Community members have begun a campaign to recall City Councilman Jack Weiss, citing concerns about excessive traffic and what they consider overdevelopment in Weiss’ district, which includes Westwood.
Weiss also oversees other parts of West Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.
Many proponents of the recall campaign are members of the Westside Homeowners Association, but representatives of the councilman’s office maintain that the association’s claims are unfounded.
Steve Twining, one of the leaders of the recall effort and a Bel Air resident, said congestion on the road has been a major concern for people living in the West Los Angeles area.
“I feel (Weiss) failed to do anything in terms of traffic for our community, and that there are people who are literally trapped in their homes because of the traffic,” Twining said.
Though Weiss’ office was not available for comment, Larry Levine, the councilman’s political consultant, told the Los Angeles Times he does not believe the campaign is based on legitimate issues.
“What this recall is really about is money and greed and special interests who want to operate in the shadows without any public oversight,” Levine said. “These people are not anti-development. They will support any development as long as they get a cut of the action.”
An association of homeowner presidents in Weiss’ district voted on three separate occasions to launch the recall movement, said Twining, who is also a founding member of the Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council.
He added that he also believes Weiss advocates overly dense development, and does not place enough emphasis on police presence in district neighborhoods.
“We don’t have enough police presence, and last time, they increased the trash fees on property owners to provide additional police for everyone,” Twining said. “The homeowners are a minority in this city.”
UCLA students also have their concerns surrounding the issue of development and parking in the Westwood area, and particularly in the North Village.
PC Zai, former Facilities commissioner for the Undergraduate Students Association Council, said the lack of a centralized public transportation system makes it difficult for students to get around. Zai also pointed to a lack of available street parking as a problem in the area.
But she also said she was not sure Weiss made student needs a priority, given the size and diverse needs of his district.
“On the scale the councilman covers, he does things that are larger in scale than Westwood would need,” said Zai.
But Rabbi Daniel Korobkin, a friend of Weiss, told the Los Angeles Times he believes many of the issues the homeowners have brought up are beyond the councilman’s control.
“This is a large city with natural growth, and you can’t blame Jack for the development of a large city. There is going to be traffic, and that is the price of living in Los Angeles,” Korobkin said.
Gabe Rose, USAC president, said while homeowners in the Westwood area will likely be heard more forcefully than students, he believes it is important for students to become involved in causes that may affect them.
“I really think students need to do more lobbying and getting our voices heard,” Rose said.
Twining also said he would like to see maximum carpooling, free monthly passes by MTA subsidized by the university and more rapid transit in Westwood.
If the recall plan is successful, Twining said the homeowners association groups have interviewed several potential candidates to fill the councilman’s position and will then need a minimum of 22,800 petition signatures.