2030 Plan for Long Beach

If any of you are interested in being part of the future of Long Beach please contact the planning department and ask to be added to this list. Your input is valued and requested. Let's work together to make LB even greater than it already is.


CITY OF LONG BEACH
DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
333 West Ocean Blvd., 4th Floor  Long Beach, CA 90802  Phone:  570.5237   Fax:  570.6205

April 20, 2011
 
Dear Neighborhood Association Members,
 
2010 was another successful year for Long Beach neighborhood associations, which helped advance Long Beach’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life within the city. We saw continued successes in neighborhood revitalization, citizen participation, and code enforcement. From your direct involvement in planning projects, your efforts have led to the beautification of our parks, neighborhoods, and street parkways, and enrichment of the overall fabric of our city.
 
Your successes are related to your many outstanding volunteer efforts and contributions toward the betterment of Long Beach. In 2010, the Willmore City Heritage Association (WHCA) won Neighborhood, USA’s “Neighborhood of the Year” first place award in the category of Physical Revitalization – Single Neighborhood, for restoring a 106-year-old house, saving it from demolition, and helping a local family purchase the home – removing two blighted vacant lots in the process. At one Craftsman Village Historic District’s monthly graffiti removal and neighborhood clean up alone, 200 volunteers removed nine tons of trash and debris from surrounding streets and alleys. This is just one of many similar efforts that took place throughout the city. Neighborhood associations have also contributed to greening efforts by planting trees throughout Long Beach. At the North Alamitos Beach Association’s Neighborhood Tree Planting last July, volunteers planted 35 new trees in the area. And the neighborhood associations also help build community, such as the West East-Side Community Association’s extremely successful annual Halloween Carnival at Orizaba Park where approximately 700 people attended the festivities.

In 2011, the Planning Commission will need your help with our planning processes for now and the future. We are working on our Long Beach 2030 plan, which includes evaluating zoning requirements within the city. Our successes in that effort count on community participation and support. We encourage you to recruit and involve as many of your neighbors as possible to participate in the process.
 
On behalf of all the members of the Planning Commission, we again thank you for your commitment to improving our neighborhoods.
 
Sincerely,    

Charles Durnin
Chair
Long Beach Planning Commission

Amy J. Bodek, AICP
Director
Long Beach Development Services

Hot and stinky

I want to build an outside shower. One that has hot and cold water running. Any suggestions?

Historic District Info for Long Beach

I wish some of my neighbors would take note. Its not a problem with the fencing as the upkeep of the houses...Thanks Rose Park for sending this out.

Taking care of property in a historic district is different.
"Fencing Considerations"

The materials, design and scale should complement and be subordinate to the home's architecture. For examp a Cal Bungalow made of wood siding would have a wood fence, whereas a Spanish-Med style home would use masonry and iron elements.

You live in an historic district. Taking care of property in a historic district isn't difficult but it is different. This distinction brings many benefits. You are more confident that your neighbor can't rebuild to the lot-line or the block won't be raised for real estate development. Property can't be changed in historic character. The net effect retains value of your chosen neighborhood.

And here comes the but - there are responsibilities. These responsibilities are based on the Secretary of Interior Standards for Historic Preservation and are coordinated for all of us in historic districts by our city's Historic Preservation office. This process is called a Certificate of Appropriateness or COA*. A COA is different from a building permit. A COA is a way to ensure that property owners in historic districts conform to preservation standards.

Fences in Historic Districts

Fences require a COA.
You can download the instructions at: http://www.lbds.info/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=2563.
Or, you can call 562) 570-6194.

Here are two things to consider when planning your fence:
1.      It must conform to the city's building code, e.g. height and set-back requirements. To find out what pertains to your individual situation email LBDS@longbeach.gov or give them a call (562) 570-LBDS (5237), Option 3.
Or if you prefer you can visit the planning department but be prepared to wait, as it is a first come first serve system at the planning desk located at 333 W. Ocean Blvd., 4th Floor Long Beach,

Don't want to call the city? Find it difficult to navigate the bureaucracy? You are not alone. You are encouraged to review other approved installations of fencing in your neighborhood.  Try to find out what makes a successful application - most are very simple. Fill out the application and discuss it with historic preservation staff. Most suggested modifications are easy to make. But if you don't obtain the COA unfortunately the city can and will take action.

Further questions please contact:  info@rpna.org

*What is a COA?
COA stands for Certificate of Appropriateness is required for all exterior changes, even those that do not need building permits, such as repainting. Ordinary maintenance and repair are excluded. The Preservation Officer reviews applications for changes. Minor changes may be approved by staff. Major projects and applications that are inconsistent with the design guidelines are scheduled for a Cultural Heritage Commission meeting. Applicants may appeal decisions to the Planning Commission.
Long Beach City's Preservation Office is at http://www.lbds.info/planning/historic_preservation)

Leaf me alone!

For the last 6 months or so I have been getting messy ally citations from the city of Long Beach. My elm tree is dropping leaves and getting me in trouble. That combined with the garbage the neighbors leave after they are done woopin' it up and I'm in trouble with code enforcement.

So I hired Jimmy's tree service to come and cut her back. WAY back. It was time anyway there was a few big branches that had fallen off over the years and it was looking pretty shabby. But it was hiding the big apartment building that sits back there in the corner which now we have the pleasure of looking at.

 I asked them to leave all the inside branches so when it grows back it can once again shield us from the apartment building. Although nobody is living there right now, just fixing it up to rent I think.

 They also cut down a big queen palm that lots its head a few years ago. One morning we came outside to the head of the palm tree sitting in the backyard. Good thing it didn't land on the neighbors garage or take out my plumeria tree. We did leave a tall enough piece to hold the hammock. Maybe someday we can get a tiki carved into it. That would be fun!

I admit I had chipper envy.

The house goes- gurgle

I suppose we are ready for baby. We still have a few more Bradley classes to attend and a car seat to buy but other than that I feel pretty ready. Ready to get this baby out of me. Everything was going alright until he started kicking me in the ribs. Not nice baby, not nice at all.

My friends threw me a wonderful baby shower. This kid has lots of love coming from everywhere. California love, Florida love, Hawaii love, this kid is destined to be a beach bum. I remember those days. I hope I get to spend the time on the beach like my mom did with us. I remember running around diaper free and loving it.

On the house front we are trying to decide what to do. Our cute little tudor that we love and work so hard on is not worth the paper the mortgage company uses to send us the bills. Its hard to pay so much for something every month that is so underwater. Do we short sale? Do we walk away? Do we buy something else and go through all the same hell we have been through with this house? I don't know.

My friend Tracy calls me a "planner", she is right. Its hard for me to live in limbo. The morally correct thing to do would be to stay and pay. We agreed on the price, we bought the house, done deal. Except when you look at all the options and what other people are doing its hard to be the one that does the right thing. I mean its not like I'm going to get a gold star by my name because we made all of our payments. It only makes us feel stupid for paying so much when other people are getting such good deals.

We have 1 year to figure it out. That's when our mortgage GOES UP even more. Thanks to the awesome loan that we were sold. Honesty though at the time it was a good price for the house, and the loan was not that bad either. But man times have changed. Any of you guys having the same problems?

Baby Room

The Husband (do I call him The Dad now?) took some pictures of the nursery. Still need to make it look like a kids room but the bones are there.

11 more weeks until we get to meet the little guy. How exciting!

Baby's room

We worked on the nursery over the weekend. I painted 4 swatches on the wall but since The Husband is colorblind I had to recruit a neighbor to come and stare at the colors with me. Thanks Auntie Lisa!

We picked Icelandic from Sherwin Williams' Harmony line. Its a gray based blue I tried to pick something that they wouldn't grow out of too quickly. I don't want to repaint any time soon.

Looks like a nice place to grow up if I do say so myself. You can almost see my fancy fixture from Rejuvenation along the wall above the futon that is getting replaced. The finished wall color is the second from the left.