Yo! Venice 6.26.2020

YO!

VENICE www.yovenice.com

June 26 – July 30, 2020

Planning Commission Approves Lincoln Apartments Despite Community Pushback

By Toi Creel

The Lincoln Apartments, a 40-unit supportive housing project proposed in Venice, has full support from the City Planning Commission after being rejected by the Venice Neighborhood Council.

On Thursday, May 28, City of Los Angeles Planning Commission voted a unanimous yes for the project proposed by Venice Community Housing (VCH) and Safe Place for Youth (SPY). The project now needs to be approved by Los Angeles Council as a whole.

Despite the Planning Commission’s support for the project, the development has had many critics.

The Venice Neighborhood Council voted

against the project citing the following concerns: proximity to a school and church, criminal complaints from SPY’s drop-in center for homeless youth and cost.

“To ignore ‘home rule’ and the wishes of those most impacted is a slap in the face to every Venice resident,” said Nick Antonicello. “If Venice was its own city and municipality, the local planning and zoning would be decided by Venetians appointed by an all-Venice, Mayor and Council.”

Yo! Venice did reach out to Venice Community Housing’s Director of Development Myrna Bohan. We did not receive a response before this article was published.

Photo: Venice Community Housing

A rendering of the Lincoln Apartments.

Schwarzenegger Skips Venice Gold’s Gym Workout Over Face Mask Policy Gyms in Los Angeles County reopen

By Sam Catanzaro Bodybuilder and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger skipped a workout at Gold Gym’s in Venice over the gym’s face mask policy.

On Tuesday, June 16 Schwarzenegger–a longtime Gold’s member–arrived at Gold’s Gym in Venice to film a workout video for social media but left when he found out members aren’t required to wear masks.

Gyms in Los Angeles County reopened on Friday, June 12 with safety measures in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

As reported by TMZ, when Schwarzenegger arrived at the front desk he was informed members needed to wear masks when they entered and when in certain common areas, but they are not required to wear masks while working out.

Other rules include checking patrons’ temperatures and limiting capacity to 50 percent. In addition, machines sanitized

Schwarzenegger, See page 6

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Photo: Gold’s Gym (Facebook)

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Second Victim Dies in Venice CVS Shooting

Double homicide occurs at Lincoln Boulevard CVS Monday night

By Sam Catanzaro

A second victim has died following a shooting at a Venice CVS parking lot Monday night.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) on June 22 around 9:10 p.m., a double homicide occurred in the 100 block of Lincoln Boulevard.

Officers responded to an Ambulance Shooting radio call. Upon arrival, officers located two male adult victims with gunshot wounds.

“Preliminary investigation revealed both victims were standing in a parking lot when an unknown suspect approached them on foot and fired multiple rounds, striking both victims,” the LAPD said in a news release. “It is unknown if this incident is gang-related.”

Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded and pronounced one victim dead at scene. The other victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

According to the LAPD, the suspect fled the scene north on Lincoln Boulevard.

Venice 311 has reported that the suspect fled with an additional suspect in a fourdoor gold Lexus or Toyota Camry.

Officials described one suspect as a Black male around 6 feet tall and weighing around 200 pounds, wearing a blue sweatshirt, according to KTLA. No description was available for the second suspect.

Photo: Citizen App

The scene of a Venice shooting Monday night.

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VNC Considers COVID Impacts, Restaurant Relief, Speed Bumps at June Board Meeting

By Angela McGregor The June 16th meeting of the Venice Neighborhood Council’s Board of Officers (agenda) opened in memory of George Floyd and “all the other people of color whose lives have been tragically lost”.

Guest speaker Pastor Marvis Davis, of the New Bethel Baptist Church, described his parish as a “place of peace and safety”, and ruminated on recent events -- both the public demonstrations and global pandemic -- which illustrated how much “all lives truly do matter, equally”. He went on to speak about the recent crime against his church, in which an individual (who the Pastor deemed “no doubt had mental health issues”) smashed four of the church’s 70-year-old stained glass windows. But the community “turned a hate crime into a love demonstration” with a GoFundMe campaign organized by Venice Philanthropist Heidi Roberts which quickly raised over $3500 to replace the windows.

The two newest VNC At Large Officers -- Vicki Halliday and Soledad Ursua -- were sworn in over Zoom. Board members Charles Rials and Theresa White were not present.

Nisa Kove -- a former VNC Board member and now Venice Field Representative to Mike Bonin’s office -- reported that the

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Photo: Getty Images

Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice.

VCHC/SPY affordable housing project, the

Lincoln Apartments, which the VNC Board rejected unanimously at their last meeting and which has since been approved by City Planning -- will likely be appealed, and that the Councilman has not yet weighed in on the project. Members of the Board peppered her with questions regarding the City Council’s motion earlier in the day which proposes to remove police officers from the Bridge Home facility on Main Street, until Board President Ira Koslow insisted that such an interrogation was against the rules, and, in any event, Ms. Kove did not come prepared to answer their questions.

Discussion around a motion brought to the Parking and Transportation Committee by the community calling for speed bumps on “high traffic streets” that have recently been repaved -- the “alley streets” like Clubhouse Court between Pacific and Speedway -- quickly centered on Speedway’s many traffic-related faults, including frequent wrong way drivers due to poor signage and speeding. The Board moved to send the motion back to committee for further clarification and greater emphasis on Speedway’s failings.

Two subsequent motions both dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic response’s impact on local businesses, both retail and restaurant.

Motion 16B would have the VNC send a letter to City government expressing support for the City’s proposed Al Fresco Program wherein restaurants and retail could be allowed to use parking spaces for outdoor dining. Public commenters were wary of the motion, concerned with the loss of already scarce parking spaces. The motion’s author, Jim Murez, stated that the VNC’s approval for the temporary program would merely

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give the city permission to try it for 3 months, after which the VNC would have opportunity to renew it. Board commentary focused on the devastating impacts of the recent quarantine, and the need for the Board to do everything it can to support local businesses. The motion passed in a 9-7-2 vote.

The next motion recommended the VNC send a letter to Department of Public Works, Street Services division, recommending they expand the “Slow Streets” program to allow for commercial street closures on weekends, with approval of 60 percent of occupants of the affected streets -- specifically, Abbot Kinney between Venice & Brooks, Rose between 7th Avenue and Main Street and Windward Circle. Public commentary focused on the possibility that this measure could extend the unpopular “Road Diets” the city has been implementing to discourage automobile usage in and around Venice, potentially permanently, according to the Slow Streets FAQ. Jim Murez, the motion’s author, stated the motion was intended to be temporary, and would merely allow those who live and own businesses on the mixeduse streets listed to weigh in on whether or not they wanted to implement the measure, and how. Additional Board commentary questioned whether closing these streets would, in fact benefit businesses given the lack of accessibility and parking that would ensue. The motion ultimately failed, 7-9-2.

In 2009, the VNC drafted a letter to the City requesting active enforcement of the City’s ordinance forbidding off-leash dogs in Oakwood Park. Eleven years later, with no such enforcement occurring, the VNC approved a nearly identical motion requesting the LAPD actively enforce that ordinance.

Public commentary was universally in favor of the motion, citing numerous instances of residents, including children and leashed dogs, being terrorized by dog fights in the park. Board commentary was equally in favor.

It was noted that there is a legal, off-leash dog park at Westminster which is currently being renovated under the auspices of the VNC’s ad-hoc Venice Dog Park committee, and that the LAPD appears to have no compunctions about enforcing leash laws on and around the Venice Boardwalk. The motion passed unanimously.

Also passed unanimously was a motion brought by the Parking and Transportation Committee calling for the prioritization of Venice Blvd. west of Lincoln for reconstruction and repaving -- something that has not been done since 1992.

The meeting ended at about 11pm. The next meeting of the VNC Board of Officers will be held online on Tuesday, July 21st at 7pm.

June 26 – July 30, 2020

Virtual Groundbreaking for Venice Affordable Housing

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A rendering of the Rose Apartments.

Venice Community Housing’s Rose Apartment’s

By Sam Catanzaro

Earlier this month there was a virtual groundbreaking for a 34-unit affordable housing project planned for Venice.

On Thursday, June 18 Venice Community Housing (VCH) hosted a Zoom groundbreaking for the Rose Apartments project. At the groundbreaking, Executive Director Becky Dennison, the VCH housing team and current tenants and students will share their experiences with the organization.

With the Rose Apartments VCH is redeveloping what is currently their administrative offices at 718-720 Rose Avenue into the Rose Avenue Apartments.

While bringing VCH new office space on the first floor, the centerpiece of this project is the inclusion of permanent supportive housing for 34 formerly homeless households. 50 percent of the housing would be for transitional aged youth, and 50 percent would be for those who have experienced chronic homelessness.

“Rose Apartments will help VCH continue to address the overwhelming need for permanent supportive housing for people who are experiencing homelessness or

June 26 – July 30, 2020

Photo: Courtesy

chronic homelessness, especially for those on the Westside of LA, one of the regions most under-served by permanent supportive housing development,” VCH writes on their website.

The proposal, designed by architecture firm Brooks + Scarpa, includes four onebedroom units, 30 studio units, a large recreation room a laundry room, offices for supportive services and other staff and an open courtyard with greenery. Initial plans called for 2,573 square feet of office space but has been reduced to 1,885 square feet to incorporate all of the 17 required parking spaces onsite. In addition, VCH will continue to lease the seven parking spaces from Whole Foods across the street the organization has been renting since 2002.

The project was discussed by the Venice community during the December, 2019 Venice Neighborhood Council meeting.

Supporters of the project spoke about the urgent need for youth housing in Venice, pointing out that over the past 20 years there has been no new affordable housing built in the area despite the gentrification that has occurred. Opponents expressed frustration that VCH has not consulted with nearby residents about the development while also raising concern about insufficient parking.

Before voting on the proposal, the VNC discussed points from both supporters and opponents before approving the project with a 9-4-1 vote.

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Palmdale Man Arrested for Attempted Murder of Police in Venice While officers were holding the perimeter Gabriel Estrada in response to the shooting, a police SUV was hit by bullets. According to the LAPD, officers faces five counts of observed the same Jeep in the area right before the second shooting before spotting it fleeing at speed after the shooting. attempted murder a high Robbery Homicide Division (RHD)

By Sam Catanzaro

A Palmdale man has been arrested for the attempted murder of a police officer in Venice this month.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), on May 31, between 4 and 6:30 p.m., two shooting incidents occurred at Pacific Division officers. The shootings, which took place on Lincoln Boulevard between Rose and Machado streets, both involved a black Jeep pictured above.

The first incident occurred around 4:15 p.m. when a female officer sustained a bullet ricochet injury to the foot. The Jeep seen in the photo above was spotted driving past the scene as the officer was shot.

detectives assumed investigative responsibility and were able to locate video of the suspects’ vehicle and distribute a crime alert bulletin containing a picture of the actual vehicle.

On June 3, 2020, at 8:45 p.m., uniform officers assigned to the Safe LA detail in the downtown area observed a Jeep, matching the description of the wanted vehicle, driving amongst the protesters, according to the LAPD. The vehicle was stopped by the Street Racing Task Force and the occupants of the vehicle were detained. RHD detectives responded and interviewed the individuals.

Suspect Gabriel Estrada, age 28 and resident of Palmdale, was later booked for the attempted murder, according to the LAPD. The case was presented to the CAPOS Division of the District Attorney Office. On

A Jeep police believe to be involved in a shooting of a police officer in Venice last week.

June 5, 2020, five counts of attempted murder were filed on Estrada. The fifth count was filed

Photo: LAPD

for the victim standing with officers at the time of the shooting.

Venice Family Clinic Resuming In-Person Appointments

By Staff Writer

Venice Family Clinic has announced that it is resuming in-person appointments for routine health care after relying on telehealth for the vast majority of its consultations since Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the March 19 stay-at-home order to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

“While we have been incredibly successful in expanding our telehealth service to provide comprehensive care, we want our patients to know they can safely return to Venice Family Clinic to get the type of care that can only be provided in person, such as vision care, vaccinations and well-child visits. This also includes in-person assessments for chronic diseases, such as heart failure and advanced kidney disease,” said Dr. Despina Kayichian, Venice Family Clinic chief medical officer. “We don’t want patients to further delay vaccinations and the other in-person care they need because delays could put their health at risk.”

The Clinic, nonprofit community health center that serves nearly 28,000 people in need, has adopted new precautions to protect patients’ and staff’s health and safety, including requiring temperature checks before entering its sites, face coverings for all patients and staff and at least six feet of separation from non-household members while in the waiting rooms or other shared patient areas. The Clinic

Schwarzenegger, from page 1 throughout the day and the gym closes for an hour each afternoon for deep cleaning. A separate outdoor space is also available for guests who feel more safe working out in the fresh air.

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has also established traffic patterns inside and outside its clinics to accommodate COVID-19 physical distancing requirements, and it has increased disinfection and sanitation of frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs and counter tops. Patients believed to be infected with COVID-19 will be kept apart from other patients, as will any other patients with potentially contagious diseases.

“Our top priority is the health and safety of our patients and our staff,” said Kayichian. “I applaud our team of health care professionals for quickly adapting to the use of telephones for consulting with patients at the outset of the pandemic so that they could continue to provide high-quality, comprehensive care. We will continue to use telehealth for services that can be easily conducted over the phone.”

The Clinic had used telehealth in the past to help patients managing chronic diseases – such as diabetes and high-blood pressure – to monitor their health. It expanded its use of telehealth after the agencies that administer Medicare, which provides insurance coverage to people age 65 or older, and Medi-Cal, which provides insurance coverage to low-income Californians, announced in March that they would reimburse health care providers for telehealth visits during the pandemic. Several private insurers subsequently announced similar policies. Telehealth currently accounts for 76% of the Clinic’s billable appointments.

But neither Medicare nor Medi-Cal, which provides coverage for one in three Californians, has said they will continue to pay for telehealth services when the emergency ends. Venice Family Clinic is urging the federal and state governments to make a commitment now to continue to reimburse for telehealth services after the public health emergency ends because these services help expand health care access for people in need.

“Many of the patients we serve have limited transportation options and may have to take several buses to get to a clinic site,” said Kayichian. “They frequently work in jobs with limited or no sick leave, so they may have to give up all or part of a day’s pay to see a doctor.

A virtual visit saves them time and money, and it increases the health care system’s capacity to see more patients by freeing up exam rooms and other clinic space.”

In a statement, Adam Zeitsiff, Gold’s Gym President & CEO told Yo! Venice that they respect Schwarzenegger’s decision.

“We love Arnold and completely respect his decision. We know that where to go and what to do as the country reopens is an important personal decision that everyone must make for themselves. For the safety

of our members and team members who are comfortable returning to the gym, we’ve implemented a comprehensive, phased reopening plan with extensive sanitation, safety and physical distancing protocols in accordance with federal, state and local regulations. In accordance with Los Angeles County guidelines, at Gold’s Gym Venice

members are required to wear face masks when entering and exiting the gym. All team members are required to wear gloves and face masks as part of these protocols, and while we don’t require for members to wear face masks during their workout, we absolutely strongly encourage it,” Zeitsiff said.

Photo: Courtesy Venice Family Clinic

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June 26 – July 30, 2020

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Please support your local communities during this difficult time.

Together we will get through this.

Until then, please stay home and stay safe!

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