Around the County and Region
Brownfields Recycling Funded
A brownfield redevelopment program, called the California Center for Land Recycling, is the first effort in the stale to facilitate the cleanup and reuse of hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of abandoned and contaminated, or "brownfield" sites in California. The program was created by the Trust for Public Land with a three-year, $2 million grant from The James Irvine Foundation.
L.A.'s New $700 Million Bank
The much-heralded Los Angeles Community Development Bank (LACDB) in late July announced its first loan of $700,000 to downtown fashion district manufacturer Trinity Knitworks. Recently-appointed LACDB President Robert Kemp also announced the bank's new headquarters in Los Angeles' Vermont Corridor at 54th and S. Vermont Ave.
The $740-million bank is the result of partnership between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and several commercial banks, and is Los Angeles' consolation prize for failing to win designation as a federal Empowerment Zone in 1994.
LAUSD/Belmont Learning Center Voted Planning Funds By Board
The Los Angeles Board of Education voted in early August, with one abstention, to contract with a private development consortium and to spend $4 million to continue planning a new full-service high school, the first in two decades, in the Temple Beaudry area of downtown Los Angeles. Projected to be completed in three years, this joint venture envisions LAUSD paying for the school and leasing space for housing and stores, which would be built and managed by private companies.
Material Recovery Facilities 'Hot'
The effects of Assembly Bill 939—which requires that by the year 2000 cities reduce the amount of waste going into landfills by 50%—are now being felt. Several southland cities are proposing or constructing materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in an effort to deal with the inexhaustible stream of solid waste and the dwindling capacity of landfills. In Fontana, an MRF is already under construction at a former Kaiser Steel site.
And in a controversial decision, the Pomona City Council recently allowed an MRF on the former General Dynamics site. Unlike landfills, MRF's do not permanently store trash. Rather, the MRF receives trash which is then sorted. Recyclables are captured and the remainder is transported to a landfill.
New Sports Arena MOU—Maybe
Both Inglewood and the City of Los Angeles are competing to reach an agreement with the Kings and Lakers on a new Sports Arena. Don't bet against Downtown Los Angeles.
L.A. County/City Park Bonds
Following a July vote by the L.A. County Supervisors to put a $319-million parks bond on the November ballot, the L.A. City Council also voted to include its own $750 million assessment to acquire and improve parks. The measures are patterned after 1992s Proposition A, a $540 million park bond measure that won 64% of L.A. County voters. Both measures require a majority vote.
California Constitution Revision Commission Recommendations To Be Studied by L.A. County
The L.A. County Economy and Efficiency Commission has been asked by the Board of Supervisors to study the impact of the State Constitution Revision Commission recommendations on local government. The new task force will be co-chaired by former L.A. District Attorney Robert Philibosian and TPR publisher David Abel.
People
There appears to be a management vacuum at the Los Angeles Housing Department. Following Gary Squier'sdeparture in May to work for a year in Washington D.C. (from which he promises to return), Harreld Adams, Ass't. Gen. Manager, left to become the Exec. Director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). Adams recruited Maya Dunne, formerly LAHD's Dir. of the Planning and Policy Unit, and Robin Conerly, LAHD's Finance Officer, to join him at LAHSA. Bob Moncrief left in June to become Housing Manager for the City of Santa Monica. Ann Sewill, who in April took on the post of Assist. Gen. Manager at LAHD, is now the acting Gen. Manager.
Head of Housing Production, Annick Derrick and head of the Neighborhood Preservation Program Solomon Banks—now both share the position of Housing Director.
Steve Andrews, formerly Mgr. of Policy Analysis for the L.A. Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), has been chosen to fill the newly-created Dir./Chief of Strategic Planning under CRA Administrator John Molloy. His hand-picked team includes senior real estate agent David Stolzer, senior finance officer, Kurt Gibbs, and associate planners,Ciran Hadjian and Jeff Carpenter.
The search for the also newly-created CRA Deputy Administrator position is down to five unnamed finalists. The CRA internal reorganization plan, formerly approved in July, is now being implemented. The plan creates units based on geography (by redevelopment areas), rather than by function, as was previously the case.
CRA Planner Ciran Hadjian has been appointed by Mayor William Paparian as a member of the Planning Commission for the City of Pasadena.
Norman King was selected in late June as the new Executive Director of the San Bernardino Associated Government (SANBAG). King has served as the City Manager of Moreno Valley for the past five years, and will replace retiring Executive Director Wesley McDaniel, who has served as SANBAG's founding director since 1973.
Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners, Leland Wong and Carol Rowen were unanimously elected to serve second terms, as President and Vice President, respectively.
TPR Contributing Editor, Clare Bronowski, was appointed by Sup. Yaroslavsky to the Los Angeles Beach Advisory Committee. Bronowski is a land-use attorney with the Century City-based firm of Christensen, White, Miller, Fink, Jacobs, Glaser & Shapiro.
Fonner San Diego County Administrator David Janssen is reputed to be the leading candidate to replace Sally Reed as the new LA County CAO. Also on the list of finalists sent to the Bd. of Supervisors arc San Diego County CFO Robert Booker; Minneapolis, Minn. CAO James Bourey; and Greensboro, N. Carolina, CAO Hector Rivera. Ron Deaton, CLA for the City of L.A. was considered an early front-runner, but withdrew in July after the City Council offered him a substantial pay raise.
Edward Manning has been appointed to the Board of Airport Commissioners for the term ending in 2001, to fill the vacancy created by the expiration of Martha Brown Hicks' term.
Rick Caruso, President of Caruso Affiliated Holdings, was selected by the Los Angeles Business Journal as developer of the year.
Edward Begley was appointed in mid-July to the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy.
Michael Kenny has been named the new Exec. Dir. of the California Air Resources Board. Kenny had served as the Board's general counsel, and will replace James Boyd, who resigned after 15 years with the agency.
In early July, the Board of Zoning Appeals held its annual election of officers. Chris Kezios was appointed Chair, Rob Glushon was appointed Vice Chair, and elected members were
James Acevedo, Christopher Pak and James E. Silcot.
Metro Investment Report contributing Editor Benjamen Reznik was recently honored for his professional accomplishments by the San Fernando Valley Barons. Reznik is a partner in the firm of Reznik & Reznik.
Ira Yellin and Ramon Cortines have been elected trustees of the J. Paul Getty Trust. Yellin is Senior Vice President of Catellus Development Corp., and Cortines is Special Advisor for the Secretary of Education of the U.S. Dept. of Education.
In memorial
Franklin D. Israel, an internationally-recognized architect who worked largely in Southern California, died in June of AIDS. In the six years since his diagnosis, he maintained a diverse practice that included teaching at UCLA.
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