September Newsbites

***Proposed Cannabis Dispensary***    In previous issues of Newsbites, BAHA alerted the community that an application had been filed with the Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) for a retail cannabis dispensary to be located at 2323 Roscomare Road, site of the old Bel Air Foods market.  In response, BAHA had engaged legal counsel who filed a formal notice of opposition to the application.  Numerous concerned members of our community, along with BAHA, had written strong letters of opposition with cogent reasons as to why this would be such an incompatible land use in our neighborhood.

BAHA is pleased to report that the landlord of the old Bel Air Foods property has informed BAHA that the proposed cannabis dispensary tenant’s lease has been terminated.  The landlord related that due to BAHA’s efforts to mobilize the community against it, the tenant decided that a cannabis dispensary in our neighborhood would not succeed. 

A big thank you goes to BAHA Past President Wendy Morris who played an active role in lobbying against the proposed cannabis dispensary with Councilman Paul Koretz and other City leaders.  Also, a big thank you goes to our BAHA and other community members who wrote strong letters of opposition to the DCR.  It should be noted that the dues from BAHA members helped to pay for legal counsel to oppose the cannabis dispensary in our community.

***Save the Date—October 23***    Please mark your calendars for Sunday, October 23, 2022, from 3:00-5:00 pm, for BAHA’s annual Halloween/Fall Festival.  The festival will be at the Roscomare Park at the southern end of Roscomare Road.  Costumes, games, snacks and light drinks will add enjoyment for the whole family.  Watch for more details in October Newsbites.  We need volunteers to help prepare for this festive occasion.  If you would like to help, please let us know by emailing to [email protected].  Thank you.

 ***Candidate Forums for Council District 5***   The election  to replace termed out Councilman Paul Koretz for Council District 5 (BAHA’s district) is between Sam Yebri and Katy Young Yaroslavsky.  Because the winner will serve our BAHA area, it is important for our residents to be informed about the political views of each candidate.  Please note the upcoming local forums that might be helpful to introduce the candidates to our community:

1.  Milken Community School--Tuesday, September 20, 2022
   7:00PM - 9:00PM.  For more information, and to register and to submit questions, go to:  https://www.milkenschool.org/political-forum
2. UCLA, in partnership with local community organizations, at the Hammer Museum--Wed, Sep 28, 2022, 7:00 PM.  For more information, and to register, go to:   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/candidate-forums-your-vote-our-future-tickets-407083466607

***Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project***   Metro is currently conducting an environmental review of this project which involves six alternative proposals for high-speed transit that would connect the San Fernando Valley and the Westside.  Proposed possibilities include three monorail alternatives and three heavy rail alternatives.  Currently, Metro is conducting field work on Mulholland Drive, west of Longbow Drive, to perform geotechnical boring to gather information on existing soil and rock conditions.  For the same purpose, field work is also being conducted on Beverly Glen Boulevard, south of Viretta Lane.
To obtain information about this project, go to https://www.metro.net/projects/sepulvedacorridor.  To sign up for project updates go to https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/KsXDI8K/MetroSepulveda.

***Roscomare Road Elementary School Opening***   Last month, BAHA sent out a news alert regarding the opening of school and the potential for difficult traffic congestion at drop-off and pick-up times, particularly during the first week.  We mentioned that BAHA had requested LAPD presence during the first week to help with traffic, and we are pleased to report that our Senior Lead Officer, West LA Division, James Allen, stood on Roscomare Road for hours.  As a result, it did appear that traffic moved as safely, and smoothly, as possible.

***Proposed Wildlife Ordinance***    For those of you who have not yet seen BAHA’s letter to City Council Members, City Planning Department, and certain other members of City government, regarding our concerns about the proposed Wildlife Ordinance being applied to Bel Air Hills, it can be viewed on BAHA’s Website at: https://www.baha.la/readpost.php?news_id=716

***Emergency Preparedness Goal of the Month*** BAHA’s Emergency Preparedness Committee’s September goal of the month:  Please be on the alert for smokers in our area.  Hopefully, our residents know how dangerous it is to be smoking outside their homes with so much dry brush around.  The extended drought has only made it worse.  So, if you see a gardener, construction worker, delivery person, visitor, etc. smoking, please ask them politely to extinguish their cigarette due to the extreme fire danger that an ash from their cigarette could cause.  Because we live in an area designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, smoking outside is illegal and can incur fines of up to $1,000.