Updated: WAS Community Shocked By Nithya Raman’s Controversial Move To Help Developer - NOW: Our community’s voice was heard
Update from the Editor:
Thanks so much to those of you who made calls, wrote emails and posted on social media. We've succeeded in showing that we want to be a partner in these decisions, and that we expect communication and engagement ahead of any action like this. As you know, we'll keep you updated on this street vacation and other city matters.
Original post is below.
We are gravely disappointed. We should not be treated this way.
We assumed that our new councilmember, Nithya Raman, wouldn't necessarily be on board with all our initiatives. What we didn't know was that she would take action in our neighborhood without consulting DSPNA OR any impacted neighbors.
Since she took office, DSPNA has attempted to engage Councilmember Raman and her team on ways that she can make a positive difference in our neighborhood and in the city by closing loopholes in existing land use legislation. We have been told that we must wait since her staff isn't ready for these legislative conversations yet. Based on her campaign rhetoric, we understood that her efforts to promote equity would be front and center in her legislative work.
Or at least we thought that until today when she made a motion to give our public land to a developer.
A street vacation is when a piece of street is taken out of service and the land is given over to a private property owner. The cost of the land is generally well below the market value.
A street vacation was proposed on a stub of Thrush Way several years ago. This vacation has not moved forward since 2017, probably due to neighbor opposition. Without any warning, Councilmember Raman made a motion to reactivate this street vacation.
Naturally the usefulness of the street to the public is open to debate but what is completely unacceptable is that this action was taken WITHOUT CONSULTING ANYBODY HERE. We had specifically asked her office to discuss any street vacations with us before taking action.
As a neighborhood, we need to question why this owner's issues have led to action when ours have been ignored, and whether decisions about our neighborhood will continue to be made without consulting the neighborhood or even inquiring as to our views.
We need to make sure our Councilmember and her staff know how we feel about this.
Here's what we need you to do:
Call the office and demand to know why this motion (Council File 16-0566, Thrush Way/Street Vacation Proceedings) was put forward without community input and why this is more important than the real land use reform we have proposed to her office. Leave a message at 213-473-7004.
Email [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] demanding to know whether the Councilmember intends to continue to take actions that impact our neighborhood without consulting the neighborhood. Cite the legislation (Council File 16-0566, Thrush Way/Street Vacation Proceedings) and ask why this was such a priority for her office. Let's fill up the inboxes.
If you are active on social media, post on tagging @cd4losangeles and @nithyavraman demanding to know why this developer favor was such a high priority, and why our concerns do not even rate a meeting.
If you receive no answer, email again and call again.
Remind Councilmember Raman that we are her constituents as well.
It's very important that we register our view that we should not be ignored, and that we do so before another incident like this happens.
Let us know at [email protected] that you've taken action.