| 1. Describe Boundaries |
North: south side of Victory Blvd.
South: north side of Burbank Blvd
East: west side of Colfax Ave
West: east side of Whitsett Ave
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| 2. Attach a map of the Neighborhood Council |
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| 3. Explain why these boundaries were chosen. For example, the boundaries may be based on census tracts, on historical landmarks, on existing community planning areas, etc. |
The Laurel Grove neighborhood has been identified as such since 1999 and has worked together to address common concerns and mutual interests. Nine Laurel Grove neighborhood signs at the main thoroughfare entrances to our area, paid for by Council District 2 and installed by the City, proclaim our presence. The Laurel Grove Neighborhood Association has actively worked with stakeholders to sponsor activities that have benefitted and been enjoyed by the community. LGNA meetings are very well-attended and provide a forum for discussion of neighborhood concerns and an opportunity to meet and discuss issues with our elected officials, their staffs, law enforcement, other City department personnel, and others as relevant to ongoing neighborhood issues. The Laurel Grove neighborhood has held block parties, Easter egg hunts and movie nights, many attended by our City Council member and even then-Mayor Villaraigosa. The neighborhood has received City grants for tree plantings and street median improvements as well as working for lighting installed in alleys and otherwise where needed. It worked with the City to get playground equipment and other improvements at Laurel Grove Park. The 170 Hollywood Freeway slices our neighborhood in two and its presence and effect on the neighborhood is an ever and ongoing concern. While physically dividing us, it in fact binds us as its effect on local traffic, noise and associated pollutants affect us all in the same way. The neighborhood has met with Caltrans personnel on numerous occasions to discuss the status of the proposed soundwall, the materials to be used in its construction and associated landscaping. Our Laurel Grove neighborhood as specified is longstanding and acting together to address our mutual concerns and interests.
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| 4. Do the proposed boundaries affect any other Neighborhood Council boundaries? |
Yes
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| 5. If the answer to Question 4 is “Yes”, list the Neighborhood Councils which are affected by the boundary overlap. |
1) The proposed Laurel Grove Neighborhood Council east of the 170 freeway is now part of the Midtown North Hollywood Neighborhood Council, aka NoHo Neighborhood Council.
2) The proposed council west of the 170 freeway is now part of the Greater Valley Glen Council.
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| 6. If the answer to Question 4 is “Yes”, explain how the boundaries affect other existing Neighborhood Council boundaries. Do the proposed boundaries include any shared assets, such as a park, a school, a library, a facility, a building of historical significance, etc.? |
In the proposed neighborhood council area east of the 170 freeway, now within the Midtown North Hollywood Council there are located, among other assets, the Victory Boulevard Elementary School, the Laurel Hall School and the Alexandria City Park. This area represents a small fraction of the MTNH council and is remote from its historic main area of interest, the NoHo Arts District.
In the proposed council area west of the freeway, now within the Greater Valley Glen Council, are, among othe assets, the Laurel Grove Park, the Concorde Career College, and the Or Hachaim Academy. It encompasses less than 20 percent of the GVGC in area and is not part of the historic City-designated Valley Glen neighborhood.
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| 7. Does the Neighborhood Council area contain at least 20,000 stakeholders? |
Yes
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| 8. If the answer to Question 7 is “No”, mark the space or spaces below which apply: |
Neighborhood Council represents an historic neighborhood or community AND includes City service providers such as a library or a police station
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| 9. If the population in the Neighborhood Council contains more than 20,000 stakeholders, estimate the total: |
22000
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| Why are you seeking a Neighborhood Council subdivision? |
As explained above the Laurel Grove neighborhood has a strong self-identity. Stakeholders in both the eastern Midtown-North Hollywood council and those in the western Greater Valley Glen council do not feel that these councils are adequately represented by them. In both instances, Laurel Grove is on the fringes of their footprints and do not attract the attention that their core constituencies do: the NoHo Arts District in the case of Midtown and the City-recognized Valley Glen neighborhood that does not extend east of Whitsett Ave. Checking the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment's own records will show the paucity of expenditures by these councils in benefit of the Laurel Grove neighborhood, In item 3 above, many of our neighborhood activities that have occurred over the past 19 years are cited. Additional major redevelopment is likely within our boundaries at the Victory Plaza site. Our voices need to be heard and not given short shrift as they were by the Midtown council when it endorsed with no exceptions the project as proposed by the developer for Laurel Plaza.
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| Describe the residential profile of the proposed Neighborhood Council. Examples: ”Mostly single family homes”, “Mostly apartments”, “Mixture of single family and multiple family dwellings”. |
The Laurel Grove neighborhood is dominated by apartments up to 5 stories on the main thoroughfares and single family homes to the interior. The number of apartments and the number of single family residences is approximately the same.
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| Describe the commercial or business profile within the proposed Neighborhood Council. Examples: “Mostly businesses with less than 10 employees” “Mostly businesses with around 100 employees” “Mostly businesses with hundreds of employees” “Mostly industrial or manufacturing businesses” “Mostly retail or service businesses” “A mixture of different types of businesses” |
The neighborhood is home to a mixed bag of businesses, with employees numbering 1 or 2 up to around 50 and with the construction going on at Laurel Plaza, in the 100s. Businesses are mostly retail with a number of fast food establishments and sit-down restaurants as well. For example, there are a number of dental offices; we have two different bank branches; a gym; car washes; a large grocery; a movie theater, and convenience stores. This list is not meant to be complete but is meant to illustrate the wide variety of business types in the Laurel Grove neighborhood.
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| Describe the economic profile of the proposed Neighborhood Council. Examples: ”Affluent”, “Middle income”, “Mostly unemployed”, “A mix of upper, middle and lower income people”. |
The Laurel Grove neighborhood is home to a broad spectrum of wealth, but centered on solid middle income. There are some pockets of affluence and lower income areas as well. Because of our parks and the freeway right-of-way, there is also a sizable homeless population.
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| Describe the types of employment that are available within the proposed Neighborhood Council. Examples: Retail / Wholesale / Manufacturing / Entertainment / Art / Government / Health Services /Banks / Finance Companies / Insurance / Construction / Public Utilities / Communication / Computers |
Employment opportunities are available in a number of categories. While not meant to be exhaustive, retail is probably the most plentiful, but there are ongoing opportunities in construction; fast food and other food service jobs, auto repair; manual labor in gardening and car washing; and government service at the park maintenance facility at the Laurel Grove Park.
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| 1. Describe in detail the outreach process used to identify community stakeholders. |
A core group of about 40 individuals helped to get the word out and gather community receptiveness to forming a neighborhood council. These individuals visited businesses, schools, churches and synagogues to sound out interest. By these means non-resident interest in forming a neighborhood council was found to be positive.
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| 2. Describe or list the types of outreach activities used to inform stakeholders about the existence or formation of the Neighborhood Council. What types of outreach activities were employed? Examples of outreach activities include mass mailings, telephone calls, public meetings, and door-to-door visits. |
Door-to-door efforts to inform folks of the effort and to solicit petition signatures were, with few exceptions, favorably received. Likewise, the Laurel Grove Neighborhood Association mailing list got the word out to more than 500 households. The Nextdoor website was also used. At 3 LGNA meetings, the neighborhood council was discussed with approximately 100 individuals in attendance at each, and those in attendance spread the word. These meetings filled the auditorium at the Laurel Hall School. (The sign-in sheets for these meetings have not been preserved and cannot be attached as in the below.)
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| 3. Approximately how much time was spent on actual outreach activities prior to submitting this application? Examples include “one hour per week for six months”, “an hour every day for one month”, “at least three months”, “every week since July 2015", etc. |
This effort has been ongoing since late 2016. With so many individuals involved and without them "punching a clock" or reporting their efforts, it's near impossible to estimate the total time devoted to this effort. It certainly was not done in a uniform fashion but concentrated in late 2016 and the last two months.
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| 4. Were public meetings held on behalf of the Neighborhood Council? On average, how many people attended each meeting? |
As in the above, three public meetings were held at which this effort was discussed: December 12, 2016, February 21, 2017, and November 20, 2017. As in the above, at these three meetings one hundred or more were in attendance.
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| 5. Did you contact the affected Neighborhood Council? What outreach, or public meetings were held outside the proposed Neighborhood Council boundaries while still within the existing Neighborhood Council boundaries. |
This effort was spoken to at more than one Greater Valley Glen Council board meetings and I have, by an email, informed NoHo.
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| 6. Attach to this application the original signatures of at least 500 stakeholders within the proposed Neighborhood Council boundaries. Keep a copy of the signatures collected for your records. Signature amounts in excess of 500 will be retained on file by the Department as additional outreach documentation. |
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| 7. Signatures shall, to the maximum extent feasible, reflect the broadest array of community stakeholders who will be active participants in the Neighborhood Council. Please explain how the signature collection process was used to include, inform and educate the widest possible variety of stakeholders. |
The petition drive was advertised at neighborhood meetings with attendees volunteering to canvas the Laurel Grove neighborhood. The neighborhood association mailing list was used (residents, schools, businesses and places of worship) to get out the word and the petition forms attached to emails. Laurel Grove Nextdoor, too, was used to inform participants of the effort. Volunteers went door-to-door, visiting residents, businesses, schools and places of worship to educate and inform those involved in the community of this neighborhood council formation undertaking. Individuals spread the word on their Facebook pages.
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| 8. Outreach activities are a very important part of all Neighborhood Council operations. Outreach activities should be performed regularly in order to share ideas and to communicate news, events and information. If certified, lease describe below how you plan to continue to conduct outreach activities within the proposed Neighborhood Council boundaries. |
The Laurel Grove Neighborhood Council will expand its social media presence. As the neighborhood association has done in the past, door-to-door flyer distribution will continue by using our band of volunteers to advertise events and, as needed, board and committee events. Also as done in the past, neighborhood businesses have been helpful getting out the word by allowing flyers to be displayed in their establishments.
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