Woodland Hills Neighborhood Council: July 2008 Archives

Taft High School in Woodland Hills is a bit more beautiful today, thanks to the efforts, in part, of the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council.

Outside the school - on the corner of Ventura Boulevard and Winnetka Avenue - there are now rose bushes, benches, new sidewalk surfacing, a mounted trash can and, best of all, an "Econo-Green Syngrass" to cover the former dirt patch that wouldn't hold grass previously because of significant foot traffic.

The project was spearheaded by Marion Lovelace, a community beautification activist in Woodland Hills, and Heath Kline, director of community services for the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council.

To read more about the project, visit www.whcouncil.org.

This is a busy month for Club Red Square in Woodland Hills as the L.A. Police Commission, the zoning administration and the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council all act to investigate and rule on the operations of the club and review the various permits and conditions that regulate Club Red Square, according to the neighborhood council's Web site.

The club is located at 20001 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills.

The Police Commission will discuss Club Red Square on Wednesday, July 9, at Parker Center.

The commission has authority over the club's dance permit and the club's ability to host special events and private parties. Community concerns include of inappropriate use of the patio, the criminal activities of the patrons on the surrounding streets and in the neighborhood, violations of their CUP regulating the sale of alcohol and other issues will be addressed and the Police Commission will determine if the Club Red Square is in compliance.

The Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council will discuss the club on Wednesday, July 9, at the Warner Center Park Bredlow Band Shell.

The council's board will vote on a planning, land use & mobility committee motion requesting "that the proper city agencies revoke the CUP for Club Red Square or impose and implement corrective conditions equating to the revocation of the sale of alcohol on said premises."

The Office of Zoning Administration will discuss the club on Friday, July 18, at the Marvin Baude Center in Van Nuys.

The administration will also review the community's concerns and charges that the club is a public nuisance. This meeting is a follow-up to a prior meeting where the LAPD testified, Councilmember Dennis Zine's office presented information, the Neighborhood Council went on record and residents spoke of their experiences with the club.

All in all, this meeting is a significant opportunity for residents to speak in support of severe restrictions on the operation of the club, including limiting the hours, the elements of the club such as music, dancing, arcade games and the service of liquor (bar service or table service or self service) as well as ratio of alcohol-to-food sales. (50-50 to 30-70)

Other restrictions include happy hour bans, free food bans and price reduction bans.

The Club Red Square journey through the system has been long and slow with the prior Police Commission hearing postponed and the prior Zoning Administration hearing scheduled for the end of May pushed to mid-July.

Adding to the complicated process, Club Red Square recently filed for Chapter 11 protection.

For more information, contact Jonathon Brand of Councilmember Zine's office at jonathan.brand@lacity.org or at 818-756-8848.

The Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council's next community forum will feature a "Panel of Visionaries" offering perspectives and philosophies on what makes a great street.

The forum will be held from 8-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, in the auditorium at Kaiser Permanente, 5601 De Soto Ave., Woodland Hills.

Sustainability, mobility, accessability, walkability, ridability, enjoyability and profitability are all benefits of having a great street in a mixed-used development, according to the forum organizers.

Rick Cole, who has been city manager of Ventura since 2004, will be on the panel.

Called "one of Southern California's most visionary planning thinkers" by the L.A. Times, Cole is widely cited as an urban policy expert.

He previously served six years as city of manager of Azusa. Under Cole's leadership, Azusa was described as the "most improved city in the San Gabriel Valley" by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

For more information about the upcoming community forum, visit www.whcouncil.org.