Politics & Government

Draft City Council Redistricting Maps Rankle Rosendahl

Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl is asking constituents to sign a petition opposing newly drawn City Council boundaries that remove parts of Playa Vista and Westchester from his 11th Council District.

The Los Angeles City Redistricting Commission on Wednesday released draft maps of newly redrawn City Council boundaries as part of a redistricting process that drastically altered some districts and drew protests from council members.

Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl on Wednesday blasted out an email criticizing the draft maps for "lopping most of Westchester and part of Playa Vista" from his 11th Council district into another.

Rosendahl urged his constituents to sign a petition rejecting the draft map in order to keep the Westside coastal district intact. He also urged them to attend a public hearing before the Redistricting Commission on Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Westchester Recreation Center, 7000 W. Manchester Ave. in Westchester.

Rosendahl said his 11th District had about 10,000 too many residents, but the commission has suggested "amputating the bulk of Westchester and part of Playa Vista from the rest of our district," instead of trimming along the edges. The councilman noted that the draft map would divide communities that share a neighborhood council, a chamber of commerce and a community plan area. He also criticized separating Westchester from Los Angeles International Airport.

"Westchester, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, and LAX are inextricably linked, sharing a neighborhood council, a community plan area, and a chamber of commerce. We need to keep the 11th District whole and intact!," Rosendahl said in a message on the petition page.

Seven public hearings will be held from Feb. 1 to Feb. 11 over the draft maps. (See attached.)

Elsewhere in Los Angeles, some of the more significant changes in the proposed maps include:

  • Tom LaBonge's Council District 4 would represent more Valley communities than before. The district would no longer include the Toluca Lake/North Hollywood area and it would gain Sherman Oaks, Encino and Lake Balboa, which are currently part of Councilman Paul Koretz's council district 5. LaBonge would also lose the Miracle Mile and Hancock Park areas, giving his district a much larger focus on the Valley. LaBonge said in a statement that the map "fractures the community of Hollywood among three Council districts and dissolves the "historic core" of the district in the Miracle Mile, Larchmont Village, Windsor Square, Pan Pacific Park and Park La Brea."
  • Paul Koretz's Council District 5 would no longer include the Valley and he would gain the Miracle Mile and Hancock Park neighborhoods. He voiced displeasure at the possibility of losing his Valley territory. "I enjoy the areas I’ve represented. I have an excellent relationship with the community groups there," Koretz told the Los Angeles Times.
  • Paul Krekorian, whose Council District 2 already includes a large chunk of North Hollywood, would now cover the NoHo Arts District and Toluca Lake. 
  • In downtown Los Angeles, Councilman Jose Huizar's District 14 would represent the majority of the area and Jan Perry's District 9 would hold on to only the Staples Center and L.A. Live.

Community members now have five week for public comment. Final boundaries must be approved by the commission on March 1 and then will need approval from the council.

Find out what's happening in Marina Del Reywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Correction: The location and address of the Feb. 2 publich hearing before the redistricting commission has been corrected Jan. 26, 2012. City documents and officials provided incorrect information.


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