Agriculture and Golf--York's Latest Plan For Point View

Jim York is back with a new plan for his Point View property (aka The Old Pony Club.) According to his application for a Conditional Use Permit, he wants to grow avocados, citrus fruit and a vineyard on one part of it, and build a  two-and-a-half-acre 9-hole executive golf course and event center in another area. 

Access to the golf course would be via a new paved driveway from Palos Verdes Drive South to the Cook Shack area. The Cook Shack is no longer much of a shack, by the way, but is now a white building ringed with white holiday lights that sits adjacent to a lovely flagstone patio with a large fountain at one end. Two space heaters sit in front of the fountain and beside an enormous built-in bar-be-que, and it's all enclosed by a curving rock wall that overlooks one of the best views on the Southern California coastline.

The golf course is proposed for a "gently sloping area about 500 feet west of the existing restroom/cook shack area and south of an existing avocado orchard," according to the CUP application. The Point View Golf Course plans call for two greens, sand traps and nine holes. 

Information about the proposal is contained in the June 9, 2010 Weekly Administrative Report from Community Development Director Joel Rojas.

According to the report, section 17.02.025 of the RPV Development Code allows "the growing of crops and/or fruits on more than one acre for commercial purposes," and "golf courses, driving ranges and ancillary uses" in a residential zoning district with the approval of a Conditional Use Permit.  The report notes that staff reviewed the application with the city attorney, and "given that the city code does not specifically define a "golf course" or "ancillary use," it was determined that the application could be accepted for processing.

At this time, the application is incomplete. According to the report, York must demonstrate to the staff and the city's geologist that the application meets the exception criteria of the City's Landslide Moratorium Ordinance. If and when that is done, the application will be subject to a review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) before being processed. 

Rojas' report indicates that staff will develop a link on the city's website so that the public can read about the latest updates on this project, and also sign-up on the listserv to get periodic emails about this project. Note: the link isn't there yet but keep checking.

All 16 Monks Lots Have LMEs

The 16th and final "Monks" lot received a Landslide Moratorium Exemption from the RPV Planning Director on June 1. It is located on Narcissa Drive. Flags for building outlines appear to be up on four lots.  Now: whatever happened to the Environmental Impact Report? More on Monday, hopefully.

If You Want To Know Where We Are....

....just click here for a wonderful overview of Portuguese Bend on Google Earth's 3D maps. (Click "large view" on the bottom of the image for a slightly bigger image.)

Use the little slider with the plus and minus signs, on the left side of the map, to zoom in and find your house and everything else in the area. You can also click your mouse on the map and drag it around to see a different nearby area.

June Board Meeting--Part Two

Although much of what was listed on the agenda did not get done at Monday night's meeting of the PBCA board of directors, the Board did manage to approve the minutes and financial report from the previous month. An interesting note appears in the May minutes under "Audience Participation," and seems worth reporting here, inasmuch as it could impact future board meetings. (And of course, no one can read the Board minutes anywhere, except at the Board meeting.)

"Tim Kelly stated that in the future, if any members have any accusations against Board Members they need to bring proof. These false accusations will not be allowed. Tim Kelly stated that Mike Cooper has never received compensation and all further allegations need to bring forth support."

The July Board meeting will be July 5, 2010 at 7 p.m. in case you want to mark your calendar.

To Call Monday's PBCA Board Meeting Unruly Brings New Meaning to the Term

It's really hard to describe the Monday night meeting of the Portuguese Bend Community Association Board.

Picture a prize fight...

Mmmmm....not quite right. No gloves. Maybe a bar fight?

That's not quite right either, because no one actually threw any physical punches. But there were some verbal punches, that's for sure. About 90 minutes into the meeting, the custodian came in to see (pardon the expression) what the hell was going on! That should give you some idea of the volume of the "discussion" in the room.  And that was just the Architectural Committee meeting! 

And there were only 20 people in the room..including Board members!

The Architectural Committee meeting started off quietly enough with a discussion of house plans that have been approved, house plans that have been submitted, and a suggestion that the board form an Equestrian Committee to work out a trail system within the Bend. This was suggested because of the lot owners' willingness to go along with a community requirement for a three foot equestrian easement in front of their homes. 

Architectural committee member Kim Nelson announced that a group of the lot owners who are using the same contractor have offered to build a new gatehouse for the community at the Narcissa gate, free.

In line with the equestrian easement, Committee Chairman Tim Vaughn said the Architectural Committee will soon send out letters asking all home owners to voluntarily move existing hedges, rocks, fences, plants and other obstructions in this three foot easement in front of their homes.  This, apparently, will be the same letter that will list the proposed changes to the Architectural Standards that the committee has been discussing since February. Tim reported that the Board attorney advised him today that they cannot approve those changes until the entire community has been informed, in writing, of the proposed changes. Look for a letter some time soon. 

Residents within 500 feet of any of the four lots that have building outlines and flags on them should also be looking for letters from the city about the proposed buildings.

Trouble really began during discussion of the fact that any building plans that are submitted must include plans for drainage. During a discussion of drainage issues, specifically a problem with a recently installed dissapater, (a gadget at the end of a drainage pipe that disperses the water so it will not flood, uncontrolled, into a lot across the street),  a disgrunted homeowner suggested that community rules were not being enforced uniformly. Another resident suggested that some board members were not following some association rules. A general free-for-all about who had had what work done and who had permits or didn't have permits, ensued. Fingers were pointed. Voices were raised. The word "liar" was uttered. The yelling began. 

The person next to me said, quietly, "Uh oh. This is not good."

The angry resident asked that financial records be available so everyone could see who has paid what in fees, so that he could see that the rules are being enforced the same for everyone. The secretary-treasurer said that if the resident would supply a list of what he wanted to see, she would do the research and provide the information requested.

The Architectural Committee adjourned at 8:35 p.m. About half the people in the already small audience went home.

The board meeting was called to order soon thereafter, but side talk and comments continued.  There was no reading of minutes, no treasurer's report, no reports on roadsides, access control, the Environmental Impact Report, the Community Cleanup, or much of anything else. At 9 p.m., Board President Casey Porter adjourned the meeting....which then continued for a few minutes more.

There was no discussion of the road work that has been done in the community this month, but, after the meeting, Mike Cooper said that he expects the crew to finish work on Narcissa this week. He expects to get to the work on Limetree after that.

I keep telling you ... turn off the TV and come to these meetings. They are MUCH better than any sit-com or reality show you could ever see.

PBCA Board Meeting Tonight?

It's the first Monday of the month, so I'm assuming there will be a meeting of the PBCA Board tonight (Monday, June 7, 2010),  at Ladera Linda. If it follows the usual format, the Architectural Committee will meet at 7 p.m. and the Board meeting will follow immediately afterward.

If you want to know what's going on in Portuguese Bend regarding street paving, development, changing architectural standards and anything else, you need to go to the meeting. It's the only time you can ask questions or see your elected representatives in action.

Calling All Portuguese Bend Artists For A New Show

Artists are about as plentiful as peacocks in Portuguese Bend so that should generate a generous number of entries for an upcoming show at Ps Zask Gallery at Golden Cove.

Gallery owner Peggy  Zask, a Bend resident, is calling all artists whose work uses Found Objects as a major component of their art form for a new show, entitled Found Object,  to be held from October 2 to November 6, 2010.  

According to Mrs. Zask, this type of art, "is created from the undisguised, but often modified use of objects that are not normally considered art, often because they already have a non-art function. Marcel Duchamp was the originator of this in the early 20th century."   She notes that there are many artists in Portuguese Bend, including members of the Portuguese Bend Artist Colony, and she hopes that all of them will enter this show.

Artists may have three entries (by digital entry) for $15. Entry deadline is August 31, 2010.

Contact pszask@cox.net for a prospectus or call 310 429-0973 for more information.

The gallery, which is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., opened three years ago with a Spirit of the Horse Art Competition, to benefit the Portuguese Bend Pony Club. It continued with exhibitions of a variety of fine works from artists in Southern California and across the country. Ms. Zask recently re-opened the gallery with a new focus on ceramic art, sculpture and paintings that, she says, "explore the senses, issues and ideas about the earth's environment."

Both Zask and her husband. Ben, are artists. Ben, a science teacher at Dana Middle School in San Pedro, makes sculpture specifically out of found objects. "He does not use one thing in his art that is not recycled from somewhere around our home," according to Peggy.

She is a ceramic sculptor, potter and painter and teaches art, ceramics and sculpture at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach.  The very unusual wall around their property, "Is made mainly of Mira Costa High School student projects that were left behind at the end of the school year," Peggy said.  "Rather than throw them away, I decided to make a shard wall, as you may see in China, but of a sculptural nature.  Over the years, I have had other professional artists in the area add to the wall so it is developing quite a history," she said. 

Each year, the Zasks host a field trip from Mira Costa.  "We have about 50  students come and we do an ancient method of Pit firing with wood, firing the pots that kids have prepared specifically for the trip," she explained.  

"The method is based on the southwestern pottery of Maria Martinez.  After they prepare their pots and put them in the fire, they hike the traills, go to the tide pools and then we barbeque and relax and then they go on the bus back to school.  It's always one of their favorite times in high school. Many students take the ceramics class just so they can go on this famous field trip, always in spring of course.  It's a nice way to share Portuguese Bend."

Here's hoping that all Portuguese Bend artists enter this show, even if the focus is not their particular art form. It would be fun for the rest of us to see what artistic vision can bring to the ordinary.