Compare What Two ELB Homeowner Group Presidents Said Urging LB City Hall To Oppose SB 9 To What State Senator Gonzalez (Co-Author) Said In Voting For It On State Senate Floor

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Compare What Two ELB Homeowner Group Presidents Said Urging LB City Hall To Oppose SB 9 To What State Senator Gonzalez (Co-Author) Said In Voting For It On State Senate Floor

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(May 27, 2021, 6:50 p.m.) -- LBREPORT.com provides below the May 25 testimony by Corliss Lee, President of the Eastside Voice to the Council's "State Legislation Committee," and May 26 written communication to Long Beach City Councilmembers by Khalil Gharios, President of the Lakewood Village Neighborhood Association, both of which urge the City Council to oppose SB 9 co-authored by former LB Councilmember now state Senator Lena Gonzalez (D, LB-SE LA County.)

LBREPORT.com also provides audio of May 26 state Senate floor statement by Senator Gonzalez as SB 9 came to a vote and passed 28-6, sending it to the Assembly. Both of LB's two state Senators, Gonzlalez and Umberg, voted "yes" on SB 9.

[May 26 Khalil Gharios email to all Councilmembers and Mayor Garcia]
On March 22, 2021, the Lakewood Village Neighborhood Association (LVNA) sent the attached letter addressed to all of you and respectfully requested that you agendize proposed State Bills SB 9 and SB 10 and send a message to the State Legislator that Long Beach opposes any move by the State to take over your control of land use decisions. We received a response from the Mayor Senior Advisor, Mr. Daniel Brezenoff informing us that he will share our thoughts with the Mayor. On May 25, 2021, your State Legislative Committee met and to our surprise, SB9 and SB10 were not on the list of bills being analysed and acted on. You must know how your constituents feel about high density. They fought about densifying their neighborhoods. SB 9 and SB 10 have the combined potential to ruin single family zoned neighborhoods in the State of California and Long Beach LUE that your constituents fought for and you approved will be obsolete. We urge you to take a stand and show your constituents where you stand on these terrible bills. You are ours and their elected representatives. You owe it to them.
Sincerely,
Khalil Gharios, President
LVNA
[Corliss Lee testimony to Council's "State Legislation Committee" (Uranga, Austin, Richardson)
Notably missing from the list of bills under consideration by the State Legislative Committee and the State Leg Analyst are SB9 and SB10. Those two bills are of great concern to the community that has chosen to live in single family zoned housing as those bills seek to destroy that choice in California.
I wrote to you in January asking that these bills be agendized and put before the council to vote on taking a position against them. The Lakewood Village Neighborhood Association also sent a letter to that effect a month or two ago and met with Lena Gonzalez on this bill. Their presentation is attached..
You know how the community reacted to high density plans during the Land Use Element (LUE) reviews. They rose up against plans to densify their neighborhoods and were especially concerned with parking, traffic and increases in crime that come with higher density. The problems encountered with the last up-zoning in Long Beach produced the "crackerboxes" so Long Beach already knows the outcome...
Half the legislative session is passed. There is little time left to do anything. You are our elected representatives. This is your job, not mine.
On behalf of the people that have chosen suburbia, the white picket fence, I ask you again to review and agendize these bills for consideration of a resolution against them - before it is too late.
Respectfully,
s/ Corliss Lee
President.

AUDIO: May 26, 2021 state Senate floor statement on SB 9 by state Senator Lena Gonzalez
To launch audio, click here.
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