COASTAL COMMISSION AFFIRMS JURISDICTION OVER PARKING

In a stunning cliff-hanger after five years of conflict and tactical confusion, the California Coastal Commission deliberated for one hour after hearing three and a half hours of impassioned testimony from dedicated activists on both sides of the OPD issue.

Venice won!  The Commission affirmed, for the third time, that its jurisdiction includes parking in the Coastal Zone and that Los Angeles has, for the third time, failed to prove that imposition of OPD would not negatively affect coastal access.

A link to the June 13 CCC hearing is here:  http://www.cal-span.org/cgi-bin/media.pl?folder=CCC

We share our thanks with all who participated and informed the work that led to this victory for Venice.

We're celebrating for a day.  Enjoy this beautiful weekend!

THE OPD STOPS HERE

COASTAL COMMISSION HEARING IS

 THURSDAY, JUNE 13

Long Beach City Council CHAMBERS
333 W. Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90802

Just Say No to OPD!

 

Thursday bus and rideshare hotline: (310) 845-6034 

The Commission meets at 8:30am.  Though our item is 10a on the agenda - which would normally put it at mid-day, we have reason to believe that the City will ask to move the hearing to a morning time.

We must arrive early.  We will meet at Beyond Baroque Thursday at 7:00am.  Don't miss your ride! 

Your outpouring of support is both overwhelming and universally positive, with flyers, letters and more petitions.  New support also came from #KeepVeniceFree, a group that understands the need to work for solutions instead of restrictions.

Can you join us?  If so, and/or if you know folks who can join us Thursday:

How many people will you bring?
Do you need a ride?
Can you give a ride?  For how many?
If we have a bus to the meeting, would you ride it?

We must know by Monday night how many people are confirmed to attend Thursday's hearing.  Let us know:  I'm coming to Thursday's hearing.

YOU CAN STILL TAKE ACTION TODAY:

We need to keep sending letters:


Email to us and we'll fax them to the Coastal Commission.  

Fax them directly to the Commission:  FAX (562) 590-5084.   Use the heading:  NO OPD FOR VENICE.

Hand-carry your letter - or have a Long Beach friend print and deliver it to:

California Coastal Commission

200 Oceangate, Tenth floor 

Long Beach, CA 90802-4416 

Attn:  Chuck Posner

Your message can be as simple as "I oppose the Overnight Parking District in Venice" or you can add your own reasons for opposing OPD.

Forward this page to friends and neighbors.  Urge them to send an email or letter to the Coastal Commission as well.

Download the flyers and pass them on to your neighbors:  

• One-page fact sheet 
• Parking ticket warning
• Gorgeous Just Say NOPD flyers

 Support the cause:  Select the PayPal link or send a check to help with legal fees:  Venice Action Alliance, 1234 Preston Way, Venice, CA 90291.

Thank you for your support.  With your help, we will defeat the attempt to restrict Coastal Venice parking!

LOCAL TALENT TO PERFORM AT RALLY

Who's performing at our Rally:

The New Directions Veterans Choir is an award winning a cappella group that sings renditions of doo-wop, soul, traditional gospel and popular music. The Choir is comprised primarily of men and women who have served proudly in the United States Military. Following their service to our country, they became homeless. New Directions gave them hope and direction. These talented veterans are an inspiration to others.



Kathy Leonardo is a local presence "like a diamond in the rough, Kathy withholds within her being a rare unaffected honesty that audiences can not seem to resist. In contrast her driving up tempos her ballads a breathlessly soothing while her lyrics are emotionally complex.

The Cages are "Clayton and Sebastian, a dynamic duo from Santa Monica, in search of inspiration and music magic! Their brand of rock/ pop/ could best be described as “For Sure Not Boring”. Formed in 2010, two like minded gypsies— aspire to make music that excites, invites, and  rock your socks off. Born and raised in sunny Santa Monica, Sebastian developed a taste for great music. Clayton has a long history making music and record deals, as original founder of “The Cages”, signed to Capital Records in 1990, he produced and penned many critically acclaimed songs and toured the planet. Since becoming a father in 1993, Clayton has focused his efforts on raising a son and perfecting his producing and dancing skills. The Cages embrace all styles of music into a sound that expands your awareness— great music touches us all deeply –we as humans are vibration holding form through consciousness. We will be embarking on a world tour in 2013..."

COME TO THE RALLY SATURDAY

JOIN THE RALLY TO PROTECT FREE PARKING IN VENICE

Saturday, June 1 

 2 to 5 pm

BEYOND BAROQUE

(681 Venice Boulevard at Shell)

Numbers matter. Let's together tell the Coastal Commission to just say NO to OPD. The hearing is June 13 in Long Beach. Saturday we will rally to:

Organize: Sign letters to the Coastal Commission. Sign the petition. Arrange transportation to the hearing (you are all going, right?)

Communicate: Make your own t-shirt with a specially designed graphic. You can bring your own t-shirt or we will have some for purchase.

Support: Please make a donation to help prevent permit parking in Venice. We will take donations Saturday or you can donate on this site.

Enjoy: We have some great music (see below) and food. So come and make your voice count!

Our Flyers

Download our flyers and pass them around to friends and neighbors. There is good information in them  to help write your letters to the Coastal Commission and to talk with neighbors.


One-page fact sheet. Download

Warning Ticket with Rally Information. Download

"Not a Parking Ticket" Front Download
"Not a Parking Ticket: Back Download

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

The following organizations are supporting the No OPD campaign:

Beyond Baroque
First Baptist Church of Venice
Food Not Bombs
Fee Venice Beachhead
Holiday Venice tenant Action Committee
Latino Resource Organization
Mildred Cursh Foundation
Occupy Venice
POWER
Reach for the Top
Safe Place for Youth
SPARC
Spirit of Venice/The Benefit Network
Surf Rider Foundation
Tech Team Computer Learning Center
Venice Action Alliance
Venice Community Housing Corp
Venice Community Unity Coalition
Venice Justice Committee
Venice Neighborhood Action Committee
Westside Center for Independent Living

NOT YET A PARKING TICKET

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT.

But the fact remains, an OPD brings inconveniences to the neighborhoods and is not a solution to any of present parking problems in Venice.

Please print out and distribute this two-sided flyer to your neighbors. Download front side. Download back.

KEEP VENICE PARKING FREE - NO ON OPD

NO TO PERMIT PARKING

As part of third lawsuit settlement, the Coastal Commission will be hearing another application for an OPD (Overnight Parking District) in the Venice Coastal Zone. Please join us in keeping Venice Beach open and accessible to everyone - all the time.

Actions you can do now:

1. Email the Coastal Commission and tell them your displeasure that the OPD is being considered again and you hope they will again deny it as they did in 2009 and 2010. Email Coastal Commission.
Feel free to use any of the points below and of course, or write your letter.

Dear California Coastal Commissioners,

• Overnight Parking Districts are not good for Venice. They create a needless headache and expense for residents without solving any of our real parking problems.  This is not about anyone having trouble finding a parking space. This is about an ongoing effort to reshape Venice into an elite enclave.
• Like most Venetians, I chose to live here largely because of its exceptional openness and diversity for a beach community. Please do not cater to those few who see in an OPD the opportunity to restrict access to our beachside neighborhoods.
• Please protect Venice for all of us who love it because it is Venice, not in spite of it. Abbot Kinney, Venice's founder, called it "the People's Beach." We like it that way, and we think it's worth protecting. It's been the source of Venice's creative energy for over a century.
• Please honor Section 30001.5 (b) of the California Coastal Act, which states that one of the "basic goals of the state for the coastal zone is to "Maximize public access to and along the coast and maximize public recreational opportunities in the coastal zone."
• Please protect Venice's special social chemistry, which makes it a "Sensitive coastal resource area" as defined by California Coastal Act, Section 30116: (e) Special communities or neighborhoods which are significant visitor destination areas. (f) Areas that provide existing coastal housing or recreational opportunities for low- and moderate-income persons.

Please protect the Venice we love.

Yours truly,

[Your name, address]

2. Print out these flyers and distribute them to friends and neighbors. Ask them to act now too.
    One-Page fact Sheet : the facts on why Coastal Commission should not approve the OPD for Venice.
     Warning Ticket : flyer telling us what will happen if you don't have permit displayed; information on Rally and Hearing.
3. Forward these flyers to your email friends. Hand out to your neighbors.
4. Rally! on June 1. Beyond Baroque 2-5pm.

Unless our Voices are heard, the Coastal Commission is likely to pass the Overnight Parking District (OPD) for all of Venice west of Lincoln Boulevard.

BE INFORMED - KNOW THE FACTS

VENICE ACTION has started to send out Informational Emails about the implementation progress of the Streets to Homes program. Here is our first one:


STREETS TO HOMES

If you would like to receive these emails, contact us: Yes, I want to be informed.

MAYOR RETURNS OVERSIZE ORDINANCE WITHOUT SIGNATURE

On July 13, after the City Council approved an ordinance that would allow individual council members to establish districts to install oversize vehicle restrictions on the streets of Los Angeles, the Mayor again returned an ordinance without signature. He had done this as well with the settlement with the Coastal Commission on Overnight Parking Districts. The Mayor urged Los Angeles to work harder on finding workable solutions for the growing population of homeless. Here is his letter and VA's response to his welcomed action:

Read Mayor's Letter

Read Venice Action News Release

Helping Homeless Makes Good Business Sense

Oregon also has one of the first Safe Parking Programs in the country in the city of Eugene.

Read the article