( spoke Thursday at a where about 50 residents of the Toluca Lake and Toluca Woods area asked to remain in Council District 4 rather than be in North Hollywood. We asked her to share her letter to the commissioners that she wrote recently. A poll below is to gauge your thoughts, and is not part of Lisa's letter.)
Dear Redistricting Commissioners,
Thank you for giving your valuable time to represent your districts at these important redistricting meetings.
Thursday’s meeting in Studio City brought up many issues not heard before at the meetings I have attended. My thoughts are many, but I will hone in on just a few:
Toluca Lake is surrounded by Burbank, LA County, Studio City and North Hollywood. The statements made were the worse Nimbism I have heard in a very long time.
The stakeholders of Toluca Lake stated that their community is not part of the Valley or CD2 because of several issues. One very important issue they cited were the proposed developments at the Metro Red Line Station in Studio City and the in LA County. These issues unite the communities of Studio City, Toluca Lake, Valley Village, North Hollywood and Valley Glen as no other issues can. These areas bring the right diversity and population needed for CD2 as required by law.
In February 2008, these communities united and conducted a Town Hall meeting held in Studio City, of which more than 500 stakeholders attended. The purpose of this Town Hall was to bring to the attention of our stakeholders the proposed developments along Lankershim, Laurel Canyon, city and county properties in and around Universal City. The proposed Metro/Universal and Evolution developments were allowed to conduct separate in an area with current and continuing major traffic issues. A second Town Hall meeting, held in North Hollywood, was conducted during the spring of 2009, to further discuss these issues where more than 600 attended.
All of the communities currently in the draft CD2 map opposed the Metro/Universal and Evolution plans. The Studio City Neighborhood Council developed more than for our conclusions that these two proposed developments would create major impacts to the southeast Valley that are un-mitigatible. Since that time Metro/Universal has been withdrawn.
How much more commonality is needed to keep the southeast Valley, with seven whole Neighborhood Councils, together in CD2? These seven areas fit the requirements of all aspects of the redistricting laws. We request only the small tweaks switching the Sherman Oaks and Valley Village areas. I want to reiterate that NBC/Universal is not in Toluca Lake, it is in the county (91608) except for the two properties next to the 101 Freeway that are in Studio City. The Metro Red Line station is in Studio City.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Very truly yours,
Lisa Sarkin
