On the Rancho neighborhood Nextdoor web site, one neighbor asks about what alternatives there are to building the hotel:
Charlene Klink, Riverside Rancho
What’s been suggested at the meetings that is something that serves the community? Are there minutes of the meetings to know what was being proposed besides the hotel? Obviously it’s an eyesore now and I’m wondering why the city allowed it to remain that way. Of course an oasis of beauty sounds great BUT if we turn this down, what are we likely to get instead? A drive through Starbucks? Carl’s Jr? Another mechanic’s shop? What would “something of beauty” be that would bring shops, jobs, add no traffic, and enable someone to make a buck. What would a small developer put there as opposed to the big guys?
Thank you, Charlene. Those are important questions on the minds of many of us.
1.What’s been suggested at the meetings that is something that serves the community?
Short answer: Nothing. The developers created those meetings to pitch their hotel, attempt to appease/eliminate opposition, and to to be able to tell the Design Review Board that they did community outreach (on which the DRB called them out for neglecting to do). They refuse to consider making a hotel which is even one unit less because their financial plan doesn’t allow for it. In other words, regarding this project, community planning is being done by a bank’s loan officer, not the community, not our city government. They are hotel builders and so far have refused to consider anything else.
2. Are there minutes of the meetings to know what was being proposed besides the hotel?
There are no written minutes of the meetings. However, at least one neighbor (maybe more) has audio recordings of these meetings.
3. Obviously it’s an eyesore now and I’m wondering why the city allowed it to remain that way.
Though the city should enforce their codes, and some neighbors have complained, the primary responsibility falls on Jayesh Kumar (and his family) who own the lot. They have owned it since April 2017, yet have made no attempt to clean it up or require the occupants of the time to do so. Unfortunately, the reason for this appears to be because they do not want to invest any money (even for a one day clean up crew) on a lot that they are not sure they can develop. Basically, what it comes down to is, for lack of a better term, they’re cheap. And the effect the eyesore has on the Rancho is of no concern to them nor their development team. They’re not here to be neighbors. And they’re not here to benefit the Rancho. They’re here to make money — and have even ‘tested the waters’ of the resale real estate market for potential lot/hotel buyers.
4. Of course an oasis of beauty sounds great BUT if we turn this down, what are we likely to get instead?
Initially there was a consensus that an “oasis” of beauty (such as a park or picnic area) is not likely, since it is not a workable solution for everyone and the developers are in this for profit. For the remainder of this post we will write based on that assumption. However, a recent idea proposed by one neighbor may in fact make a park area possible there. NoVictoryHotel.org will explore that idea in a later post.
“Something of beauty and with something that serves the community” need not be a nature preserve. On the other hand, any new development should have enough “green space” to be compatible with the Rancho’s semi-rural scenery and character.
Regarding what are we likely to get instead? This is a question some have asked previously and a point that the developers have used as a kind of ‘fear of the unknown tactic’ or ‘threat’ to garner support of the hotel. The specific example they used was a 7-11 convenience store. That of course is absurd, and would likely be denied by the city. We shouldn’t submit to fear so the developers can get what they want.
One suggestion has been the construction of a multi-unit plaza, holding about a dozen small shops and service professionals. This could be constructed in a “U” or horseshoe shape with 2-story buildings toward the front of the property, descending to a single story at the back . Business would face parking located centrally on the lot (accessed via Victory Blvd.) with their backs facing Winchester Ave., R-1 residential properties, and the alley between Winchester and Western. This eliminates problems involving obstruction of the alley, invasion of privacy to neighbors on Winchester Ave. and Garden St., and brings less traffic to Victory Blvd. and Western Ave. than a 64-unit hotel. Victory Blvd. and Western Ave. are major traffic arteries between the 5 and 134 Freeways considered primary access roads.
Alternatives, like a plaza, also allow for the easy application of landscaping with significant greenery (not mere shrubs on an artist’s rendering) as well as preserving the skyline, mountain views, and scenery for EVERYONE, on any side of the new structure. The current hotel proposal only offers token greenery since the structure takes up the nearly the entire footprint of the property.
What would a plaza alternative offer the Rancho? One need only look at the intersection of Victory Blvd. and Western Ave., and two blocks to the east, to come up with similar low-traffic establishments that serve the neighborhood. Currently there are:
– Sushi Nishi-Wah, Kalinka Russian Cuisine, Mambos Cafe – low traffic eateries
– Beauty salon, barber shop, nail salon – low traffic professional services
– Thrifty Wash laundromat – a service to the community which attracts a lot of walk-in customers offsetting it’s attraction of automobile traffic.
Further down victory we have:
– CPC Chester Paul Co. water purification products, low traffic and mail order sales
– Sleep Disorder Center, generating almost no traffic
– R & C Glass Co., generating almost no traffic and servicing customers off-site
-The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, low traffic retail showroom, online sales – and they bring something unique and interesting to the Rancho!
– Glendale Chiro Care
– John 3:16 Christian Store and Worship Center
– Groomingdale’s pet shop and grooming
– S & L Academy, private school and tutoring services
– Constant Care Home Health Agency
– V Boulevard Cafe
– Christensen Music, entertainment, music production, and lessons
– B-Elegant Grooming (pets)
And on the other side of Victory Blvd. there are more great options:
– Snookies Cookies a mom n pop sized cookie business
– A photography/picture framing business
– Pecos Bill’s Bar-B-Q Ribs (at the corner of Justin Ave.)
All of the above are excellent, low-traffic, Rancho-serving small businesses. And there are many similar options that can preserve the character of the Rancho and bring in more of that which makes the community beautiful
—And unique, as recognized by the rest of Los Angeles:
KCET: Country Life in the Big City
L.A. Times: How the Rancho District maintains its tranquil, rural feel
5. A drive through Starbucks? Carl’s Jr? Another mechanic’s shop? What would “something of beauty” be that would bring shops, jobs, add no traffic, and enable someone to make a buck. What would a small developer put there as opposed to the big guys?
Those, or something similar, may be workable options if thoughtfully planned. If the property did not hold a low-traffic multi-unit plaza (no establishment will be “no traffic”), then even a two to three business lot would be better than a 3-story, 64-unit hotel that operates 24/7/365. Almost ALL businesses in the area operate within normal business hours with few exceptions. Currently the only 24/7 business in the area is the Chevron gas station. Even the liquor stores on Victory do not operate past 11:00 pm or midnight. The hotel would bring plenty of off-hours traffic including occupants and trucks servicing the needs of the hotel.
Businesses that are consistent with the lot’s previous usage could occupy the lot, without being Rancho invasive or eyesores. Perhaps an auto parts store/warehouse, a tire shop, or a small group of specialist mechanics much like those found in Burbank on Victory Blvd. Even the previous occupants had the ability to beautify the lot. The opportunity to create an attractive “Rancho Auto Sales & Service” was available to them. Unfortunately they chose not to in favor of selling to hotel developers. The point is that THERE ARE MANY BETTER OPTIONS.
Again, thank you for the great questions.