By Ron Gregg
(Re: Venice Beach, take two,” Aug. 3) $6.2 million! To begin with, this project was supposed to be completed (according to signs that were just taken down a week ago) in the winter of 2006! This project is still not complete.
The new restrooms in the parking lot at Venice Boulevard and Ocean Front Walk are still not open to the public. Port-o-potties are still there and are the only facilities available. There is still construction going on in the parking lots at Washington and at Venice boulevards.
Councilman Rosendahl and Supervisor Yaroslovsky apparently danced and had a good time without asking why things weren't finished and what the time and cost overruns were.
Can someone explain the value to the public of new parking attendant structures? Will this increase the parking, decrease the price or improve the flow of traffic? I don’t see it, but maybe I'm missing something.
I would ask any taxpayer to stroll the boardwalk and find the $ 6.2 million that has been spent on this incomplete project. I find it frustrating that a reporter would cover this “ceremony” and not report on the lack of finished product.
The LA County Department of Beaches and the LA City Recreation and Parks Department were apparently asleep at the wheel as this project dragged on for years.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 7, 2007. Read the original PDF.