Please see the emails from other residents below -- they speak for themselves.
The underlying reason for the Alliance's existence is that the BAA has abdicated its right to represent our community---we all know the 3 R's--but are you aware of the 4 I's --which the BAA exemplifies--irrelevant, incompetent, incapable and inept.
We deeply care about this community--and many of us do not like the fact of the friction that has been created. For those who feel that way---what are you protecting? was it better before as the community was taken advantage of by developers whose motto was ask for forgiveness not for permission (and they got away with it) and we had unlimited hauling and unlimited trucks? --and the city paid no attention to us. Old axiom--you can't make omelettes without breaking eggs---and you cannot change existing behavior--or lack of it--by being passive.
We as a community deserve better--there was a time when this community was more genteel--homes were 3,000-5000-10000 feet ---and the hillside was intact--in that world, the BAA was relevant. Then the world changed---technology let you take huge amount of dirt out of the hillsides--which was not possible before. Houses became 20,000'--40,000' and 95000' with 180 caissons---(fyi--with 180 caissons you can practically build a bridge)--and what did our neighborhood association do--absolutely NOTHING!
Their silence helped enable the conditions we find ourselves in now---Cynthia Arnold, the former President of the BAA, said in her letter that the BAA would take no position on the Airole project (picture below--the NFL is thinking of bringing a team there)--nor did she and Paulette notify the entire community of this home being built--(they roused themselves from their inaction to complain about the Alliance)----I mean, assuming your head is not a neck ornament, a minor amount of common sense would tell you to alert the community of this potential construction in advance---they did not do that--instead they looked the other way.
The impact the Alliance has had in less than a year tells us all that strong representation can make a difference. In all my emails to the Apartment Dweller Interior Decorator---notice not once did he take any exception to the facts I set forth--because they are all true and irrefutable---instead, he makes a case for how he is being unfairly treated in terms of the tone and content he receives--he basically fundamentally accepts every thing we say as true--but he just doesn't like the way its said--a community does not have an advocate for its rights and its residents when its leader goes to city meetings and channels a mime--meet Marcel Marceau of Bel Air---he deserves our contempt--not any need to feel sorry for him.
Under Cynthia and Paulette's "lack of leadership"--the membership of the BAA has declined by at least half---they have never refuted that statistic--you can get that info from looking at their Form 990 which is public--but which they have declined to tell the community about. We know the BAA, like the Alliance is non-profit---but its not supposed to be non-intelligent. In private industry, all these people would be removed from office--and, if appropriate, fired. Why do we put up with this? Isn't the community entitled to competent, capable representation.
Its time for everyone to make their voices heard. Their email addresses are below---its time for everyone to stand up for our community.
Ron Hudson: ronallenormolu@aol.com
Cynthia Arnold: cynthiacbellagio@aol.com
Paulette DuBey: paulette@belaironline.org this assumes that she hasn't hired bodyguards to prevent your emails from reaching her----I still can't get over her sitting in her office at the Council Koretz meeting--not engaging with her constituency--and hiring 3 big bodyguards to protect her from the people who pay her salary---most of the people who were there were over sixty years old--was she afraid of being flagellated by some kind of designer pasta?- -this behavior should not be accepted or tolerated under any circumstances---she needs to be replaced---period--end of discussion.
We need open and transparent governance for the residents of this community-and capable leadership-we should accept nothing less.
Fredric D. Rosen--President-CEO
Bel Air Homeowners Alliance