LUNA holds its first in-person meeting; close to 100 attend
COUNCILMEMBER HUGO Soto-Martínez addresses the crowd at LUNA’s first in-person meeting.
LUNA (Larchmont United Neighborhood Association) held its first in-person meeting Nov. 6. The organization’s boundaries are Wilton Place to the east, Melrose Avenue to the north, Arden Boulevard to the west, and Beverly Boulevard to the south. The area’s councilmember, Hugo Soto-Martínez, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and representatives from the Livable Communities Initiative spoke to nearly 100 attendees.
Soto-Martínez, who anticipated spending only 20 minutes with the group, stayed for over an hour. When the Chronicle spoke to him a few days later, he said he was energized by the interaction of the meeting.
He began by telling his stakeholders about action items he and his staff are addressing.
He was able to report that homelessness has dropped 50% in Council District 13 since he took office. He has a team dedicated to tenant rental issues and evictions, and he’s proud of the work LAPD’s Unarmed Model of Crisis Response is doing. This response team handles non-violent calls placed to 911, enabling police to stay on task. Calls handled by this team cost $35 per call as opposed to $85 per call for armed personnel to respond.
The councilman opened the floor for questions and the meeting turned into a town hall. Residents brought up prostitution, broken streetlights, and the hazards of walking the neighborhood because of speeding cars coupled with drivers not obeying stop signs. Some also questioned why he didn’t stand up earlier and stronger to oppose State Bill 79, a bill that Gov. Newsom signed into law that is thought by many to threaten single-family neighborhoods.
The proposed Larchmont Farmers Market and parking lot lease agreement also came up. “We will be on your side and do what we can to protect our town square. Whatever power I have I will use,” said Soto-Martínez. (And he did.) (See article, page 1.)
SENIOR LEAD OFFICERS (from left) Daniel Chavez, of Olympic Division; Hector Marquez, of Wilshire Division; and Carrie Mendoza, who is filling in for SLO Tyler Shuck, of Wilshire.
Next up, LAPD senior lead officers talked about their role as a bridge in the community. They said they were very aware of the prostitution along Western Avenue and are diligently working to remedy the situation (see article, page 4).
The officers recommend block captains for each block, like Windsor Square Association has organized, to easily and quickly disseminate neighborhood news and crime information. They encourage residents to say hello to everyone they see while walking, whether you know them or not. This can be off- putting to potential burglars, akin to saying, “I see you.”
Livable Communities Initiative gave a presentation depicting what Larchmont Boulevard north of Beverly Boulevard could look like with thoughtful and intentional planning.
Category: People
