City of Los Angeles BIKE MASTER PLAN

City of Los Angeles BIKE MASTER PLAN - Send in Your Comments!

TAKE ACTION

Your comments are an integral and important part of the process!  

Please go to: www.la-bike.org to find out how you can submit comments and to view the maps.

The LA Bike Plan maps have been released.  Your input is needed!

The long awaited City of LA Bike Plan maps were finally made available to the public late last week. The maps will serve as the basic framework of the Plan. The City of Los Angeles has made them available on their website. The complete plan has not yet been released.

We, here at LACBC, feel these maps are not ambitious enough to serve as a blue print for infrastructure change in the next decade. While local connector networks could be improved by the proposed changes, major connectivity issues within the city remain unaddressed.

We are disappointed with the process and the current draft, but we see this as an opportunity to educate and influence the city to create positive movement toward meeting the needs of cyclists.

What you can do:

• Review the maps carefully
• What is missing? Send in streets that you feel have been overlooked to LA City and to LACBC
• Look at the "infeasible" marked streets and choose 5 that you feel should be prioritized.

Send in your comments to:

Jordann Turner

LA Bike Plan's project manager

jordann.turner@lacity.org

LACBC

lacbc.comments@la-bike.org

Urgent AIACC Advocacy Alert

Dear all, I am forwarding this advocacy alert on behalf of AIA California Council.  Kindly contact me or Mark Christian with any additional questions.  All best,  -Will Wright

Audiences

A Vocus alert to all AIA architects in California, asking them to send an email to both their Assembly Member and State Senator.

 

From  

AIA California Council

 

Subject Line of Email to Architects

Urgent AIACC Advocacy Alert

 

Email Message to Architects

The California Legislature is considering a significant change to state tax policy that would have a negative effect on many businesses, including a disproportionate effect on many architectural firms.

 

We hope you can give a couple minutes of your time to communicate opposition to this proposed change in state tax law to your State Assembly Representative and State Senator.

 

The California State Legislature is considering this significant change as part of its deliberations on the state budget.  The change would require businesses that hire independent contractors to withhold 3% of payment to the independent contractor and transfer that money to the state as an advance tax payment from the independent contractor.

 

Architects hired by businesses would see 3% of fees paid to the architect withheld.  Architects also would have to withhold 3% of the fees they pay to consultants and transfer that money to the state.

 

Architectural firms affected by this proposal would see more than 3% of their fees withheld due to the pass through fee nature of the profession.  A firm that uses 40% of the fees it receives for consultants would see 4.5% of its fees withheld.  A firm that uses 50% of the fees it receives for consultants would see 6% of its fees withheld.

 

Please take a couple minutes to easily express your opposition to this proposal.

 

 

Subject Line of Email to Legislators

Architect Opposition to 3% Withholding Proposal

 

Text of Email Message to Legislators from Architects

I am writing as an architect and constituent to inform you of my opposition to the proposal to withhold 3% of payments to independent contractors, which is being considered as part of the state budget deliberations.

 

This proposal would have a disproportionate effect on architectural firms, resulting in 4.5% to 6% of architectural fees being withheld.

 

Architects do not keep all of the fees they receive.  It is common for architects to use 40% or more of their fees to hire consultants, such as structural and mechanical engineers, as a part of the design team.  Yet this proposal does not take into consideration these "pass through" fees.

 

As a result this proposal would have a disproportionate effect on architects and would require many architectural firms to operate in the red because of excessive withholding by the state. 

 

I respectfully ask you to vote against this proposal.

---------------------

Mark Christian, Hon. AIACC

Director of Legislative Affairs

AIA California Council

916.448.9082

mchristian@aiacc.org

____________________________________

Will Wright,  Director of Government & Public Affairs

American Institute of Architects / Los Angeles

3780 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800, Los Angeles, CA 90010

(213) 639-0777 phone | (213)639-0767 fax

will@aialosangeles.org | www.aialosangeles.org

ü Please consider the environment before printing this email.

 

Emerging Urban Designers Forum, July 22nd @ Urban Studio

The AIA/LA Urban Design Committee presents:

The Emerging Urban Designers Forum
Wednesday, July 22, 7-9pm
@ Urban Studio

7 pm: The Forum
Architecture vs. Urban Design
Location: Urban Studio
3780 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90010
http://urbanstudio-la.com 

An introduction by Martin Leitner on Urban Studio's work on the Hollywood Boulevard Urban Design Guidelines will lead the forum into a discussion about architectural and urban design visions for Los Angeles.

Conversation will be focused on questions such as: Do architects' and urban designers' visions for cities differ? Should they? What is the role of individual buildings in the city context? Can urban design allow for individual creativity without losing a vision for the city? Can every building be an icon? What are the responsibilities of the architect and the urban designer when it comes to shaping Los Angeles?

 Show-and-Tell: Please bring photos or boards of visual materials to illustrate your ideas, (no electronic files, please).

8.15 pm: The Social
Frank n Hank's

Location: 518 S Western Ave

Los Angeles, CA 
(Just north of Western & 6th)

RSVP to will@aialosangeles.org, capacity is limited.

The Emerging Urban Designers Forum is part of the AIA/LA Urban Design Committee.  The Forum is geared towards emerging designers and meets at urban design offices around Los Angeles to discuss the practice and future of urban design in LA.  The forum is held from 7-8:15 pm to discuss relevant topics and explore the work and offices of fellow designers. Forum topics and locations are to be decided by the group each month. At 8:30 after the forum, we'll continue the conversation at a nearby bar or cafe in a casual setting.  Look at: http://eudforum.wordpress.com for past Forums and announcements.

 

 

The 2009 AIA/LA "BUILDING LA'S FUTURE" Breakfast Series

The 2009 AIA/LA "BUILDING LA'S FUTURE" Breakfast Series 

Presented by OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE

1. Gerry Miller, Chief Legislative Analyst, City of Los Angeles - July 24 (8am) - NBBJ

2. Jim B. Clarke - Director of Federal Relations, Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, City of Los Angeles - Friday, August 7 (8am) - Gruen Associates

3. Gary Lee Moore, P.E. - City Engineer, City of Los Angeles - September 18, 2009  (8am) - ARUP

4. Larry Eisenberg, Executive Director, Facilities Planning & Development - Los Angeles Community College District - October 1, 2009 (8am) - Altoon + Porter Architects LLP

5. Geraldine Knatz, PhD, Executive Director - The Port of Los Angeles - October 8, 2009  (8am) - Harley Ellis Devereaux Architects

6. Brian League, Director of Entitlements, Capital Construction Development -  University Southern California - October 30, 2009 (8am) - CO Architects

7.  Steven A. Olsen, Vice Chancellor - Finance, Budget and Capital Programs  -  University of California Los Angeles - November 6, 2009  (8am) - Rios Clementi Hale Studios

8.  Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas - County of Los Angeles - November 13, 2009 (8am) - Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP

9.  Guy Mehula, Chief Facilities Executive - LAUSD - December 4, 2009 (8am) - TBD Location = PRESENTING SPONSOR

The 2009 AIA/LA "BUILDING LA'S FUTURE" Breakfast Series, which will feature such distinguished speakers as County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Larry Eisenberg, Guy Mehula, Steven Olsen, Geraldine Knatz, Brian League, Jim Clarke, Gerry Miller and Gary Lee Moore, will serve as an excellent opportunity for key leaders in the A/E/C industry to engage directly with decision-makers that presently have ongoing capital improvement programs that are helping to shape the City in which we live.

Presented by OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE

Sponsored by:

NBBJ

Gruen Associates

ARUP

Altoon + Porter Architects LLP

Harley Ellis Devereaux

CO Architects

Rios Clementi Hale Studios

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP

Price per breakfast/Entire Series:

$15/$135 - AIA/LA member

$30/$270 - Non AIA/LA member 

LIMITED CAPACITY.  REGISTER NOW BY CLICKING RIGHT HERE

TO REGISTER: (cut and paste the following link)

https://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Register/IdentityConfirmation.aspx?e=19b2c53f-0eab-4080-a441-9a2487910709

For additional information, please contact:

Will Wright

Director, Government & Public Affairs

AIA Los Angeles

will@aialosangeles.org

(213) 639-0777

Santa Monica Solar Ordinance: City Council voted YES to 'least visible' mandate

Dear AIA/LA Ex Comm.:

Last night at the City of Santa Monica Council Meeting, I testified on behalf of the Chapter to recommend that the City of Santa Monica strike from its proposed Solar Energy Systems Design Standards Ordinance Section 1.2.(e), language that mandates that "solar collector panels shall be installed in the location that is the least visible from abutting streets directly facing the subject property."

It was our thoughts that by mandating "least visible", the ordinance will legislate a highly subjective design standard that may create unnecessary barriers to new solar installations and, hence, make it more difficult to meet the region's renewable energy goals. 

Additionally, we were concerned that by mandating "least visible", The City of Santa Monica, which is known as an environmental affairs innovator, is fostering the misconception that solar panels are best when they are hidden from view.  Rather than be relegated to an area where they will be least noticed and possibly less efficient, solar energy systems should be celebrated for their environmental, economic, and potential aesthetic benefits to the City.

NEVERTHELESS, and despite that over 19 people (including AIA/LA members Angie Brooks, AIA, Jesse Bornstein, AIA, Global Green, The law firm of Mannett, Phelps & Phillips and several Solar advocates) testified their concerns that mandating 'least visible' not only violated state law but sent the wrong message that solar systems were inherently blightful (thus the need to make 'least visible') and could potentially propel other municipalities to set forth similar aesthetic standards, the Santa Monica City Council chose to ignore public testimony and pass the ordinance as recommended by Santa Monica Planning Staff.  Council even chose to ignore the amended recommendations set forth by the Santa Monica Planning Commission, which would have lowered the increased cost threshold from $2000 to $500 to be exempt from the 'least visible' mandate.

All in all, and with the exception of Mayor Pro Tem Pam O'Connor and Councilmember Gleam Davis (who was the sole dissenting vote), I was highly dismayed at Council's unwillingness to listen to the reasonable arguments of the community.  Not one single person testified that the visibility of solar energy systems disrupted their communities - therefore, making the entire conversation about 'least visible' purely conjectural in its anticipation of a problem that doesn't exist.  Additionally, Santa Monica City Council even seemed to enjoy debating with the community, further confusing the issue and constantly resorting to the premise that most projects have to go to the Architectural Review Board anyway, so therefore any attempt to streamline the process was unnecessary.

Councilmember Holbrook obfuscated the issue even further - challenging Global Green to the purely hypothetical dilemma of when is it okay, if ever, to cut a tree down to ensure maximum performance of an solar array.

All this being said, I recognized last night (since this was my first appearance at a Council Meeting there) that the City of Santa Monica and its council members could definitely benefit from the expanded efforts of our applied design advocacy.  We have a wealth of architectural leadership already in place with the civic involvement of AIA/LA members Michael Folonis, FAIA, Hank Koning, FAIA and Gwynne Pugh, AIA.  

As your government affairs liaison I look forward to receiving further strategic direction for how AIA Los Angeles can become a greater resource to Santa Monica, a city that is so often held to the high esteem as an innovative leader to other municipalities.

____________________________________

Will Wright,  Director of Government & Public Affairs

American Institute of Architects / Los Angeles

3780 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800, Los Angeles, CA 90010

(213) 639-0777 phone | (213)639-0767 fax

will@aialosangeles.org | www.aialosangeles.org

ü Please consider the environment before printing this email.