February Newsbites

***BAHA’s Annual Membership Drive  ***  BAHA is in the middle of its annual membership drive.  Membership letters have been mailed to all residents and with the hope that they will be read.  Please respond to this once-a-year drive and renew your membership or become a new member.  Remember, strong membership numbers enable BAHA to provide more services, support, activities, and to be a louder voice for government services.   Much information about BAHA can be found on our website at https://www.baha.la/.   BAHA is here for you.  Please join!

If you like being aware of important community and City issues, are interested in meeting dedicated BAHA members, and wish to protect the unique quaintness of our BAHA neighborhood, please consider getting involved and joining one of BAHA’s committees.  Let us hear from you at [email protected].  Thanks.

***Wildlife Ordinance ***  Last month’s Newbites noted that more information on this important matter would be forthcoming.  We should have an update for you in the March Newsbites.

***Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project***  The January issue of Newsbites provided information about open houses in January held by Metro which were to focus on potential station locations and how to access this future transit system.  Metro has now made available, (1) video recordings of those presentations and (2) material that was presented at the open houses, as follows:
 

The three open houses focused on potential station and entrances locations for all six alternatives. This allowed participants to understand how riders might access the future transit system. Our new StoryMap was featured, providing opportunities for the public to engage and ask questions of Metro staff and the design teams. Whether you attended these events or not, please review information about station location considerations and spend some time with the Station Location StoryMap so you can understand the proposed station and entrance locations and share your thoughts with us. The online feedback form can be accessed here.

 Materials that were shared at the open houses can be found below:  

The video recordings of the virtual open house will be posted in English and Spanish to Metro's YouTube channel and linked to the website and general StoryMap. We will send an email with those links once they are available. 
For additional information, please visit the general and station location StoryMaps and the project website.

Once again, to sign up for project updates, go to https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/KsXDI8K/MetroSepulveda.

***Police Crime Prevention and Safety Fair***  The West Los Angeles Division of LAPD is holding a Crime Prevention and Safety Fair February 25, 2023, from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm at the West LA station, 1663 Butler Ave.  For complete information go to https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/l0b6vg7r0pj8ss1kiieza/LAPD-WLA-CRIME-PREVENTION-SAFETY-FAIR-02252023.docx?dl=0&rlkey=28epk1erdvl9jy7b31sbg0p1m 

***Email Addresses are Important***  BAHA communicates with our neighborhood primarily through email.  We do this with the monthly Newsbites, and periodically, with BAHA News Alerts.  These communications often contain important information for our area, and Newsbites unites our community.  So, thank you for sharing your email addresses and please encourage your neighbors, whether or not they are BAHA members, to do the same.  Email addresses should be sent to [email protected], together with the street address (for accurate data entry).   Thank you.

***Senderos Canyon*** This beautiful 260 acre property (formerly known as Hoag Canyon) is currently being auctioned with bids starting at $39 million.  Bidding will end on March 15, 2023.  If you believe that this pristine open space area should be preserved as such, and not developed, please let our Council member know by emailing Dylan Sittig <[email protected]>, and please “cc” us at [email protected].  You might want to first read this article in the Los Angeles Times:  https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-25/a-huge-chunk-of-bel-air-is-going-up-for-auction.***Party Houses*** The recent tragedy in Benedict Canyon once again brings the party house problem to the forefront.  The residence where the shooting occurred was being rented on a short term basis at the time when a “party/gathering” resulted in serious criminal activity.  For more information about the incident, see https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-28/la-me-shooting-benedict-canyon.  This is a concerning problem for our neighborhoods.  Unfortunately, there is lax enforcement against these parties by the City.  The Bel Air Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council suggests that now is a good time to inform our new Mayor that short term rental and party house enforcement are priorities for local residents in our communities.   The Doheny Sunset Plaza Neighborhood Association has created an advocacy action site where concerns can be voiced and heard.  Here’s the link to their site:  https://secure.everyaction.com/64B4Q2oUxk2GikC4vODZgA2.