Feature Articles

Greuel and ULI highlight land use and City planning

August 25, 2006

By Ana Kaczmarek

At the first Valley meeting of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) on July 25, special guest Councilmember Wendy Greuel and Institute members discussed short and long term solutions to traffic and housing issues facing Los Angeles.

ULI is a non profit research and education organization supported by its 30,000 members worldwide-representing the entire spectrum of land use and real estate development disciplines, working in private enterprise and public service. Its goal is to provide responsible leadership in regard to land use issues.

Greuel remarked, "ULI is an incredible organization that is at the forefront of planning for the future and challenging those of us that are elected to talk about what we're going to do."

Turning to the topic of long-term growth - something she said hasn't been address in L.A. - Greuel discussed her plans as Chair of the Transportation Committee to prepare for the future

New technology, she said, has allowed for the synchronization of stoplights in real time, rather than on a set clock. In this way, the light patterns adapt to current traffic conditions and help reduce commute times on surface streets.

Only 40 percent of traffic lights in Los Angeles are synchronized, including Moorpark Avenue from Tujunga to Hazeltine. To synchronize all area stoplights would take money the City doesn't have, but Greuel pointed to the State Infrastructure Bond on next November's ballot as a solution.

"It would bring much needed money here to the City of Los Angeles, and we advocated very strongly that L.A. had not gotten its fair share,' she said.

As far as short-term goals, Greuel stressed that she has been pushing for a North/South bus lane in the Valley, a four year strategic plan to implement left turn lanes, and an extension of the carpool lane on the 405 Freeway to reach from Burbank Boulevard to the 10 Freeway.

Dubbed the "Pothole Queen,' Greuel has worked aggressively with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to patch up Los Angeles streets. Still, she admitted seeing the shortcomings of her work.

"It rains and the potholes are there again,' she said, explaining that a new road seal product, called Slurry Seal, is being used on newly paved streets for greater endurance.

Greuel expressed fears that a 30 percent projected increase in the L.A. population over the next 25 years might raise the price of rental units – pushing residents into to outlying towns – if the City doesn't plan for such growth.

"They will drive on our freeways, drive on our streets, and we will get none of that tax base. But we will have the smog and the traffic,' she cautioned. Attorney David Burg, a Studio City Neighborhood Council member, suggested that certain areas along transit corridors, pegged for heavy growth, be left undeveloped if deemed historic or village-like. Greuel seemed receptive to the idea.

"I have a challenging district some days. Sherman Oaks and Studio City, Sunland, Tujunga Valley Village, North Hollywood, Van Nuys. They all have different opinions about where the future of the city should go. But a lot of them think, ‘If you don't build it, they won't come,'' Greuel stated, adding that she believes growth is inevitable.

Turning to the recent spate of affordable housing demolitions in Studio City, Greuel expressed support for the new housing bond – dubbed the Billion Dollar Bond – which will appear on the November ballot.

"We've become the homeless capital of the country because we don't have affordable housing,' she asserted. "And this housing bond will provide a billion dollars to do that.' The bond would levy a $14.56 tax on every $100,000 assessed value on private property, and would increase yearly.

Greuel also discussed her support of a motion to extend City Councilmember term limits from 8 to 12 years, noting that important projects are often shelved as new elected officials come into office.

"It's unfortunate in the area of term limits and people going out to the next step that they don't look past four years or eight years on how they can change something,' she commented. "So as Chair of Transportation and working with the Mayor, we're looking at those long term solutions.'