|
Mere words (and e-mails) cannot thank everyone enough for the effort put in to the passage of the San Gabriel/Verdugo Mountains Scenic Preservation Specific Plan on September 18 by unanimous vote of the LA City Council. This was the culmination of nearly 20 years of work by hundreds of people, and it just came into focus during the past two years - really, just the past few days!
Many of you on the CAP mailing list (and the many hundreds more who receive our bulletins from other member organizations) may have been confused by the messages sent out over the past couple of weeks, so you should know that a lot of people have been working tirelessly to ensure that the final wording of the Scenic Plan reflects the goals and objectives of everyone who has a stake in the Plan - and that includes, well, everyone who lives up here, and who cares about our precious scenic resources! The final touches to the Scenic Plan were actually negotiated just one hour before the City Council convened. The best part is, the community was well represented and the right people heard us. Your support turned the tide - the volumes of letters, e-mails, and phone calls to the Council people. Many council members held up the stack of correspondence they received, and commented that they weren't form letters, and really got their attention. We do have a powerful voice!
The City Council met in Lake View Terrace during one of their occasional forays into each Council Member's districts. Wendy Greuel, District 2 Council Member, hosted a fantastic evening that highlighted the community in all it's varied forms. We had a killer barbeque, a poem by our Poet Laureate, a fine original song about Lake View Terrace, recognition of numerous community leaders, and they still had time to take care of business. We even had a Holstein cow to emphasize that we are a rural community!
As so many Council Members commented, we have written a precedent setting scenic plan, that may be the model to emulate for other communities throughout Los Angeles and even the state. Kudos to community involvement! We did it! Thank all of you.
Oh, and by the way, CAP was presented with a certificate of appreciation at the meeting for our community involvement. This recognition was given to all of you! Let us never give up the "good fight". We have made a difference!
The meeting was videotaped and will be shown on the LA City Channel 35. I will let you know what time the meeting will air Sunday night so you can set your VCR's.
Above all, please realize what an accomplishment we have achieved with the passage of an excellent Scenic Preservation Specific Plan that is good for everyone. I'll fill you in on the details later. Thanks again to everyone.
| 