Please visit our new webpage “Facts About Fox Hills Plaza” which has commonly asked question regarding the new Fox Hills Plaza Development.  All of our answers are direct quotes from the Culver City Development department.  We hope you are able to attend the first Community Outreach Meeting on Thurs., Sept 14th @ 6:30 – 8:30pm 

www.fhnacc.org/plaza

Please click on link for PDF version Community flyer   – 9-14-17 Community Meeting Presentation (Final)

As reported in our last update, HSH proposed “hundreds “of housing units.  Their present plan, as noted above in the meeting announcement, is for 750 units.  The Board contacted Vice Mayor Small requesting his assistance in obtaining specific information regarding building regulations.    The information the Vice Mayor obtained from Sol Blumenfeld of the Community Development Department is as follows:

• Rules for mixed use buildings can be determined as part of the approval process. ( ex: closing times for businesses)
• Parking space requirement per unit: two spaces per unit for 1-2 bedroom units and one guest space for every 4 units.
• The number of parking spaces for businesses is one space/350 sq.ft. ( including employee parking) Restaurants:  one space per 100 sq. ft.
• Density maximum per acre pertaining to people and or units: for mix use project it is 50 units per acre.
• Height limit can only be breached if affordable housing or increased open space is included. Under Culver City mixed use ordinance and “Comprehensive Plan” system density can be increased in exchange for increased parking, increased open space, streetscape improvement ( eg: bike lanes), or any other items approved by City Council.  The net value of these amenities must equal 50% of the profit on the extra units.   HSH is requesting 80 units per acre.  The current density of Fox Hills is 80 units per acre.
• Items that could be included as part of the approval process are ones that the FHNA board requested when speaking with HSH. They are as follows: 

1. Driveways on Green Valley Circle (one coming from the Plaza and one coming from Westfield on Fox Hills Drive on the opposite side of the street) need to be aligned with a traffic light and crosswalk.  Because the driveways are not aligned and there is no traffic signal, nor crosswalk or RIGHT TURN ONLY signs, there have been and continue to be numerous accidents.  In addition the benefit of having these driveways aligned will make for a more direct route from the Plaza to the 90 Freeway.
2. Crosswalk installation across Bristol going from Doverwood  Street to the  Plaza
3. ALL of Fox Hills be notified of the community meetings pertaining to this Plaza project and will be requesting that such notifications occur.   As we understand it, only those within a 1000 feet perimeter are required to be notified. This project is too important to all of us in Fox Hills for that limitation.  

Our main focus is to provide the Fox Hills community with accurate information that will enable citizens to participate in meaningful ways in decisions greatly impacting our neighborhood.    The process will be a long one and we want to get in on the “ground floor” of this process!!!    The 750 units is extremely large and we have serious concerns about its effects on traffic and parking congestion and a lack of desired retail businesses.  There are options to such a development and it is in all of our best interests to voice our input as to what they are and that we are not perceived as being just against development, which is not the case at all.   Over recent years suggestions such as cafes, a market, a wine bar and a place for local talent to perform have been suggested as well as keeping the service oriented businesses such as CVS. 

As City Council is keenly aware, Fox Hills already has the highest density of housing in Culver City. We expect our elected officials to be advocates for reasonable, not exponential growth in our neighborhood. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Attend the meeting on September 14^th and voice your suggested options to what is being proposed.
• Share your suggested options and strategy ideas with the Fox Hills Neighborhood Association at aboutfoxhills@yahoo.com
• Email the City Council (culvercity.org) to express your perspectives to include what you feel should be at the Plaza when it is developed.

Mayor Jeff Cooper – Jeffrey.cooper@culvercity.org

Vice Mayor Thomas Small – Thomas.Small@culvercity.org

Councilmember Meghan Salhi-Wells- Meghan.Sahli-Wells@culvercity.org

Councilmember Jim Clarke- Jim.Clarke@culvercity.org

Councilmember Goran Eriksson- Goran.Eriksson@culvercity.org

• Attend City Council and Planning Commission meetings to have your voice heard.  

The Board will keep you all posted on the latest developments and encourage you to visit us on our website and social media!  Together we can make a difference!!!

Thank you. 

       Fox Hills Neighborhood Association

The Fox Hills Neighborhood  Association invites you to attend a FREE

Disaster Resiliency Workshop

SATURDAY, JULY 29, 2017

2:30pm to 3:30pm

Fire Station #3, 6030 Bristol Pkwy, Culver City

(Metered parking available on Uplander & Hannum or it’s a nice walk!)

PLEASE RSVP TO: aboutfoxhills@yahoo.com

“Speed Training”

Table 1            Hands-only CPR – Culver City Fire Department

Table 2            Disaster Prep – Christine Parra, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Culver City Fire Dept.

Table 3            First Aid – Stephanie Benjamin from CERT, Emergency Management/Preparedness Specialist

Table 4            CERT, gas/utility shut-offs

Table 5            Fox Hills Neighborhood Watch

Take a tour of our newest fire station

Lots of great information and insight on how to keep your family safe WHEN the “big one” strikes.

Letter from Gabe Garcia, Culver Traffic Engineer regarding reason for postponement:

Hello, everyone.

At a Weekly Development Meeting with the City Manager, several department heads, and staff, I presented the concepts of the bike lanes on Buckingham Parkway and on Green Valley Circle, as well as the reduction to one traffic lane in each direction on a segment of Green Valley Circle, where there are currently two lanes, plus the creation of new parking where there currently isn’t any parking.  I informed the group that I have been working with the Fox Hills Neighborhood Association board, and that we had planned a community meeting for Thursday, July 20^th, at 7 pm, to present the project, inform residents and businesses in the Fox Hills neighborhood, answer questions, and receive input.

During our discussion, the Community Development Department informed the group that their Reimagine Fox Hills project will have a milestone about a month from now, when 25 business property owners will elect to contribute or not, $10,000 towards the development of plans for the Reimagine Fox Hills concept.  I was directed to postpone our community meeting to a future date, after this milestone.  There are two scenarios for postponement:

1.    If the 25 business property owners DO NOT contribute towards the development of the plans by the end of July, or so, then the Reimagine Fox Hills concept WILL NOT proceed.  In this case, our community meeting can be held subsequently; or

2.    If the 25 business property owners DO contribute towards the development of the plans by the end of July, or so, then the Reimagine Fox Hills concept WILL have plans developed.  In this case, it may be determined early on during the plan development for the Reimagine concept, that our plan for new bike lanes, lane reduction on Green Valley Circle, and new additional parking align well with the Reimagine concept, and we may proceed with our community meeting at that time; OR it may be determined that our plan will need to be evaluated in the context of plan development for the Reimagine concept, and we may need to wait until the conclusion of the plan development, about one year out.

To summarize, we need to postpone our community meeting either approximately one month or approximately one year out, depending on the above.  Please share this information with those who have heard about the community meeting from you.  When the community meeting has been rescheduled, I will continue to coordinate with the Fox Hill Neighborhood Association board, and will mail out written notices to the entire Fox Hills Neighborhood, including residents, property owners, and business owners.

Thank you, Fox Hills Neighborhood board, for your help; I look forward to continuing our work together.

Gabe

We had our best turn out ever this year to our 14th Annual Park Cleanup Event.  We want to thank Patrick Reynolds (Culver City Parks Manager), Gary, Thomas Small (Culver City Vice Mayor), Jim Clark (Culver City Council Member), the Helpful Honda Guys, and all of our neighbors who came.  Our volunteers planted Juniper plants, weeded and helped clean up trash in the park.  It was great meeting new neighbors and bringing the community together.  Check out our Photos section to see more pictures.

MAY 4 2017  4pm

BOARD MEMBERS PHONE CALL WITH GABE:  R. Bayley, L. Johnson, J. Sherman, D. Wallace

Plan for the traffic lanes/bicycle lanes on GVC and Buckingham Parkway 35% completed with plans to complete it by May 8^th and proceed to present to City Council for approval on or around June 12^th.

The plan is as follows:

• On GVC from Bristol to Buckingham Parkway traffic lanes will be reduced to one lane from two with an addition of bicycle lane and a buffer lane. There will be an 8′ parking lane/ 5′ bicycle lane, 4′ buffer lane, 10′ driving lane in each direction and middle lane.  Having a reduction to one driving lane is a traffic calming measure as people tend to decrease their speed on a narrower road.
• On Buckingham Parkway , bike lanes and buffer lanes will be added in each direction.
• There will be a resurfacing seal placed in these areas to strengthen the road and since it is tar, it will be darker resulting in more of a contrast with the roads’ white stripes.
• Addition of 4 speed feedback signals to be located on GVC to Buckingham and from Buckingham to Bristol.
• Three to six months after these changes are made; there will be a speed study, which hopefully will yield results showing a reduction of car speeds.  If there is a reduction then the speed limits will be lowered to 25 mph.

• High visibility white strips will be painted across several intersections to include Doverwood across Doverwood, GVC across Bristol (already a light there),  across Fox Hills Driveway leading into Westfield,  Buckingham across Hannum,  Centinela right hand turn lane and Canterbury across Canterbury near GVC.
• As a result of the decrease in traffic lanes there will be 60 new parking spaces created on GVC (from Buckingham Parkway to Bristol).

1. Garcia is planning to hold a community meeting to discuss all these plans! TBA

• “The Bad News”: Continued delays in putting in a signal Crosswalk from Doverwood across Bristol.  Neighbors have been consistently asking for a signal crosswalk at this intersection for a very long time.  Yet another traffic study was done at that area. The California criteria for getting a signal or stop sign is 300 cars passing through over each hour for an 8 hour time period which was not reached.  That criteria is a high bar to reach and when asked about it being so high, Gabe explained that there is another local criteria used by LA that has a lower criteria.  To implement that criteria takes more staff, which he does not have.  He suggested urging our City Council to budget for more staff. He stated that the 2017-2018 budget does not include a staff item …. the proposed budget is being presented by each city department on May 30^th at 4pm at City   I plan to be there to urge this additional item.  I am not sure when the budget is finally approved so I urge you all to communicate with City Council. 

ALSO:

CITY COUNCIL MEETING:  MAY 30^TH AT 7PM:

ATTEND OR SEND WRITTEN COMMENTS  (SUBMIT WRITTEN ONES BY 4PM)

OTHER: 

• Repaving of Hannum due to building construction:  Gabe will follow-up with Matt Gaspar of the Engineering Division as to who/when will do the repaving.

Mark your calendar it’s our “Annual Fox Hills Park Clean-up”

• When: Sat. June 10th  9:30am – Noon
• Where:  Fox Hills Park (meet at the park benches by the playground)
• What else: Come help plant or clean up the park.  Pizza lunch will be provided after.  If you would like to bring travel toiletries we will be donating them to the Culver City Homeless Commission

park cleanup flyer 2017

May is Bike Month!  Learn about the activities going on this month. – link

Congratulations to Summer McBride!!  She was recently appointed to Culver City School Board Member. 

McBride said she was looking forward to working collaboratively with the current board and superintendent to establish policies and procedures to guide district actions while representing the interests of the district’s diverse community, recently ranked the fourth most diverse in the United States.

 

To learn more read – link