Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association 

Minutes 

September 1, 2005 

Call to Order: President Larry Markes 

What the Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association has been doing this summer: 

Jack & Lillian Fitzgerald – signs are up for speed humps, marks are on the ground and will be in stalled by the end of October!! 

We got parking signs installed on Gower where it meets Beachwood. Neighbors were worried so we connected them with the right people and got the job done. 

Fire Station 82 relocation issue: We attended a hearing of the Board of  Public Works and the project was approved to move Fire Station 82 to the Florentine Gardens property – it now goes to the Public Works Committee. This board will continue to attend hearings and support this relocation effort. 

We lobbied the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority to get them to consider the ridgeline property between Glen Holly and Glen Alder as open space and make an offer to the owner. The owner’s plan was to develop this property with multi unit condominiums. This would ruin the ridgeline forever. The MRCA set aside six figures to obtain it. This effort continues. 

BCNA board members and neighborhood volunteers conducted two safety walks on Beachwood with Officer Bill Sollie and passed out forms to instruct people on how to prevent crime. The neighbors appreciated this effort and our membership grew as a result. 

Markes encouraged folks to pick up a copy of the Fire Department’s map of “pinch points” (places where we can’t park on “red flag days”). 

Crime Report:  Bill Sollie explained how the Citizen’s Academy works. It’s a 10 week workshop where people learn what it feels like to be a police officer.  

Sollie says that our main threat right now is the fires – he has been going through the hills to find homeless encampments. The Nichols Canyon fire was started by a homeless man cooking his dinner. Mounted Police will go in and find these encampments.  

Red Flag days are when wind and humidity get to dangerously high levels. At that time, cars will be towed from the pinch points. He suggests that we get the Fire Inspector to our next meeting. 

Monique says that there is a narrow area that should be red curbed in her neighborhood. Sollie says to call 3-1-1 to ask what departments to connect with. Fran suggested that she call the Department of Transportation.  

Crimes: In the last two weeks we’ve only had 4 burglary thefts from motor vehicles. A guy was arrested on Cahuenga Terrace recently. This burglar was apprehended so much of the local burglaries stopped. On Vine St (above Franklin), at 2pm or so, a man was messing around with a car. A neighbor witnessed and approached. The suspect picked up a gardening tool and stabbed the bystander in the throat. The suspect left his bike and jumped into a truck and drove away. The bike is being fingerprinted. He probably won’t be back. The victim was not seriously injured. 

In the Oaks, there was a suspicious guy roaming around casing houses. The detectives got his information and found out he is a parolee. All the burglaries in the Oaks are being examined to see if he is connected with them.  

Starting two weeks ago, we got 50 new recruits in training for Hollywood. They are walking Hollywood, Highland, Santa Monica, and Western.  

Last week White Fence and MS gangs were arguing on Garfield and shots were fired. Three people got hit but lived. The gang unit will be there at Hollywood & Highland and the recruits will be on the other streets mentioned above. 

We currently only have one foot beat on Hollywood Blvd.   

Markes asked about the pink flyers regarding two guys that are going door to door as though they are carpet salespersons.  Sollie says that at the 2600 block of Hollyridge a burglary was committed. The next day a guy got caught with property from that burglary… Sollie got e-mails about these two “carpet salespersons” and they are looking for them.  

Larry also asked about Canyon. Kathy (block captain) needs to instruct her neighbors to call Vice with specific details on suspicious activities in her neighborhood – 213-972-2996 – Vice. 

Mary Geary says that she picked up a bag of cans on the ground in front of her house. She witnessed a vehicular abnormality (Erratic driver). She should have called 877-ASK LAPD which is regular dispatch.