Benedict Canyon Association
Working to protect the quality of life and the environment of Benedict Canyon.
2024 BENEDICT CANYON ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING
Our annual meeting was a success and hope you were able to make it. If not, click the view recording button below. With many government officials in attendance, we were able to get answers to pertinent questions about issues involving our neighborhood.
PETITION TO OPPOSE WITHDRAWAL OF AT&T LANDLINE SERVICE
Dear Neighbors:
AT&T is petitioning the California Public Utilities Commission to eliminate its requirement to maintain landlines in areas of California, including our neighborhood. See the article below:
Westwood-Century City Patch Article:
Landlines In CA May Be Facing Their Death Blow
Some of you may think this is no big deal, but it is — especially for those of you who have lived through earthquakes and power outages and severe weather events in our neighborhood, as my family has over the decades.
Even if this doesn’t impact you personally, it most certainly impacts many of our neighbors, especially older residents and work from home professionals with poor reception, so let’s please make an effort to look after each other.
Submit a comment opposing the petition at:
AT&T Landlines – submit Public comments here
Below is a draft of proposed points which you are authorized to use for your own comments as you choose. And please don’t ignore this because you are under the impression that it doesn’t affect you! If you live here, it does!
Please do not allow AT&T to withdraw support for traditional landline service in California. We live in a hillside area in Los Angeles that experiences frequent power outages because of above-ground power lines and extreme weather. Cell service is spotty under the best of circumstances and, in many instances, is not available without wifi. If you allow the removal of landline support, you will be stranding thousands of residents without means of emergency communication because emergency access to and egress from our area is also compromised by severe weather events. Finally, you are betraying older residents who rely on landlines as their primary method of communication. This would constitute the most egregious and irresponsible form of age discrimination and must surely run afoul of equal protection under the law. Please consider the larger ramifications of this petition and protect California citizens whose life safety is compromised by such an action. Thank you for considering my comments.
SPEED HUMP APPLICATION DAY
Speed Hump Application Day just passed but we will keep you updated when the next available day posts.
**New Speed Hump Application Process**
Review the 2024 Speed Hump Program Evaluation Guidelines and 2024 Speed Hump Program Fact Sheet to determine if your street meets the minimum criteria required for speed hump installation before you decide to apply. Only one applicant per street segment request will be allowed. The applicant will be the Block Representative and will be responsible for all related correspondence with our staff. Please note the changes to this process as noted in Step 1 bold text below.
* Your street segment must meet the following minimum criteria:
- Be a residential street
- Have only one travel lane in each direction
- Have a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less
THE BULGARI HOTEL HAS BEEN STOPPED
Thanks to the efforts of Save Our Canyon, the Benedict Canyon Association, our residents and our Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky who was able to marshal a majority of the City Councilmembers, the Bulgari Hotel project was stopped in its tracks last September (2023) by the Los Angeles City Planning Director’s revocation of the developer’s permit for the hotel, which would have had a tremendous impact on Benedict Canyon and establish a significant precedent on other canyon neighborhoods.
The Benedict Canyon Association is a proactive group of homeowners and residents whose mission, since 1948, has been to advocate for residents and preserve the beauty, safety, and quality of life in Benedict Canyon.
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e monitor traffic problems, attempts by developers to overbuild in our canyon and stay informed of zoning changes and variances that might affect us. When necessary, we take our problems directly to the appropriate government agency. Our association’s advocacy and participation helped write and pass three very important ordinances: The Hillside Ordinance – which limits building heights, and stipulates restrictions on set-backs, side yards, parking problems on sub-standard streets and FAR (Floor Area Ratio to lot size). The Retaining Wall Ordinance – which limits the height and number of retaining walls in the canyon; and most recently the HCR – SUD (Hillside Construction Regulation – Supplemental Use District) Ordinance, commonly referred to as the “Overlay” – which regulates construction & hauling hours, grading limits & quantities of soil that can be exported from a building site and more.
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ith your support, we have been able to assist in stopping the Bulgari Hotel in our residential neighborhood; vigorously opposed commercial short-term rentals and party houses; cooperated with the LAPD in investigating crimes in our neighborhood; arranged for electronic speed signs installed on Benedict Canyon Drive and speed humps elsewhere; had the mid-section of Benedict Canyon Drive repaved and re-striped; replaced aged speed signs with new ones; advocated strongly for the continued funding of the Wildlife Pilot Study & Ordinance. We continued to maintain the 100 large tree/flower pots on lower Benedict Canyon Drive by the historic sign, as well as the succulent garden on upper Benedict at the Mulholland entry to Benedict Canyon; communicated with our residents about events and issues affecting them; met with many city officials on a monthly basis that included Council District 5, the City Attorney, Fire and Police departments, Building & Safety, Public Works, and Street Services, so that we could continue to advocate for the Benedict Canyon community.
W
e monitor traffic problems, attempts by developers to overbuild in our canyon and stay informed of zoning changes and variances that might affect us. When necessary, we take our problems directly to the appropriate government agency. Our association’s advocacy and participation helped write and pass three very important ordinances: The Hillside Ordinance – which limits building heights, and stipulates restrictions on set-backs, side yards, parking problems on sub-standard streets and FAR (Floor Area Ratio to lot size). The Retaining Wall Ordinance – which limits the height and number of retaining walls in the canyon; and most recently the HCR – SUD (Hillside Construction Regulation – Supplemental Use District) Ordinance, commonly referred to as the “Overlay” – which regulates construction & hauling hours, grading limits & quantities of soil that can be exported from a building site and more.
W
ith your support, in 2021, we were able to have the mid section of Benedict Canyon Drive repaved and re-striped, in addition to the replacement of aged speed signs with new ones. We advocated strongly for the continued funding of the Wildlife Pilot Study & Ordinance and to Stop the Hotel and any other commercial development in West Los Angeles’ remaining 100% residential Benedict Canyon. We continued to maintain the 100 large pots on lower Benedict Canyon Drive and also the succulent garden, installed in 2020, at the Mulholland entry to Benedict Canyon. We surveyed our residents regarding the installation of license plate readers, cameras and speed feedback monitors along Benedict Canyon Drive. We solicited a detailed proposal from Mission Critical Partners for the development of an Outdoor Warning System in case of emergency evacuation. We launched a new website for enhanced communication among BCA members. We virtually met with many city officials on a monthly basis that included Council District 5, the City Attorney, Fire, Police, Building & Safety, Public Works, and Street Services, so that we could continue to advocate for the Benedict Canyon community.
David Kadin, President. Barbara Nichols, Vice President.
Benedict Canyon Board of Directors
The BCA Officers and Directors are comprised entirely of volunteer canyon homeowners. They contribute countless hours of service. The BCA sometimes employs outside professionals to assist the Association. The slate of officers for 2024 are: President David Kadin, Vice President Barbara Nichols, and Treasurer David Elson. The directors are: Nicole Miner, Robert Schlesinger, Donald Loze, Mindy Rothstein Mann, Mary Ann Musico, Joy Denton, Gail Malmuth and Jill Demko. Our directors are all Benedict Canyon homeowners that are dedicated to ensure that the Benedict Canyon community remains one of the best places to live in Los Angeles.
Residents Serving Residents, Since 1948
Our 2024 goals include:
Ensuring that Benedict Canyon’s residential-only zoning laws remain in effect – No hotel, nor other commercial enterprises in Benedict Canyon
Passage of the long advocated “Ridgeline Ordinance,” safeguarding our majestic ridgelines
Establishment of an Open Spaces Fund, to secure the wildlife sanctuary that we call home and reduce small “unbuildable” lots that become nuisance construction sites, resulting in unwanted neighborhood density
Improved fire and emergency preparedness
Supporting the Wildlife Ordinance
Repaving of upper Benedict Canyon Drive by Street Services
Lower Benedict Canyon Drive Beautification
Installation of speed bumps on narrow hillside streets in an effort to slow speeders
Installing Electronic Speed Feedback signs along Benedict Canyon Drive to deter speeding
Organizing Neighborhood Watch groups to assist the LAPD in crime prevention
Pandemic permitting, resumption of in-person meetings!
Our 2022 goals include:
Installation of license plate readers along Benedict Canyon in an effort to slow speeders and provide enhanced security
Improved fire and emergency preparedness
Passage of the long advocated “Ridgeline Ordinance,” safeguarding our majestic ridge lines
Ensuring that Benedict Canyon’s residential-only zoning laws remain in effect – No hotel, nor other commercial enterprises in Benedict Canyon
Establishment of an Open Spaces Fund, to secure the wildlife sanctuary that we call home and reduce small “unbuildable” lots that become nuisance construction sites, resulting in unwanted neighborhood density.
The Benedict Canyon Association is supported entirely by resident contributions. The BCA receives no outside funding and has remained non-political in its 75-year history. Welcome to our website and become an active part of our community.
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