Dear Marquez Charter Families, Friends and
Supporters:
IMPORTANT--PALISADES RESIDENTS CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE NEWEST PETITION:
LADWP announced late last week in the Palisadian Post that the agency will begin formal review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of sites for its new distributing station in Pacific Palisades, with the release of its Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report in early 2014. LADWP has indicated the LADWP owned site next to the playground will likely be included in that report. As you may know, LADWP took over the property next to the playground by eminent domain in the 1970s, after the school had been there for nearly twenty years.
We're asking for your help, even if you don't plan to send your children to Marquez Charter. We need the entire Pacific Palisades community to show support for Marquez Charter. Most of you probably know that the DWP wants to put a large new power distributing station directly next to Marquez Charter Elementary—two stories above ground and two stories below ground, taking up over an acre of land. This is despite DWP's own analysis that the site has "fatally flawed geology" and is in the highest rated fire hazard zone overlooking a canyon of dry brush, with poor evacuation options. As you may know, by the end of this school year, LAUSD will have closed ten classrooms and relocated them due to "land movement" problems.
Marquez Charter Elementary School and parents, MKPOA, LAUSD, and various elected officials, have stated opposition to the DWP power substation near Marquez Charter Elementary School. Despite this, we understand the Marquez site will be included in the upcoming Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for consideration, because DWP owns the land. But there are alternatives available, such as the 1.5 acre site behind the Los Liones Fire Station 23 (FS23). FS23, owned by State Parks, was the preferred choice by DWP due to its geologic stability, ease and low cost of construction. But, because of a few vocal opponents, DWP turned away from that option. The parcel is located 200 feet from a traffic light at Sunset Blvd, a major highway, and flanked on three sides by two more heavily traveled roadways and a large fire station. In addition, the land is not natural habitat—it has been artificially landscaped with nursery grown trees in recent years.
We understand that with sufficient public support as well as adequate compensation, under the right circumstances, State Parks in general can consider a trade or sale of land consistent with its mission and in a manner that the public at large will not be disadvantaged or deprived of its resources. It would be a disservice to the California tax payers, who own the land, for State Parks to deem the land categorically unavailable, no matter what the compensation. Such compensation could enable the State to fulfill a much greater recreational need for the people of California.
We would like to demonstrate that in fact, the community of Pacific Palisades, would support the use of the site behind Fire Station 23, at Los Liones, rather than next to Marquez Charter which serves almost six hundred children. If you live in the Pacific Palisades, please sign the petition linked to below to show your support. Please forward this email to your friends and neighbors in the Pacific Palisades—and urge them to sign on. We need everyone's help.
Thus, if you have not already done so, AND YOU LIVE IN PACIFIC PALISADES, PLEASE SIGN THE NEW ONLINE PETITION, urging State Parks to consider a trade or sale of the land behind Fire Station 23, DWP's first choice.
CLICK HERE FOR THE PETITION:
(All adult members of a household can and should sign on separately).
Sign the petition to oppose the Marquez site and help keep FS23, DWP’s first choice, as a viable option.
The time for renewed action is NOW. Please pass this along and spread the word.
Thank you for your support.
Coalition to Keep Marquez Charter Safe
IMPORTANT--PALISADES RESIDENTS CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE NEWEST PETITION:
LADWP announced late last week in the Palisadian Post that the agency will begin formal review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of sites for its new distributing station in Pacific Palisades, with the release of its Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report in early 2014. LADWP has indicated the LADWP owned site next to the playground will likely be included in that report. As you may know, LADWP took over the property next to the playground by eminent domain in the 1970s, after the school had been there for nearly twenty years.
We're asking for your help, even if you don't plan to send your children to Marquez Charter. We need the entire Pacific Palisades community to show support for Marquez Charter. Most of you probably know that the DWP wants to put a large new power distributing station directly next to Marquez Charter Elementary—two stories above ground and two stories below ground, taking up over an acre of land. This is despite DWP's own analysis that the site has "fatally flawed geology" and is in the highest rated fire hazard zone overlooking a canyon of dry brush, with poor evacuation options. As you may know, by the end of this school year, LAUSD will have closed ten classrooms and relocated them due to "land movement" problems.
Marquez Charter Elementary School and parents, MKPOA, LAUSD, and various elected officials, have stated opposition to the DWP power substation near Marquez Charter Elementary School. Despite this, we understand the Marquez site will be included in the upcoming Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for consideration, because DWP owns the land. But there are alternatives available, such as the 1.5 acre site behind the Los Liones Fire Station 23 (FS23). FS23, owned by State Parks, was the preferred choice by DWP due to its geologic stability, ease and low cost of construction. But, because of a few vocal opponents, DWP turned away from that option. The parcel is located 200 feet from a traffic light at Sunset Blvd, a major highway, and flanked on three sides by two more heavily traveled roadways and a large fire station. In addition, the land is not natural habitat—it has been artificially landscaped with nursery grown trees in recent years.
We understand that with sufficient public support as well as adequate compensation, under the right circumstances, State Parks in general can consider a trade or sale of land consistent with its mission and in a manner that the public at large will not be disadvantaged or deprived of its resources. It would be a disservice to the California tax payers, who own the land, for State Parks to deem the land categorically unavailable, no matter what the compensation. Such compensation could enable the State to fulfill a much greater recreational need for the people of California.
We would like to demonstrate that in fact, the community of Pacific Palisades, would support the use of the site behind Fire Station 23, at Los Liones, rather than next to Marquez Charter which serves almost six hundred children. If you live in the Pacific Palisades, please sign the petition linked to below to show your support. Please forward this email to your friends and neighbors in the Pacific Palisades—and urge them to sign on. We need everyone's help.
Thus, if you have not already done so, AND YOU LIVE IN PACIFIC PALISADES, PLEASE SIGN THE NEW ONLINE PETITION, urging State Parks to consider a trade or sale of the land behind Fire Station 23, DWP's first choice.
CLICK HERE FOR THE PETITION:
(All adult members of a household can and should sign on separately).
Sign the petition to oppose the Marquez site and help keep FS23, DWP’s first choice, as a viable option.
The time for renewed action is NOW. Please pass this along and spread the word.
Thank you for your support.
Coalition to Keep Marquez Charter Safe
