In terms of the upcoming meeting March 26th meeting, just announced in previous post, here is what you need to know:
If you have questions or concerns regarding this proposal, we urge you to attend this meeting and listen to what Mariner’s Village residents have to say. They are our near neighbors and we need to support each other in terms of the future of Marina del Rey and development on Via Marina. In terms of what happens on Via Marina, whether you live on the County side or the City side of the boulevard, please make your voice heard. The County and the Design Control Board pay attention to the number of people attending these meetings and making their statements on their decisions.
Renters will have to sequentially vacate their apartments as the interiors are renovated, no small hardship. The landscaping at Mariner’s Village is beautiful and has been in place since the complex was built in the late 1970s. The renovation calls for removing all the original landscaping, including many mature trees, and replacing it with drought tolerant plants and trees. Although, as we all know, California is currently in a dire state of drought and this proposal makes sense, it is painful nevertheless.
No new residential units will be added. The plan is to add 7000 square feet to the existing “town center,” a meeting place for residents, which already includes a cafe open to the public. Presumably, the cafe will also be improved.
The renovation calls the creation of a 92-berth anchorage and public dock on the water side of the parcel. 300 new on-site parking spaces will also be added. While some of these will used by boaters at the new anchorage, others will serve visitors to Mariner’s Village who currently are forced to park across the street on Parcel 13, a public parking area.
The Mariner’s Village promenade surrounding the complex is currently private, and prevents public access to the waterfront. Under the new proposal, the promenade will be opened to the public, widened to 28 feet, and provide a walk/bike path access to the waterfront. It will offer a continuous connection from south Via Marina onto Channel Walk all the way around to Bora Bora Way.
Structure of DCB Meetings: You have two opportunities to comment after filling out a speaker card.
1) At the beginning of the meeting, public comments are allowed on non-agenda items. You can talk about any County proposal on Via Marina other than Mariner’s Village. There is a three-minute time-limit.
2) When an agenda item comes up for review during the meeting, public comments are allowed only on that item.
The Silver Strand News 
Thank you for the update on Mariner’s! One clarification Re:drought resistant landscaping vs mature trees from The Tree People
Water and Energy Benefits from Trees
“Trees are the most vital resource for environmental well-being in urban areas. While it may seem counter-intuitive to irrigate trees in a water crisis, it is the single most important thing to do. Trees actually are key to a sufficient local water supply in Los Angeles. When it does rain, a mature tree can capture thousands of gallons of rainwater in its canopy and root zone, sinking that rain into the aquifer. Because so much of our city is paved, every time it rains an inch in the City of Los Angeles, 3.8 billion gallons of precious water runs off into the ocean and is wasted. When it doesn’t rain, trees shade and cool our city by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Therefore, trees store water and lower energy costs, while saving water by slowing water evaporation from thirsty lawns and other foliage.
Health Benefits from Trees
Trees’ shade protects children and adults alike from UV rays by as much as 50%, thus reducing the possibilities of skin cancer, which is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. Studies have also shown that patients with views of trees out their windows heal faster and with fewer complications. Children with ADHD show fewer symptoms when they have access to nature. Exposure to trees and nature aids concentration by reducing mental fatigue. Neighborhoods and homes that are barren have shown to have a greater incidence of violence in and out of the home than their greener counterparts; trees and landscaping help to reduce the level of fear. This is interesting given the recent shooting at The Shores, the recent Marina development, which is almost void of greenery. Trees create an eye-soothing canopy of green by masking concrete walls, parking lots, and unsightly views, while muffling sound from nearby traffic, and absorbing dust, wind, and glare. In addition, trees produce oxygen, remove pollution from the air, capture and store carbon dioxide, and reduce downstream pollution into the ocean and flood risks from runoff and soil erosion.
Financial Benefits from Trees
Trees create economic opportunities for small businesses in green waste management and landscaping when cities value mulching and its water-saving qualities. Vocational training for youth interested in green jobs is also a great way to develop economic opportunities from trees. Additionally, the beauty of a well-planted property and its surrounding streets and neighborhood can raise property values by as much as 15 percent.
Trees, therefore, help in reducing the impacts of global warming and drought. In a time when California is in a severe 150+ year drought, and it produces the majority of America’s produce, is no time to be cutting down mature trees.
http://www.treepeople.org/drought-response
https://www.opentreemap.org/latreemap/map/