|
Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council
Official Application
Click here to see a pdf version of this file
ASNC Application Page 1
12/10/01
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL CERTIFICATION APPLICATION
Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council
INTRODUCTION
We are pleased to present this Application for Certification of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood
Council. The proposed Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council is located at the historic heart of the
city, and represents the unique neighborhood perspective and interests of six residential
communities that share a vision of Los Angeles urban life for the Twenty- first Century.
The six communities in the proposed Council are
Cypress Park, Hermon, Montecito Heights,Monterey Hills, Mt. Washington and Sycamore Grove
, linking together along the historicArroyo Seco, the Los Angeles River and their confluence. The communities are linked by a
common geography and each treasures a unique neighborhood character. With relatively small
populations, each area has its own unique environment.
By coming together to form a single Neighborhood Council, residents of the Arroyo Seco hope
to maintain their individual communities while also shaping their destiny at the center of Los
Angeles Civic life.
There are at least four drivers behind the configuration of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood
Council:
§
Common History and Rich Cultural Resources - - The geography of the Arroyo SecoNeighborhood Council is the historic heart of the city of Los Angeles. The communities
share a common historical and cultural past still reflected in the architecture and rich
diversity of cultural activities and artistic resources that exist.
§
Coherent Interests - - All of these neighborhoods are primarily culturally diverse residentialcommunities with small neighborhood related businesses. Maintaining this environment in
the heart of a big city is a shared quality of life issue.
§
Balance in Scale - - No one community in the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council reflectsa dominant population with an essentially different or competing balance of interests - - i.e.
commercial, industrial or corporate focus - - that might dominate the residential district to the
potential detriment of the neighborhoods.
§
Control of the Quality of Our Life - - The Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council areaincludes a treasure of undeveloped land resources close to the center of the city. These
resources must be protected, preserved and appropriately developed as community
recreational resources, open park land and natural habitat.
We look forward to finalizing this process and moving forward with our Neighborhood Council.
ASNC Application Page 2
12/10/01
SECTION 1. BOUNDARIES AND AREA PROFILE
1. Describe or name the proposed boundaries of the Neighborhood Council.
The boundaries of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council (ASNC) are the natural and
historic boundaries of its component neighborhoods: Cypress Park, Hermon, Montecito
Heights, Monterey Hills, Mt. Washington and Sycamore Grove/Terrace.
See Attachment A – Narrative Description of ASNC Boundaries
See Attachment B – Census Description of ASNC Boundaries and Population
2. Attach a map of the Neighborhood Council to this application.
See Attachment C – Map of ASNC Boundaries
3. Explain why these boundaries were chosen.
For example, the boundaries may be based on census tracts, on historical landmarks, on
existing community planning areas, etc. Attach additional pages as necessary.
See Attachment D – Rationale Used for ASNC Boundaries
4. Do the proposed boundaries overlap with any other Neighborhood Council boundaries?
Yes, the proposed boundaries overlap with other Neighborhood Council boundaries.
5. If the answer to Question 4 is "Yes", list the Neighborhood Co uncils that are affected
by the boundary overlap.
Other Neighborhood Councils that are affected by the boundary overlap with the Arroyo
Seco Neighborhood Council are:
§
Area 32 Neighborhood Council§
Atwater Neighborhood Council§
Glassell Neighborhood Council§
Highland Park Neighborhood Council§
Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council6. If the answer to Question 4 is "Yes", explain why you believe the boundary overlap
exists. What is the reason for the overlap?
For example, the overlapping area may include a park, a school, a library, a facility or a
building of historical significance, etc. Attach additional pages as necessary.
The boundaries overlap for a variety of reasons:
See Attachment E – List of ASNC Areas where Boundaries Overlap
ASNC Application Page 3
12/10/01
7. As required by City Ordinance, every application, which describes overlapping
boundary areas, must include a detailed rationale or explanation for including the
overlapping area in the Neighborhood Council, which is applying for certification.
Please provide an explanation in the space below if you desire to have the overlapping area
included in your Neighborhood Council. Attach additional pages as necessary.
See Attachment F – Explanation for ASNC Areas of Boundary Overlap
8. Does the Neighborhood Council area contain at least 20,000 residents?
Yes. The ASNC has at least 20,000 residents.
9. If the answer to Question 8 is "No", mark the space or spaces below that apply.
This question is not applicable.
10. If the population in the Neighborhood Council contains more than 20,000 residents,
estimate the total:
Based on the CENSUS 2000, we estimate that the ASNC has approximately 36,000
residents.
11. Please describe your Neighborhood Council and explain why your Neighborhood
Council is applying for certification.
Your response should inc lude an Area Profile of the Neighborhood Council. The Area Profile
may include information, which provides a description of certain features common to many
areas of the City. Neighborhood Councils throughout the City contain differences as well as
similarities. Sharing information about the similarities and differences among the
Neighborhood Councils will help each to become stronger individually while also developing
a stronger shared voice for communicating issues to the City.
Listed below are four examp les of the types of information to include in your Neighborhood
Council Area Profile. You may choose to discuss some of them or all of them in your
response. Attach additional pages as necessary.
§
Describe the residential profile of the Neighborhood Council.§
Describe the commercial or business profile within the Neighborhood Council.§
Describe the economic profile of the Neighborhood Council.§
Describe the types of employment that are available within the NeighborhoodCouncil.
See Attachment G – ASNC Profile Area
See Attachment H – ASNC Area Timeline
See Attachment I – ASNC Reasons for Applying for Certification
ASNC Application Page 4
12/10/01
Attachment A— Narrative Description of ASNC Boundaries
Entirely including the historic communities of Cypress Park, Hermon, Montecito Heights, Monterey Hills (condos),
Mount Washington, and Sycamore Grove
.(Described from the middle of our proposed northern border, moving clockwise).
·
At S. Ave. 49, follow the Arroyo Seco Parkway (SR 110), northeast to York Blvd. Follow York Blvd. east to theLos Angeles City border with South Pasadena.
·
Turn south along this borderline to Oak Hill Ln. (one block west of Collis Ave., following the eastern edge ofthe 90042 zip code), to Via Mia.
·
Turn west and follow Via Mia to Via Marisol. Follow Via Marisol to Monterey Rd.·
Turn south and follow the eastern border of Ernest E. Debs Regional Park to Florizel St. and then west toBoundary Ave. (essentially along the southern border of Debs Park) to Mercury Ave.
·
Turn west and follow Mercury Ave. to Sierra Ave. At Sierra Ave drawing an imaginary line northwest to thesummit of Flat Top Hill (elev. 785’)(34º05’06"N, 118º12’09"W) at Radio Rd. Continue on Radio Rd., south
and west to Von Klethian St. At Von Klethian St. and Fenn St. draw a line to E. Ave 33. Continue west on E.
Ave 33 to Idylwild Ave.
·
Turn northwest on a line formed by this street to Griffin Ave.·
Turn northeast for one block to E. Ave. 35.·
Turn northwest on E. Ave 35 to Pasadena Ave., there continuing west to the Blue Line Metro Rail tracks at theArroyo Seco channel.
·
Turn southwest and follow the Metro Rail tracks to N. Ave 22, to Lacy St. At San Fernando Rd and Lacy St.draw an imaginary line extending Lacy St. southwest to the center of the Los Angeles River. (34º04’44"N,
118º13’31"W)
·
Turn north and follow the center of the Los Angeles River to a point described by an imaginary extension ofDivision St. (34º04’44"N, 118º14’28"W).
·
Turn northeast and follow this line to San Fernando Rd.·
Turn northwest on San Fernando Rd. Continue to Cazador St.·
Turn northeast on W. Ave. 30. Continue to Carlyle St.·
Turn northwest on Carlyle St. Continue to W. Ave. 31.·
Turn southwest on Cazador St. Continue to W. Ave. 30.·
Turn southeast on W. Ave. 30. Continue to Division St.·
Turn northeast on Division St. Continue to El Paso Dr.·
Turn southeast and follow El Paso Dr. to N. Ave 50. Continue to N. Figueroa St.·
Turn south at Figueroa St., continue on it to S. Ave 49.·
Turn east at S. Ave 49 and continue on it to the Arroyo Seco Parkway (SR 110).ASNC Application Page 5
12/10/01
Attachment B—Census Descript ion of ASNC Territory and Population
CENSUS DIVISIONS INCLUDED POPULATION
Tract 1831.02 Block Group 2 Block(s): 2017, 20
39Tract 1837 Block Group 1 Block(s): 1000–09
Block Group 5 Block(s): 5000–13, 16–19
967Tract 1851 Block Group 1 Block(s): 1000–08
Block Group 2 Block(s): 2000–09
Block Group 3 Block(s): 300–27, 31–32
6159Tract 1852.01 Block Group 1 Block(s): 1000–09, 16–18
Block Group 2 Block(s): 2000–10
Block Group 3 Block(s): 3000–14
5308Tract 1852.02 Block Group 2 Block(s): 2000–12
Block Group 3 Block(s): 3000–08
Block Group 4 Block(s): 4000–11, 14–17
3827Tract 1853.10 Block Group 1 Block(s): 1000–09
Block Group 2 Block(s): 2000–07
3364Tract 1853.20 Block Group 2 Block(s): 2000–09
Block Group 3 Block(s): 3000–08
Block Group 4 Block(s): 4000–13
3186Tract 1862 Block Group 3 Block(s): 3000–12
637Tract 1864.02 Block Group 5 Block(s): 5006-07, 11-12
0Tract 1971.10 Block Group 5 Block(s): 5997–99
0Tract 1990 Block Group 1 Block(s): 1000–16
Block Group 2 Block(s): 2000–03, 08–13, 15
Block Group 5 Block(s): 5001–06, 10, 16–17
35Tract 1992.02 Block Group 1 Block(s): 1000–01
177Tract 1993 Block Group 1 Block(s): 1000–11
Block Group 2 Block(s): 2000–04
3721Tract 1994 Block Group 1 Block(s): 1000–14
Block Group 2 Block(s): 2000–18
Block Group 3 Block(s): 3000–02
4956Tract 2013.01 Block Group 2 Block(s): 2000
12Tract 2013.02 Block Group 1 Block(s): 1000–01
Block Group 2 Block(s): 2000–02
Block Group 3 Block(s): 3000–01, 03–04
358835,590
ASNC Application Page 6
12/10/01
Attachment C – Map of ASNC Boundaries
Please see separate map document.
Attachment D—Rationale Used for ASNC Boundaries
We have done our best to insure that the boundaries we are proposing for the Arroyo Seco
Neighborhood Council (ASNC) are the natural and historic limits of the communities that
comprise it: Cypress Park, Hermon, Montecito Heights, Monterey Hills, Mount Washington, and
Sycamore Grove. However our success in describing these same areas in terms of other systems
varied wildly. We have noticed that most political and administrative division lines have been
delineated independent of the sense of "community" we are seeking to foster. As an additional
challenge, in local government, the divisions of one department almost never overlap another
(e.g., Police and Fire Department jurisdictions, Recreation and Parks divisions, Public Works
areas, etc.). For example, census tract data and postal zip codes do not usually ever match. One
benefit, however, is that it is not difficult at all to find someone else’s division line that for a
certain distance can be employed to serve our purpose. Based on this, we worked out the
following procedures:
Procedure 1
After close study of historical maps and current data we worked out our best guess as to what the
"real" boundaries of each of our neighborhoods really were. Then (and this is the critical part)
we adjusted and did fine-tuning based on what our outreach efforts told us about which
neighborhood the stakeholders themselves consider that they live.
Procedure 2
In every case the description of any given portion of our boundaries derives from the system
most closely describing our desired border.
Procedure 3
Where possible we have sought to rely on lines created by the divisions of the U.S. Census
Bureau—because we foresee our need to rely on demographic data from this source in the future.
We are certain that this has created boundaries that lose in elegance what they gain in accuracy,
and are proud to be able to describe our boundaries entirely using U.S. Census data at Level 2,
that of complete Census Block Groups, throughout our perimeter except at the following four
locations:
1.
Hermon (Santa Fe Hill) Area. [Border abuts Highland Park N.C.] Because of an oddity in theway Census Tract 1831.02 is configured, Census Block 2020 is separated by the Arroyo Seco
Parkway and Channel from the rest of this Tract. It is largely open space. Another way of looking
at it is that here an integral portion of the community of Hermon (at Monterey Road near the
border with South Pasadena) is sliced away. By claiming this Census Block, we’re attempting to
maintain the integrity of this community. We have not yet acquired confirmation from Highland
Park that this is acceptable to them, nor been informed that Hermon would be split by Highland
Park’s boundary intentions.
ASNC Application Page 7
12/10/01
2.
Monterey Hills (condos) Area. [Border abuts Area 32 N.C.] Although the adjacentNeighborhood Council was originally based on keeping this Zip Code intact, Area 32 NC
recognized that the condo resident (adjacent to Hermon) preferred to be part of the ASNC.
Because of this they excluded an area above a line described by Via Mia to Via Marisol to be
included in ASNC. We agreed to reduce a portion of Census Tract 2013.02, Census Block Group
1, so that the homes on Collis Avenue could remain in Area 32. The line used here was the Zip
Code 90032 boundary.
3.
Montecito Heights (Flat Top Hill) Area. [Border abuts Lincoln Heights N.C.] Curiously, landthat would be Montecito Heights territory if census data were to be relied on exclusively has
never been thought of as such in the living memory of any known local residents (the southern
extension of Census Tract 1993, Census Block Group 2 and most of Census Tract 1992.02,
Census Block Group 2). Another way of describing it is by an approximately east-west line from
the Arroyo Seco at Pasadena Avenue to the southernmost tip of Debs Park at Mercury Avenue—
territory above this line was included in the ASNC and below this line was not. This area is one
of the oldest parts of Los Angeles (the northeast corner of the original Pueblo lands, and the
adjacent community of Lincoln Heights was the first real suburb). It is possible that when the
census lines were drawn they made more sense here than they do now. An agreement was worked
out between the ASNC and the Lincoln Heights NC essentially dividing these Census Block
Groups equally. The line drawn uses the highest elevation of the area (Flat Top Hill) as the
anchor point, together with reliance on the largely open buffer space between the two
communities as the criteria. In the process, the census lines were set aside as the proposed border
now follows the natural and conventionally recognized community boundary as it exists today
and has existed for over 50 years.
4.
Arroyo Confluence Industrial Area. [Border abuts Lincoln Heights N.C.] This is part of a smallindustrial zone dominated by the interchange of the I-5 with sr 110, along the Arroyo Seco
Channel from Pasadena Avenue to the Los Angeles River. We are seeking to share it inland a few
blocks to the southeast to a line formed by the right of way for the Blue Line Metro Rail under
construction (shown on older maps as AT&SF tracks). This area, because of its artificiality as a
unit denies easy description by any external mapping system but is essentially composed of
Census Tract 1990, Census Block Group 2. It has been largely ignored historically, but this is
soon to change. It is our hope that this portion of land will soon be revitalized by an infusion of
funds and joint community and governmental efforts aimed at "greening" this area as new river
front recreational and industrial parkland. Since our name as a neighborhood council derives from
this same Arroyo Seco, we are highly focused on its reclamation as a core purpose for our group’s
formation. Hence our desire to share both banks of it as it reaches its confluence with the L.A.
River. An understanding was worked out between the ASNC and the Lincoln Heights NC
whereby both sides agreed to share these Census Blocks.
ASNC Application Page 8
12/10/01
Attachment E—List of ASNC Areas where Boundaries Overlap
CONTESTED AREAS
Area contested with the Glassell Park N. C.
·
Nob Hill region of Mount WashingtonBounded by the following streets:
El Paso Drive, Cleland Avenue, and Division Street
Described by the U.S. Census as:
Tract 1862, Block Group 3.
Areas contested with the Highland Park N. C.
·
Avenue 50Bounded by the following streets:
Terrace 49, North Avenue 50, Metro Rail Blue Line right-of way, Zip Code 90042
boundary
Described by the U.S. Census as:
Tract 1851, (part of) Census Block Groups 1 and 3.
·
Sycamore GroveBounded by the following streets:
South Avenue 49, the Arroyo Seco Parkway (
SR 110), Pasadena Avenue, Marmion Way,Monte Vista Street, North Avenue 50, and Figueroa Street
Described by the U.S. Census as:
Tract 1851, Block Group 3, Blocks 3004-11, 28-32
Tract 1994, Block Group 1, Blocks 1004-14, Block Group 2, Blocks 2000-18
·
Montecito Heights (part of)Bounded by the following streets:
Homer Street, Montecito Drive, Berenice Avenue, East Avenue 39, Griffin Avenue, East
Avenue 35, and the Arroyo Seco Channel
Described by the U.S. Census as:
Tract 1993, Block Group 2, Blocks 2000-04
Tract 1994, Block Group 1, Block 1000-03, Block Group 3, Block 3000
ASNC Application Page 9
12/10/01
UN CONTESTED / SHARED AREAS
(Approved by both Neighborhood Councils affected)
Area shared with the Glassell Park N. C.
·
Business Area and School (Glassell Park Elementary)Bounded by the following streets:
San Fernando Road, Cazador Street, Carlyle Street, West Avenue 31 and Division Street
Described by the U.S. Census as:
Tract 1864.02, Block Group 5, Blocks 5006-07, 5011-12.
Area shared with the Area 32 N. C.
·
Debs Regional Park (Zone I, Zone II, and the southeast quadrant of Zone III, the area of parkin Zip Code 90032)
Bounded by the following street:
Monterey Road (at entrance and along part of eastern edge)
Described by the U.S. Census as (part of):
Tract 1993, Block Group 1, Block 1000.
Areas shared with the Lincoln Heights N. C.
·
Industrial Area, School (Hillside Elementary), and Transportation facility (Blue Line: FrenchStreet Station)
Bounded by the following streets and waterways:
The Arroyo Seco channel, Pasadena Avenue, East Avenue 35, the Blue Line Metrorail
tracks, North Avenue 22, Lacy Street, San Fernando Road, and the Los Angeles River
Described by the U.S. Census as:
Tract 1990, Block Group 2, Blocks 2000-03, 2008-09 (part of) 2010, 2011-13, 2015,
Block Group 5, Blocks 5001-06, (part of) 5010, 5016, (part of) 5017.
·
Cultural facility (Heritage Square)Bounded by the following street and waterway:
The Arroyo Seco channel, Homer Street and East Avenue 35
Described by the U.S. Census as:
Tract 1994, Block Group 3, (part of) Block 3000.
Area shared with the Atwater N. C.
·
Taylor Yard (southern part), a potential future State ParkBounded by the following streets and waterways:
San Fernando Road, Granada Street, the Los Angeles River, and (an imaginary extension
of) Division Street
Described by the U.S. Census as:
Tract 1871, Block Group 9, Block 9000
ASNC Application Page 10
12/10/01
Attachment F – Explanation for ASNC Areas of Boundary Overlap
(Detailed rationale)
CONTESTED
Area contested with the Glassell Park N.C. (Nob Hill)
Primarily due to a perhaps innocent, but significant misunderstanding on the part of the Glassell
Park N.C. regarding the accuracy of its claim to this area. Their claim is based wholly on a
curious map of dubious authority (City Planning Commission, ca. 1930). The boundaries shown
on this map were more recently reprinted on another map compiled by then-Chair Joan Lundy
for the Glassell Park Neighborhood Association (ca. 1980). To the best of her knowledge, her
new map depicted "what the association had been using" as its boundaries for some
indeterminate time before. Her map has been used for the last twenty years, with ever increasing
stridency, as primary "proof" that residents in this area "belong" to Glassell Park. We concede
that there may be a few newcomers to this area, who lacking better information, have been
deceived by her map into believing that they must live in Glassell Park.
This area, more accurately, may be described as an integral part of Mount Washington, one of
the component neighborhoods of the ASNC. People who buy homes here are told by realtors that
they live in Mount Washington. It is claimed in the Bylaws of residents’ groups such as the
Mount Washington Association, as well as the Mount Washington Alliance. This claim is
reinforced by the statements of many residents who consider this area to be part of Mount
Washington. For example, lifelong resident Doug Smith, the son of legendary columnist Jack
Smith, says, "I’ve just always thought of that area as Mount Washington". The Los Angeles
Times most recent map of community neighborhoods includes the disputed area as part of Mount
Washington. The Northeast Los Angeles Community Plan (1999) cites Division Street as the
(southern) boundary of Glassell Park and El Paso Drive as the (northern) boundary of Mount
Washington, which is exactly what we claim as well.
The basis for our questioning the accuracy of the older Glassell Park map is that:
·
The L.A. City Planning Commission, the cited source at the date of attribution, was not aprofessional group of urban planners, but an ad hoc collection of public-spirited citizens with
little if any training in community planning.
·
This "map" has already been dismissed by experts in urban planning today as little more thana curiosity. It has been described as merely a continuation of a tradition in early Southern
California real estate to propose imaginary communities that existed no further than the paper
of their prospectus plans.
·
This view is reinforced by Street maps from many sources (e.g., Clason 1914, Chadwick1922, Gillespie 1923, Security Trust & Savings Ba nk 1923, Percival 1923, Olmstead &
Bartholomew 1924, Hill 1927, etc.). These maps all show that the original growth into this
disputed area was from the south and east (Mount Washington and land described as the
"Western Extension" of Highland Park), not from the west or north (Glassell Park). While
ASNC Application Page 11
12/10/01
streets in the disputed area expanded from 1897 to 1927, there was no direct street linkage
until 1928 between Division Street (the northern boundary) and any part of the Glassell Park
of that era. Rather there was a wide buffer of open space. There were, however, much earlier
direct links from Cleland Avenue (the southern boundary) to Mount Washington. Here, there
existed a strong network of streets and development.
·
We concede that maps of this period show Glassell Park as a place name, but not this far east.Glassell Park is most often (then and now) centered on the intersection of San Fernando
Road and Eagle Rock Boulevard. Historically this makes sense because this is also the exact
location of Andrew Glassell’s last remaining property in 1873, which he alone chose to retain
after quickly selling off the remainder of his ill- gotten Rancho San Rafael property to
subdividers. First official use of Glassell Park as a place name is shown on the
USGS "LosAngeles" 7.5 minute quad (1950), precisely located at latitude 34°06’40" N, longitude
118°36’35" W. Quite a bit west of the area being contested. This we believe is why the
"historic" claims of Glassell Park deserve to be rejected.
·
The unreality of the Glassell Park map is further underscored by even the most superficialreference to the history of the area. In the year claimed for their source map (ca. 1930),
Highland Park was at its zenith and was considered the cultural and business center for all of
Northeast Los Angeles. All other maps of the period (e.g., Auto Club 1927) show a Greater
Highland Park including not only all of the disputed area but almost all of Glassell Park, not
the other way.
·
The Glassell Park map is not supported by any other known evidence.But if this were merely a historic question, it might be left at that. We claim this area because
today the majority of the residents prefer to be considered as part of Mount Washington,and the
ASNC. See Nob Hill outreach information in Exhibit Volume.
Area contested with the Highland Park N.C.
We believe the difficulty here is due to confusion on the part of our neighboring council as to
what comprises its own boundaries, and exactly what qualifies as a valid basis for a claim. At
one point they sought much of this same area as theirs by virtue of it being included in
alignments such as an historic preservation zone, or a business improvement district. They
dropped that rationale and then claimed it to be theirs by virtue of it being part of their "historic
boundaries". At last word, Highland Park seeks these areas in the belief that the residents prefer
to be with them.
We understand that there may be three definable and contiguous portions of our neighborhood
council area that are being sought by Highland Park for whatever reason. We consider these
claims, individually and in combination, to be without merit.
ASNC Application Page 12
12/10/01
Montecito Heights
: This area (which is only a portion of the entire community) may bedescribed as bounded by a line running along the southern edge of the Montecito Heights
Recreation Center to Montecito Drive, Berenice Avenue, East Avenue 43, Latona Avenue
continuing southwest along a line based on imaginary extension of Latona to Berenice Place,
continuing northwest along an imaginary line southerly of East Ave 39 to a line formed by an
imaginary extension of Berenice Avenue running approximately parallel to Griffin Avenue to a
point formed by a line based on an imaginary extension of East Avenue 35, Pasadena Avenue,
Arroyo Seco Channe l. This area contains portions of Census Tract 1994, Census Block Groups
1, 2 and 3. We claim this territory based on the overwhelming vote of the community to be part
of the ASNC. This near unanimity is supported by the Montecito Heights Improvement
Association, the Neighborhood Watch, and the Friends of Debs Park. This community is named
and defined in the Northeast Master Plan. We assert therefore that parts of it cannot be claimed
by others against the will of its residents.
Sycamore Grove
: This area may be described as bounded by North Avenue 50, North FigueroaStreet, South Avenue 49, the Arroyo Seco Parkway, Pasadena Avenue and the Metro Rail Blue
Line right-of way. This area contains portions of Census Tract 1851, Census Block Group 3, and
Census Tract 1994, Census Block Groups 1 and 2. Census Tract 1851 is Mount Washington in
its entirety and it includes all of Sycamore Grove Park and the entire northern portion of this
contested parcel south to East Avenue 44. We consider this to be the center and heart of our
territory since without it we cannot exist as a neighborhood council. Lifelong residents consider
Avenue 50 to be the dividing line with Highland Park. We have provided the positive results of
our polling with this application (see signatures from the Sycamore Grove outreach efforts in the
Exhibits Volume). These residents prefer to be included in the ASNC along with the Sycamore
Terrace Resident’s Association who voted to join with the ASNC.
Avenue 50
: This area may be described as that portion of Zip Code 90042 bounded by on thenorth by Terrace 49, on the east by North Avenue 50 and on the south by the Metro Rail Blue
Line right-of way. This area contains slices of Census Tract 1851, Census Block Groups 1 and 3.
We claim this territory on the authority of its inclusion in the Mount Washington Specific Plan.
ASNC Application Page 13
12/10/01
Attachment G—ASNC Area Profile
ECONOMIC Primarily a mix of middle and lower middle -income people.
U.S. C
ENSUS, 1989 DATAMedian Household Income: $34,965
Median Family Income: $39,035
Per Capita Income: $16,149
COMMERCIAL
§
Mostly small businessesManufacturing (including wholesale), Professional, Scientific and Technical Services;
Educational Services; Health Care/Social Assistance Services; Arts, Entertainment and
Recreation Services; Food Services, Retail (transportation, information, finance and
insurance, real estate).
§
Most businesses in our area retain ten employees. Although a few have as many as 250, themajority have less than four employees.
U.S. C
ENSUS, 1997 ZIP CODE BUSINESS PATTERNS§
Business zones:Monterey Road (Avenue 60 to Via Marisol)
Figueroa Street (Avenue 46 to Avenue 37)
Figueroa Street (Cypress Avenue to Avenue 27)
Avenue 43 and Griffin Avenue
Cypress Avenue (Pepper Street to Cazador Street)
§
Industrial/Manufacturing zones:Arroyo Seco (Avenue 36 to the L. A. River)
L. A. River (Arroyo Seco to Division Street)
§
Organization:The Northeast Chamber of Commerce
POPULATION Mixed and largely integrated community involved in local projects, issues and causes
§
Age:Under 5 270 0.77%
5-9 2902 8.36%
10-14 2521 7.26%
15-19 2274 6.55%
20-24 2542 7.32%
25-34 6194 14.66%
35-44 4365 12.57%
55-59 1572 4.53%
60-64 1209 3.48%
65-74 1921 5.53%
75-84 1030 2.97%
Over 85 310 0.90%
§
Ethnicity:*Latino/Hispanic 23,131 66.62%
White 13,894 40.01%
Asian 5,080 14.63%
Afr. American 954 2.75%
Amerindian 339 0.98%
Pacific Islander 46 0.13%
Other* 12,727 36.65%
*B
ECAUSE U.S. CENSUS 2000 ALLOWED MULTIPLE CHOICES, FIGURES ADD TO MORE THAN TOTALPOPULATION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL AND PERCENTAGES ADD UP TO MORE THAN
100%ASNC Application Page 14
12/10/01
RESIDENTIAL Mostly single family homes with some multiple family dwellings and condominiums.
50.77% Resident Owners
49.23% Resident Renters
3.4 Occupants per housing unit (C
ITY PLANNING)3.67 Occupants per household (NELA M
ASTER PLAN)§
OrganizationsResident: Mt.Washington Assoc., Mt.Washington Alliance, C.A.N.D.E.R., Mt. Washington
West, Montecito Heights Improvement Assoc., Hermon Assoc., Sycamore Terrace Residents
Assoc., Elyria Canyon Park Residents Assoc.
Condominium: Monterey Hills Federation, Surfwood Condominium Association
Planning / Advisory: Northeast Community Plan Advisory Committee, Debs PAB, Debs
VNAC, Northeast CEDS
Preservation: Highland Park Heritage Trust
Senior Citizen: Montecito Heights, Cypress Park, Mt.Washington
Political Action: Northeast Democrats, Uptown Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Support: Arroyo Guild, Friends of Debs Park, Friends of Cypress Park Library, BLEND,
Lions Club, Soroptomists, Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, American Legion, FOE
Youth / Sports: Anahuak Youth Soccer (CYSA), Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4–H Club, Little
League
Environmental : Audubon Society, Sierra Club Central Group,
North East Trees, Friends of the Los Angeles River, Taylor Yard Coalition, Blue Line
Committee
Cultural / Historical : Historical Society of Southern California (HQ), Arroyo Arts Collective,
Mt.Washington Philharmonic, Art in the Park, Arts CorpsLA, Southwest Museum
Parent Groups / PTA’s: (active in all schools listed below)
Neighborhood Watch / Crime Prevention: Montecito Heights N.W., Avenue 33 N.W., Mt.
Washington N.W., Project CLEAR, Community Police Advisory Board, Ad Hoc Committee
for Safe Children
Humane: Angel City Dog Rescue, Animal Shelter Volunteers
Gangs: Los Aves, Clover
§
CommunicationsNewspapers: Los Angeles Times, Eastern Group Publications, Wave Publications, Arroyo
Seco Journal, The Boulevard Sentinel
Web Sites: NELA List (Yahoo), Mt.Washington, Montecito Heights
Cable : Adelphia
§
EducationLibrary : Cypress Park Branch
Public Elementary Schools : Aldama St. Aragon Ave., Bushnell Way,
Glen Alta, Loretto St., Latona Ave., Mt.Washington
(shared: Hillside, Glassell Park)
Public Middle Schools : Arroyo Seco Alternative, Florence Nightingale
Private Schools : Divine Savior, Pacific Christian
§
Health Care Centers: Broadview Sanitarium, Sycamore Grove Convalescent, plus numerousother smaller care facilities.
§
Faith Based: Self Realization Fellowship (HQ), Divine Savior Catholic Church, Hermon FreeMethodist Church, Holy Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, Montecito Heights Union
Church, Pillar of Fire Church, Immanuel Kirch, Sycamore Grove Foursquare Church,
Jehovah’s Witnesses, plus a few Christian evangelical store front missions.
ASNC Application Page 15
12/10/01
NATURAL FEATURES
§
Topography: Typified by low rolling hills with riverine canyons and valleys. Althoughprimarily a suburban residential environment, there are still significant if isolated elements of
open space. Highest elevation: 923’, Lowest elevation: 295’
§
Climate Mediterranean. A thermal belt ideal for avocados, with Pacific weather influences(85%) and the interior weather influences (15%). Mildest year-round conditions in the region.
(Sunset zones 22 and 23).
§
Temperature (Annual Average): 75.7°F (max.), 53.6°F (min.)§
Rainfall (Annual Average): 17.48"B
ASED ON DATA FROM WESTERN REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTER, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE§
Native Flora and Fauna: Lower Sonoran/Coastal Sage Scrub zone (heavily disturbed by over150 years of urbanization but a natural habitat for deerweed, true sages, toyon, walnuts and
sycamores. Notable for still frequent sightings of California Ground Squirrels and Red Tail
Hawks).
§
Waterways: Los Angeles River (from Division Street to Lacy Street), and the Arroyo Seco(from York Boulevard to the Los Angeles River)
INFRASTRUCTURE
§
Transportation:Freeways: Interchange of the I–5 and State Route 110, the Historic Arroyo Seco Parkway
(from York Blvd to the Los Angeles River)
Major Highways: Figueroa St., Cypress Ave., San Fernando Rd.
Secondary Roadways: Marmion Way, El Paso Drive, Griffin Avenue, Monterey Road, Via
Marisol, Avenue 26, Avenue 50, Avenue 60.
Fixed Rail: MTA Blue Line with proposed Stations at French Street, and the Southwest
Museum (under construction).
Bus routes: Served by RTD with frequent service along primary streets with supplementary
RTD and DASH buses along secondary routes.
Channels : Los Angeles Flood Control Channel (from Division Street to Lacy Street), and the
Arroyo Seco Flood Control Channel (from York Boulevard to the Los Angeles River)
Bridges: Figueroa Viaduct, San Diego Freeway Viaduct (vehicular) — spanning the Los
Angeles River. Avenue 26, Pasadena Avenue, Avenue 43, Avenue 52, Via Marisol, Avenue
60, Marmion Way, York Street (vehicular), and Avenue 35, Ave 61 (Metro Rail) — spanning
the Arroyo Seco Parkway and Channel.
§
Parks and Recreation: Ernest Debs Regional Park, Taylor Yard (proposed State Park andenvironmental preserve), Arroyo Seco Park(s), Sycamore Grove Park, Rainbow Canyon Park,
Elyria Canyon Park, Cleland Avenue Park, Mt. Olympus Park, Rose Hill Park.
Montecito Heights Rec. Center, Cypress Park Rec. Center, Carlin G. Smith Rec. Center.
Montecito Heights Senior Citizens Center.
§
Community Facilities: The Los Angeles River Visitor Center, The Audubon Nature Center(under construction), Ramona Hall Community Center, Cypress Park Youth and Family
Center, Florence Crittenden Center (shared)
§
Art GalleriesGaleria del Mundo, Rockrose Cafe and Gallery, Avenue 50 Studio
§
Cultural/Historical Facilities and Areas:The Southwest Museum, Casa de Adobe (SW Museum), Ziegler House (SW Museum),
Lummis El Alisal Home State Historic Monument, Heritage Square Museum Village, Arroyo
Seco Parkway (ASCE National Engineering Monument, California Scenic Byway, Proposed
National Scenic Byway), Arroyo Seco Channel State Historic Landmark, Hudson Substation,
Self Realization Fellowship, Highland Park Historic Preservation Zone
ASNC Application Page 16
12/10/01
Attachment H—ASNC Area Timeline
The Arroyo Culture once emphasized the integration of the natural environment into the creative process. Its legacy
continues to distinguish our area and augment our sense of place.
c.750 Our Council area was called
po.vo.me.par.ngna, or the "land of sometime water" by the native TongvaIndians (Gabrieleños). Earliest known pathway followed west bank of the Arroyo from the Los Angeles
River to the present day "Junction" area in Garvanza.
1510 "California" as a dream "very near to the Terrestrial paradise" is invented by Garci Rodríguez Ordóñez de
Montalvo in his fanciful romance Las Sergas de Es plandián.
1542 Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo (d. 1543) in his voyage of discovery along our western coast is the first
known user of "California" as a place name describing our state.
1769
Arroyo Seco discovered and named by Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolá (1723–86) on the day he alsonoted
El Río de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los angeles de Porciúncula (a.k.a., the L. A. River).1771 Misión San Gabriel Arcángel founded by Franciscan friars Pedro Benito Cambón and Angel Somera
(floods force move to present site in 1776). Present church completed by Fr. Fermín Lasuen
(1756-1803). The "birthplace" of Ramona (1884). Hermon and Monterey Hills now form part of the
original mission lands.
1776 Anza passes along our portion of the Los Angeles River on way to found San Francisco.
1781
Pueblo de la Reina de los angeles founded by Felipe de Neve (1728–84). Originally a four square-leaguearea centered on the Plaza, as granted by King Carlos III of Spain. Montecito Heights and the southern
parts of Cypress Park and Sycamore Grove form the original "Northeast Los Angeles" since these alone are
within the northeast corner of the pueblo boundary. As the city expanded outward after 1895 this term
assumed its current vague quality. It has since been overly extended to describe adjacent communities
irrespective of their geographic relationship to the city center.
1782 First physical improvements in Los Angeles are the
Saca de Agua (dam) at the "Glendale Narrows" (nearthe confluence with the Arroyo), built to serve the
Zanja Madre (literally "Mother Ditch") the main watersource for the new pueblito.
1783 Rancho San Rafael (36,000 acres) land grant issued to José María Verdugo, a corporal in the San Gabriel
Mission guard. Descriptions interchangeably note the dry creek on the rancho’s east boundary as Arroyo
Hondo and Arroyo Seco. Today, all of Mount Washington, and the northern parts of Cypress Park and
Sycamore Grove are within its area.
1820 First local boundary dispute: Verdugo gets Governor to order marauding Mission sheep back to
their side of the Arroyo.
1829 Great Floods, L. A. River changes course downstream, mouth switches from Ballona to Wilmington.
1834 First Orange orchards planted.
1848 Last Trout caught in the L. A. River.
1849 Lt. E.O.C. Ord, us Army surveyor, creates first map of Los Angeles.
1850 City of Los Angeles incorporates using the original boundaries of the Spanish pueblo
1851 Los Angeles "Queen of the Cow Counties". Wealth of Sutter’s gold bonanza temporarily siphoned off for
beef purchases. Fiestas, fandangos, and rodeos become so prevalent that they are outlawed except for
weddings and birthdays. Real life briefly equals our fantasy of the gay Rancho days.
1857
US Army Camel Corps formed at Fort Tejon to serve as transport in nearby arid regions often rested someof its stock in the shade of the Arroyo.
1861 Catastrophic rains destroy livestock, vineyards and orchards. The
Los Angeles Star reports theArroyo Seco, "fretting and boiling" with the Los Angeles River, forms a vast flood plain at its
confluence "until a great breadth of land was washed away".
1864 "The Great Drought", with plagues of locusts and desert sandstorms, plus Smallpox and Typhoid
epidemics completely decimate the region’s productivity. The era of the great Californio cattle ranchos
dramatically ends. Land values plummet to 10¢ an acre.
1869 Glassell and Alfred B. Chapman buy much of what remains of the Verdugo holdings. They immediately
subdivide the land into 31 parcels that loosely delineate future communities, but retain a small parcel by the
L.A. River later known as Glassell Park.
1869 First Bicycle. First Baseball game. Bullfighting Ring closes, as sport is outlawed.
1870 First street numbers assigned to identify properties
ASNC Application Page 17
12/10/01
1873 Pasadena founded as the "California Colony of Indiana", urges immigrants to bring "Religion, money,
brains and industry". It soon becomes a winter spa for the wealthy.
1874 Dr. John S. Griffin begins subdivision of land in Montecito Heights area
1875 Viniculture, by default, becomes major industry and main export of area.
1875 County Road along Arroyo (based on the old Indian trail) is named "Pasadena Avenue" (now known as
Figueroa Street)
1876 Sierra Madre Stage Coach Line opens "direct" passenger line along the Arroyo to Los Angeles
(dry weather only).
1876 Southern Pacific RR enters L. A. through what is now Taylor Yard.
1877 San Gabriel Orange Grove Association reorganizes Pasadena and acquires 1,500 acres in and around the
Arroyo. Members choose individual acreage for orchard farming, and subdivide 100 lots for sale.
1877 Other land under private ownership begins to undergo subdivision, businesses, schools, churches and roads
are built. Definable neighborhood areas begin to form.
1880 Sycamore Grove purchased by a Mrs. Rumpf who later adds roadhouse.
1882 First telephones in the area.
1884 "Hunter Highland View" tract of Jesse D. Hunter includes all of today’s Cypress Park and Mount
Washington. Hunter also owns area bounded by Division, Cleland and El Paso.
1884 Sycamore Grove tract of George W. Morgan extends from Avenue 39 to Avenue 49
1885 Charles Fletcher Lummis (1859–1928) falls under the spell of the mystique of the area and seeks to
preserve the culture and heritage of not only the Arroyo, but (using the term he coined) the entire
"Southwest".
1885 Angeles & San Gabriel Valley RR builds commuter line (50¢ roundtrip) complete with the first bridge
(near Marmion Way) over the Arroyo.
1885 Charles Frederick Holder founds the Valley Hunt Club as the inner sanctum of Pasadena Society. The
lower areas of the Arroyo Seco were still thick with sycamores, oak, willows, alder, tangled thickets of wild
grapes, clematis and other flowering plants, providing Pasadenans with a ready-made wilderness retreat.
Pasadena huntsmen regularly chased bobcats through the Highlands and deer through the complexity of the
Arroyo. Mike Davis notes it as an "extraordinary historical moment, when wildness and urbanity held each
other in precarious balance".
1885 In England, William Morris founds the Arts and Crafts style that becomes the precursor of the Modern
movement. But it was only in our area with the Arroyo School that artists actually lived as craftsmen and
craftsmen lived as artists, and also committed themselves to social action and issues of the day that affected
the natural and built environment.
1887 Real estate boom. Property values multiply five times. Avocado trees introduced.
1890 First Rose Parade in Pasadena.
1894 Landmarks Club formed by Lummis to preserve the Missions and other historic buildings,
1894
Land of Sunshine, journal edited by Lummis, includes writing from local authors such Edwin Markham,Joaquin Miller, and Charles Warren Stoddard. It was largely influenced by its genteel feminist authors such
as Mary Austin, Margaret Collier Graham, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
1895 An Arroyo park "from L. A. to the mountains" is first proposed by South Pasadena.
1895 T. D. Allen completes first survey for a road through the Arroyo.
1895 Sycamore Grove area (along with a part of Highland Park) annexes itself to L. A. partly for the benefits of
city water system and police protection. But mostly hoping to be rid of local riff-raff and crime by closing
infamous beer-garden then flourishing in what is now Sycamore Grove Park
1895 Santa Fe RR is first structurally sound bridge built over the Arroyo. A steel trestle, near Avenue 61, it is
now both the oldest and highest RR bridge in L. A. County.
1895 Sherman and Clark’s Pasadena and Pacific RR connect the "Crown of the Valley" to the Ocean.
1898 Lummis begins building his home "El Alisal" (The Sycamore) by the Arroyo (SRL 531). It became the
famed rendezvous for artists, writers and scientists who formed the nucleus of the
Arroyo Culture, whichprized the Arroyo for its beauty and for its ro mantic associations with Californio and Southwestern Indian
cultures.
1899 Los Angeles Railway Yellow Cars offer quick and cheap transport via three Arroyo routes.
1902 Henry E. Huntington buys Pasadena Short Line of L. A. RR as first part of future Pacific Electric. His
Yellow Cars soon offer quick and cheap transport via three Arroyo routes.
ASNC Application Page 18
12/10/01
1902 Hermon area forms and subdivides after Ralph Rogers donates land across the Arroyo (previously known
as Oak Hill) to the Free Methodist Church, which renames it for the Mount Hermon (a sacred landmark
from earliest history, located in the Golan Heights at the headwaters of the River Jordan).
1903 First local automobile repair garage opens in Pasadena
1903 First directional traffic signs (erected by Automobile Club)
1905 Sycamore Grove Park dedicated. Site used for picnics since early rancho days, continues as venue for
large-scale Midwest State-Reunion Picnics to 1950’s when L. A. still was "seacoast of Iowa".
1906 "W" Trolley line services the Highlands via Pasadena Avenue.
1906 Lummis co-founds the Southwest Museum, the first museum in L. A. (opens 1914).
1906 Charles Frederick Holder extols the bully virtues of vigorous experience in Life in the Open.
1907 Dana Bartlett writes The Better City. Praises verdant "silence and beauty" of the Arroyo. Suggests a road
through it could "be one of the most charming drives any city could desire."
1908 Hotel built as centerpiece on summit of the small Mount Washington tract of developers Robert Marsh and
Arthur St.Clair Perry, which at that time only included a small area surrounding the summit of Mt
Washington Drive and San Rafael Drive. The name was only later expanded to describe the entire hill.
1908 First movie studio in the area is reputedly located near Sycamore Grove.
1909 Traffic Speed Limits introduced. Our area lay entirely in the fast outermost"20 mph" zone.
1909 L. A. & Mt. Washington funicular railway built (2,900’ long). At the top of West Avenue 43 a "Mount
Washington" sign composed of giant freestanding letters stood on the terminal roof.
1910 Pasadena Avenue Arroyo Seco Bridge built. A multiple arch concrete structure financed by South
Pasadena’s first Municipal Bond Election. Pasadena Avenue now also widened and improved.
1910 Horace Dobbins forms Pasadena Rapid Transit Co. to build a bikeway along the Arroyo.
1910 Charles Mulford Robinson writes The City Beautiful. In it he seeks to use municipal power and money
to enhance the urban environment for the public’s benefit.
1912 The Arroyo Seco Addition (Cypress Park, Mount Washington and Hermon areas) annexed by LA.
1913 Arroyo Seco Parkway Association formed. First streets in area paved with macadam.
1914 First attempt at concrete embankments for Arroyo Seco after storms cause catastrophic floods that kill 43
and destroy ten bridges (including everything from Pasadena Ave to Avenue 43).
1914 "The Perils of Pauline" starring Pearl S. White was shot along the Arroyo in Sycamore Grove by the Pathé-
Eclectic Film Company according to local legend.
1916 First electrical power lines.
1917 Pasadena City Engineer Harvey Hincks proposes strictly utilitarian route for high-speed Arroyo road (first
description of current
SR 110 route).1917 La Casa de Adobe designed by Theodore Eisen. A successful attempt to recreate an authentic hacienda of
the Spanish-Mexican period.
1918 Avenue 26 Bridge designed by Merrill Butler, built by the L. A. City Bureau of Engineering.
1920 Southwest Museum tunnel completed (240’ long).
1920 WCTU largest Chapter centered in "the Highlands", mirroring strong anti-drink sentiments here.
1920 Devil’s Gate Dam built to safeguard the Arroyo by the new L. A. County Flood Control District
1920 Sycamore Grove Municipal Campground created as outdoor motel (with parking for "20 machines")
1922 Hiner House and Sousa Annex designed by Archibald Dixon Pechey. Dr. Edwin C. Hiner was a music
professor, leader of "President McKinley’s Band", and friend of John Phillip Sousa.
1922 The Los Angeles Plan calls for a large utilitarian regional commuter system.
1923 The Five Friendly Valleys. Booster history of the area printed by Security Bank.
1923 Arroyo Seco Federation gathers support for parks in the Arroyo. L. A. City Council passes ordinance
stipulating 60 acres of the Arroyo be forever reserved for recreation.
1924 The Los Angeles Major Traffic Street Plan (Olmstead, Bartholomew & Cheny) advocates an "Arroyo Seco
Parkway" as part of a larger utilitarian regional commuter system.
1925 Sri Paramahansa Yogananda establishes Self Realization Fellowship HQ atop Mount Washington.
1925 Southern Pacific expands rail sidings along the L. A. River to create "Los Angeles Yard", built in the
Cypress area to relieve congestion in its existing downriver facilities. However the name didn’t stick since
it was more frequently described by reference to the largest local landmark (since demolished): the large
three story Taylor Milling Company building adjacent to the yard on San Fernando Road and Elm Street,
hence "Taylor Yard".
1926 Avenue 60 Bridge built. A six-span concrete structure with ornamental railing and eight lamp posts.
1927 Infamous axe -murder occurs on Flat Top Hill.
ASNC Application Page 19
12/10/01
1927 Arroyo Seco Park created by local residents via a Special Assessment District (billed "Victory Park" during
voting campaign, it included parks currently along the Arroyo plus west part of Debs Park).
1927 Cleland Avenue named after noted Occidental College historian Robert Glass Cleland (1885-1957).
1929 Pasadena Avenue, the primary traffic artery between Pasadena and L. A., is described by Governor Young
as "terrifying" for its congestion and accident rate between motor vehicles.
1930 "Freeway" coined by Edward M. Bassett, President of National Conference of City Planners, as "a
strip of public land over which the abutting owners have no right of light, air or access".
1930 Parks, Playgrounds and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region (Olmstead, et. al.) changes position in the
debate and now advocates recreational "pleasureway parks" particularly one in the Arroyo.
1930 Monterey Pass cut. Monterey Road built.
1930 Arroyo Seco road building efforts begin. Highland Park business leaders, led by C. R. and Jesse W. Ivers,
fearing diversion of traffic from Figueroa lead a drive to halt it. Influential L. A. City Councilman Edward
L. Thrasher becomes their spokesman.
1931 Arroyo Seco road continues along east side of Arroyo from Avenues 35 to 49. Clay, shale and rock hillside
is hand-cut (for the northbound lanes of a parkway originally intended to straddle both banks of the Arroyo)
by WPA funded labor. Due to strong lobbying by Pasadena and the Auto Club in favor of a commuter
speedway to Pasadena, rather than a recreational route up the entire Arroyo to the San Gabriel Mountains,
work here is finally abandoned in favor of current route that hugs the west side of the Arroyo to Bridewell
Street.
1931 Montecito Heights Recreation Center opens, complete with a new "Neighborhood Clubhouse"
1931 Figueroa Street Tunnels #2, #3 and # 4 excavated in Elysian Park, Tunnel #1 is completed in 1935.
1931 California approves legislation for "State Route 205" (soon to become the Parkway). Amendment returning
previously levied park assessment funds in the Arroyo Seco to the cities losing the land to highway rightof-
way fails to pass in Sacramento.
1934 Army Corps of Engineers begins work nearby on the Los Angeles River Flood Control Channel
1935 WPA begins work on Arroyo Seco Flood Control Channel. (Loveliest of all L. A. storm drains. It is so only
because it is funded by Federal Relief funds and thus has to be labor-intensive. With fewer machines,
trapezoidal river rock slopes and banks are easier to build than vertical concrete walls).
1937 Traffic Survey for Los Angeles by Auto Club of Southern California. Noted for its "City of the Future"
model which features an Arroyo Seco high-speed motorway through parklands connecting urban centers.
This image greatly influenced Norman Bel Geddes more famous Futurama Exhibit at the seminal N. Y.
World’s Fair of 1939.
1937 Florence Nightingale Junior High School opens.
1937 Figueroa Street Viaduct complete. Described as the "greatest local public works project of the decade" this
major new span across the L.A. River connects to the new Elysian Park tunnels, realigns traffic patterns
and renames many major streets in area. Among these are Dayton Street, north to the Marmion Way and
Avenue 39 intersection, plus our area’s oldest street and main thoroughfare Pasadena Avenue (from this
same intersection). These and others become known as "Figueroa Street", now reconfigured as the longest
street in Los Angeles, stretching from the Verdugo Mountains to the Pacific.
1937 L. A. Park Commission approves Arroyo Parkway route, with proviso that money under assessment for the
Arroyo Parks would be refunded through State legislation. Enabling Legislation (AB90) passes in
Sacramento, but Governor Merriam refuses to sign it.
1938 Arroyo Seco Parkway starts building on March 22 as a scenic pleasureway. Rose Queen OK’s start.
1938 Eighteen new Bridges over the Arroyo Seco Parkway designed by C. W. Jones (8 more built later)
1938 Very heavy rain. New work on Avenue 43 Bridge is washed away along with many nearby homes.
1938 Avenue 35 railway trestle built as a joint effort between the Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe
1939 Hermon Avenue (now Via Marisol), and Avenue 52 Bridges built, Avenue 26 Bridge extended.
1940 Marmion Way and Pasadena Avenue Bridges built.
1940 Partially complete 4.5 mile long Parkway opened July 20 between Orange Grove and Avenue 40
Last remaining portion to Avenue 22 completed December 23. Parkway dedicated December 30 by a 474-
car caravan of political dignitaries and entertainment celebrities, plus a marching band and 60 pieces of
mobile armor. Ceremonies were top news in the
L. A. Times, Pasadena Star-News and "coast-to-coast"radio. Bob Hope quipped "Now people can get to their accidents on time".
1941 Avenue 43 Bridge finally complete. Rubble masonry walls, and landscaping added to the Parkway. Plan
includes many large trees and over 10,000 plants, 90% of which are native to the Arroyo. "Southerly
ASNC Application Page 20
12/10/01
Extension" to Civic Center begun as part of a "National Strategic System of Roads". Conceived as a
speedway, this portion sets the tone for the featureless "Freeways" to come.
1942 Birchter-Share House designed by Harwell H. Harris.
1942 First acute attacks of air pollution, at first called "a darkness at noon"; in 1943 it is named
smog.1944 Taylor Yard facilities expanded and upgraded with diesel shops.
1946 Radio tower on Flat Top Hill for independent station KRKD is built as the Foursquare Church of Sister
Aimee Semple McPherson purchases this hillside property Each night, and using the same frequency,
church station KFSG would sign on to broadcast religious programming. This spot had been the local
"lover’s lane" in the Thirties.
1947 Hinds House designed by Richard Neutra.
1948 Councilman Ernest E. Debs (1904–) begins denying building permits on open space near the Arroyo
1948 Snow fall in the Arroyo. Coldest Winter ever recorded in L. A.
1949 Mauer House designed by John Lautner.
1952 Mount Washington Association formed.
1953 Rose Hills Park dedicated.
1953 Drought. Driest year ever recorded, only 4.08" of rainfall.
1953 Arroyo Seco Freeway completed to L. A. Civic Center. Name changed to "Pasadena Freeway".
1953 Last "Soap Box Derby" Western Grand Nationals Race (held at Montecito now Debs Park).
1955 First official smog alerts after worst ever air pollution attack
1962 Lucky Market, first chain-supermarket in the area opens (Avenue 45 & Figueroa St.).
1962 Walter O’Malley swaps open space north of Rose Hills Park for land in Elysian Park .
1963 San Diego Freeway Interchange with the Pasadena Freeway built.
1968 Montecito Heights Improvement Association.
1969 Heritage Square established by the Cultural Heritage Foundation.
1970 An Island Called California published by Elna S. Bakker (1921–95), Mount Washington ecologist and
native plant expert. Theodore Payne Foundation Director (1993-95).
1970 David Sanchez founds Brown Berets at Lincoln High.
1970 Nathan C. Clark (1906–93), Montecito Heights resident, famed conservationist (co-founded the Sierra Club
Foundation), renowned mountaineer (i.e., climbed Picacho del Diablo in 1932, via the 5th class pinnacle
ridge, with an extremely strong party consisting of Glen Dawson, Jules Eichorn, Walter Brem, Bestor
Robinson and the legendary Norman Clyde), Sierra Club President (1959–61). Acts locally, aided by wife
Jo Ann, to save a severely abused area proposed as parkland from being converted to a city dump.
1972 Montecito Hills Regional County Park dedicated (due to efforts of the Clarks and the MHIA).
Includes the area sought for parkland, now graced with a hilltop pond and picnic areas still in use.
1973 Monterey Hills Condos property acquired, graded and building begins as a project of the CRA.
1975 L. A. County Board of Supervisors changes name of Montecito Park to "Debs Regional Park". Area erupts
in protests led by the MHIA and the Highland Park Chamber. Name change confirmed by a vote of 2–2
despite the "unanimous objections of the community".
1975 City of L. A. erects "Community Designation Signs" loosely marking neighborhood boundaries.
1976 Big Orange published by Jack Smith (1916–95), popular L. A. Times columnist and the unofficial "Mr.
Mount Washington".
1987 Friends of the Los Angeles River conducts First Annual "Great L. A. River Clean-up".
1991 Rainbow Canyon Park (SMMRCA) dedicated through efforts of community and NET.
1991 Mount Washington Specific Plan completed.
1991 Southern Pacific RR closes Taylor Yard. Councilman Allatore illegally grabs southern portion for
construction of Metro Rail facilities precluding recreational uses promised for this location.
1992 North East Trees starts community tree-planting projects that begin to radically uplift our area.
1992 Sierra Club coordinates First Annual "Gran Limpieza del Arroyo Seco" on Earth Day.
1992 Arroyo Arts Collective conducts First Annual "Discovery Tour" of local artist’s studios.
1993 Arroyo Seco Task Force, called together to seek ways of improving and "updating" the Freeway takes
alternate approach.
California Historic Byway status is acquired. This new category of road within the StateScenic Highway system allows for a reduced speed limit, and stimulates efforts to pursue preservation and
rehabilitation of historic roads, adjacent communities and parklands.
1994 Historic Preservation Overlay Zone created across Sycamore Grove and adjacent parcels.
1994 Historic Santa Fe RR bridge over Arroyo dismantled and restored as a single-track line by Metro
Rail for the Pasadena "Blue Line" (now "Gold Line").
ASNC Application Page 21
12/10/01
1994 Elyria Canyon Park (SMMRCA) dedicated through efforts of community and the MWA.
1997 Committee for Safe Children leads community vigils protesting conditions on Lacy Street.
1998 Los Angeles River Visitor Center opens (preserving old Lawry’s California Center) as a result of a rare
combined effort of all local officials led by State Senator Richard Polanco.
1999 Hermon Association forms to fight undesired development.
1999 "Historic Arroyo Seco Parkway" signs go up as it regains its original name. The American Society of Civil
Engineers names it a
National Engineering Monument.1999 Ramona Hall reopened by City Councilman Hernandez as a Community Center
1999 Debs Park Master Plan called for by the Audubon Society, and Friends of Debs Park is completed.
1999 North East Master Plan is at long last completed and accepted.
2000 Zeigler House restored.
2000 Taylor Yard designated by Governor Gray Davis as a future State Park. He commits $45 million to it. With
two miles of river frontage, the Trust for Public Land expects it to become "the centerpiece of a future
L. A.River Greenway
".2000 A Landscape Framework Plan for the Arroyo Seco Parkway Corridor published by Cal Trans, is a step in
achieving
National Scenic Byway status (with attendant funding) for the road and the area.2001 Taylor Yard Coalition gains wide support in its call for reclamation for recreation in old rail yards.
2002 Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council certified.
ASNC Application Page 22
12/10/01
Attachment I—ASNC Reasons for Applying for Certification
"This Arroyo would make one of the greatest parks in the world."
–THEODORE ROOSEVELT, 1911
We’re forming the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council because of our love for our geographically stunning and
culturally rich urban area. It is our firm belief that its empowerment can best be furthered by our active involvement
in broad-based efforts to insure the political participation of all local stakeholders.
Our component neighborhoods (Cypress Park, Hermon, Montecito Heights, Monterey Hills, Mount Washington,
and Sycamore Grove) are joining together to form this Neighborhood Council because of our similarities and a
shared vision. These include:
Coherent interests: All of the neighborhoods coming together are essentially "bedroom" communities, mostly
composed of historic single-family homes and small apartment units, together with a newer and planned area of
condominium residences. All supported by neighborhood related service businesses. This cohesiveness of
circumstance focuses our discourse on achievable ends. It can also further the goal of desired improvements by a
unity of effort.
Diverse resources: Our community neighborhoods show considerable diversity in both cultural and socio-economic
resources. As one of the oldest suburban areas of Los Angeles, the "melting pot" effect has well integrated the area
into one of interdependence born of mutual respect. The burgeoning vibrancy of our area can only be furthered by
augmenting its political voice.
Balance in Scale : No single portion of our proposed area is dominant, nor does any part have an essentially different
population or competing set of interests. No single component neighborhood is more essential to our formation or
more deserving of future effort than any other. Furthermore, there exists no large-scale commercial, industrial, or
other corporate focus that might unravel the fabric of our area.
Resources / History: Our communities share in having been part of "the Arroyo" mentality, and what it entailed has
shaped us all. That our communities have drawn together is in large part due to this similar history and particularly
to the successful efforts at cultural and environmental preservation of our predecessors. We continue in our resolve
to better prepare for the future by working for it together today.
ASNC Application Page 23
12/10/01
Quality Control: We welcome change and developments that grow from within (those recognized as needed by the
community), as we are prepared to resist the rapacity that attempts to impose from without. But we are confident
that "a rising tide lifts all ships". Our primary asset is the beauty of our environment. The proposed area of the
ASNC contains a unique treasure of open-space deep in the heart of the metropolis. It was once, and is now again,
being described as worthy of being considered a national treasure. We believe that the enhancement of our natural
features is the key to a self-help effort that could serve as a template for the nation.
Our area has had a long tradition of success in appropriately creating and preserving community recreational and
cultural resources, such as the Southwest Museum, the Arroyo Seco and Elyria Canyon Park. In expectation of a
stronger voice in land-use decisions, this tradition can only be multiplied many times over. Unique features, such as
the new Audubon Center augmented by community support for cleaner and safer access, can in turn serve as tourist
destinations that increase the potential for local business. This in turn provides more local employment, and this
decreases crime—in a continuing upward spiral.
The fuel is our imagination: there has never been a shortage of master plans for our area, but today two are offering
nothing short of transfiguration. The current NET/NPS Arroyo Watershed Plan could transform our area into a
National Heritage Area, and the CalTrans Plan could enhance the Arroyo Seco Parkway into a National Scenic
Byway with resulting infusions of ISTEA (Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act) funds for transportrelated
enhancements of our infrastructure. Both are promising the financial underpinnings of future success in
shaping quality of life issues to the benefit of us all.
Taken together, our neighborhoods reflect an invaluable heritage—a wealth of natural habitat; development
sensitive to community needs; a patrimony of history and architecture that ranks as one of the most significant in the
country, plus a rich diversity of human cultures and creative resources. This can nourish the current generations of
the Arroyo well into the future, if we but continue to engage the political imagination and will of our stakeholders
upon that which we revere and hold in common.
ASNC Application Page 24
12/10/01
SECTION 2. NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH
As required by City Ordinance and the Plan, the applicant must provide a detailed description of
the outreach process used to identify community stakeholders. The applicant must also provide
proof of the collection of no less than 200 signatures from community stakeholders within the
Neighborhood Council boundaries. And, the signatures collected by the applicant shall, to the
maximum extent feasible, reflect the broadest array of community stakeholders who will be
active participants.
1. Describe in detail the outreach process used to identify community stakeholders.
2. Describe or list the types of outreach activities used to inform stakeholders about the
existence or formation of the Neighborhood Council. What types of outreach activities
were employed?
Answers to Q. 1&2
Outreach began for the ASNC in early 1999, shortly after the LA Charter change that
allowed for the development of Neighborhood Councils. Organizers from various NorthEast
(NE) communities started efforts to learn about the Neighborhood Councils and to involve a
broad spectrum of community members in the educational effort. Local leaders from the
Mt. Washington Association, The Arroyo Seco Journal and the NE Community Calendar
sponsored initial community education meetings. All communities of the NE including
Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Hermon, Monterey Hills,
Montecito Heights, Mt.Washington, Lincoln Height and El Sereno, were included in
informational meetings conducted in 1999 and 2000. Attendance at these community
meetings was high (100-150+), as was attendance at the DONE survey workshop on May 10,
2000, indicating an impressive level of activism in the NorthEast. In addition to general
meetings, many informal presentations were provided to interested area stakeholders in this
same time period. (See Outreach Summary chart included)
By early 2001, the NorthEast was ready to begin to determine the boundaries and the
structure of the new Neighborhood Councils. Meetings were held in March, May and August
for community discussion. Natural alliances began to form and the communities of the
Arroyo Seco including Cypress Park, Hermon, Montecito Heights, Monterey Hills,
Mt.Washington and Sycamore Grove/Terrace banded together to establish a Council.
An Outreach Committee was formed on 8/26/01 with approximately 40 members
representing every community in the ASNC. Each community was tasked with identifying
stakeholders in their community and reaching out to those stakeholders. It is important to
note that the most prevalent composition of the communities of ASNC is single family
residential and apartment dwellers. Within each community is an eclectic composition of
residents making up a broad demographic mixture reflecting every imaginable life style - -
there was no need to target groups on this basis. The existing Community Groups were used
to gain access to an existing communication infrastructure and included the following:
ASNC Application Page 25
12/10/01
§
The Cypress Park Group§
The Mt. Washington Association§
The Mt.Washington Homeowners Alliance§
The Montecito Heights Improvement Association§
The Monterey Hills Federation§
The Hermon Neighborhood Association§
The Sycamore Terrace Residents AssociationThe Outreach Committee recognized the need to reach other community stakeholders
including the businesses, schools, and religious organizations in the communities and went
beyond the established infrastructure to communicate in the following ways:
§
Flyers and Posters were placed in every community on telephone poles, communitybulletin boards, businesses, post-offices, libraries and schools for both local and general
meetings. (For "official" posting sites, see The Public Notice Location Log in Section 3)
§
The on-line NorthEast Community Calendar was notified and posted general meetings.§
The on-line bulletin board, NELA was used for meeting announcements and discussion.§
Mt.Washington developed and maintained an email and address database of over 300community members (throughout the ASNC) who had indicated interest in neighborhood
activities which included the PTA President and School Principal, area religious
organizations, environmental groups, etc. Notification was made to all on this list.
§
Distribution was made to the Hermon community mailing list of 300.§
Specific outreach was made to business in the communities through personal stop-byvisits.
In several communities including Cypress Park, Montecito Heights, Mt. Washington,
Hermon, and Sycamore Grove/Terrace, Outreach Committee volunteers walked the streets
and passed out flyers before each meeting.
3. Approximately how much time was spent on actual outreach activities prior to
submitting this application?
As indicated in the answer to questions 1&2, this has been almost a three-year process for
many of the initial organizers. Untold hours have been spent on the general community
education campaign.
Since the formation of the ASNC on 8/26/2001, bi-weekly meetings have been held by an
Outreach Committee strategizing the outreach approach and planning specific activities. In
preparation for each General ASNC meeting, all outreach methods (Posters, Flyers, On- line
Bulletin Boards, etc.) have been used to announce the meetings and outreach to the
community. A rough estimate is that 3-5 members of each of the six ASNC communities
spent 5-10 hours involved in outreach preparing for each general meeting. Documentation of
materials and specific outreach activities are outlined in the Outreach Summary chart
included).
ASNC Application Page 26
12/10/01
4. Were public meetings held on behalf of the Neighborhood Council? On average, how
many people attended each meeting? Were the meetings, in your opinion, productive?
The main communication with stakeholders regarding the development of the ASNC was
through General Community Meetings, open to the public and heavily publicized in advance.
These meetings have been held at Ramona Hall and The River Center. Meeting dates and
objectives are provided below and on the attached Outreach Summary chart:
Informational and Educational Meetings– Prior to ASNC formation
§
9/9/99 Initial Information (50 Attendees)§
10/6/99 NE Neighborhood Leaders Discussion (12 Attendees)§
11/29/99 Educate the Community (150 Attendees)§
3/1/00 Organizational Meeting (10 Attendees)§
5/8/00 Educate the Community (160 Attendees)§
5/10/00 DONE Presentation and Workshop (150 Attendees)§
11/15/00 Educational Discussion, sponsored by Occidental College (60 Attendees)§
3/4/01 Boundary Options (150 Attendees)§
4/1/01 Educate the Community, sponsored by Occidental College (50 Attendees)General Meetings (2001) – After ASNC formation
§
June 10 Determination of the Neighborhood Council Structure (150 Attendees)§
August 26 Formation of the Committees (170 Attendees)§
October 7 Review of the By- laws Draft (50 Attendees)§
October 21 Review of Application Status (130 Attendees)§
December 16 Adoption of the Application and By-laws (#Attendees TBD)Generally, the attendance has been in the range of 100 to 150 attendees, which represents
approximately one half of one percent of the population covered by the ASNC. However, it
is reasonable to assume that for every one person who attended that another 10-20 people
were aware of the meetings and Neighborhood Council formation. We estimate that
approximately 10% of the stakeholders are aware of the ASNC, which we believe is very
successful.
The General meetings have been challenging but productive. From the beginning of the
Neighborhood Council process, we committed to an open democratic process allowing all
members to have a chance to voice an opinion. We were fortunate to use the services of
skilled facilitators who volunteered to run the majority of the meetings.
We used a voting process to determine such decisions as the configuration of the ASNC, the
name and the adoption of the By- laws. Stakeholders had to attend the meetings to vote.
In addition to the General meetings, committee meetings have been held for Outreach, Bylaws,
Boundaries and the Steering Committee on a scheduled basis, with open attendance.
ASNC Application Page 27
12/10/01
5. Attach to this application the original signatures of no less than 200 community
stakeholders within the proposed neighborhood Council boundaries. Keep a copy of the
signatures collected for your records. Signature amounts in excess of 500 will be
retained on file by the Department as additional outreach documentation.
Signatures shall, to the maximum extent feasible, reflect the broadest array of
community stakeholders who will be active participants in the Neighborhood Council.
Please explain how the signature collection process was used to include, inform and
educate the widest possible variety of stakeholders.
The signature collection process inc luded a three-pronged process:
§
Signatures were collected at general meetings, at events within local communities(Neighborhood Association Meetings, School Meetings, Community Action Groups,
Taylor Yards, etc.)
§
Specific stakeholders such as business and religious groups were approached, forsignatures, on a one-on-one basis, to educate and get buy- in
§
The residents of specific geographic areas where the residents were not as active or inareas with disputed boundaries were canvassed to educate and determine potential
alignments. Signatures were collected indicating initial commitment to ASNC (Nob Hill,
Sycamore Grove/Terrace, lower Montecito Heights).
6. Outreach activities are a very important part of all Neighborhood Council operations.
Outreach activities should be performed regularly in order to share ideas and to
communicate news, events and information. Please describe below how you plan to
continue to conduct outreach activities after your Neighborhood Council is officially
certified.
The ASNC Outreach Committee has begun to focus on continued outreach and believes that
the following approach should be used to create an effective sustained outreach program:
Getting Started…
§
Ask the communities to help define the vision§
Gather the information on stakeholder needs and desires for the communities§
Develop the appropriate informational materials (by community)§
Create resource guides – identify relevancy for each geographic and stakeholdercommunity
What Can Make Neighborhood Councils Different from Other Past Efforts
?The belief of the Outreach Committee is that the Neighborhood Councils have a serviceoriented
focus both on an individual and a broad community basis. To support this belief, the
Outreach representatives must be proactive and must focus on on- going education,
dissemination of information and service, through channels such as:
ASNC Application Page 28
12/10/01
§
A core of 15 people is needed in each ASNC community§
A standing Speakers Bureau for information, educational meetings and data collection§
Personal relationships and networks developed within and between the communities ofthe Arroyo Seco
§
Relevant meetings that are funFun Meetings/Good Food!
What Does Outreach Need To Do?
§
Communicate – Build a Website and Newsletter§
Build neighborhood participation§
Help link neighbors up with opportunities to get involved§
Become advocates for the neighborhood/civic services and improvements§
Link the community with existing services§
Collect data and give the City better information on ASNC needs§
Create community services "Ladders and Lattices"§
Cross train volunteers§
Create Youth Outreach:-
Develop relationships with all local schools (public, private, faith-based etc.)-
Contact after school programs, recreation programs, etc.Make it Fun!
ASNC Application Page 29
12/10/01
SECTION 3. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
1. Attach to this application a copy of the by-laws of the Neighborhood Council.
There is no single set, style or size of by- laws documents that will be accepted, as different
Neighborhood Councils must have the flexibility to create specific and appropriate by- laws.
However, the minimum requirement will be satisfied by including in the by-laws the items
that are described in the Plan and in the "Certification Application Guidelines and
Instructions."
See attached By-Laws
(By-Laws will be available as a separate document on Tuesday 12/11/01)
2. Attachment A, "Public Notice Location Log", must be completed and returned with this
application.
See attached "Public Notice Location Log"
(Not included in the draft)
ASNC Application Page 30
12/10/01
SECTION 4. FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
1. Describe the plan, method or system to be used for Neighborhood Council accounting
purposes.
A complete description of the ASNC
Fiscal Procedures are attached.2. Each Certified Neighborhood Council’s Governing Body shall include an office named
the Treasurer.
Attachment B, "Neighborhood Council Treasurer", which is included with this application,
contains general information regarding the office of the Treasurer and financial reporting,
and is provided for use by the applicant.
The ASNC By-Laws include an office named Treasurer.
3. Each Certified Neighborhood Council shall discuss its finances at a regularly scheduled
or special meeting prior to submitting any accounting statements to the Department of
Neighborhood Empowerment.
The ASNC
Fiscal Procedures (#7) assume scheduled (Quarterly) financial updates to thecommunity stakeholders that would also be available to DONE.
4. Each Certified Neighborhood Council shall ensure that each Certified Neighborhood
Council’s book of accounts shall be open to all community stakeholders of any Certified
Neighborhood Council.
5. Each Certified Neighborhood Council shall establish a process by which each Certified
Neighborhood Council member can review the Certified Neighborhood Council’s book
of accounts.
Answer to Q.4&5.
Financial statements will be updated quarterly and posted on an ASNC Website.
ASNC Application Page 31
12/10/01
Fiscal Procedures
1. Bank Accounts
a. Bank: The banking institution shall be determined by the concurrence of the
Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council officers.
b. Accounts: The Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council (ASNC) shall maintain one or
more interest bearing checking accounts into which all ASNC income shall be deposited,
and from which all authorized ASNC expenditures shall be made. The ASNC may also
maintain a certificate of deposit or other savings or earnings account, as authorized by the
Board. The treasurer shall open and maintain a separate bank account for each type of
appropriated Fund or Grant received from the City through the mayor or the city council.
2. Petty Cash Fund: The treasurer or designated accounting personnel may create and
be the custodian of a petty cash fund, to be initially established in an amount to be
determined by the Board. A petty cash voucher shall support all disbursements from the
petty cash fund.
3. Signature Authority: The ASNC president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer shall
have signature authority on all accounts. Two signatures, that of the president and treasurer
(with the vice-president and secretary as alternate if either the president or treasurer are
unavailable), are required on all checks unless otherwise specified by the ASNC bylaws.
4. Check preparation: All checks will be written by the treasurer or designated
accounting personnel, and entered into the ASNC accounting system, upon submission of
appropriate documentation, and with approval as specified in the ASNC bylaws.
5. Deposits: All funds received for the ASNC will be forwarded immediately to the
treasurer, for endorsement and deposit in the appropriate ASNC checking account within
three business days after the treasurer receives them. The treasurer or designated accounting
personnel will record all deposits immediately in the ASNC accounting system, and will
retain all deposit transmittal forms (see Section 10 below), copies of deposited checks and
deposit receipts in the ASNC financial records.
6. Reconciliation: The treasurer or designated accounting personnel will reconcile the bank
statements with ASNC financial records monthly, within ten business days after receipt of
the bank statements from the bank. Copies of the bank statements and the reconciliation
summary reports must be sent monthly to the ASNC president and chair of the budget and
finance committee. The treasurer will retain the bank statements and a copy of the
reconciliation in the ASNC financial records.
ASNC Application Page 32
12/10/01
7. Quarterly Reports: In addition to the reconciliation, the treasurer shall prepare a
quarterly report showing the budget and income and expenditures-to-date by category. This
report will be presented at regular ASNC meetings and will be available to DONE, as
requested. In addition, if ASNC receives grant funding or other funds from the City, the
treasurer shall submit separate accounting statements describing the use of the funds, in a
format and at intervals to be prescribed by DONE or other appropriate city agency or
department.
8. Financial Record Keeping: The treasurer will prepare and maintain all ASNC financial
records using appropriate software, and hard copy records, as mutually agreed upon by the
reasurer and budget and finance committee chair and reflected in these fiscal procedures.
These records will be kept at a Board-designated location.
9. Budget: A budget, showing anticipated income and expenditures, shall be prepared by the
Budget and Finance Committee and Treasurer, for approval by the ASNC Board at its second
meeting of the year. This budget shall be created for each appropriated fund or grant
received.
10. Deposit Transmittal: Any income to the ASNC received by anyone other than the
treasurer shall be forwarded immediately to the treasurer with an accompanying deposit
transmittal form.
11. Request to Issue Payment
a. Invoices or receipts received from vendors for ASNC goods or services must be sent
directly to the treasurer if possible. Invoices or receipts received by ASNC board of
representatives or others should be immediately forwarded to the treasurer, accompanied
by a payment request form.
b. The treasurer must review the invoice or receipt and payment request form, obtain
necessary approval for payment, and issue the payment check, recording the payment in
the ASNC accounting system and retaining the invoice and approved payment request
form in the ASNC financial records.
c. The payment request form must also be used to request reimbursement for ASNC costs
advanced by board members or others. Receipts must be attached to the form, which
should be forwarded to the treasurer for processing as described above.
12. Auditing: The president or the budget and finance committee shall direct that ASNC
financial records will be made available for inspection by the DONE. After the close of
each calendar year, the budget and finance committee will arrange for an audit of the ASNC
financial records, with a report and recommendations to the Board. Financial reports shall be
sent to DONE not later than 90 days after the close of the reporting period.
The following sample forms will be used by the ASNC.
ASNC Application Page 33
12/10/01
Arroyo Seco NC Balance Sheet
As of 12/4/01
12/4/01
ASNC-All Accounts Page 1
Acct Balance
------------------------------------ ----------
ASSETS
Cash and Bank Accounts
CD 0.00
checking-gen 0.00
checking-rstrtd 0.00
Petty Cash 0.00
---------
Total Cash and Bank Account 0.00
---------
TOTAL ASSETS 0.00
=========
LIABILITIES & EQUITY
LIABILITIES 0.00
EQUITY 0.00
---------
TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY 0.00
=========
ASNC Application Page 34
12/10/01
Arroyo Seco NC Budget Comparison
1/1/01 Through 12/31/01