Sept 13 Palos Verdes Estates Townhall Meeting
Key Discussion - State housing mandate
On the evening of September 13th, several hundred residents of Palos Verdes Estates (PVE) attended a town hall meeting at the Palos Verdes Golf Club regarding a PVE housing element update. At the meeting to answer questions from the attendees were PVE mayor James Roos, councilman Michael Kemps, and a consultant assisting in the draft of the housing element.
The crowd was unanimous in their displeasure with the state government demanding 199 more housing units be built in their city. Especially vociferous were those from the Lunada Bay neighborhood where 55 of the new units are planned. Over two hours numerous individuals voiced their dissatisfaction with the state dictating land use in their city; the lack of tenacity of city leaders in challenging this intrusive policy; the scant publicity citizens were provided by PVE officials regarding the issue and of the meeting; what can be done to thwart this inane policy; and other related things.
PVP Watch feels that this could have occurred in any of the 482 cities in California.
Possible Solutions
Several speakers in the audience made the point that one way to stop ill-conceived laws from being passed is to elect new California state senators and members of the assembly. Finally, one woman when given the microphone stated in a loud frustrated voice, “Stop voting Democrat!”
PVP Watch agrees with the sentiment and frustration of these concerned voters. However, if history is a guide, even though two solutions were mentioned at this boisterous meeting suggesting how to stop Sacramento politicians from controlling our neighborhoods and our lives little, if anything, will be done. Each election cycle the Palos Verdes Peninsula sends legislators to the senate and assembly who proudly vote with the super majorities in both chambers to pass legislation that the governor signs into law. Now these PVE voters realize that they do not like what these legislators, who they elected, are doing. It is that person in the mirror who is responsible for onerous housing element laws and other similar statutes being passed.
The second answer to this dilemma was mentioned by others in the audience, which is putting a California Constitutional Amendment on the ballot…an amendment that returns local control, including zoning, to city halls where it belongs. The evening of the town hall meeting there was an amendment that does exactly that being proposed for the November 2024 ballot. The effort to do this is being made by Our Neighborhood Voices (ONV). The morning of October 20th PVP Watch became aware that ONV is once again deferring its effort, now until 2026. This was reported in the October 19th edition of the Easy Reader News - Local zoning vs. state rules: ballot initiative to wait until 2026. Easy Reader explains that the reason is a disagreement between the state attorney general and the ONV organization.
ONV tried in 2022 and shut down after a few months due to inadequate funding, amongst other reasons. It is expensive to collect almost a million statewide signatures. PVP Watch supports the ONV effort, but fears it continues to be underfunded and does not have the leadership to complete this important task. Go to ourneighborhoodvoices.com to see what ONV is trying to do and if our readers know of someone who can provide the Howard Jarvis-type leadership and finances this task needs, he/she is urged to become involved and help ONV accomplish this important task.
Organizations Supporting Local Control
PVP Watch does not agree with one of the sentiments expressed during the gathering. Some made it sound as if the housing number mandate was only recently determined and suddenly being imposed. This is not the case. Since 1969 California has required all local governments to plan to meet the housing needs Sacramento dictates. It has done this through the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) projections. There have been numerous articles in the media over the years about cities challenging the unrealistic housing numbers the HCD inflicts. Organizations like United Neighbors, Community Catalysts for Local Control, and California Cities for Local Control, are a few of the organizations that inform the public how Sacramento is running roughshod over our neighborhoods. Livable California, is a nonprofit that advocates for empowerment of local governments and hosts Zoom meetings with lecturers like Marc Verville, a Santa Monica native and entertainment executive who logically disputes RHNA housing numbers. All the city councilors of the four Palos Verdes Peninsula cities have spoken, and/or, written in opposition to the RHNA numbers. PVE has a page on its website, Legislative Affairs, that tracks legislation that impacts PVE and indicates what action the city has taken regarding it. The PVP Watch newsletter over the last several months has featured this subject and the dangers it poses on six different occasions.
A Call to Action
There has been an abundance of information available, but most people simply do not listen. Now, figuratively speaking, the carpenters are in PVE nailing next door, and the noise is deafening. We need legislators in Sacramento who will fight for what we have earned and want to preserve. Thomas Jefferson said it best, “The government closest to the people serves the people best.” Local officials live in the communities they serve and are accessible and accountable to their neighbors. The time to let our elected authorities hear our voices is now!
PVP Watch welcomes your comments
We would like to know your position on this issue, actions that the cities and residents should take, and other suggestions you may have. Please send comments to info@pvpwatch.com by clicking this link.