Weiss gives tart advice to L.A. City Council on his way out

The Los Angeles City Council voted today to approve La Brea Gateway, a hotly contested seven-story apartment building planned for La Brea Avenue and backed by Councilman Jack Weiss.

But there were some fireworks leading up to that unanimous vote. Weiss, who will soon leave the council after a bruising and unsuccessful bid for city attorney, offered some tart advice for his colleagues. And Councilwoman Janice Hahn fired a few choice words back at him.

Nearly 75 people showed up in the council chamber to signal their opposition to La Brea Gateway, which would add 219 apartments to the corner of La Brea and Willoughby avenues. Neither Weiss nor Councilman Herb Wesson wanted them to speak, pointing out that the public had already been heard by the council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee, which reviewed La Brea Gateway and unanimously favored it.

But other council members said it would be rude to bar members of the group from testifying after they traveled to City Hall. And after a 10-minute hearing, council members began voicing other gripes about the project, which happens to sit in Weiss’ Westside district.

Councilman Bill Rosendahl complained that the proposed apartment building had no affordable housing. With lobbyists for the project standing a few feet away, Rosendahl secured a promise from the developer to set aside 10% of his project for lower-cost units.

Then Hahn asked whether there were other ways to rework the project so it would satisfy neighbors, who had complained that it was too tall and out of scale with nearby residential streets.

That prompted a lecture from Weiss, who had prickly relations with his colleagues throughout his eight-year tenure. Weiss, who frequently steps out of the room during public testimony, complained that Hahn was not listening to him.

Weiss, who will leave office June 30, urged his colleagues not to rework real estate projects after they have been heard by the planning committee, where he is one of three members.

“When this becomes a food fight in here, you might feel good about yourselves, you might like the quote  that you utter at that moment, but you demean the public process of this city,” he told his colleagues.

Hahn immediately pressed the button on her council desk, signaling that she wanted to speak. Then she told Weiss that if the council had not intervened, the project in his district would not have any affordable housing. She also said that in previous council meetings, tenants who were being forced out of their homes received better relocation benefits because the council intervened.

“We have the responsibility to make policy up until the very last minute, and frankly, I don’t need to hear a lecture from you on how to make public policy,” Hahn told Weiss.

Hahn ultimately supported the project after Council President Eric Garcetti told his colleagues that they had no additional time to rework the project because today was the deadline for the council to act. 

Regarding the project itself: Backers said it had been reduced in size, from 247 units to 219, and redesigned so that its western end would not be as tall as previously planned. Lobbyist George Mihlsten, of Latham & Watkins, said the project secured a favorable vote from the Mid City West Community Council.

Opponents said the project would increase traffic and make it more difficult for residents to find parking.

-- David Zahniser at L.A. City Hall

Photos, from top: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times; Jamie Rector / Associated Press

Comments

[crook and liars]

conncil members like to do city policy back rooms
weiss gone who is next we got more to go

[West Valley Dave]

This incident shows Jack Weiss' true colors. Its embarrassing that he has such little respect for his constituents and the citizens of Lost Angeles.

[Ty]

Some TV producer should base a character on Jack Weiss - whose constant screw-the-taxpayer-and-resident, love-all-developer-interest philosophy has caused as much harm as Villaraigosa's total inaction and career ambitions. He could be the villain on one of those "The Shield"-esque shows. This city is so broken! Only Eric Garcetti seems to get it...and Gavin Newsom. A possible future mayor/governor duo? One can only hope.

[Ruby Jackson]

"Hahn ultimately supported the project after Council President Eric Garcetti told his colleagues that they had no additional time to rework the project because today was the deadline for the council to act."

Well that says it all. No matter that there might be elements of importance to work out, no time for details!

[maria]

Weiss was absolutely right in principle that after he and his colleagues on the Planning and Land Use committee had spent countless hours and numerous meetings on the matter, reviewing the matter with the plannng dept. and getting the developer to make major concessions in terms of scale and neighborhood mitigations, it was WRONG for Janice Hahn and Bill Rosendahl to grandstand to try to pander to the voters and tv monitors. That utterly undercuts the work that's been done in committee by their colleagues -- and they've both done it before.

It undermines the process and shows disrespect for colleagues' expertise and time. Janice in particular is one to ALWAYS "hit her button" to speak and use up her maximum time, whether she has anything valid to say or not. She LOVES to play to the applause of the gallery and admits it. Rosendahl is that same way. That does NOT make them good policy-makers. Hahn didn't 'bitch-slap Weiss" as one commenter said, she acted like a bitch. Wasting time in Council to grandstand does NOT make her a better councilmember, as she clearly seems to think -- it makes her one of the biggest time-wasters and self-indulgent members.

Weiss may not have been Mr. Popularity precisely because he does the appropriate thing after wighting all the options, and then stands by it. That's called leadership, and he will be sorely missed. Pandering and grandstanding councilmembers like Hahn are the ones with an eye toward "how they look" to the public, integrity and respect for colleagues and process be damned.

[Chunkdog]

Is that the same Gavin Newsome who released criminal illegals from jail, as long as they were re-located outside of San Francisco? He gets it?

[jeff]

If Janice thinks that hitting your button most often is what counts, she should just go on Jay Leno's "Jay Walking All Stars." She has about as much useful to say as they do and could at least get some laughs. It does seem the case that as in regular life the councilmembers who talk the most have the least to say and she's probably chief among them. Bill Rosendahl is another one known as "the flip-flopper" who values being liked by whoever he's talking to at the time above consistency and real policy-making.

Zahniser does not report what Ed Reyes, chairman of the Planning committee said: that there are no zoning limits to the area and the scale of the project is actually already a major concession to the neighborhood. Bill Roendahl's last-minute arm-twisting the developer to build more affordable housing is legally contestable as coercion, and his similar attempts have previous resulted in such lawsuits when developers argued they were coerced and publicly embarrassed against their will to give in to something.

One thing about Weiss, he says what he means and means what he says, doesn't flip-flop or badmouth his collegues in public like Hahn, Rosendahl and especially Zine do. What a disgraceful way for our legislators to behave -- we would expect better from our school-age kids.

[Very simple]

Go Janice! She rocks. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Weiss.

[fed up citizen]

Developers rule this city with no regard for the citizens. The developers line the council-person's pockets and whom ever else they need to pay off and to heck with what negative impacts the projects may have on the existing neighborhood. This city is way beyond broken - it stinks! Weiss is gone probably only to be replaced by a clone or someone worse. SSAD.

[Aaron]

Hit the road, Jack, and don't you come back, no more, no more, no more, no more.

[jill]

CurbedLA is reporting what was obvious to close observers at City Hall on Wednesday: those who showed to oppose the project were lining up for $50 coupons for either Whole Foods or Ralphs.

Arranged by Lucille Saunders of the LaBrea/Willoughby Coalition who's been campaigning for Trutanich and promoting their cause at every event. Then resorting to other tactics that cannot be detailed here, but are pretty nasty. Having been given every due process, and being considered a bully by most in the neighborhood who want to clean up the area. Then she goes crying to Janice Hahn and LaBonge, "poor us, we didn't get heard," and Janice Hahn "kind of felt it" and decided to undermine the process and her colleagues and the city. Sorry gotta agree with Jack: lousy precedent.

Meanwhile literally across the street on LaBrea, the West Hollywood side is thriving and a magnet for retail and business, while the L A side has been left to the homeless and run-down housing. The fact that a few people have lived there as renters for decades and don't want to move can't trump the greater good. The people who showed may include homeless and others who went for the food coupon, were given a ride to be a warm body.

The new project includes a Bristol Farms: Whole Foods/ Ralphs are competitors who may have a vested interest in NOT letting the project go forward?

Anyone remember to tell this to Hahn and Rosendahl? Was his meddling part of his plan to run for U. S. Senator to replace Feinstein, LOL, being reported in the Weekly and elsewhere? What is Hahn running for when she interferes in everything for press coverage?