Parkview Village

If the Land Use Element Plan (LUE) is passed by the City Council on March 6, 2018, it will allow developers to build with a streamlined permit process that is not subject to local control or approval. Bruce DeMille and Corliss Lee are correct. Senate Bill 35 is effective from Jan. 1, 2018. No matter what residents are assured verbally, the fact is that the property in question may be built to full capacity, with the possibility of extra floors being added on top of the maximum LUE numbers, per the already in place Density Bonus Law and with zero required parking. The adverse effects on the neighborhood could be tremendous.

Efraim should apologize to Ms. Lee for saying she has a “low caliber of understanding.” Ms. Lee and I have worked on this issue together and she understands it very well. A statement like this only makes me wonder if we can trust the other things Efaim is saying.

Janet West

 

As a 24-year resident of Lakewood Village, I strongly urge you to not deviate from the current LUE recommendation of two-story commercial to mixed use residential for Parkview Village.

I attended both “visioning sessions” held by Benjamin Efraim, who owns approximately 52 percent of the Parkview Village property. According to Efraim’s vision, he wants to put in up to 240 living residences above the first story commercial units. He claims that it will be less crowded than if he goes with two-level commercial. That is a ridiculous statement.

If he puts in residential, he will only have to put in one parking spot for every unit, where will all the rest of the cars park? The answer is simple, on the surrounding residential streets. He says if he is forced to remain commercial, he will build two parking structures facing Montair and Greenmeadow Avenues. He claims that he has support for his plan from the neighborhood. That statement is totally untrue.

Not one person out of the close to 100 that I have come into contact with is for this plan. He has tried to scare residents by saying if it remains commercial, he would seek a “big box” to move to the property. We are not scared by that statement. Additionally, the upgrade to existing utilities would have to be massive for the city, with little in return as tax revenue.

Lakewood Village is a great area and people enjoy the peaceful lifestyle it provides. With the prospect of 500 more people crammed into four acres, that lifestyle will be changed forever. We will be faced with more traffic on our streets, less available parking to an already parking challenged neighborhood, more crime, more noise and a strain on city services.

This is purely a money grab by Efraim as he doesn’t live in the village or Long Beach. Please help preserve the character of an 80-year-old neighborhood and deny Efraim’s request to change the zoning.

Bob Bergman

 

The Parkview Village Draft Master Plan proposed two-story structures along residential streets.

Three-story structures were proposed along Viking Way & Bellflower and along Viking Way & Carson. Such “loss of privacy” assumptions are not accurate as stated.

Ben Efraim

 

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