By ALYSON SENA and BILL BRUNS In addition to wrestling with fears about the Renaissance Academy’s potential traffic impact on Alma Real (see story above) and receiving an update about Verizon’s fiber-optics installation plan for Pacific Palisades (page 4), the Community Council heard updates about the following three issues at last Thursday’s meeting. CAR WASH NOISE Area Representative Stuart Muller reported that Palisades Gas and Wash is currently in compliance with the City of L.A.’S noise code. The latest sound measurements, taken August 25 between 5:15 and 5:30 p.m., were within the legal 65-decibel sound level (which allows for a 1-dB variable). Jay Paternostro, a noise inspector in the Dept. of Building and Safety, took a reading that was between 63 and 65 dBs. Meanwhile, an independent consultant/audio engineer working with Muller’s Car Wash Noise committee, measured 65 to 66 dBs. Both measurements were taken after the Village School annex construction (at La Cruz and Alma Real) had stopped, since the construction had corrupted Paternostro’s August 19 sound measurement at Palisades Garden Caf’. The car wash, run by operations manager John Zisk, ‘has been able to comply in essence with the decibel readings,’ Muller said. However, he also mentioned that the car wash’s high-speed motor fan was not in use when the readings were taken. Muller said that Zisk, who has made just under $10,000 worth of modifications to alleviate the car wash noise, ‘seems to be open’ to the idea of a plexiglass screen to enclose the car-wash tunnel, which would lower the sound readings about 5 dBs. Earlier, Zisk told the Post that enclosing the tunnel would be a last resort, since it would be ‘five to 10 times more expensive.’ (Palisadian-Post, August 26). On average, according to Zisk, about 200 cars go through the wash daily, and the vacuuming, washing and drying process for each car should take about ’35 minutes tops.’ MOVIES IN THE PARK Movies in the Park earned a round of applause from audience members, who learned that about 700 people turned out for the final screening, ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ Council chairman Norman Kulla said he received about 15 communications telling him that the inaugural event at the Palisades Recreation Center ‘contributed to a real sense of community.’ Some noise concerns were raised, mainly by two residents who said they are willing to work with Chamber of Commerce organizers David Williams, Arnie Wishnick, John Wirth and Bob Sharka to alleviate sound problems at next year’s series. Council secretary Karyn Weber, who lives near the park entrance, said the film committee had been receptive to community concerns and ‘made sure the neighbors around the park were taken care of.’ Every night, ‘there was a different tweak to the noise’ as the sound crew tried to alleviate problems for neighbors, said Weber, who noticed the sound was loudest near her house the final night. Residents Mark and Jan Victor, who live at the back entrance to the park, at Frontera and Alma Real, said they had to go inside from sitting on their porch when they heard a loud woman’s voice coming through the speakers. ‘It was loud enough so I had to close the windows and doors,’ Mark Victor said. ‘I can’t be in my yard unless there’s a repositioning of the speakers.’ Chamber president Williams said his committee added two speakers to the original four after about 450 people turned out the first night. ‘We had been expecting 100 people,’ said Williams, who received complaints following the first showing but none after the last three. The Chamber set up two speakers in the back of the field so that sound was better distributed. ‘I’m interested in finding a way [to alleviate sound] so it doesn’t blast into my house,’ said Victor, who’s lived near the park for 25 years. ‘I’ve never complained about any event at the park, and I don’t want to take [Movies in the Park] away, but I certainly don’t want it expanded.’ Williams reassured the Victors that the Chamber had not talked about expanding the event, and is planning to keep it at four films next August. ‘GRANNY FLATS’ BILL On Friday, following a brief discussion at Thursday’s meeting, Kulla wrote to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on behalf of the Community Council. His letter opposed AB 2702, which would make it easier for property owners to build second units, or ‘granny flats,’ next to existing homes. Said Kulla: ‘We are informed that AB 2702 has passed both legislative houses and has been sent to you for your signature. Our council opposes this legislation and urges that you veto this bill. ‘Our opposition is based upon the following concerns: by prohibiting local government from requiring either unit be owner-occupied, the legislation essentially legalizes duplexes in areas now zoned R1; it preempts local regulation of such matters as parking; in a community such as Pacific Palisades which is largely zoned R1, the bill would nearly double the number of allowable housing units, further stressing our traffic and infrastructure problems; and, by making no mention of CC&Rs the bill leaves these contracts in legal limbo. ‘We recognize the need for more housing, but the approach taken by this bill is a short cut that overwrites local regulatory law long established to protect the quality of life in residential communities.’ Schwarzenegger has 30 days (until September 25) in which to either sign or veto this bill, or it automatically becomes law.
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