Traffic Matters

        - Though the CHHA cannot control the wheels of government, we
have been promised by our Councilman's office that the long awaited
completion of the Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan installation in
Cheviot Hills and adjoining neighborhoods will take place this year,
hopefully in the Spring. In Cheviot Hills this will entail installation
of a "traffic circle" at the intersection of Queensbury, Patricia and
Earlmar that CHHA shares with the California Country Club Homeowners
Association and installation of a few center median islands on Motor
Avenue, including several long medians adjacent to the Cheviot Hills
Recreation Center, its parking lot, and the golf course just south of
Pico Boulevard. The medians will also be landscaped by the City. Our
Councilman's office also assures us that the City will arrange for
long-term maintenance of the medians so that we as homeowners will not
need to assume the financial burden of that maintenance. We look forward
to completion of the final NTMP installations and to confirmation of a
City- provided maintenance plan.
        - We have asked our Councilman's office to make certain that the
City, through the Bureau of Street Services, keeps in repair the
"bumpouts" on Motor Avenue throughout our neighborhood. These traffic
mitigations seem to receive occasional direct impacts from vehicles
resulting in an untidy look. They need to be kept clean and orderly, and
the City needs to do the work on our behalf.
        - For years Caltrans, DOT and the City have been planning a
widening of the Overland Avenue bridge over the 10 freeway to ease
congestion at that heavily travelled site. Plans are afoot to perform
this work in the next year or two, so expect to see this project start
in practical, rather than geologic time.
        - Fox Studios is currently in the midst of building a parking
garage at the southwest corner of the Fox Studio lot on Pico Boulevard.
The parking garage was permitted by the City as part of the Fox Studios
expansion and re-development plan a number of years ago. Some of us are
concerned that traffic flow in and out of the new garage may impact
already difficult congestion on Pico Boulevard at this location. CHHA as
a group needs to be vigilant that this new amenity for Fox Studios does
not result in an adverse traffic impact on Pico Boulevard and,
ultimately, on Motor Avenue and other streets that feed in to our
neighborhood.
        - Over the years the CHHA, along with other homeowners
associations representing adjoining neighborhoods, has challenged
development of major new construction in the Century City area. CHHA
with other associations successfully negotiated with the developer of
the upcoming large condominium project at the corner of Constellation
Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars for monies to support community
services such as schools, libraries, police, fire and parks. An initial
payment of monies to support these community services is already in the
process of being distributed.
        - There is much new development being planned for Century City
in addition to the Constellation Boulevard project, with a new luxury
high-rise condominium planned for 10000 Santa Monica Boulevard (adjacent
to Beverly Hills) and an aggressive expansion of size and parking at the
Westfield Century City Mall, including demolition of two office
buildings and the construction of a large mixed-use
office/retail/condominium structure at the southwest corner of Santa
Monica Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars. There is also a large
condominium project under review in Beverly Hills for the site of the
old Robinsons May store on Wilshire Boulevard and Merv Griffin Drive,
and an addition of condominiums to the Beverly Hilton Hotel at the
corner of Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards. All this will bring new
neighbors and new traffic to the Westside and, we are concerned, to our
neighborhood streets as well.
        - Our City Fathers (and Mothers) have over the last few years
permitted an enormous number of new multi-family residential development
projects throughout the City of Los Angeles. Where a two story 4 or 8
unit building once was, a new 16 or 24 or 30 unit building appears. This
development may also include commercial mixed-use projects that include
both business and residential uses. Though the territory represented by
CHHA is almost entirely zoned single family, the traffic pressure and
pressure on community services resulting from this almost unrestrained
rush for increased residential density on the Westside and elsewhere is
bound to be felt by CHHA residents sooner rather than later. Concerned
about this growth of population without growth in infrastructure and
support services? Contact your elected officials and let them know! We
don't recall any politician, be they Mayor or Councilman, being elected
on a platform calling for an unrestrained increase in population density
on the Westside or elsewhere.
        - The Olympic- Pico traffic plan is treated elsewhere in this
bulletin. Be aware of what this plan means for you and for your
neighborhood and let your elected officials know your feelings on what
this plan will do to our neighborhood, adjoining neighborhoods and the
local businesses that provide convenient services to our residents.

Greg Pulis, Traffic Chair