By ROY P. DISNEY
In his piece headlined “Hard Drive” (July 28), Daniel Miller presents a distorted view of what in reality is a massive, multiphase project proposed for the MTA Universal site and the NBC Universal site across the street. In doing so, he has played right into the hands of NBC Universal and Thomas Properties Group, who have successfully bifurcated their development applications, making what is really one huge project look like two smaller, more innocuous ones.
These two corporate entities, beneficiaries of several conditions that materially aid and abet their cause, have offered measures to mitigate the wrenching effect these projects will have on the surrounding communities. Sadly, these proposals fall woefully short. For example, when fully implemented, these projects will add at least 10,000 cars per day into the immediate traffic grid, which currently consists of two failed pass roads (Cahuenga and Barham boulevards) and a choked Hollywood (101) Freeway. The Cahuenga Pass is vital to the entire transportation grid, as it serves to move vehicles between the Los Angeles basin through a tiny pass and the San Fernando Valley and the ever-growing bedroom communities to the north. The negative impacts from this project will be felt regionally.
NBC Universal has refused to discuss the obvious mitigation of building a road along the Los Angeles River, on what is public land over which Universal now has an encroached easement. That road would move large numbers of vehicles from Forest Lawn Drive to Lankershim Boulevard, bypassing the choked Barham and Cahuenga Pass roads.
Crucial to any meaningful mitigation is a transition from the 101 to the 134 freeways. Right now, cars are directed off of the 101 at Lankershim and then moved through residential streets to re-enter the eastbound 134. This mitigation is currently scheduled to be “discussed” after the 20-year “Vision Plan” is completed. Thomas Properties has offered to “help the community” convince Sacramento to pay that bill. In other words, let the taxpayer foot the bill and subsidize the Thomas project.
These mitigation offerings seem especially inadequate given what NBC Universal, owned by General Electric, one of the world’s largest corporations, and Thomas Properties will reap as part of this deal. The MTA project will be built on publicly owned land, exempted from any normal competitive bidding process thanks to a “right of first offer” that NBC Universal apparently negotiated in the past. The project also finds itself in a created “Enterprise Zone,” which is a gift box from taxpayers filled with zoning incentives and tax credits, normally meant to help local struggling communities build a foundation for success, not to subsidize one of the world’s largest corporations.
In discussions with Thomas Properties and NBC Universal, the community has asked for a project that has reasonable scope and density, and with adequate mitigation. We have heard time and again that “it doesn’t pencil out for us.” That response begs the question about how much more the public is expected to give beyond the use of public land, public subsidies, tax credits and exemption from competition, When does it stop “penciling out” for the community? And why are the taxpayers responsible for any developers’ project “penciling out”?
Community support
The Business Journal article paints a picture of a community that is simply saying “no.” That characterization is completely untrue. Beginning more than two years ago, the community came together and formed a Working Group that includes the leaders from just about every recognized homeowner and resident group, business owner group, property owner group, Chamber of Commerce and four neighborhood councils. Our Working Group which has been recognized by both the city and the county has spent countless hours meeting with the developer, NBC Universal, the MTA, elected officials and the community at large with the single goal of helping to create a project at the Universal MTA site and at NBC Universal that will have reasonable scope, size and density, and will include the appropriate mitigations to enhance the surrounding communities.
“Transit Oriented Development” is the current fad, yet there is no real, forward-thinking traffic plan or vision in Los Angeles. The simple truth is gridlock and overdevelopment are not transit plans.
We question why such a massive project needs to be built on the small, 8-acre MTA site negatively impacting the community when those same facilities could be partly or completely built across the street on the 400-acre NBC Universal site. This would lead to a far more palatable scope and impact.
We are all concerned for the long-term health of our regional economy. We do not understand a decision to carve out a huge portion of the Universal back lot for the building of almost 3,000 condos when production space in Los Angeles is at such a premium. Each day productions are leaving and being drawn away from the region. Why would we exacerbate this problem by eliminating a precious and irreplaceable production asset?
This is our home. We are more sensitive than any to protecting the long-term health and success of the community. We will continue to work with NBC Universal, Thomas Properties, MTA and any other interested party in helping to secure a project that benefits all and harms none.
Roy P. Disney is the general chairman of the NBC Universal/MTA Project Community Working Group.