The shipping container at the end of Windward Circle should require a Coastal Commission permit and an environmental impact report, according to the Venice Stakeholder’s Association.
The group sent a letter on Friday to the L.A. Recreation and Parks Department requesting that the city acquire the necessary permits for the shipping container used to house homeless people’s belongings, as the structure constitutes a “development” within the coastal zone.
The term “development” as defined by the California Coastal Commission is open to interpretation and includes structures “on land, in or under the water, and the placement or erection of any solid material.”
In their letter, the VSA states that the container blocks ocean views and its placement in the midst of Venice Beach should be considered a development under the Coastal Act.
“The City must abide by the same rules that apply to private property owners,” said Mark Ryavec, VSA president. “No Boardwalk property owner could plop down a huge metal storage container within view of the beach and then start using it to store various and assorted property without the proper permits and environmental review.”
The association is asking the city to remove the container or acquire the proper permits. Otherwise it will sue the city for an injunction to remove the container.
Funny that they think this 10 x 30' container--which will only be there 6 weeks because the program ends on March 1st--requires a Coastal Commission permit but the VSA sponsored ILLEGAL and UNCONSTITUTIONAL closure of the Boardwalk from 12-5am does not. They went completely against the Coastal Commission (and the rights of each and every Californian) when they wanted to make it harder for unHoused people to exist in Venice by closing the Boardwalk at night, but now they try to use the Coastal Commission for their benefit by saying that the storage container needs Coastal Commission approval! COMPLETE B.S.! Their main goal in life seems to be to make it harder for the ones who are having a really rough go of it on our streets. In fact, before they knew anything about the program they were opposing it. Just because. They are truly more the Venice Homeless Haters Association than anything else. Sad.