Dear Friend:
Where do you do your holiday shopping? If you're like me, you strive to buy local as much as possible. My favorites are the wonderful small businesses peppered throughout Council District 2 neighborhoods. But it's no secret that the East Valley could use more options when it comes to larger shopping centers.
Just a few decades ago, we had more options. From the 1950s to the early 1980s, Laurel Plaza and Valley Plaza malls were the epicenter of East Valley retail and commercial activity. They boasted a variety of shops, movie theaters, a beloved ice rink and plenty of food options. Since the Northridge Earthquake devastated the Valley in 1994, however, both properties have really struggled, ceasing to exist as we previously knew them.
Throughout the down years, the surrounding community has demanded that we eliminate the blighted properties and bring in something that would revitalize the neighborhood instead.
The need became even more urgent when Macy's -- the lone retail operator at Laurel Plaza for years -- shuttered its doors this fall. I'm exceedingly happy to report that we are now one huge step closer to getting a project on the site that will transform the area for the better.
This week, the City Council officially approved NOHO West, a fantastic mixed-use project on the old Laurel Plaza site that will bring 327,850 square feet of new restaurants, vibrant shops, movie theaters, a grocery store, a fitness center and much more to the East Valley.
NOHO West will also create 244,150 square feet of new, state-of-the-art office space to support hundreds of high-paying entertainment and tech jobs. To make the project economically feasible, and to bring new families to the area, it will include 642 units of housing. NOHO West will provide a near-perfect balance of commercial energy and residential opportunity.
Getting here was a long road, but I am proud of my work with the community and the developer to make the project the success that it is today. Because of my insistence that NOHO West be tailored to meet the needs of the local community, I was able to win positive changes for the neighborhood, including on size, aesthetics, traffic, parking, landscaping and more. I got the developer to lower the amount of housing by 100 units (almost 15 percent less than the original proposal, and almost 40 percent less than what is allowed by law); increase open space, green space and landscaping; reduce the project's height; and add nearly 30,000 square feet of additional commercial space.
I strongly believe that NOHO West achieves all the objectives that the community has wanted for so long. In fact, I couldn't have hoped for a more ideal project for this site.
Soon, my family and yours will be enjoying a multitude of new shopping and entertainment options at NOHO West. These options will boost the economic vitality of the East Valley and the city as a whole. With more places to shop locally, more tax dollars will be spent here, which will go back into neighborhoods by helping to fund our police and fire departments, along with street repairs, tree trimming and other vital community services.
Since I joined the City Council in January 2010, I have continually emphasized the successful redevelopment of Laurel Plaza and the adjacent Valley Plaza as my top economic development priorities. NOHO West achieves one of those priorities and is a project that, I believe, will serve as a catalyst for accomplishing the other.
I hope you are as excited as I am to see NOHO West win the city's approval. Stay tuned for updates and information as the next phases of the project begin. Read more about NOHO West and see more color renderings here:
www.nohowest.com
Very truly yours,
Councilmember Paul Krekorian, District 2
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LA Moves to Restrict Mansionization
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 LOS ANGELES - The City Council voted 13-0 to instruct the City Attorney to amend the city's Baseline Mansionization Ordinance (BMO) and Baseline Hillside Ordinance (BHO). Once drafted and adopted, the new rules will impact single-family homes on lots that are less than 7,500 square feet. Homes on these properties are currently allowed to have floor areas that are up to 60 percent of the lot size, but under the amendment would be reduced to 45 percent. The council also moved to eliminate provisions that have allowed homebuilders to obtain additional square footage for their projects and to put new limits on homes built on hillsides.
In 2008, Los Angeles passed the BMO, but many neighborhoods felt it did not go far enough and left too many loopholes for developers to exploit. Councilmember Krekorian agreed and has worked since he took office in 2010 to limit mansionization in Council District 2. During his first two years on the City Council, he worked with Studio City residents to come up with building rules for the community that helped protect its unique character. In 2015, the City Council followed Councilmember Krekorian's lead and took steps to safeguard other neighborhoods, as Krekorian moved to protect Valley Village.
Throughout his time in office, Councilmember Krekorian has also urged a more restrictive plan to limit mansionization citywide. The new BMO and BHO rules are a necessary step in that direction.
After the amendment is drafted by the City Attorney's office, it will go to the City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee for approval before coming back to the Council for a final vote.
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Free Community Legal Aid Clinic for DACA
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LOS ANGELES - On Saturday, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) will offer a free DACA renewal clinic for Dreamers whose permits expire in 2017.
DACA Renewal Clinic
Saturday, Dec. 17, 12 noon to 4 p.m.
CHIRLA Pacoima Office
11243 Glenoaks Blvd.
Pacoima, CA 91331
DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a federal immigration policy that protects eligible immigrant youth who came to the United States when they were children from deportation. Under the policy, eligible participant can also apply for a work permit. The program expires after two years, subject to renewal.
For more information about upcoming legal clinic, visit the event page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/1405256872818099
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Krekorian Gets the Community Connected
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Councilmember Krekorian with LAPD Cadets who received computers. | Photo: CD2
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EAST VALLEY - Last week, Councilmember Krekorian in partnership with the city's Information Technology Agency donated 100 computers to underprivileged families, community organizations and after-school programs to bridge the digital divide.
 As part of the city's OurcycleLA program, the city's technology department works with human-I-T, a local non-profit dedicated to transforming old technology into educational tools for those in need, to refurbish city computers ready to be donated to Angelenos. The city program, which launched last year, hopes to maximize the use of the city's salvage computers while reducing its electronic waste footprint, provide job training to youth and employment opportunities for individuals with high barriers to employment. To date, 2,600 computers have been donated to low-income families and local programs across LA.
The computers donated by Krekorian's office came equipped with Pentium 4 processors or newer hardware, Windows 7 operating system, Microsoft Office suite, Internet browsers and anti-virus software. Recipients also received free WiFi hotspots to extend internet access to families.
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A Safety Upgrade for Valley Village
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Councilmember Krekorian with the LA Dept. of Transportation crew who installed the new signal and crosswalk. | Photo: CD2
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VALLEY VILLAGE - Councilmember Krekorian and community members just flipped the switch to activate a new traffic signal at the corner of Laurel Grove Avenue and Riverside Drive, a vital intersection on the
route to school and temple for those who attend the nearby Temple Beth Hillel.
The signal and the new crosswalk will protect pedestrians at a location where several tragic accidents have occurred in the past.
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Councilmember Krekorian donated 200+ toys to the LAPD North Hollywood Division's holiday drive, benefiting low-income communities in the East Valley. | Photo: CD2
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Members of the City Council gathered to light the menorah in celebration of Hanukkah. | Photo: CD2
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| LAPD officers brought presents and lots of holiday cheer to children at Hazeltine Avenue Elementary School in Van Nuys. | Photo: CD2 |
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| Another clean scene in North Hollywood. City crews cleared this curbside of bulky items and illegal dumping. | Photo: LA Sanitation |
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Operation Blankets of Love Volunteer Orientation Meeting
Sunday, Dec. 18, 11 a.m. to 12 noon
East Valley Shelter
Operation Blankets of Love is looking for volunteers. This community non-profit is looking for animal lovers to provide pet aid and comfort items to homeless animals in shelters, rescue groups and pets of the homeless. Attend the upcoming volunteer orientation meeting at the East Valley Shelter to learn more about how you can get involved. For more information and to RSVP, call (818) 402-6586 or 6586 or obol@obol.info. Visit www.operationblanketsoflove.org to learn more.
Financial Planning for After-Holiday Stress
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library
5211 Tujunga Avenue
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Are you spending too much on holiday gifts? Did you get another credit card because of promotional rates? Join Councilmember Krekorian and Controller Ron Galperin for a financial planning event. For more information, contact (818) 755-7676. For ADA accommodations, call (213) 228-7430 at least 72 hours before the event.
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