Chris Essel: The Queen of SB1818
For those of you who like building up lots and lots of condos, adding density without infrastructure and growing the City even more, you'll love Chris Essel.
A thorn in the side to many neighborhood activists is SB1818 a State law that mandates municipalities to provide certain density bonuses and other incentives to projects containing affordable housing. Los angeles adopted an implementing ordinance that provides incentives in excess of the minimum guidelines provided by state law, however the implementing ordinance has been challenged in court and the LA Superior Court issued an injunction regarding some of these additional incentives. One activist told me that SB1818 is "a one-size-fits all solution that has been screwing up the quality of our neighborhoods. Developers come in and tear down a large moderately-priced building (say, 50 units) and build 100 market-rate units with say 10 affordable units. The end-result is a net decrease in affordable units and more density in our neighborhoods. More density means more traffic, bigger strain on infrastructure, etc." As you can see, its not a popular law around the NC nor SLAP-happy folks. And for good reason.
That however doesn't stop Chris Essel and the downtown develop at any cost crowd from backing such a flawed initiative like SB1818. Candidte Essel may be speaking the "smart growth - no growth" mantra in the development sensitive and vote rich areas of CD2 but when she gathers with her Downtown LA friends its a different story.
Essel - who has served as the Chair of the powerful Central City Association - touted her advocacy of capping local communties ability to block overdevelopment in the CCA's January 2008 newsletter by writing "Through our results-oriented advocacy, CCA was successful in pushing forward Senate Bill 1818, TFAR, and the Downtown Housing Ordinances, all of which enable developers to build more density."
Further Essel joined the Sleeping Greig Smith "We Hate Neighborhood Councils Club" by gleefully telling her Downtown buddies "As a result of our efforts, a citywide ban on condominium conversions is off the table, and neighborhood councils will now be required to submit economic disclosure statements before creating a council file." So yes, we have been triumphant in throwing up roadblocks for those pesky local panels.
The more we learn about Essel the more we see she is way out of touch with CD2. Are Downtown values Sunland-Tujunga or West Van Nuys or North Hollywood or Studio City values? I guess the "members" of CD2 will let us know.
Labels: cd2, cd2 special election, Chris Essel, real estate development, sb 1818
Posted by Michael Higby @ 8/05/2009 01:37:00 PM
24 Comments:
Essel wins in the runoff.
WOW
Greuel is looking to support the Queen.... I think I would take a second look and stay away from the Queen if I was her.
If she supports Essel and says that Essel is the right candidate the VOTERS will remember and will make Greuel the Princess of SB 1818 and the ___ of Developers! That will be a bad call when she runs for Mayor.
Essel wants to screw over the people and the communities for her developers, that makes my choice easy it’s a ABC (Any on But Chris)Vote!
Essel is tied to Carol "I want to spend Quimby funds fraudulently dammit!" Schatz?
NO WAY IN HELL WOULD I VOTE FOR THIS NUTCASE
Where do ALL the candidates stand on density and growth? Litmus test time. Straight answers, no BS. Joe B! Get on it!
Palinization at its worst.
As a woman, I take umbrage at this post and the deprecating way a woman is being treated by the blogger.
Shame on you Michael Higby. You know better than to do this.
How can I find the information below out there internet land? This needs to be shared with people who I know don't read this blog. All I gotta know is where to find the proof.
If it's true, Essel doesn't even make the runoff, much less win.
**Further Essel joined the Sleeping Greig Smith "We Hate Neighborhood Councils Club" by gleefully telling her Downtown buddies "As a result of our efforts, a citywide ban on condominium conversions is off the table, and neighborhood councils will now be required to submit economic disclosure statements before creating a council file."**
Gee - I guess that leaves us with ...........Open the envelope please.
MARY BENSON.
Let's see. She really live IN the district. Has worked for the preservation of our way of life for years and not a taint of controversy.
Go Mary.
I honestly only know Mary Benson's views and every neighborhood council's planning and land use committee should be pushing for them to vote for Mary.
Help the rest of the city CD 2!
Unsupported slanderous statements aren't worth the paper they are printed on or the computer screen they appear on.
Just go to a forum and ask the question, stupid...
Bring back Bernie to be interim chief...save some money for a change.
3:40 - is a statement on her own newsletter enough for you?
Michael, thanks for the update. I read the newsletter.
I think every single neighborhood council has a right to know this. This isn't secret information nor slanderous anonymous at 3:40 and it hardly makes anyone "stupid". Except maybe for Chris.
Now I join the Anybody But Chris Essel fans.
Oh well, if Wendy endorses her at least I can comfortably say "I told you so" about her. Wendy and her fake love for neighborhood councils.
I guess that Riordan endorsement should have been a tip-off.
To the Woman at 3:22 who takes umbrage,
Can I ask why?
From,
A woman who really cares about both neighborhood councils and what happens when developers run amok and can't quite see why this is Palinization. Truth hurt?
Turn off the lights the party is over.
Good luck running her campaign, the good Lords endorsement will not get her a win in this race.
Any one but Essel the empty vessel.
If this is true Essel is sunk. No way in hell those fat ladies in Studio City or rednecks in ST will ink-a-vote for Chris.
You can criticize her views and her experience, but to dress her up in an Elizabethean costume smacks of the same crap they threw at Sarah Palin.
it is wrong, and I don't know why every self-respecting woman is not offended.
What if it were you or your daughter?
This stuff has no place in the discussion.
Whose stupid idea was for her to be brought in from CD4 to AV's candidate?
Don't they have any local AV hanger on's?
Krekorian's folks are trying to pull the wool over your eyes.
Krekorian's campaign is run by Areen Ibranossian, whose last job was campaign manager for the Mayor's re-election. The consultant is Eric Hacopian - another Antonio guy.
This post is no anti-woman crap. Shut up. Just because you're freaking out because Essel's chances have been blown to bits doesn't mean you have to start pulling the anti-woman card.
Face it, Essel has no business whatsoever running because of her views on SB 1818 and neighborhood councils.
It's about her views and carpet-bagging character.
They aren't fat ladies in ST either.
The activists at SOHA will never go for Essel after this news, whether wonderful Wendy endorses or not.
Paramount executive (okay), CRA (bad), SB 1818 (really bad), thoughts on neighborhood councils (the worst).
Buh-bye Christine.
Where is the legendary Armenian money that always appears for someone with "ian" at the end of his/her name?
Does it bother anyone that Paul has not raised much?
What do the Armenians know that we don't???
Amen to "Essel winning in the runoff!" Krekorian's campaign is an Antonio Villaraigosa machine run by his slimy team.
Essel is about fair share services, is a Valley girl and actually has concrete experience and is all about running for City Council only, not like the Tamar LAUSD flake and Krekorian, the state's failure.
I HOPE THE VOTERS IN CD5 AREN'T BRAIN DEAD IF THEY DON'T RID THEMSELVES OF DEVELOPER CRAZY SPECIAL INTEREST TYPES. REMEMBER HOME DEPOT!! THESE PEOPLE ARE THERE FOR ONE REASON TO TAKE EVERY LAST DIME FROM YOUR COMMUNITY. READ THE FINE PRINT. YOU NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE TO LISTEN AND WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY NOT TELL YOU WHAT THEY THIMK IS BEST. THAT'S HOW THIS CITY , STATE , COUNTRY GOT INTO THIS MESS. DON'T FALL FOR CAMPAIGN JARGON, TV AD'S OR SADLY LIES, DO THE RESEARCH.
another day on this awful blog. i keep hoping for intelligent discussion but the comments don't include ACTUAL facts, just discourse. if people actual knew these candidates and listened to what they said we could get somewhere, but it is just issues on issues on issues. sexist this, racist that....blah blah.....common people!
Please remove the photo as it is a professional photograph that was used without permission. And The actress has no knowledge of the politics or issues that is being discussed, nor was asked for permission to use her likeness.
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