Unexpected
Peter Messinger, the owner of The Aquarium at the northern end of the late project, was in Council Chambers for the announcement.
He may have been startled at first. I was surprised, he said, with a little hesitation. But I guess it helps us (business owners), all 75 or so of them.
Mr. Messinger had just acquired The Aquarium from its longtime owner when, within weeks, he learned to his horror of imminent, elaborate plans to redevelop the 12 1/2 acres of his aging neighborhood of mom-and-pop stores.
How to React
The west side of Sepulveda exactly fit the profile of modern-day redevelopment a neighborhood going south instead of north.
Panic was the natural response. Then anger. Then reason.
Mr. Messinger did what a successful general should: He dropped back and regrouped.
First Act: Organize
He served as a sentinel and organizer for his fellow merchants, arousing them and, he hoped, inspiring them to act. This was a tough challenge because mom-and-pop merchants are not known for organizing. They are mom-and-pop because rhey are independent.
Meanwhile, just to the west of Mr. Messingers store, Sunkist Park residents also were organizing.
Two issues drove the residents and business owners to revolt against City Hall: The somewhat vague redevelopment scheme was too big by almost every reasonable persons barometer, they said, and the community had not been consulted. The teardown-and-rebuild scheme had been sprung upon them as a fait accompli, they believed.
Revolt Breaks Out
A huge and noisy community meeting last December at El Rincon School probably was the pivotal act in the short but volatile campaign to kill the scheme.
In the midst of the uproar last January, City Hall announced it was forming a Citizens Advisory Committee. Almost 50 people applied for the nine seats, a whopping response for Culver City.
The Breaking Point
The Committee met four times, with Mr. Champion in the center ring, answering questions from the community but few from the panel that was chaired by Alan Goldman.
Furor over the plans heightened at each meeting.
At the end of the fourth meeting, on June 27, Dr. Loni Anderson made the motion that put the project out of the communitys misery. She said the city should have a General Plan in place before South Sepulveda was radically reshuffled.
Her motion passed and so have almost 90 days since that fateful night. City Hall says it will be developing a General Plan. At a point, no one doubts South Sepulveda will be redeveloped this time, though, on the terms of the business owners and nearby residents.
I hope the city was serious about helping us with remodeling, landscaping and sprucing up, Mr. Messinger said. Not that we should wait for them. We need to do it ourselves. I hope this haas awakened business owners and they will start putting money into their stores.
A Strategic Exit?
Mr. Messinger said he suspected when City Hall ordered the formation of a Citizens Advisory Committee last winter that it actually was looking for a face-saving route out of the wildly unpopular scheme.
When politicians dont want to make a tough decision, Mr. Messinger said, they form a blue-ribbon commission.
In addition to feeling very good for the first time in quite awhile, The Aquarium owner also is feeling vindicated this afternoon.
