Environmental group breaks from pack to fight Playa's phase II.There's radical and then there's radical. When Playa playa or pan or flat or dry lake Flat-bottomed depression that is periodically covered by water. Playas occur in interior desert basins and adjacent to coasts in arid and semiarid regions. Vista developer Playa Capital LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control transferred 623 acres of wetlands near Ballona Creek Ballona Creek is an approximately 8-mile-long waterway in southwestern Los Angeles, California and its immediate suburbs. Rising in the hills of the Mid-City district, it flows through Culver City and the Del Rey district before flowing into Santa Monica Bay between the Marina del to the state's Trust for Public Land in December for $139 million, nearly every environmental group opposing the project saw the deal as a victory of sorts. Not the Ballona Wetlands The Ballona Wetlands is located in Southern California, USA adjacent to Marina del Rey and Playa Vista. It is the last significant wetlands area in the Los Angeles basin, and is named for Ballona Creek which runs through the area. Land Trust. "It was basically a stick-up," said Tom Francis, executive director of the group, who estimated the unentitled land value at $25 million. "We were very supportive of the acquisition but not in support of paying a price that was more than three times what other developers would've paid for the property." The Wetlands Land Trust has fired off a 57-page response to the draft environmental impact report for the project's second phase. Dubbed dub 1 tr.v. dubbed, dub·bing, dubs 1. To tap lightly on the shoulder by way of conferring knighthood. 2. To honor with a new title or description. 3. the Village at Playa Vista, Phase II envisions 2,600 housing units, 150,000 square feet of retail, 175,000 square feet of offices and 40,000 square feet of community pace on 163 acres east of Phase I. The group's written response includes claims that an earthquake fault is within a mile of the project, that ground methane levels in some areas are high enough to light a match, and that Playa Vista underestimates the second phase's effect on area traffic. "It's certainly one of the longest responses" received by the city, said Kevin Keller, chief planning deputy with Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski Cindy Miscikowski represented the 11th District on the Los Angeles City Council for two full terms from 1997 through 2005. Previously, she was an aide to Councilman Marvin Braude and the Executive Director of the Skitball Cultural Center in its beginning stages. , who said about 300 letters were received during the 60-day comment period ended Dec. 22. He would not comment on the letter's contents. Steve Sugerman, spokesman for Playa Vista, dismissed the organization as a one of a few "fringe environmental groups that have made it a business to oppose Playa Vista." Details about the group itself are not clear. Francis described himself as a small business owner from Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. , though declined to disclose the business. He also declined to disclose the group's annual budget. Francis is in favor of a plan to have the state buy some or all of Playa Vista's remaining 350 acres, though he hasn't put a value on the property. |
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