A Politically Incorrect Blog About Living in Woodland Hills, California

Dennis Zine Latches On To NC Chairperson Karen Koe’s Editorial In His Weekly Newsletter

Councilman Dennis Zine included this editorial from Karen Koe in his weekly newsletter this past Friday (see below the article for my take on the situation):

Karen Koe: Neighborhood Council Taking No Stand on Costco; Still Formulating Opinion
This Editorial was first published by the Valley News Group on September 2, 2010

Hello Woodland Hills!!! For the past several weeks, there have been several articles regarding Westfield’s “The Village” project that have appeared in the media.

Most of the articles appear to express the opinion of the writer. Sometimes there has been confusion as to for whom the writer is “speaking.” So there is no confusion, I am the Chair of the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council and I am the person who speaks on behalf of the Council. No individual member of our Council has spoken thusfar on its behalf; rather, they have merely expressed their own, personal opinion, which the provisions of the First Amendment provide. For the record, I would like to make it perfectly clear that the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council does NOT currently have an unified opinion on the project.

The Council has not yet come to a decision as to whether it will support the project or oppose it. The Council is currently in the process of formulating its opinion. Our Planning, Land Use and Mobility (”PLUM”) Committee is studying the information presently available and at some point in the future, will recommend a position on the issue to the full Council for its approval or disapproval. Thankfully, we have established a dialogue with both Councilman Zine and Westfield on this issue. “Good corporate citizenship and an abiding commitment to community are integral parts of Westfield’s business philosophy.” We are grateful for their willingness to include us in the discussion. When the Council reaches its opinion, I will let the community know of it. On a personal note, I want you to know that, as with all issues that come before us, I am keeping an open mind on this project. I am gathering as much information as I can on the issue, studying it, evaluating it and thinking about how this proposed project will affect our community. Something I hope that all of you will do as well.

I would very much like to invite you to let me know what you think about this project. Please send me an email at k.koe@whcouncil.org. Remember that “together we can make a difference in our community” and that sometimes “it takes a village.”

Karen Koe is the current Chair of the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council.

While Karen Koe is correct that the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council has not taken an official stand yet on the proposal, it is clear to anyone that has attended recent PLUM committee meetings the general mood of NC members in attendance.  It is also clear that perhaps Koe is being a little too optimistic that the dialogue between Zine and Westfield is good.  After all, she was at the PLUM meeting on August 31st where Westfield’s John Alderson said that Westfield is absolutely not willing to make substantive changes to the Costco portion of the proposal.  I was there, folks.  So, I find it comical and a complete lie that they and Zine say they value the community’s input.  The only way the community will have input here is if the public brings pressure upon all parties to act in the community’s best interest, and not their own.

By Alderson’s own admission Westfield and Costco negotiated a lease, conditional upon tentative entitlements, with undoubtedly and even admittedly much input from Dennis Zine’s office, for over “15 months.”  Yet, the only intercourse with the community before an actual lease was signed was only, to my knowledge, a July 28th “workshop” which I am told by someone who attended was “worthless.”

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Hugely Important Neighborhood Council Meeting On Wednesday September 15th

In what will certainly be an eventful Woodland Hills Neighborhood Council Meeting this Wednesday, the revised The Village proposal and Costco will certainly be the issue of most interest to us all.

From City Councilman Dennis Zine’s weekly newsletter:

Councilman Zine invites the community to join him at the upcoming Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council meeting on Wednesday, September 15^th to discuss the proposed Westfield Village Project. The general meeting begins at 6:30pm and Councilman Zine will arrive at 7:30pm. The meeting will take place at the Woodland Hills Academy (formerly know as Parkman Middle School) located at 20800 Burbank Blvd at De Soto across from Kaiser. The topics covered will include Westfield’s proposal for a Costco to be included in their Village project. Currently, the proposal is not entitled by the City of Los Angeles and is in its preliminary stages. A full EIR is expected to be issued in October. In addition to this meeting with the Neighborhood Council, Westfield has held public workshops. There will be at least three levels of public hearings conducted by the City of Los Angeles and a comment period for anyone who wishes to comment or has a question about the EIR.

Additionally, Neighborhood Council member Paul Shively posts in a comment:

Those that wish to learn more about the COSTCO development should attend the Sept 15th Woodland Hills Warner Neighborhood Council Mtg. 6:30PM at the Woodland Hills Academy (Burbank/DeSoto) Councilman Zine, COSCTO’S developer and a rep from COSTCO will be there to discuss the matter.

This has been confirmed with the NC’s agenda:

•The meeting shall be recessed at 7:30 p.m. for the following Special Presentations:
• COUNCILMAN ZINE @ 7:30 p.m. 20 minutes;
• John Alderson of WESTFIELD @ 7:50 p.m. 20 minutes
• Jackie Frank of COSTO @ 8:10 p.m. 20 minutes; 30 minutes Q&A conducted
jointly with Councilman Zine and John Alderson

Those times are only estimates, this meeting will probably be a rowdy one that you should not miss.

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The Impeach Dennis Zine Article From The Valley Vantage

From the August 26th issue of the Valley Vantage, with regards to the August 18th Woodland Hills Warner Center Neigbhorhood Council meeting:

Neighborhood Council Meeting Erupts Amid Cries of “Impeach Zine!”

A week ago, news stories and press releases proclaimed that Costco’s plan to move to Warner Center was a “done deal.” But it looks like residents and businesses in the West Valley have only just begun to fight that notion.

At a meeting of the Woodland Hills Neighborhood Council Board (NC) on August 18, there were no specific items on the Agenda concerning the proposal for a Costco in Warner Center. Using the Public Speaker card, however, several representatives stood and challenged the NC to take the lead on community outreach concerning the proposal. Two speakers specifically demanded the recall of Councilman Dennis P. Zine over of his role in moving Costco from its existing site on Roscoe Blvd in Canoga Park to the proposed Westfield Village project at Topanga Canyon and Victory Boulevards.

Jim Anderson, the Neighborhood Council’s at-large representative, was the first to stand and demand the recall of Councilman Zine, saying “his actions are contrary to the area’s best interests, and he has deceived and manipulated the public.” Anderson questioned if the Councilman’s actions were contrived to gain financial support for his purported run for City Controller when his term ends. Anderson pointed at the Councilman’s efforts in helping Westfield massively alter their plans for the supposedly “upscale” Village project without ever opening discussion of potential problems with the community at large.

Echoing Anderson’s plea for Zine’s recall was Neighborhood Council representative Marty Lipkin. He was even more emphatic about Zine’s recall. “He has lied to his constituents. He has betrayed our communities. He has conspired with Westfield, Costco and the Mayor to push a hastily conceived and ill-advised plan down the throats of people who deserve at least some say in the future of their neighborhoods. Am I calling for Zine’s head? Absolutely—except I’m not sure there’s anything in it,” he said.

On a slightly different note, Shirley Blessing, a well-respected Woodland Hills leader, said that she has received dozens of calls from apoplectic neighbors who are incensed at the Councilman’s “utter lack of respect for the communities he supposedly represents.” She urged all to stand tall, and state their case to their representative; “Just say no. This plan lacks foresight and vision.”

Joyce J. Pearson, currently the Community Based Organization Board Representative for Area 2, called for a series of three Town Hall meetings with residents and business owners, paid for from the Council District’s coffers, but hosted by an impartial entity who could prevent the meetings from turning into PR events. “I’m sure our Councilman is open to ‘full transparency’ on this issue—and to picking up the tab for these hearings on what many consider proposed changes to our community too important to ignore. It’s an idea that could only prove to be beneficial to all,” Pearson stated.

Pearson pointed out that when concepts for The Village were first presented several town halls and seminars were held by both Westfield and the Neighborhood Council to introduce the concept of a retail/entertainment/commercial destination to virtually the entire West Valley. “Sure, the economy has changed,” she said. “But to disregard the public’s involvement in the project now would be unfortunate.”

Gordon Murley of the Woodland Hills Home Owners Organization offered another insight. “There seems to be a lot of ‘City of Bell’ in the development – especially dumping Costco on the community. There were no meetings with the community to refine what was being proposed.  All of the dealings have been behind closed doors and all the deals worked out between the various City entities, Westfield and Costco. Nowhere were there any invitations to have the

community sit in with Costco or those in the City to voice concerns since there is a Warner Center Specific Plan. We would hope that planning is more than telling a community what they are going to get. Woodland Hills and especially Warner Center deserves planning that will not lower the quality of the visual development that would bring a sense of a place people want to visit and invest. And, the fact that they have not yet revealed just how much they’ve given away to Costco in terms of tax breaks and subsidies from the City, creates concern.”

In a follow up interview, according to Pearson and Blessing, many of the residents and businesses that have contacted them keep asking why there isn’t an Ikea going in instead of a Costco? Ikea is also a big box store, but it is willing to have second or third stories. Anderson and Lipkin said that many of the people they’ve talked to have been calling for some sort of “impeachment” hearing that would force the
Mayor and the Councilman to bring all the details of the Costco deal into the spotlight.

“People aren’t happy about this,” Anderson emphasized. “They know they’ve been kept in the dark and misrepresented by their so called representatives. They want someone they can trust, and they don’t seem to trust Councilman
Dennis Zine anymore.”

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Valley Vantage Editorial By Joyce Pearson Calls For Public Forum For Discussion of Costco, Village Project

From the August 26, 2010 issue of The Valley Vantage:

Editorial by Joyce Pearson
It’s Time for Councilman Zine to Provide a Forum to Discuss Costco!

It’s time for the community to stand up for what’s right in Woodland Hills, and its time for Councilman Zine to provide a forum to discuss Costco!

LA’s Mayor says it’s a done deal. Westfield says it’s a done deal. Costco hasn’t even relocated yet, but it is already turning what Westfield once promised as an “upscale shop/dine/work destination” into a strip mall with a wholesale arm behind it, that is destined to hurt traffic, surrounding businesses and neighborhoods, not to mention leaving blight behind in Canoga Park, just blocks away.

With the threat of Los Angelinos voting with their feet as more Woodland Hills constituents vacate to Westlake Village or Thousand Oaks to maintain their quality of life, it’s time to reflect on what needs to be done to stem that tide.

What is being asked of Councilman Zine is that he commit to a series of three Town Hall meetings where the community can toss the hardball questions and voice legitimate concerns they have over this plan. Moreover, outreach for these open Town Halls must be paid for out of the Council District’s budget, along with a series of mailings to every address within 2 miles of the Topanga Canyon Blvd. and Victory Blvd. epicenter.

Calling the meetings will enable the Councilman to explain why he appears to be promoting Westside traffic congestion here in the West Valley; and to be scrapping pedestrian walkways, green belts, parking on the roof of Costco and many other key items that Westfield had proposed and promised the public in its original plans for The Village. The Councilman could even address disregarding the new Warner Center Specific Plan before it is even off the drafting table.

Most importantly, Councilman Zine can shed light on the “ proposed increases” in jobs and tax revenue; the traffic congestion that is destined to ensue; and any financial incentives that may have been advanced by relocating the Costco and its employees. In addition, it would be great to have Costco’s President at those meetings with him to tell us how the new Costco will bring value to our community.

What say you Woodland Hills, are you ready to meet your Councilman? If you want to know what is going on in your community and are interested in participating in Woodland Hills:

1. Sign one of the petitions (Just say NO) or (Here’s the way to go) on the Website at: www.CommunityRedevelopmentAdvocate.com;
2. Volunteer to walk your neighborhood to get petitions signed;
3. Volunteer to circulate information about the upcoming Town Hall meetings;
4. Write letters;
5. Ask for speakers to present information at your school or community organization;
6. Learn what you need to do to have your own impact when the EIR (Environmental Impact Report) is presented by Westfield;
7. Find out what the Warner Center Specific Plan is all about;
8. Review what the Woodland Hills Neighborhood Council says about the matter by going to their Website at: www.WHCouncil.org, as well as finding out about their upcoming meetings on this important topic.

Look for the upcoming dates of the Town Hall meetings, and attend. You can send a clear message and help the Court of Public opinion weigh in on your community.
Joyce Pearson is Chair of the Greater West Valley Coalition and Chair Emeritus of the Woodland Hills-Warner Center Neighborhood Council She can be reached at 713-8600

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Local Blogger Forces LA Councilmember Zine To End Week Backpedaling

From the Valley Vantage:

It seems that many people’s mastery of the English language has been called into question by Zine.  Apparently, “it’s a done deal,” actually means “don’t worry, it hasn’t been fully decided yet and there will be plenty of time for public comment.”  I am quite pleased that I called out Mr. Zine publicly on his comments to Karen Koe, and he has been forced to engage his constituency.

I find it interesting that in the article Zine remarks that the Costco may not even end up at the The Village site at Owensmouth & Victory.  (As a side note, I wonder if Zine picked up a backwards pedaling bicycle at the new Performance Bicycles store?) However, since that is the only proposal anyone is putting forward, you can pretty much be assured that’s where it will be going.  Zine is clearly working closely with Costco, as he has said repeatedly, and obviously also Westfield, since they have put forth a proposal for it.

So, Mr. Zine, where is the alternate proposal that doesn’t involve The Village?  Unfortunately, for everyone, this proposal is going to be put forward as, “If you want a Costco, if you want these jobs and development in Woodland Hills, it has to be at this site.”  You can already tell where that’s going.  Unless alternatives, and “plan Bs” are developed, this will come to a simple “yes” and “no” decision, which as Zine decrees, “the decision comes out of my office.”  We already know what that decision will be if it comes down to Costco at The Village or no Costco at all.

This article is also quite interesting that it reveals that Costco plans to abandon it’s Canoga Park Costco location that has been a cancer on that community for a number of years.  No matter how much you love Costco, you must admit that is true.  They are not a very good corporate neigbhor for that community.  I don’t personally think that would be the case for a higher end store in Woodland Hills, but no one should ignore the obvious fact that even the parking lot at the Canoga Park location is a sewer, last I looked.

Thanks to Tanya Peel for the heads up on the Valley Vantage article.

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Mayor Sam Picks Up On Dennis Zine Post

Mayor Sam’s Sister City writes on Friday’s Hotsheet:

Councilman Dennis Zine has earned the ire of some of his constituents who are opposed to the opening of a new Costco store in his District in Woodland Hills. At a community meeting, Zine said to a Neighborhood Council member speaking up against the big-box retailer ““Let me stop you right there. Costco is a done deal. There’s no way I am going to refuse a huge tax base like that for the city.”

For a lively conversation and interesting comments on both sides of the issue visit their site.

With regard to Zine’s comment to Karen Koe, this commenter make a point which closely resembles my own:

Words matter. They are the means we use to communicate. If Zine meant something else, he should have said something else. We have to assume he meant what he said and said what he meant.

Goals matter, too. If a politician’s state goal is to maximize tax revenues, he may create or destroy jobs. He may, for example, decide to raise taxes to raise revenues, and thereby drive employers out of town.

I think it’s fair and reasonable to expect elected officials to whom we pay six-figure salaries to listen to people’s concerns, and to explain the reasons for their decisions.

Zine could have said, for example, that, while he understoond and sympathized with the increased traffic the project would create, he believes that the jobs the project would create make it good for the city as a whole, especially in a recession.

That’s a far cry from “mo money, case closed.”

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Dennis Zine Writes In With Comments Regarding Costco

Dennis Zine writes in a comment to the “Done Deal” post:

Recent reports in the media have raised some issues over the proposed Westfield Village Project. Let me clarify a few things; while the prospect of a Costco coming to the Westfield development is pending, the deal has not been finalized. Westfield, the owner of the property has proposed several development concepts from residential to commercial for the parcel of land stretching from Victory Blvd. to the Promenade. Having said that, I have been working with Costco for a few years to determine a suitable location for a store to be established in the West San Fernando Valley to make it convenient for residents in the area to shop. Costco ultimately determines the demand for one of their stores at a particular location. It is also my understanding that the current Costco in my district is anticipated to close and that will leave the Southwest Valley without any Costco. This development is in the very early stages and all of the specifics including the architectural details, a traffic plan, and environmental impacts are to be determined. Nothing will be set in stone without an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in addition to a full review by the relevant City Departments, the City Planning Commission, the Planning & Land Use Management Committee, and the full City Council. When a draft EIR is released, a public comment period follows, and subsequently, every single concern is addressed. I am supportive of the concept of a Costco because of the job creation and much-needed tax dollars it will bring to the area, but there will be several opportunities for residents to voice their opinions on this matter so we can ensure a sound plan for the community. As the Councilman for the district, my obligation is to provide economic vitality, and in that endeavor, I will continue to promote opportunities for job creation and a robust economy for residents in my district.

Mr. Zine, so the question I pose to you, is what sites in Woodland Hills and the west SFV were considered and why were those rejected?  What about sites just for the Costco that are not Westfield owned?  How much empty office space is already in Warner Center?  Does it need more?  Why do we care if Westfield develops that site at all costs?  Wasn’t Catalina Yacht’s property a consideration?  Seems like a Costco would be better suited there?  I’d like to see more real discussion involving the community on this.  That’s my goal, I am not even anti-Costco, I just feel consideration needs to be made to the long term interest and not the rush to develop anything at all just so something is developed.

Note: It appears Zine’s comment is a cut-and-paste of a retort from his weekly newsletter.

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