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Property And Neighborhood Description Assessment Report
APN: Â 5108021026

Taylor Arneson

03-04-05
The Concerned Citizen of South Central Los Angeles
(CCSCLA) is a 501(c)3 with a dedication to social and
economic justice, affordable housing and environmental
change. They have made much progress since 1985, during
the height of Regan era oppression. In the early 1900’s
they acquired 4 buildings for affordable housing. Another
was completed in 1999 and the newest, Mount Zion Towers, a
senior housing project 4827 S. Central Ave.

The neighborhood surrounding this area is not the most
inviting. It consists of mostly dilapidated houses, liquor
stores/markets, auto repair shops and factories and
warehouses east of the Long Beach train tracks in
neighboring village Vernon. Vernon has been a fully
industrial city since 1905, with it’s own fire, police and
health department. They also boast some of the lowest
electrical and water rates in all of California. And on an
empty lot next to the Food Bank, a community garden was
built in 1992. Anyone can apply for a plot, but there is a
waiting list, and nine dollars a month stipend for water
use. Vegetables are grown almost exclusively here, along
with other “exotic”, difficult to find foreign produce.
There is an excellent sense of community in the garden,
which is the largest in the state at 13.66 acres and
currently is in litigation.

After walking by the CCSCLA office on Central I couldn’t
help but notice the DWP (Sempra Energy) payment center,
with Spanish speaking only salespersons outside giving low-
income electricity applications. Which was good, but I
wonder if they get as good of a deal as the business in
Vernon. It should be noted that Sempra Energy settled a
lawsuit with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for
a whopping 7.2 million dollars to “put the issue behind
them” said a spokesperson. But corruption at the city’s
utilities are not by any means a new problem, they are, in
fact, embedded into the founding principals. But these
corruptions may have been amplified by privatizations, and
may be fair again some day with some kind of re-regulation.

While 136 properties in zip code 90011 are
affordable housing at risk conversion, yet there are still
many homeless and mentally ill people meandering the
streets. But even Beverly Hills, where some of the
wealthiest people on the planet live within blocks of
homeless people, they have no affordable housing in any of
KNLA database in a search of zip code 90210. In Venice
beach where I live there are only 16 units, and while
there may be less people, we still command a large
transient population for our size and geographic nature.
But the median income when compared to places on the
Westside is staggering. The amount of work that south
central citizens have accomplished with such limited
resources should not only embarrass the Westside, but
serve as a model for them to follow.

While the South Cental corridor has a great sense of
community in many ways, but it lacks open space and
pedestrian oriented districts. It has no historic
preservation, which is probably a good thing in light of
how that has been used in neighboring areas to
evict “undesirable” tenants from inhabiting homes that
they may have lived for along time. In short, there is an
abundance of affordable housing in the area, but still
much more is needed. A more poignant awnser needs to be
develeloped to address some of the people that the
afforadble housing complex may have overlooked. The un
employed, mentally disabled, sick and homeless that still
seem to increasing despite all the money spent on public
relation costs to show they have improved. I think some of
the emergency measures established in the municipal city
planning codes chapter 1 articles 4-6 need to be employed
in serving the immeadiate needs of the transient community
in Los Angeles. Especially in southern california where
winter weather has ussually been mild until this year in
comparison to other US cities. Cities with considerable
challenges including weather have combat these issues much
more sucessfully, while Los Angeles county should be at
the forefront with the largest homeless population in the
US, with a major focus on some of the southern areas.
Delete It

Journal # 4 Mayoral Housing

Los Angeles' new mayor is Antonio Villaraigosa, a well known city councilman, and former mayor Jim Hahn, who's father was also mayor lost, being the first incumbant in 30 years to loose a re election. When Hahn was elected, he promised 100 million dollars to an affordable housing project. Three years later, the amount quietly dwindled to 20 million. Many say the money was misused to build a brand new emergency homeless shelter, a practice that began in the 1980's and has continued, but has done almost nothing to curb the quickly rising homeless population. While many realize that the homeless problem will not be solved with homeless shelters band aid approach, it will do what people are most concerned about, taking the homeless out of public visability, while the very real prblem of affordable, permannemt housing remains unsolved. Hahn was scrutinized at the debates not only for his involvement in a public relations fiasco where the city was overcharged millions, but also with his long track record of failed affordable housing projects spearheaded by James Acevedo, the volunteer chairman of the Neighborhood Empowerment and Economic Development Inc. At this point they seem to owe the city atleast 3 million dollars, probably much more. Antonio has a decent track record with the city council, (he was the only member to vote against phase 2 of the Playa Vista project due to the lack of affordable housing and other community benifits. Villaraigosa supports both inclusionary zoning (requiring developers to build affordable housing as part of their projects) and increasing the funding for the city’s affordable-housing trust fund. Although Hahn was also optimistic at the begining of his term in the afforable housing arena, I feel that Villaraigosa will be more effective, or atleast appear so. Either way, the two mayoral candidates do not seem to have any housing problem themselves.

Journal # 3 domevillage = justiceville

dome justice
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Dome Village is a home to about 30 people near Golden Ave and the 110 freeway, on a parking lot. 21 dome shelters were erected as a "temporary shelter" that has served the Los Angeles transient community for the last 12 years. The goal of the site is to "create affordable transitional housing which is non threating to the chronic homeless person and to the neighborhood". The village has many activities to offer like cricket team Homiez and the Popz which has traveled to England to play with Prince Charles. The founder, Ted Hayes has also created a Computer Education Center, Urban Farm and Orchard, Skate Programs, Art Programs and Occupational Business Services.

The Dome Village also Known as Justiceville, has hosted and partnered with other excellent groups like Domestice Peace Force Community Vollunteers, helped to organize the National Homeless plan. Justiceville points out that one must fight the causes of homelessness at all levels, some percieved to be more of a direct threat than others, like soaring land prices, inflation, veteran health issues, social security problems, unemployment, gentrification, which may all add to the growing amount of homelessness in our community. Dome village is a modest, but superb model of integrating people who were once view as outcasts by themselves and or others into the community in a positive way. The biggest problem is, there are not enough places like this. There should be atleast 1 in every council district, and once the pressure is on those city council members, they will be jumping through hoops to get more of these projects out into the city.


http://www.domevillage.org

complan quiz 1

complan quiz 1
Originally uploaded by taylorone.

Here is quiz number 1. It took me 10 minutes to complete and about three hours to locate.

Journal Entry # 2 : The Struggle for Livable City (SMC)

I went to this lecture on March 3, 2005 instead of going to my World Cultures class, which is a big sacrifice, because I really enjoy that class. The lecture was well worth it. The speaker was a professor by the name of Robert Gottlieb, Professor of Urban Environmental Studies, and Director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College. The lecture was not that long because it was free and more of a promotional tour for his book, but it was nevertheless informative. He began with a short summary of the Los Angeles Socialist Party’s successes and failures in the 1920’s and 30’s. Upton Sinclair was very active in the movement and other historical notables. Gottlieb’s book, which is the same title as the lecture, is now available, published by the University of California Press for $50.00. My book budget is already way over what it should be or else I will buy it, but I will suggest it for the school library. Here is what author Mike Davis said about the book, “This wonderful book, with its evocations of LA's alternative histories, and its bold templates for social and environmental justice, is proof that the American Left is alive and well, especially in Southern California."

Here is a clip from the introduction. “Los Angeles: our country’s worst nightmare, or a model for a changing nation? The nightmare seems easy enough to identify. The first horrific smog attack occurred in Los Angeles, on Black Monday in June 1943. By the 1940s, L.A. had become a segregated "northern" city, the setting for two major outbursts of civil unrest and racial turmoil. It gave birth to Sam Yorty, Ronald Reagan, and a string of police chiefs who took special pride in keeping the city safe from Okies, Mexicans, Blacks, and Reds. Los Angeles was also one of the first cities to embrace a systematic anti-union policy known as the "Open Shop," and was the site of some of the worst abuses of labor during the twentieth century. Huge economic disparities can be found in L.A., including concentrated pockets of wealth and poverty less than a mile apart. It is the land of extremes: mild climates and turbulent floods, asphalt and concrete-encased rivers, endless landscapes of subdivisions, freeways, and malls. For many, Los Angeles is the ultimate urban, social, and environmental disaster.


There were a surprising number of students at the lecture, and many even seemed interested, even if only at a basic level. Several expressed interest in getting involved in “progressive” movements, asking where they could find them. Indeed, finding an organization that can incorporate all of your political beliefs and put plans into actions is a daunting task. Depending on how mainstream your politics are, there can be thousands of groups, clubs, and organizations. On the other hand, there may not be one at all, and one can be created. I still find new groups everyday, and have yet to find one that I can whole-heartedly decide that it matches my ideas. However, I will keep looking until I start my own and after.

Basic Costs Worksheet

TOTAL DEVELOPMENT COSTS

ACQUISITIONS
Land
Buildings
Demolition
LPB/ Asbestos Abatement
Legal
Off site improvements
Subtotal Acquisition
REHABILITATIONS
Site Work
Building Construction Costs
Parking Construciton Costs
General Requirements
Contractor Overhead
Contractor Profit
Subtotal Rehabilitiation Costs
NEW CONSTRUCTION
Site work
Xeriscaping
Permiable Paving
Water Catchment
Retrofitting Plumbing / Electrical
Light Roofing
Insulation
Windows
HVAC
Passive / Active Solar Heating
Building Construction Costs
Parking Construciton Costs
General Requirements
Contractor Overhead
Contractor Profit
Subtotal New Construction Costs
CONSTRUCTION CONTINGENCY COSTS
ARCHITECTURAL FEES
Design and Supervision
Reimbursables
Subtotal Archictectural Costs
OTHER CONSULTANTS
Survey and Engineering Costs
Deputy Inspector
Landscaping Consultants
Capital Needs Assesments
Subtotal Other Consultants
PERMITS AND FEES
Local Developmental Impact Fees
Permit Processing Fees
Subtotal Permits and Fees
ACQUISITION BRIDGE PREDEVELOPMENT FINANCING ACQUISITION
Loan Interest and Fees
Bridge Loan Interest and Fees
Preveleopment Loan and Inerest and Fees
Title and Recording (predevelopment)
Subtotal Acquisition and Predevelopment Financing
CONSTRUCTION FINANCING
Constrction Loan Interest
Original Fee
Credit Enhancement and Aplication Fee
Bond Premium
Insurance
Title and Recording (construction)
Subtotal Constrcution Financing
PERMENANT FINANCING
TCAC Application / Allocation / Monitor Fees
Loan Origination Fee
Credit Enhancement and Aplication Fee
Title and Recording (Permenant)
Subtotal Permenant Financing
LEGAL FEES
Lender Legal Paid by Applicant
Other: Organizational
Other: Syndication
Other: Transaction
Subtotal Legal Fees
RESERVES
Operating Reserves
Replacement Reserves
Subtotal Reserves Costs
SITE REPORTS
Aprasials Costs
Market Study
Soils Report
Environmental Audit
Subtotal Site Reports
SOFT COSTS
Relocation Expenses
Marketing
Furnishings
Accounting
Holdings Costs
Real Estate Taxes
Organizational Costs
Security
Start Up Costs
Subtotal Soft Costs
DEVELOPERS COSTS
Developers Fee
Consultants
Broker Fees Paid by Owner
Construction Managements Oversight
Subtotal Developers Costs

INITIAL YEAR OPPERATING BUDGET
RENTAL EXPENSES
Advertising
Misc Renting Expenses
Subtotal Rental Expenses
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSIVE
Office Salaries, Supplies, Rent
Management Fee
Managers Salary
Legal Expense
Audit Accounting and Bookkeeping
Telephone
Bad Debts
Misc Administrative Expenses
Subtotal Administrative Expenses
UTILITIES
Electricity
Water
Gas
Sewer
Misc Utilities
Subtotal Utilities
OPERATING AND MAINTAINANCE
Janitor Payroll and Supplies
Exterminating Payroll and Supplies
Garbage Removal
Security
Grounds Payroll and Supplies
Repairs Payroll and Supplies
Elevator Maintanance
Decorating Payroll and Supplies
Misc Opperating and Maintanance
Subtotal Maintanance and Opperations
TAXES AND INSURANCE
Payroll Taxes
Misc Taxes, Liscences and Permits
Property and Liability Insurance
Workers Comp, Health Insurance
Misc Taxes and Insurance
Subtotal Taxes and Insurance
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES

Journal # 1 : SMC Sustainability Lecture

Affordable Housing

02-25-05

 

 

Sustainable work program over view

 

            Thursday night I went to a Lecture in the Science Building of Santa Monica College. It was a presentation of 3 people, a young man who works for Santa Monica inspecting water valves in homes and offices. Santa Monica has made a bold commitment to cut water usage in Santa Monica by 20% in 2010. They are working hard to replace many old, wasteful faucets and fittings. Some of the older toilets in the area can flush between 6 and 7 gallon on each flush. Newer toilet systems, and older models that have been retrofitted use around 1.4 gallons with each flush.

 

            The next speaker oversees a new program that was initiated for Santa Monica citizens, and is now expanding to include students at the college. The sustainable works program educates citizens about what they can do in their daily schedule to cut down on environmental harm. The Santa Monica Bay has been ravaged in the past by garbage entering the ocean through the storm drains, in the last 20 years a substantial effort has been made to clean it up. Last year smoking was banned on the beach due to the number of cigarette butts being picked up in the sand by volunteers. Environmental science is filled with alarming facts about how our environment is deteriorating in some areas and coming back to life in others. The largest contribution to environmental harm is human pollution, generated by our wasteful habits. The average North American consumes 8 times as much as a Mexican, and more than 25 times more than an average people living in China.  If only 15% of college students used a mug every day instead of using a foam cup, we would save 1 billion cups every year.

 

            I think a program like this could be helpful at Los Angeles Trade Tech, where we have to make deals with schools in Mexico so we can have our own private trash dump outside of US jurisdiction and regulation. We generate a considerable amount of waste with our automotive, carpentry and culinary program. A comprehensive recycling system could hypothetically save the school thousands of dollars.