This article was written by Victoria Talbot and published by the Beverly Hills Courier
The Board of the Bel Air Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council has motioned to approve the appointment of Maureen Levinson to the Board, replacing representation that heretofore had been reserved for the Bel-Ar Association (BAA).
Bylaws are being amended to designate the territory previously claimed by the BAA as a “district” of the Council that will be subject to public election of one Board Member by the stakeholders.
Residents have expressed increasing disappointment with the BAA, and in the past year, there has been little, if any, support from the Association for homeowners as they battle the affects of oversized development, increasing excavation, unchecked hauling, delivery, construction and cement trucks, and the very real possibility of accidents or blocked streets during an emergency that could result in death.
In fact, it has appeared to the contrary – that the Bel Air Association, whose board members are unknown, has instead supported developers at the expense of the resident homeowners. In one instance, the BAA imposed negotiated terms for support that included donations for their “pothole” fund in return.
The motion states, “during the course of these past few years the Stakeholders living within the territory claimed by BAA have been without representation on the Board to address matters impacting their immediate neighborhood and community,” by way of explanation for the changes.
A motion to that affect states, “Upon approval by the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners of newly amended Bylaws, and until a public election is held to elect Board members to these ‘districts,’the Board of the Council will be empowered to appoint a Member to represent a ‘district’ until such time of public elections.”
Thus, the Bel Air Homeowners Alliance has won a significant battle. The neighborhood councils throughout the City of Los Angeles provide the main artery of connection to representation at City Council, conducting business including land use issues that directly affect residents in the neighborhoods they call home.
These councils are the link to City Hall, bringing local representation where it is needed most.
Now, the seat previously reserved for the Bel-Air Association is being allocated to a member of the Bel Air Homeowners Alliance, as the Bel Air Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council, representing the entire area from Mulholland through Bel Air and beyond, has recognized formally that the Bel Air Association is not representing the residents and has not been supported their interests.
Oversized development aimed at luring the world’s 400 billionaires to Los Angeles has created a feeding frenzy of developers, realtors and marketing professionals culminating in two accidents on Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills that riveted attention on runaway development.
It appears that residents efforts in hillside areas where they are most affected, with narrow and winding streets and fire hazards increasing with the drought, are beginning to turn the tide. Reason may yet prevail, one elected representative at a time.