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How long have you been involved with Rancho Palos
Verdes?
I am one of the founders of the City. About two
years before incorporation, I became a member of the Palos Verdes
Peninsula Advisory Council, a coalition of homeowners associations
in the entire incorporation area including Eastview. After Incorporation
I have served on the Planning Advisory Committee, the Planning
Commission, and the City Council from 1973 to 2003. I am proud of
my service to the City and the results that we have achieved
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Why did you work for the Incorporation of the City?
Along with many other people who were concerned
about the County Plan to put 7000 rooms of hotels, multiple housing
units, and increase our population to double the number we have
today, I felt that we needed to stop the County from destroying
our life style. I believe we did the right thing and am still concerned
with over development.
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Will the Long Point project (TERRANeA) be successful?
I certainly hope so. The owners of the hotel appear to be going into foreclosure and the operator of the facility will only be known when that is sorted out. The facility is a beautiful addition to our city and should be supported by our residents. We had a “White Elephant,” on the site for far too many years and I would hate to see that situation again. For that reason, I do not believe that I would have put the Transit Occupancy Tax increase on the ballot at a time when all businesses are struggling. However, it is on the ballot and the voters will decide. I have led the fight to keep all taxes low including the Utility User’s Tax which we reduced from five to three percent with a vote of the residents when I previously served on the council. With a successful Terranea Hotel, the Utility User’s Tax should be eliminated.
Like the Monaghan Project before it, a bank in trouble has caused the property to be taken over by others. Let us hope for the best and that the property will be well managed no matter who controls it.
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Did the City ever agree to give the developer city owned land
for a golf course?
Absolutely not! The City only agreed
to let the developer make a proposal, at his peril, to use the
land with no guarantee that it would be granted. In retrospect,
it was probably a mistake to not say no in the beginning, but I
do not believe that I had two other votes at that time to say no. Only
the pressure brought by the SOC organization made the difference
and I laud them for the effort. I still do not believe that
it would have been a workable design in any case.
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Are you opposed to the residential component of the Long Point
Plan?
No! At this point, we
now know what has been built. The residential
portion has been incorporated into the hotel operation to prevent
permanent residence by owners under strict control of the conditions
of approval that the City. The ownership by individuals does
not eliminate the transit occupancy tax imposed by the City and
income will flow from these units.
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What are your future plans for the City?
I have a complete agenda for the City for the
next few years. While some people say that they are not opposed
to paying a utility tax of 3%, I, along with many other retired
people on fixed incomes, do not agree. When Ocean Trails
has successfully repaired the golf course, the income for the City
will surely help pay for our infrastructure needs. The hotel
at Long Point will contribute needed revenue as well. However,
I have never approved of a project based upon the income to the
City and I am offended when developers overstate what the income
will be. Other issues to be addressed are the financing of our
storm drains and sewer needs, cleaning up the major roadways such
as Hawthorne Boulevard and other arterials, completion of the NCCP
program, a senior facility, permanent youth activity areas, and
continuing to resist over development of the City. Along
with every other local elected official in California, I am concerned
about the terrible budget problem that the State has created. They
usually take from the cities and counties as if the money was theirs
and not that of the local taxpayer.
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Landslides are a factor in land planning in Rancho Palos Verdes.
How do you plan to deal with them?
I have always supported the moratorium as protection
for the City against unwise development. I will continue
to support the moratorium because I do not want to open the flood
gates of development in fragile areas. Development of residential
uses near landslides is always going to be a serious matter for
the Council to consider. I am extremely cautious about such
development and need very strong evidence of the safety factors
before allowing it even by exception. I am concerned about
a portion of the Ocean Trails golf course remaining over a known
landslide. The safety of golfers, hikers, and residents living
nearby is of utmost concern. After the failure on landslide "C," a
wake-up call was received by all of us that while we would not
allow a residential use there perhaps even a recreational use was
not prudent. It may be that construction deficiencies were
responsible for the damage. We will work with the current
owner to insure that what is done is safe with guidance from our
experts as the repairs are completed.
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You were cautioned by a homeowner's group to adhere to the
General Plan and the Coastal Specific Plan. How do you feel about
that?
Of course I will adhere to them, I am one of the
authors of both documents. As such, I need no reminders
of what these documents mean or intend. My whole career as
a local elected official has been devoted to maintaining the incorporation
goals of the City. As always, I will live by these documents. The
law requires that all projects approved by the City adhere to them
as well.
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Where do you stand on view protection?
As one of the authors of Prop. M, I am committed
to the will of the people. Before Prop M, we wrote ordinances to
address the view obstruction presented by second story additions
and two story homes. I believe that what we did was in many cases
innovative, protected views, and allowed people to expand their
homes without destroying the views of others in a fair manner. No
ordinance is perfect and improvements can and should be made to
insure fairness. Pehaps we should have included a "sunset clause" to limit the abuse of existing homeowners when new owners of property above them require existing growth to be removed that has been in place for many years. As it is, it goes on forever.
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| 10. |
What is the truth about the storm drains/sewers?
Please see my comments pertaining
to the storm drain/sewer situation.
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Do you have anything to add?
Yes. For several years,
I worked to reduce the noise of aircraft over the Peninsula. I
was the first public official on the Peninsula to recognize and
deal with the problem over eleven years ago. Our Council established
an ad hoc committee in 1998 to deal with noise. Also, I helped
organize the PANIC group, the Peninsula Aircraft Noise/Safety Information
Committee. The Turbo Prop aircraft don't seem to bother everyone,
but are driving many of our residents out of their minds. I
joined the F.A.A. Southern California Task Force on Noise to try
to reduce this problem and have worked with federal and local officials
to reduce noise from aircraft. Unlike others who give
the problem lip service, I have been there working for you to get
environmental justice for the Peninsula. Because
the FAA failed to follow through on most of the plans to reduce
noise in the South Bay, the LAX Community Noise Roundtable was
formed to work on mitigation measures and I currently chair that
organization.
I want to have people understand that I am a candidate who loves
this city and will represent all people fairly and impartially.
I also will provide the corporate memory of the City Council because
of changes in personnel.
I do want to serve my city on the Council and ask
that those of you who want continuity and the commitment expressed
above to vote for me on November 3rd.
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