity. The third session, featuring a heavy turnout of mostly discontented senior citizens, was disputatious.
Almost Missed Last Meeting
Mr. Champions availability has been shaky lately, compounded by a bizarre episode before the most recent meeting.
In the 30 minutes leading up to last weeks meeting at the Senior Center, he stunned some Culver City officials by declaring himself, by extension, a no-show.
The previously undisclosed announcement of his absence led to more than the usual number of caustic comments about the spirited, talkative and charismatic developer.
Substitution
Since he was on vacation, Mr. Champion dispatched an architect to the meeting as his proxy.
No city official knew about his vacation.
Moments later, an embarrassing scene was averted.
In the midst of groaning reactions over his absence, during the pre-meeting clatter of voices and chairs, the tanned and fit Mr. Champion once again stunned the leadership. He created a patch of drama when he nonchalantly strode into the room.
Presumably, no one in charge had a hint he was en route.
Vacating Vacation
Mr. Champion said afterward he had returned from vacation just in time to reach Culver City and comment, extensively, on changes and nuances in the South Sepulveda project.
While emphasizing his position as a neutral observer, Mr. Goldman, Chair of the Advisory Committee, said that despite a shower of ongoing biting criticism, progress has been good.
We are on schedule, he said, in delivering pertinent information to the community.
Free Speech
There has been a full amount of input from the public. Everybody who has wanted to speak, has been given the opportunity.
I know many people think South Sepulveda is a done deal, and that they are going to lose, the chair said in hope of quashing that conviction.
Rejecting one of the most persistent complaints from Sepulveda business owners and Sunkist Park residents, Mr. Goldman said that the public has a greater voice in this than they think they have.
How Do You Please Them?
Sometimes, the chairman added, the complainers are intolerably cranky, especially as it pertains to the pace and scheduling of meetings.
Wearing a vexed expression, Mr. Goldman said that they complain we are delaying the process and they complain we are rushing it. You are not going to win.
Land Owner Dies
Of particular interest to observers of the South Sepulveda project, major property owner Bernie Schatz died this week at the age of 84.
Mr. Schatz, who is survived by his widow and two children, was buried on Wednesday at Mt. Sinai cemetery.
For many years, he owned land in the middle of the northerly block of the project between Sawtelle and Berryman that housed five businesses. Sources said the Schatz family is expected to retain control of the property.
One of the most outspoken community voices all along has belonged to Chip Netzel, the president of the Sunkist Park Neighborhood Watch.
Netzels Opinion
Following this mornings re-scheduling announcement, Mr. Netzel said he is pausing to further study the richly detailed and nuanced building proposal.
I want to wait and see because so much is going on, he said.
The point is not to just attack. The point is to think it through and build a better project.
