December Newsbites

***Winter Lights Celebration—December 8th - 3pm to 5pm***  We are looking forward to seeing many of our neighbors at BAHA’s annual Winter Lights Celebration, happening Sunday, December 8th  from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Roscomare Circle Park (south end of Roscomare Road). There will be fun activities for the kids, refreshments for all, and good conversations with your neighbors. It’s a festive time of the year, so plan to join us on Sunday! All residents of Bel Air Hills are invited, regardless of membership in BAHA. (And if you would like to help with setup or cleanup, please let us know at [email protected])

***Wildlife Ordinance Update #1***  Due to BAHA’s and our residents’ dissatisfaction with our Council District’s November 20th Town Hall on the Wildlife Ordinance (more on that below), the BAHA Board has voted to hold our own Wildlife Ordinance Town Hall, which our Councilwoman, Katy Yaroslavsky has agreed to attend via Zoom. The date has yet to be set, but if you have skills that may be useful in the preparation and production of such a Town Hall - such as in graphic design, Powerpoint-type presentations, or a good understanding of the Wildlife Ordinance and/or the Los Angeles Zoning Code (we have one such person but could use more!) - and are willing to help, please email BAHA at [email protected] .

***Wildlife Ordinance Update #2***  Representatives from Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky’s office have also agreed to a meeting the week of December 16th with BAHA’s President regarding our questions, concerns, and suggestions for improvement to the Wildlife Ordinance.  If you have questions, concerns or suggestions you would like raised at this meeting, please email them to [email protected].

***Wildlife Ordinance Update #3***  Our Council District, CD5, held an “informational virtual town hall” on the Wildlife Ordinance on November 20. BAHA’s President attended the Town Hall and submitted detailed questions, as did other members of our neighborhood, and afterwards some gave their feedback on the Town Hall to BAHA. Basically, the consensus was that while the Council District and LA Planning expressed a more open attitude and willingness to listen to stakeholder’s concerns than in the past, the presenters failed to address the “hard questions” and soft-pedaled the consequences of the Wildlife Ordinance to residents and homeowners. Hence the plans for BAHA to hold its own Town Hall, and to meet with Council District representatives, as detailed above.

***Crime Reporting***  On November 14, Jim McDonnell was sworn in as Los Angeles’s new Chief of Police and he is urging citizens to report all crimes to LAPD. McDonnell said, “encouraging people who are victims of crime to come forward and report that crime gives us a better ability to deploy resources and form strategies to deal with those issues.” He added: “It may drive up our crime numbers, but it gives us a more realistic picture of what we’re dealing with.” He noted that people may not have been reporting crimes due to a perception that nothing meaningful would be done, and prosecutors had not been charging low level crimes. However, recent changes in state law and the Los Angeles prosecutor’s office should be helpful. 

For non-emergencies, contact the LAPD non-emergency number at 1-877-ASK-LAPD (1-877-275-5273) or visit LAPD’s website, and, of course, for true emergencies, call 911.

Speaking of crime, it’s a busy time of year for package thieves.  Don’t make their “jobs” easier by leaving your packages out in the open.  Sign up for notifications so you know when your packages are being delivered and bring them inside promptly. When possible, chose a day and time for deliveries when you know someone will be home, and if that is not possible you can rent a mailbox at the Bel Air Mailroom at 2337 Roscomare Road and have your packages delivered there, regardless of the size mailbox you rent.  (And BAHA members get a 15% discount on mailbox rentals and more!) 

***Metro’s Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project Update***  Metro has been working on the Draft Environmental Impact Report and expect it to be ready early next year. The report will be available for public comment and review for at least 60 days. Meanwhile, Metro has indicated that a series of short information modules about the project have been developed, with the first module providing an overview of the project and current status. It can be viewed here: Sepulveda Transit Corridor Module #1 on Vimeo.  

For complete information, visit Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project - LA Metro.

***Graffiti—Mulholland and Roscomare***  Many of you may have noticed the graffiti on the “Mulholland” street sign directly above the Mulholland Drive traffic signal facing Roscomare Road. This has already been reported to the City multiple times, and follow-up emails have been sent to the Bureau of Street Services. If you still notice the graffiti when approaching Mulholland Drive from Roscomare Road, please call 311 and make a report. Multiple repeat reports may finally get the graffiti removed. Thank you.    

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***Happy Holidays***  However you celebrate the holidays during December, the Board of Directors of Bel Air Hills Association wishes all our members and the entire community, a wonderful, safe and joyous celebration, followed by a happy, healthy and prosperous 2025!  

We hope you will not only enjoy the winter lights at the Roscomare Circle Park, but that you will also enjoy the many beautiful decorations and lights that residents put on their homes as you drive or walk through our neighborhood streets.