We all remember the 1967 movie, “Rush to Judgment: The Plot to Kill JFK,” a documentary about the JFK assassination.
Now coming out of Culver City, the Heart of Screenland, is the sequel, “Rush to Judgment II: the Entrada Tower.” The sequel concerns the actions of a governmental body to get a money hungry developer’s large project approved before this governmental body is replaced.
The resemblance of people, places, and actions in this sequel to actual people, places, and actions is purely done on purpose.
The part of the governmental body will be played by the City Council.
The part of the developer is played by the Carlyle Group.
The part of the project is played by the Entrada Tower project.
The supporting cast includes the City Planning staff. This sequel will open at a City Council chambers near you on Monday, April 14.
What an Exemption
Yes, on April 14 the current City Council will be considering the request by the Carlyle Group Developers for a height exemption on their Entrada Tower project.
This exemption will be asking the City Council to ignore the city’s 56-foot height limit and allow the developer to build to 220 feet.
Yes, that is correct. The exemption they are asking for is not a small exemption, say to 60 feet. They are asking for an exemption that is almost four times the city’s height limit.
And why do they need this exemption? The spokesman for the Carlyle Group said at the Planning Commission meeting that it was the return on the higher stories that allowed them to make their desired return.
Two Reasons to be Upset
There are two things that I find upsetting about the City Council considering this request.
First, the city says they have the right to grant an exemption because it is in a redevelopment area.
When the voters of Culver City passed the height limit in 1990, they believed it applied everywhere in the city. They did not vote to exempt redevelopment areas from the height limit. The Council knows this. The staff knows this. They are doing this because they think they know better than us what is good for our city.
But what they are actually doing is ignoring the will of the people.
Are Candidates Being Honest?
Second, if the candidates have been telling the truth at the candidate forums, this exemption would not pass when the new Council is seated. It may not pass with the current Council. But for this project to have any chance of being approved, it must receive the approval before the new Council is seated.
Whoever on the staff is pushing this project knows that this is the only chance this exemption has for approval.
What can we do to prevent this?
How to Form a Roadblock
We can do two things. First, we must contact the current Council members (by telephone, letter or email) and let them know that we do not want this exemption to be approved.
Second, we must show up at the April 14 City Council meeting, fill out the speaker cards, and let them know, in person, that we don’t want this exemption approved.
When this item was passed by the Planning Commission, only three Culver City residents spoke against the project.
The majority of the speakers were from Westchester and Ladera. The result was that one of the Commissioners stated that since only three residents spoke against the project, Culver City residents must find the project acceptable.
We need to show them that Culver City residents don’t find the project acceptable. We need to have more Culver City residents than Westchester residents speaking at this very important meeting.
No Difference in Opinions
As a result of this project, I have been in contact with many of the Westchester residents. I have found that we are in agreement that the traffic caused by this project and other projects in the area are a regional problem. The impacts of the Entrada project will not be only north of Centinela. And the impacts of projects like the Hughes Center will not be only south of Centinela. They impact us all.
I am convinced that the Westchester, Ladera and Del Rey residents will be working with us, the residents of Culver City, to inform our respective City Councils that we, the residents of the entire Westside, will be doing what we can to prevent overdevelopment of the Westside.
I will close with a quote from one of our Founding Fathers.
Benjamin Franklin said “We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
We, residents of Culver City, Westchester, Ladera and Del Rey, are determined to hang together to solve our regional problems. Our elected officials can decide what option they are going to choose.
Mr. Supple may be contacted at tomjsup@ca.rr.com