From Retired LA City Councilman and State Senator Nate Holden

Admiralty Way Settlement Repair Project –The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has started construction on the Admiralty Way Settlement Repair Project. The Public Works Department gave notice to adopt a Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration and Initial Study.

This means that the County Public Works Department would not provide an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and did not plan to provide a Traffic Mitigation Plan. The Traffic Mitigation Plan was needed. The Public Works Department was well aware of the traffic flow on Admiralty Way.

They knew that residents in this general area (Venice and Los Angeles; north of Washington Blvd via Marina and residents south of Palawan Way) were using Admiralty Way as a Marina bypass to avoid the traffic congestion that existed at the intersection of Washington and Lincoln Blvd.

While the Admiralty Way Street Improvement Project may be necessary, the residents at Marina City Club, for example, were not properly informed of the project nor were we given consideration of the negative impact to our quality of life during the construction period.

At the very least, the Los Angeles County Department at Public Works should have done a Traffic Mitigation Plan either defining how the traffic would flow during the respective phases of construction; i.e., Phase 1, Phase 2 Phase 3.

The Department of Public Works should have given notice to the surrounding residents well in advance as to the impact. That would have allowed them to change their plans as to how they would ingress and egress and comply with the detour signs. Certain lanes and streets will be blocked off at various times.

It is only fair that all residents in this general area should have been notified well in advance which would have allowed for easier flow of traffic.

The consideration that is given to motorists well in advance in reference to freeway construction projects should have been given to the residents in this area. What the Department of Public Works did is nothing less than an affront to residents of the Marina City Club and other nearby residents.

Marina Dock Rehabilitation Project – The U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers, Los Angeles District has given notice that Ms. Karen Seemann of the Essex Property Trust has made an application for a permit to rehabilitate the Marina City Club Parcel 125 Dock.

The project is located in the Marina del Rey Harbor within Marina del Rey. The request is to replace concrete guide piles, floating docks and existing gangways. The existing 323 slips would be replaced with a new 282 slip marina. The existing Marina is currently arranged with 16 docks and 16 gangways. The New Marina will be configured with 15 docks and gangways, two of which would include a long gangway to provide for ADA access. Currently there are 323 slips of various lengths.

The new configuration will provide for 282 slips of various lengths from 36.1 ft. to 38.9 ft. The existing 183 concrete piles which are all 14 inch in diameter will be replaced with 190 concrete piles of various diameters: 99 concrete piles will be 16 inch in diameter and 91 concrete piles will be 20 inch in diameter.

This project is scheduled to be completed within 2 years from the start date. The tentative start date is set for October, 2012.

The applicant has stated that there is no negative impact created by this project. Therefore, a Negative Declaration should be granted. Had we been given adequate notice to state our objection, we could have objected on the basis that the Marina is a Cultural Resource and should be placed on the National Register of Historical Places. A historical placement will prevent major changes in the Marina. As you can see from the photograph, all of the boats at the 3 docks have been cleared away in preparation for the rehabilitation.

The work will commence at the Fantasy Yacht Club on the west and end adjacent to the Ritz Carlton. Initially, residents of the Marina City Club West Tower South will be the most severely affected by the construction and rehabilitation. The noise generated from pile-driving will be excruciating. For those “stay at home residents,” it will be loud and constant ringing in the ears.

As the construction moves from West to East past the Center Tower and the East Tower, the noise level will be the same. In fact, this project will be a nuisance to all residents; in every Tower; North and South.

For that reason, I will ask the Management Council to request the County of Los Angeles to grant some consideration for interrupting the peace and quietness of our lifestyle.

Should the noise become extremely unbearable to senior citizens and to the residents that stay at home, work at home or are retired; you should register your complaints with the Marina City Club Executive Offices.

Those complaints will be presented to Beaches and Harbors and to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.