Culver City Observer -

March 15, 2013

Community Development Department

• XAP - Work has been completed on a 12,675 square feet office tenant improvement located at 100 Corporate Pointe.
• Hayden Higuera Properties, LLC – A Building Permit has been issued for a new five-level parking garage with 556 spaces, located at 8550 Higuera Street.

· Conjunctive Points Properties II, LP – Plans have been submitted for a 20,363 square foot tenant improvement of an existing two-story commercial space, located at 3960 Ince Boulevard.

• Veterinary Cancer Group – Plans have been approved for a tenant improvement to expand an existing veterinary office located at 9599 Jefferson Boulevard.

· Chipotle Mexican Grill – Work is complete for a new restaurant located at 4114 Sepulveda Boulevard.

· Lounge Spa – A Building Permit has been issued for a new retail spa located at 4130 Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite C.

· Kimukatsu – Building Plans have been submitted for a new restaurant located at 4130 Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite B.

· Beverages & More! Inc. – Plans have been submitted for BevMo!, a new beverage retail store located at 5640 Sepulveda Boulevard.

· 4043 Irving Place – The project is approximately 56% complete and on budget. Scheduled for completion June 30, 2013.

• Shojin – Downtown LA’s popular organic and vegan spot, has opened a second location at 12406 Washington Boulevard. The menu features vegan sushi, ramen and seitan steak dishes, plus some new rolls and dishes.
• Chocovivo – Patricia Tsai's bean-to-bar chocolate boutique, Chocovivo, is opening in the City’s West Washington Area Improvement Plan at 12649 Washington Boulevard. Chocovivo will sell pure and blended chocolate bars, nibs, powders, and butters sourced from Tabasco-grown beans.

· Economic Development Strategy –The City hosted its second outreach meeting with Culver City residents on March 7, 2013.

· Long Range Property Management Plan – The draft Long Range Property Management Plan (LRPMP) has been written and compiled. It is being reviewed by legal and financial counsel.

· Washington/Centinela – A design workshop with the developer, architect and the City’s traffic engineer was held to define the plans for the Market Hall project. Staff is in the process of executing a six-month extension agreement to the project’s Schedule of Performance with Regency Centers to allow additional time for the Successor Agency’s Long Range Property Management Plan to be reviewed by the State Department of Finance.

· Parcel B – Staff is in the process of executing a six-month extension agreement to the project’s Schedule of Performance with Combined/Hudson to allow additional time for the Successor Agency’s Long Range Property Management Plan to be reviewed by the State Department of Finance.

Fire Department

· Emergency Management Division - Through our Emergency Management Division, nine City Inspectors have been registered to attend a Safety Assessment Program Training. Once completed, this training will certify them to conduct safety inspections on buildings that have been damaged as a result of an earthquake or other natural and man-made disasters.

· Captain Academy – Assistant Fire Chief Dave White participated in the Los Angeles Area Fire Chiefs Association’s (LAAFCA) week- long “Captain Academy” as the facilitator and presenter. During the week of February 25, 2013, prospective and new Captains had the opportunity to hear from many different Fire Chiefs throughout LA County on a wide range of topics. The classes focused primarily on the administrative and personnel aspects of the job vs. emergency operations. This was an opportunity for the students to hear directly from Fire Chiefs regarding the many challenges facing the fire service and the important role Captains play in the outcomes. This was the 26^th session put on by the LAAFCA which was well attended and very well received.

· Probationary Firefighters – On March 11, 2013 four new probationary Firefighters began serving the Culver City community. All four recently completed training at the Culver City Fire Department training tower and have been assigned to fire apparatus. Their initial training covered a wide variety of topics including; emergency medical services, wildland/vehicle/structural firefighting, hazardous materials responses, electrical emergencies, vehicle extrication, etc. The probationary firefighters will continue their intensive training at their assigned stations along with participating in routine activities such as fire prevention, hydrant servicing, pre-fire planning, public education, and emergency responses. At the completion of their one-year probation/training, three of the four firefighters will be assigned to Paramedic Ambulances as they are already State Certified Paramedics.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department

· Administration – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has notified the City that the Syd Kronenthal Park Playground project was approved on March 5, 2013. The award amount of $250,000 will be used to make needed improvement to the current play area in the park, including new equipment, safety surfacing and ADA access.

The 4th Annual Intergenerational Writing Project, with members of the Senior Center and students at Culver City’s Turning Point School, has concluded. Seniors and students met for six weeks, sharing poetry, stories and memories. Culvercitycrossroads.com features one senior participant’s weekly write-ups of the project, which has been described as “A must for the bucket list – unforgettable!”

If you or someone you know is living alone, isolated, frail or disabled, the Culver City Senior Center offers a “friendly phone call” service. Volunteers call just to say hello and check in. The program is available to people in the 310, 424, 323, and 213 area codes. For more information call (310) 253-6729.

The Culver City Senior Center serves a hot, well-rounded lunch every day at 11:30 am Monday through Friday. The nutrition program is open to those 60 years and older and their spouses of any age. For information, please call the Nutrition Program Director at (310) 253-6712.

· Spring Day Camp – Just 4 Kids Spring Day Camp registration began for all residents on February 25. Spring Camp will feature field trips to the California Science Center to explore the Endeavour Space Shuttle and the always fun-filled trip to Knott’s Berry Farm. Spring Camp is held for two weeks: Monday through Friday, March 25 to April 5. Registration will remain open for Spring Camp until camp begins on March 25 or until all spaces are filled, whichever comes first.

Police Department

· On 2/13 Serah Israel-Everette was struck by a vehicle as she walked her bicycle across Jefferson Blvd at Kinston Ave. Fortunately, Miss Everette sustained only minor injuries as a result of the contact; however, her bicycle was damaged beyond repair. Officer Poulin investigated the collision and was so moved by the 10 year olds stoic personality and maturity that he thought it appropriate to look to have her bicycle replaced. Target representatives learned of the incident and expressed an interest to get involved. They approached the Police Department and offered to donate a bicycle to Miss Everette. Manager Jose Carrillo contacted department personnel and said he selected a bicycle and helmet for the accident victim. On March 6 members of the Traffic Bureau along with representatives from the local media, met the Israel-Everette family and Target manager Jose Carrillo at the Jefferson Boulevard Target Store. There Ms. Everette was presented with a new mountain bike and helmet.

· Tellefson Neighborhood Association Meeting -On March 12 members from the Police Department attended the meeting and discussed traffic issues in the neighborhood and the Smart 911 system just launched by the Police and Fire Department. Mayor Andrew Weissman, Councilmember Jim Clarke, City Manager John Nachbar and Deputy Community Development Director Todd Tipton also attended the meeting, and the group discussed current issues in the City and the Tilden Terrace development.

Public Works Department

· Expo Light Rail Construction – The Expo Construction Authority’s contractor, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., and its subcontractors will begin the next stage of the Expo Project by implementing all necessary activities to support the construction of the Venice Boulevard Bridge, including implementing new traffic controls and excavation for the bridge foundations on the Expo Right-of-Way (ROW) in the City of Los Angeles.

Restriping of Traffic Lanes, Traffic Signal Relocation and K-rail (Concrete Barrier) Installation

Wednesday, March 20, 2013 – Friday, March 29, 2013 - 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM (Night Work)

Extended Work Hours: Sunday, March 24, 2013 - Noon to 6:00 AM

Bridge Construction Begins

March 2013 - (Day Work (with additional Night Work anticipated as needed - Approximately 9 months)

.

.

· Recycling Pilot Program - The Public Works Department’s Environmental Programs and Operations Division is working with Beverlywood West Condominium Homeowner’s Association on developing a pilot program to replace the current “blue bag” system with blue automated carts. The carts are smaller than the standard 96-gallon residential cart, but will provide each homeowner more recycling capacity and will facilitate the recycling of bulkier items such as cardboard boxes and water jugs.