Work to be Done
Despite the fact we have huge belts of urbanism from San Diego to Los Angeles, in the middle of the state and in Northern California, there are a lot of important places to preserve.
You can also use some of the principles we have been talking about to do land use in cities, which gets me to my point:
You can use a lot of these principles to help guide your decision-making, to make informed decisions about where you ought to provide certain services, where you ought to build or where you should not build.
Practical Approach
That is why I say, those concepts, to the degree we can put them into motion in any community, are valid. (Smart growth and sustainability) are not just buzzwords. They are an important way to do planning.
If you ask me whether I have used any of these concepts since I got here, the answer would be not really.
Mostly what I have done is work on theory, on critical issues to the city that had to be dealt with at the moment.
All of the redevelopment projects in Culver City have many wheels turning within them.
Issues for Expo Area
Washington-National has a Specific Plan. It has property that we have acquired, and that property has to be cleared. Then we have to figure out an interim use for that property.
By the way, the (Expo light rail) might not get here for awhile.
We have to figure out how we redevelop in a timely way to co-ordinate it with the train.
This shifts the conversation to Mr. Blumenfelds knack for slashing straight through impediments that block, discourage or delay others.
He said his clear-eyed approach comes from that notion of how we ought to do the business of planning cities.
What About Sepulveda?
The question preoccupying much of Culver City this month is the disposition, in the near-term, of the South Sepulveda Boulevard redevelopment. Nearly three weeks ago, it was shut down for procedural reasons.
Since merchants and residents heavily oppose the present outline, the 9-member Citizens Advisory Committee recommended by a unanimous vote on June 27 that the City Council authorize creation of a Specific Plan before any further action is taken.
Hurrying up and Waiting
Mr. Blumenfeld was asked if his staff has executed preliminary groundwork toward a Specific Plan.
Staff does not do work until it is authorized to do it, he said.
By way of context, the director talked about just how mammoth his City Hall assignment is.
Running the Community Development Dept. is a little more complex than hawking newspapers on a street corner.
Docking at City Hall>
Working in a big organization like this is like steering an ocean liner, Mr. Blumenfeld said. You dont make any quick turns.
There are 60 staff people here. Trying to get everything organized, getting all of your ducks in a row, takes a lot of effort.
In the meanwhile, they await orders.
Changes on the Way
We need the City Councils direction on the (South Sepulveda) project area, the director said.
To be direct, in the Blumenfeld manner, the shape of the City Hall vision seems a cinch to change.
We have taken a very preliminary look, Mr. Blumenfeld said, and I mean very preliminary, to understand what other options could happen in that area.
A question is, what could the city think about doing in that area?
As opposed to one large project or a couple of large projects, what could the city do on a smaller scale?
What could the city do with a different approach altogether, not on a project basis but on an area basis.
For example, coordinated streetscape improvements.
Or (we could use some) funds to rehabilitate individual buildings.
Or (we could make) the kind of improvement that involved providing parking only.
We just did this in the most preliminary way.
We had some strategy meetings. But nothing else because we really need (Redevelopment) Agency direction on how to proceed.
When we have that, we will start running headlong toward the goal, Mr. Blumenfeld said.
