November, 2020 – Meeting
This is the video from Zoom of our November meeting along with a copy of the renderings of the lots at South & Atlantic.
DeForest Park Neighborhood Association
Meeting
Thursday, November 19, 2020 via Zoom Meeting (recorded)
Executive Board Present: Dan Pressburg (President); Joni Ricks-Oddie (Vice President); Keith Oddie (Treasurer); Ryan Blazer; Darlene Broom.
Executive Board Absent: Corazon Lomeli
Meeting was called to order by Dan Pressburg at 7:00 PM.
Council District 9 updates (Matthew Hamlett field representative for Councilmember Richardson):
Fire on 91 – still under investigation. Lack of maintenance by CalTrans. CD9 is engaging State Level members. Hope to have further updates in coming months. Reports show no injuries, and no structures harmed. Long Beach Blvd & 91 near Artesia.
Past Tuesday was big council meeting. UPlan in the works and contains zoning changes. This is for the next 30 years in Uptown. This is to make Uptown more pedestrian friendly (no more drive throughs added and encourages more sit-down dining). Design contract for Artesia Project was just approved. This is a multi-million-dollar investment. The subsequent steps will be construction.
Upcoming changes to health order due to COVID-19. Emergency order reverted counties into Purple because of spikes being seen statewide. Non-essential businesses have specific hours and cannot stay open past 10PM. Masks are requested at all times outdoors regardless of activity.
CD9 is hosting another food distribution at Jordan High School this coming weekend from 9-12. Any volunteers would be helpful.
Councilmember Rex Richardson – Artesia just public right of way (edge of business to median) will get a complete overhaul: widen sidewalks, take out green buoys, get into signal syncing, pedestrian lighting, permanent biking lanes, etc. Sidewalks into business is the zoning (Uplan Phase 1) with Title 22. Drive throughs will not be approved. It will also look at balancing off-site (liquor stores) vs. on-site (restaurants) liquor licenses.
Congressional District 44 (Sean Kearns field representative for Congresswoman Barragán): Congresswoman Barragán introduced legislation “To direct the Secretary of Energy to carry out a grant program to improve the energy resilience, energy democracy, and security of communities, prioritizing environmental justice communities, and for other purposes” Energy Resilient Communities Act (H.R.8626). The Congresswoman has proposed to rename the Post Office on Willowbrook Ave. in Compton after PFC James Anderson, Jr. (H.R.8726). A recent success is that that National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Endowment Revitalization Act of 2020 (H.R.4499) has moved forward. IRS closing opportunity to receive stimulus check for those who did not file taxes, and the last day to file is November 21, 2020 (SSI recipients, college students, incarcerated).
UPLAB (South & Atlantic) Update – Shaheen Sadeghi:
Most important site because it’s across the street from the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library and the catalyst for the project. The project is well on the way with 84 town homes and 4,600 sq ft of restaurant & café space. Shaheen requested feedback, which we will facilitate via email and social media to send back in a comprehensive document through Rex Richardson’s office.
Upon motion made by Ryan Blazer (seconded by Courtney Pettijohn), the November meeting was adjourned at 8:24pm. Motion Approved Unanimously.
