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Spring
2008 |
Vol
2, Issue 1 |
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Assemblymember
Mike
Feuer
42nd
District |
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Welcome
to my "spring district projects & events"
newsletter! |
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In
this edition you will find information on the status of major
transportation projects in Los
Angeles,
as well as general updates and details on some of the projects
I have undertaken locally.
Usually
I discuss my legislation in my newsletters as well, but there
is so much happening locally that I'll send along a separate
newsletter devoted exclusively to my bills in about a
week. Please contact my office at (310) 285-5490
or (818) 902-0521 if you would like any further information,
have questions or concerns, or if we can provide you any
assistance with State agencies. For additional updates
and more information, please visit my website.
Sincerely,
Mike
Feuer
Assemblymember, 42nd District
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This
Week: UCLA Legislative
Summit
to Focus on
Nanotechnology |
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Carbon
Nanotube |
On
April 25, I will be hosting an event entitled "The Future of
Nanotechnology - a Legislative Summit," organized by my office
in collaboration with UCLA's Office of the Vice Chancellor for
Research (OVCR) and the California Nanosystems Institute
(CNSI).
Nanotechnology
- the science of "shrinking" particles - is one of
California's
fastest growing industries, with exciting implications for
medicine, computer tech, building materials, health and
safety,
cosmetics/skin care, and apparel. New discoveries,
research, and products based on nanotechnology are developing
at lightning speed. Unfortunately we are behind the
curve in assessing nanomaterials' potential environmental and
health implications. This summit is the first step for
stakeholders from industry, government, research institutes
and environmental groups to discuss responsible ways to foster
nanotechnology while protecting public health and the
environment.
This
event is free to the public and I encourage you to join us at
UCLA's California NanoSystems Institute Theater,
8am-12pm
April 25. You can RSVP online here. |
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TRANSPORTATION
PROJECTS UPDATE |
405
Final Environmental Impact Report
(FEIR)
In
mid-March, Caltrans made its FEIR for the 405 Sepulveda Pass
HOV Land Project available for public review. More than 1000
CDs were distributed to homeowners and businesses that could
be affected by the project, and hard copies are available in
libraries. At over 1000 pages it is a very long but relatively
easy read. After reviewing and responding to hundreds of
public comments, Caltrans chose the Locally Preferred
Alternative - Alternative 2.
Alternative
2 provides for only a northbound HOV lane, requiring widening
of the freeway primarily on the east side between
Montana
Ave.
and Moraga
Drive,
from Getty
Center Drive
to the northbound Getty
Center
off-ramp. Some widening would take place on the west side of
the freeway between Olympic Blvd. and Waterford
Street
and between Bel Air Crest to the north end of the project, "in
order to establish southbound design standards." (FEIR Vol. 1,
pg. 6, S-4.2)
Specifically,
Alternative 2:
- Completes
the carpool lane on the northbound 405 freeway between
National and the 101 Ventura
Freeway.
- Adds a
quarter mile lane southbound under the 405/10 interchange.
- Reconfigures
both the north- and southbound Wilshire
Blvd.
interchange to eliminate weaving and ease the flow of
traffic.
Realigns portions of Sepulveda
Blvd.
- Adds
lanes to the Sunset Blvd. bridge and ramps.
- Reconfigures
the Getty
Center
interchange to improve safety.
- Moves
the Skirball
Center Drive ramp
south to avoid the current tie-up with two light signals in
close proximity.
- Replaces
the Mulholland
Drive
Bridge over
the 405 to accommodate the additional northbound
lane.
Due
to the expected widening of the 405 northbound lanes to
accommodate the HOV lane, Caltrans engineers and designers
were unable to save seven homes in the neighborhood adjacent
to the Valley Vista offramp from the 405. These homeowners
have been contacted by Caltrans and are awaiting offers for
their properties. Alternative 2 leaves Brentwood Glen
intact.
Many
of you worked long and hard to ensure that this project would
have as little impact as possible on the communities in the
area, while alleviating some of the excruciating congestion
that burdens all of us. Our office arranged many meetings with
homeowners, homeowner association leaders, Caltrans and LADOT
staff to seek modifications to project plans, and I especially
appreciate that extensive and constructive input. I will
continue to work to ensure that communication lines remain
open during the construction process.
For
more information, go to http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/resources/envdocs/
and click on 2008-02-20 Interstate 405 Sepulveda Pass Widening
Project Final Environmental Impact Report.
Metro
Long
Range
Transportation Plan
Metro's
Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) looks ahead about 20-25
years to determine transportation options for the county's
residents.
The
Draft 2008 LRTP will update changes that have occurred since
the 2001 LRTP, including growth patterns, the latest technical
assumptions, climate change issues, and the substantial
shortage of transportation funding in today's
environment. It will also make recommendations on
transportation projects that can be implemented through 2030,
and other projects that could be funded if new revenue sources
become available.
Community
meetings have been scheduled since the release of the Draft
LRTP in mid-March. The remaining meeting near our district
will be held THIS WEDNESDAY,
April 23, 2008
at 6
pm,
at the San
Fernando Valley
Marvin
Braude
Constituent
Service
Center,
Room 1B, located at 6262
Van Nuys Blvd.
in Van Nuys. Comments on the Draft LRTP are due on
April
25, 2008.
For more information, see Metro's website at: http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/lrtp_meetings.htm
Construction
continues on the Phase 1 of Expo Line. The contractor is
securing the right-of-way and preparing for utility relocation
and improvements between 7th
Street
and Vermont
Ave.
All but two grade crossings have been approved by the
California Public Utilites Commission, and officials from the
Construction Authority are hopeful that they will be resolved
by the summer. A Project Status Update will take place from
6:30
- 8:00 p.m.
on Tuesday,
April 29, 2008
at the Culver
City
Senior
Center,
located at 4095
Overland Ave.
Expo
Phase 2 is currently in the early stages of the environmental
planning process. Public scoping meetings have been held to
help the Construction Authority evaluate and narrow the range
of potential alignments, modes, and mitigation measures, among
other issues. A draft Environmental Impact Report
(EIR) should be available for public comment in Fall
2008. Over the next year, Authority staff and the
environmental consultant will work closely with the
communities along the Phase 2 corridor and will conduct
regular meetings during the planning process. For more
information, go to http://www.buildexpo.org/ and click on Phase
1 and/or Phase 2 on the bar across the top of the
page.
The
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is
proposing various alternatives to improve the connector from
the southbound San
Diego
freeway to the westbound Ventura Freeway. Caltrans describes
the project as a new, upgraded 50 mph two-lane connector that
would replace the existing 20 mph single-lane connector. The
proposed project would require taking some public property
from the US Army Corps of Engineers near Sepulveda Dam.
California
and federal laws require that Caltrans study the effects that
the proposed project may have on the environment and the
community. These studies and results are contained in the
Draft EIR, which is now available to the public in CD form
from Caltrans (call Mr. Eduardo Aguilar at (213) 897-8492) or
in hard copies at local libraries. Comments on the Draft
Environmental Impact Report are due May
28, 2008.
In addition, there will be a public hearing on design features
of the project before the final design alternative is chosen.
The public hearing will be held on Wednesday
May 14, 2008
from 5:30-8:30
p.m.
at Valley Beth Shalom, located at 15739
Ventura Blvd.,
Encino. From further information, go to http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/resources/envdocs/docs/405_EAIS_Draft_041608_final.pdf |
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HOLLYWOOD:
Protecting the Hollywood
Sign |
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In
response to recent reports of potential development plans for
Cahuenga
Peak
- the land adjacent to the Hollywood Sign - I was pleased to
join Los Angeles Councilmember Tom LaBonge in strongly
opposing this project and calling for this land to come under
public ownership. Development of this nearby land, which
has remained untouched for 85 years, would alter both the view
and identity of the Hollywood Sign, an iconic
Los
Angeles
landmark. Click here to read
my full letter. |
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HOLLYWOOD:
Park Needed at Ivar & Franklin |
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Last
year many members of the Hollywood
community contacted me concerning a vacant acre
parcel at Ivar and Franklin. At the time, this
land, owned by the California Department of Transportation,
was deemed excess property and was slated to be sold at a
public auction. At the request of the community and
Councilmember LaBonge, I intervened to stop the auction and
explore whether it would be possible for the land to be
acquired for public use. While the City of
Los
Angeles
was unable to acquire the land, I was pleased that the Santa
Monica Mountains Conservancy has put forward half the $162,100
purchase price, using Proposition 84 funds. As a
participant on the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy board, I
advocated strongly for this funding. I look forward to
continuing to partner with the community to identify
additional funds so this land can provide much needed park
space. |
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WEST
HOLLYWOOD:
Department of Motor Vehicle Office Opens New Field
Office |
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In
April, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
dedicated its newest field office at 936
North Formosa Blvd.,
in West
Hollywood.
The energy-efficient facility is a blast from the past with a
cool 1950s design. Refurbishing a 1946 service garage, the
contractors utilized the abundance of day lighting already
streaming through the building to minimize the need for
electricity. Other aspects of energy conservation
efforts include state of the art heating and cooling equipment
as well as a "cool roof" that deflects 70 percent of radiant
sun energy. The 14,656 square foot office is open, and
its 21 employees will serve 200,000 customers annually.
Please call (800)777-0133 for more information.
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VALLEY
VILLAGE:
Time for Sound Walls |
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In
March, I sent a letter to Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)
CEO Roger Snoble requesting that MTA fund the design study
needed for the four sound walls planned for the 170 Freeway
through Valley
Village.
The letter follows my phone conversation with Mr. Snoble last
year, in which I urged the MTA to take action to build those
walls.
It
has been literally decades since Valley
Village
residents were first promised that sound walls would be built
to shield their neighborhood from the noisy 170 freeway.
Today the projects are part of "Package 11" - the next set of
sound walls slated for MTA funding - but as yet the MTA has
not allocated the resources needed to move
forward.
Valley
Village
has waited long enough for these projects. In addition
to noise, this area is frequently the scene of fatal accidents
when moving vehicles plummet over the side of the
freeway. My letter can be viewed online
here.
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STUDIO
CITY:
Resident Pegi Matsuda Named 42nd Assembly District's Woman of
the Year |
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Assemblymember Feuer, Pegi
Matsuda, and Speaker-Elect Karen
Bass |
Every
year both houses of the State Capitol celebrate the Woman of
the Year Awards, honoring outstanding women from each of
California's
legislative districts.
This
year I was pleased to name San Fernando Valley Business
Journal Publisher Pegi Matsuda as the 42nd Assembly District
Woman of the Year. Pegi was recognized in the State
Capitol at a ceremony in March.
In
addition to publishing the SFV Business Journal, Pegi serves
on boards at VICA, Woodbury
University,
West
Hills
Hospital,
and the Valley
Economic
Development
Center.
She lives in Studio
City
with her partner Larry and their two dogs. She is well
known throughout the community for her civic activism, her
promotion of business success stories, and her generous, warm
spirit. It was a joy to get to know her and share
thoughts about the Valley and where our community is headed
during the day in Sacramento.
I
was proud to recognize Pegi and the other 2008 Women of the
Year. Their contributions to our state are immeasurable,
and they serve as an inspiration to us
all. |
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Help
For LAUSD Teachers |
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In
February we learned that some 3,400 LAUSD teachers may have
received faulty W2 forms as a result of the district's payroll
system malfunction. To ensure that teachers would not be
penalized for the district's errors, my office contacted
representatives from the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)to inquire how filers should
proceed.
Both
FTB and the IRS told us that teachers should file based on
their W2 forms. If subsequently they are alerted to
errors by the district, they should send amended returns as
soon as possible. Because this falls under a "reasonable
cause exception," teachers will not be assessed additional
penalties for doing so.
In
addition, I have spoken with a top district official and the
president of the teacher's union to explore other ways to
protect teachers from bearing any burden caused by the
district's payroll errors.
Teachers
or other taxpayers requiring additional information can
contact the Franchise Tax Board's Taxpayer's Assistance Office
at (800) 852-5711. |
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