February Newsbite

***BAHA's Annual Membership Drive***  Membership renewal notices have been mailed to each residence in the BAHA area and email notices have also be sent to all residents for whom we have email addresses.  Please read our membership letter and invitation to renew your membership or to join BAHA for a modest membership fee, so that we can continue to work on behalf of our neighborhood.  Simply complete the membership form and mail with your check to BAHA, 2337 Roscomare Road #2-228, Los Angeles, CA 90077, or go to our website at https://www.baha.la, and click on “Join BAHA.”  The website also contains more information about BAHA and how it serves the Bel Air Hills community.  Please join, knowing that your membership is needed and that your participation on a committee and board level is welcomed.  Thank you.

***Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project***  Newsbites has  been informing our community about the Metro proposals for improving transportation between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside of Los Angeles (including LAX and the UCLA campus).  In other words, how to improve the massive congestion on the 405 Freeway between these two locations.  Three of the proposals involve a monorail along the 405, and three involve tunneling under Bel Air (and other areas).  So you can see how these proposals could have a significant impact on our neighborhood.  It is therefore incumbent on all of our residents to understand what is being proposed and how the proposals will impact Bel Air Hills.  Basic information on each proposal can be reviewed at https://thesource.metro.net/2021/11/30/public-comment-period-begins-today-for-sepulveda-transit-corridor-environmental-study-here-are-the-six-alternatives/.  At the present time, Metro is only taking comments on the environmental impacts of the proposals.  The public is encouraged to submit thoughts and comments about the alternatives, as well as to identify issues that may need to be addressed in the environmental review.  Comments can be submitted to [email protected], and the deadline for these comments is February 11.  However, following that deadline for environmental concerns, you are encouraged to let Metro know how you feel about their proposals.

***Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers***  Since 1998 the use of gas-powered leaf blowers has been illegal in the City of Los Angeles. However, like many things, enforcement of this law has been “spotty”.  Electric is quieter and less polluting so if residents would consider asking their gardeners to switch from gas to electric or battery-powered leaf blowers, we would have less noise, dust, and chemical pollution in our neighborhood.  In 2024, sales of gas-powered leaf blowers will become illegal in California, but there is no reason why the transition couldn’t start now.  Please consider asking your gardener to buy and use an electric/battery-powered leaf blower.  Maybe even consider helping them with some funds to buy one if that would be possible for you.  For more information, see https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-12-09/california-regulators-phaseout-new-gas-powered-lawnmowers-and-leaf-blowers.

***Wildlife Pilot Study - Revised***  Newsbites has previously alerted the community to the proposed Ridgeline Protection Ordinance and the proposed Wildlife Ordinance, both of which could have significant impacts on Bel Air Hills.  The City Planning Department has now decided to combine these two proposed ordinances into one, called the Wildlife Pilot Study.  Since Bel Air Hills is included in the Wildlife Pilot Study zone, it is important for all of our residents to be aware of this proposed Wildlife Pilot Study (to be released in Spring, 2022) and to make any of your concerns known.  According to the Planning Department, “The Wildlife Pilot Study is a proposed ordinance that introduces development regulations aimed at protecting and preserving Los Angeles’s natural resources, habitats, and ecosystems”.  While this seems to be a worthy goal, be aware that some development regulations could have detrimental impacts on existing and future developments and improvements.    Go to https://planning.lacity.org/plans-policies/wildlife-pilot-study for more information.

***SB 9 and SB 10 Reminder***  In the November, 2021 Newsbites, we stated that, if you believe that these bills are not the solution to the housing problem and that local jurisdictions should control their own development, here is a link to support a petition for an initiative to appear on next year’s ballot that would roll back the effects of SB 9 and SB 10.  https://ourneighborhoodvoices.com.

***Emergency Preparedness Goal of the Month***  BAHA’s Emergency Preparedness Committee will recommend a preparedness goal each month.  February’s goal is to remove any pictures/paintings or other heavy hanging items from above any beds in your home.