HOLMBY NEWS
August 6, 2021
From the Holmby Westwood Property Owners Association, serving the Holmby Westwood community since 1960.
1. HWPOA Board Meeting – Video Conference
2. Housing Bills – Statewide Town Hall
3. Holmby Westwood Green Team Update
4. LAPD Crime Report
5. Coyote Alert
6. 405 Freeway – Free No Longer?
7. Local Discounts & HWPOA Benefits
8. HWPOA Communication and Ad Policy
9. Resident Ads
10. HWPOA Contact Information
1. HWPOA BOARD MEETING – VIDEO CONFERENCE
On Tuesday, August 10 at 7:30 PM, the HWPOA Board of Directors will hold its monthly meeting. Due to social distancing restrictions, the meeting will be a video-conference held online via Zoom. Please click here to see the agenda.
Members of the community are welcome to join the Zoom call. Please let us know if you plan to attend and we will send you the link to access the video-conference. Email Dana at hwpoa@aol.com.
2. HOUSING BILLS – STATEWIDE TOWN HALL
We received the following information from the Hancock Park HOA. There is a Statewide Town Hall this Saturday, August 7 at 10:00 AM to discuss housing bills SB 9 and SB 10. These bills, which could destroy single family neighborhoods, could be voted on in the near future when the State Assembly returns from their recess later this month. It is important for Californians to express their opposition to these bills before a vote takes place.
Zoom Webinar Registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1ewLTLxoT46aQ5N2nZMgCg
We hope you are able to attend the Zoom Town Hall (see below for details). In addition, please forward this to anyone you know in California.
3. HOLMBY WESTWOOD GREEN TEAM UPDATE
The Holmby Westwood Green Team is addressing issues related to our parkway trees in the HWPOA newsletter. In addition to focusing on our parkway trees, we will address the work of the Green Team, efforts by the City of Los Angeles related to urban trees as well as resources for tree care and maintenance. Please send your questions to Marnie Bodek at mossbodek@msn.com or Allyson Bunting at Allyson.bunting@gmail.com
What kind of progress is the Green Team making?
We have been busy since we wrote to you at the beginning of the year. Here’s an update on our progress:
- Urban Forestry Department
We have established a good working relationship with the City’s Urban Forestry Division. UFD is a Division of Streets LA (formerly known as the Bureau of Street Services). Their responsibilities include determining street tree species and location, inspecting injured and dying street trees, trimming street trees, and overseeing street trees on new development projects.
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Representatives from UFD toured our neighborhood at the beginning of the year. We are now working together and with an arborist to identify replacement trees for Holmby Westwood streets. We are also sharing information about street trees that have been or need to be removed from the parkway.
- Consulting Arborist
At the recommendation of UFD, board Certified Master Arborist, Lisa Smith, was hired to help identify a replacement tree for Manning Avenue. The Brisbane Box tree was selected for this street for a number of reasons: appropriately sized for the parkway, visually compatible with the existing species on the street (crown form, foliage, scale and overall character), disease and pest resistant, drought tolerant, climate compatibility, can be sourced through City Plants, acceptable to the City of Los Angeles and TreePeople, low to medium root damage potential, and limited litter from falling seed pods.
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We will continue working with Lisa on selection of replacement species for other streets in our neighborhood.
- TreePeople
Our tree planting partner, TreePeople, will be leading a tree care and maintenance training on Saturday, August 7 for the 46 trees that they helped us plant on Malcolm, Manning, and Dalehurst Avenues. Many of those trees are now ready to have their stakes and tree wells removed. (Please contact Marnie Bodek at mossbodek@msn.com if you would like to participate in this 2–3-hour tree care training clinic this Saturday morning.)
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TreePeople will help us plant Brisbane Box trees on Manning Avenue at the end of 2021.
- Trees in Westwood Village
We were asked to comment on trees in Westwood Village for the recent updating of the Westwood Specific Plant. Our comments are available for review.
- Holmby Westwood Street Tree Data Base and Inventory
The data base of our existing street trees and potential locations for new street trees is complete.
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Please help us keep this data base current by letting us know if a street tree is removed or a new street tree is planted on your street by either the city or a homeowner.
- Councilmember Koretz and the Community Forest Advisory Committee (CFAC)
Our relationship with Councilmember Koretz’s office helped us secure discretionary funding for removal of many of the tree stumps in our neighborhood. In addition, by connecting with CFAC we are able to keep current with the City’s tree planting efforts as well as the work of other neighborhood groups in our council district.
If you have any questions or would like to get involved with the Green Team, please contact Marnie Bodek at mossbodek@msn.com. All are welcome.
4. LAPD CRIME REPORT
ROBBERY (taking property of another by means of force or fear)
Incident #: 210811788
300 BLOCK COMSTOCK AV | 7/18/2021 @ 12:15 PM
BICYCLE – STOLEN
Incident #: 210811796
600 BLOCK HILGARD AV | 7/17/2021 @ 8:00 PM
E-Policing: http://www.lapdonline.org/e_policing
File a Police Report Online: click here
EMERGENCY: 911
NON-EMERGENCY: 1-877-275-5273
All other City Services: 311
Pete Ojeda, Senior Lead Officer
West L.A. Community Police Station – 1663 Butler Ave.
Office: 310-444-0741
Email: 36393@lapd.online
Website: www.lapdonline.org
5. COYOTE ALERT
We have recently received reports of coyote sightings in nearby neighborhoods (though none in our neighborhood). This is a good reminder to take safety precautions for potential encounters with coyotes.
The following Safety Tips are from the LA Animal Services website. You can also download a more detailed Coyote Brochure
DETERRENTS & HOME SAFETY
- Trash cans should be securely fastened so wildlife is not invited to feed from them. Ammonia or pepper sprinkled in the trash may also discourage a scavenging coyote.
- Remove pet food dishes when your pet has finished eating and do not leave food outside. Pick ripe fruit and clean rotten produce off the ground.
- Trim hedges and clear brush from under trees and around your home so the coyotes do not have a hiding place.
- Special coyote fencing is available and can be found online.
- Close off crawl spaces under porches, decks and sheds. Coyotes use such areas for resting and raising young.
- Keep your property well lit at night, especially when you go out with your dog for the last potty break before bed.
COYOTE ENCOUNTERS – KEEP CHILDREN & PETS SAFE
- Small animals and children should not be left outside unattended if there are coyotes in your area. Never leave small children and pets unattended outdoors even if your yard is fenced.
- Walk your dog on a leash at all times — not only is it the law, but it will keep your pet safe. Do not allow your dog to interact or “play” with a coyote.
- If you see coyotes, make loud noises and scare them away: bang pots and pans, use a whistle, etc. BUT, they are smart and you cannot keeping making the same noise and expect the coyotes to fall for the same trick over and over.
- When you are walking your dog in areas known to have coyotes, you can carry a loud whistle or even an umbrella that you can open and close rapidly to scare them away. Unlike the approach with an aggressive dog, you can raise your arms above your head and stomp your feet while shouting at the coyote to scare them away.
- Bring cats and dogs inside at night.
- Feeding wildlife is illegal! Do not approach or feed wild animals, including coyotes. It is unsafe and a violation of the law.
6. 405 FREEWAY – FREE NO LONGER?
Metro is considering turning the new carpool lanes on the 405 into paid toll lanes with dynamic pricing (i.e., more expensive during rush hours), like the fast-track lanes that exist on the 10 Fwy east of downtown.
Metro is actively seeking your opinions on the challenges and priorities facing corridor improvements on the San Diego Freeway. In coordination with Caltrans, Metro is evaluating alternatives to convert the existing high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to dynamically-priced, high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, also called ExpressLanes, in the southbound and northbound directions of the I-405 Sepulveda Pass, between US-101 and I-10.
YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED
Please visit the website below to take this 3-minute survey no later than August 8th to be entered into a drawing to win a $50 Target gift card. This survey will also allow you to sign up to receive project updates via email or SMS text.
Metro is also holding three Scoping Meetings to gather comments from the public. Links for registering to attend these meetings (which will be held via Zoom) are below:
I-405 Sepulveda Pass ExpressLanes: Public Scoping Meetings:
7. LOCAL DISCOUNTS & HWPOA BENEFITS
Below you will find links to discounts and benefits that local businesses have offered to HWPOA members. We hope to add more as often as we can. Current benefits include:
- Campus Shoe Repair – 10% off any shoe or bag repair
8. HWPOA COMMUNICATION AND AD POLICY
Please direct all comments, questions or issues regarding the Holmby News to hwpoa@aol.com.
Ads for plumbers, housekeepers, garage sales, etc. will be posted in the weekly News. Emergency situations such as lost and found pets, traffic alerts and similar situations will be published during the week as received.
When placing an ad, please send to hwpoa@aol.com for the Holmby News moderator to review. Responses to ads should be directed to the ad placer, not to HWPOA.
9. RESIDENT ADS
JOB OPENING – OFFICE RECEPTIONIST
Receptionist position in a hearing aid office in Santa Monica. Office is located at 3122 Santa Monica Blvd. 20-25 hrs. per week. Tuesdays and 1/2 days on Saturday morning (10-2) a must, other days are flexible. Candidate will greet clients, make appointments, perform light billing. Will train as you work. $15.00/hr. Office is peaceful and slow paced. Contact Ziba (310) 871-5412.
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10. HWPOA CONTACT INFORMATION
HOLMBY WESTWOOD PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
P.O. Box 49180
Los Angeles, CA 90049
310-470-1785
Email: hwpoa@aol.com
Web site: www.holmbywestwoodpoa.org
Pay Membership Dues: https://squareup.com/store/hwpoa
You Are Invited . . .
- To attend our monthly Board Meetings*
- To let us know your concerns about our community and your ideas about how we might work to improve it
- To become involved in our Association.
*Board Meetings are usually held the second Tuesday of each month. Please confirm prior to attending.