As the community continues to be divided over the proposed development at the intersection of Manchester Blvd and Vermont Ave, 2UrbanGirls received a “Letter to the Editor” about a recent community meeting held on the subject.
Dear 2UrbanGirls,
So MHD sent his field reps & No reps from Maxine office however I’m quite sure they didn’t get an invite. I didn’t even get a invite one of the stakeholders sent me a text as a heads up!
A rep from Metro (Stephanie Wiggins) was there with a PowerPoint sharing there plans of this tranist workforce preparatory high school, people from the community asked the following questions.
- Why can’t you guys partner up with an existing school such as (Southwest JR college, Washington High, Crenshaw High) – Response didn’t want to deal with the process of LAUSD
- Why would Metro create something like this without doing a Pilot program first to see if this is successful – Response this will be the first free school
- How will your classroom be built out, who will facilitate, course materials – No Response, will have answers next meeting.
- Rep from retail recruitment (Daneil Tellanlian) – unprepared haven’t gotten any retailer to commit & No pharmacy not enough room in there plans. Parking for grocery store limited space.
My overall thoughts, this County project not good for this location we need economic growth on more than anything Vermont Manchester is our main corridor, we need basic necessities for a community to thrive. It feels like our Councilman is forcing us to stay in poverty.
Concerned resident in Council District 8
8 Comments
WE NEED RETAIL… and the County can not provide our community with what we need, want, & expect. The County project does not make sense for this site. We don’t need affordable housing at that site because there are 3 projects of affordable housing 50+ units each) going up on Vermont within one mile each way. We don’t need a school on that site because there is a school on every corner at Vermont & Manchester. We don’t need County Services because we already have County services at that location. Our community deserves better and we should demand better.
Part of the problem is our attention is elsewhere. And just like a purse snatcher who’s waits for an opportunity to steal what is valuable to us the County may be robbing our us of the chance to bring real life and vitality back to our neighborhood. We believe the lie that been told us businesses won’t come to South LA but what is real is #SOLA is “prime” real estate. We must demand quality retail stores, nice sit down restaurants for families, entertainment places to enjoy life! Restore a once thriving community. We, the people, have to stay woke!
I attended the forum with many others hosted by Congresswoman Waters. She read her letter of invitation to County Supervisor Mark Ridgely Thomas and Councilman Marqueese Dawson, neither one bothered to attend or any staff from their offices.The following week on a Wednesday at 11 am they set up a meeting obviously not looking for the community to attend because no one was informed.I attended that one as well at the last minute someone called me. Again did they really expect a turn out from the community? So at their meeting the County had Metro explaining how putting a Boarding School on the property is an advantage to the community.
It may be a great concept but not at the corner of Manchester and Vermont when our area has been without basic amenities such as a grocery store, banks, sit down eateries, etc. The community is going to address this issue full blown because we want and need better.
It is so appalling that the Councilman is sitting by and allowing us to be deprived even more. I strongly view his absence at both meetings pertaining to this issue as blatant disrespect. They meaning himself and Ridgely Thomas view us as non factors and a mass of people that they don’t need to conversed with. Please know this “We are not sleeping on this matter”. The Councilman especially is at fault because this project is right outside his front door and yet he doesn’t speak or engage obviously unless MRT says it’s ok. Missing 2 meetings on this matter is UNACCEPTABLE!!! To Be Continued!!
Give the people who live in the community a chance to be involved. Properly notify homeowners for participation. Hearings and meetings during the business/workday aren’t acceptable. Lastly, the final decision should always be in favor of the community’s voice. No other entity’s bid should outweigh what the people want.
I attended both meetings Congresswoman Maxine Waters was held on Saturday Feb 10 at 12noon & the County meeting was held on Wednesday Feb 21 at 11am, 8475 S Vermont Ave Los Angeles Ca. Now who’s bright idea was it to have a communinty meeting mid morning when people are at work? Now ask yourself did they (County) really expect for the community to attend?
Marqueece Harris-Dawson CD8 Councilman has another project called “Destination Crenshaw” which he and his staff has had series of meetings with the constituents in the Crenshaw area which goes back to the beginning of 2017 to present day and that’s what you call POWER ENGAGEMENT, we Vermont/Manchester didn’t get that same equality of engagement.
Vermont Manchester is our main corridor, we need to see it shine and be lively with retail such as coffee shops, yogurt shops, sit down restaurants, banks, pharmacy, grocery store, and farmers market. We are well overdue, We currently live in a FOOD DESERT community with no access to any healthy clean food, we deserve to have sustainable community!
We need a entertainment center with stores and something uplifting we have a school on every block so why not put a place like the grove thats on 3rd and fairfax we shouldn’t have to travel so far to a pharmacy a coffee shop movies we the people should have a say what goes up in the community i have liced here all my life.
I’m sick and tired of schools all over and dollar stores in my immediate community. I’m sick and tired of going and enriching Culver City, El Segundo, Carson and Gardena when we can have the like in my own community. Example look at Alameda and Florence nice retail stores, pharmacy, and an array of eateries. The county should not be able to build board and cares- anymore schools and or allow Metro to use that space . We deserve more and better. This area does have a working class that enjoys nice things believe it or not. Stop it.
This is all part of the LA 2050 plan that intends for the city center to be connected in a manner that the current residents would not be able to afford or live in the space. They are planning in a way similar to other major cities where the people of color are moved to the margins of the city and only middle and upper middle class incomes could possibly afford. The Broadway Manchester plan is the same.