How Was Toluca Lake Able to Get What They Wanted at the Expense of Other Communities?

(EDITOR'S NOTE: The redistricting debate is continuing to heat up after the committee drawing up the lines came up with one new district putting Studio City in one Council District 2, but then Toluca Lake residents asked to be put back in Council District 4. There is one last chance to have input on Wednesday. Check out the arguments below, the links at the bottom, the poll and the meeting schedule.)

First: The President of the Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council is the Executive Director for the Redistricting Commission, a fact that he did not disclose to the City Council. 

Second:The Toluca Lake stakeholders do not believe they are part of the Valley. Even Bob Hope knew that Toluca Lake is in the San Fernando Valley. He lived there for about 75 years. 

Third: Those vocal stakeholders did not want to be in the same district as North Hollywood or Studio City because, as they declared, it will bring down their property values! They also made public comments that were derogatory towards others, which I will not repeat here. 

Fourth: The draft map had Studio City, North Hollywood, Toluca Lake, and Valley Glen Neighborhood Councils whole; with most of Valley Village and just a very small area of Sherman Oaks and Sun Valley in CD2. Now, the small pieces of Sherman Oaks and Valley Village have been switched, so Valley Village is whole in CD2, but Studio City and North Hollywood continue to be split (now for over 15 years) east of the 101 freeway, including the Campo de Cahuenga, Metro Station and the parks and homes. North Hollywood has lost part of the NOHO Arts District to CD4. 

Basically, the smallest area of the southeast valley has been able to sway the majority of Redistricting Commissioners to allow the splintering of seven whole Neighborhood Council areas first proposed by the draft maps. One of the goals adopted by the Redistricting Commission was to create districts by Neighborhood Council areas, keeping as many as possible whole, not create the spectacle of clear political favoritism! 

Although the original draft map of CD4 appeared to be convoluted, much of the district consists of Forest Lawn, Mount Sinai, Griffith Park, Balboa Park and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, areas with little or no population. One of the goals adopted by the Redistricting Commission was to have only one district coming over the hill. Currently, two districts are on both sides of the hill, CD4 and CD5. 

Redistricting requires the following when creating districts: Communities of Interest, Compactness, Diversity and Contiguousness. Please view the maps by linking to: http://ens.lacity.org/cla/importdocument/claimportdocument322175834_02172012.pdf 

The new map of CD4 is simply gerrymandering, mixing many communities with no common interests. This is made even worse by the inclusion of Toluca Lake and parts of Studio City and North Hollywood. 

Please send an email now to: redistrictinglacity@lacity.org and copy lsarkin@studiocitync.org. 

The commissioners have not been receiving our emails, even though public input has been requested all along. 

Please try to attend the next Redistricting Commission meeting on 

Feb. 22, 2012 4 p.m. at City Hall, 200 Spring Street, Los Angeles. 

TO KEEP STUDIO CITY WHOLE, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE GET INVOLVED NOW. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD 

See all the maps here. http://www.redrawla.org

Also see:

* Studio City to Be Split Up? Here's What You Can Do to Prevent It

* Toluca Lake Leader: The Community Wants to Stay in CD4 and Should

* Irene DeBlasio Writes 'Keep Studio City One!'

* New Redistricting Draft Map Puts Toluca Lake Back in CD4

* Why It Doesn't Make Sense for Toluca Lake to Leave the New District 2

* City Council Redistricting Plan Puts Neighborhood Groups at Odds

* Redistricting Commission to Discuss Potential Changes to Draft Map