Retired CD 8 Councilwoman (2004-2012) Rae Gabelich signaled she would run as a recall candidate to replace Austin if someone pursues a recall...but quickly cautioned that recalls are very difficult to accomplish. Austin won a third term in 2020 by exploiting Charter Amendment BBB which let Council incumbents and the Mayor avoid a write-in in seeking third terms. Charter Amendment BBB was the spark that launched LB's Reform Coalition which strongly opposed the measure and ran two candidates in the 2020 election cycle (Robert Fox, CD2 and Juan Ovalle in CD 8) Mr. Ovalle nearly made the November 2020 runoff (outpolled by roughly 130 votes by Austin); veteran community advocate Fox (who contributed $50,000 of his own money) made the runoff but was outspent by Mayor/Police Officers union-supported candidate Cindy Allen, who prevailed in a November 2020 runoff.

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No one on the Zoom call articulated a strategy to deal with Council incumbents other than Austin (beyond inundating them with emails and the like); they have a co-equal vote with Austin on the 3701 Pacific Place parcel. As previously reported by LBREPORT.com, incumbents Zendejas, Price and Richardson have already filed paperwork to raise money for reelection in 2022. Zendejas and Richardson have, in other contexts, stressed the need for equity...but have not to date supported the Riverpark Coalition's stance which has repeatedly echoed equity in seeking to use the 3701 Pacific Place parcel to address park-poor conditions in pollution plagued WLB.

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On April 5, city management webposted on its website a an "open space acquisition study" initially sought in early Feb. 2020 by Councilman Austin with Council support It cited the availability of an 11-acre parcel north of the 3701 Pacific Place project site (owned by government entities) for use as a park/open space and simultaneously the 3701 Pacific Place privately owned parcel is infeasible to pursue as a park site.

On April 7, Austin praised the City Hall report and disseminated it via his social network channel and mass emailing

City Hall's report and Austin's action prompted the Riverpark Coalition -- which in March 2021 released own study its own feasibility study contending the site IS feasible for park use -- to issue a blistering release charging that City Hall's report contains false and misleading statements, calling City Hall's report a "sham and cover-up" and said it "reveals itself as nothing more than a political weapon, a weapon against the activism of residents to save their river for parks and open space."

The Riverpark Coalition has listed some Sacramento and DC electeds (including Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Assemblyman Patrick O'Donnell, Congressman Alan Lowenthal, all Democrats) as supporting its position but that isn't quite true, Letters from these politicians have variously supported the Riverpark's goal of more river area park/green space BUT have all stopped short of supporting using 3701 Pacific Place to do so. No one on the Riverfront Park's Zoom meeting voiced a political strategy to deal with then,

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The Riverpark Coalition's position on acquiring the property is supported by retired 8th district Councilwoman Rae Gabelich (2004-2012). But in letters to the Riverpark Coalition, LB area incumbents -- including Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Assemblyman Patrick O' Donnell, and Congressman Alan Lowenthal (all Democrats) -- have said that they support the group's general goals of more green and open space along the LA River but stop short of directly supporting a future park/open space for the 3701 Pacific Place parcel.

The Riverpark Coalition has publicly called on LB Mayor Robert Garcia (who has no vote but can veto Council actions subject to an override by six Councilmembers) to support a future park at 3701 Pacific Place. He has not done so.

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