Records LA – City Hall Newsletter

Good morning! In this edition, Dakota Smith will share updates from city and county government during this brief week.

Back in 1984, when Los Angeles hosted the Olympics, the San Fernando Valley opted out. Residents were concerned about increased traffic and development, which led them to successfully block events in the Sepulveda Basin. Environmentalists also voiced opposition to using the basin, a significant floodplain home to various bird species.

Business owners who anticipated a boost from international visitors faced disappointment. Many tourists remained in the city rather than venturing over the hills, while some locals chose to watch the Olympics from home, as reported in August 1984.

Fast forward to now, the Olympics are returning to LA, and sports like volleyball, BMX, skateboarding, 3×3 basketball, and Modern Pentathlon are set to have temporary venues in the Sepulveda Basin.

City Council members and local business leaders are gearing up for the games with plans for Olympic watch parties, youth sports clinics, and pin trading events where fans and athletes can exchange Olympic memorabilia.

They’re hopeful that local businesses—shops and restaurants in the valley—will reap the benefits of the influx of visitors.

At an event hosted by the San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce, Councilmember Monica Rodriguez reflected, “In 1984, I was a young girl in northeast San Fernando Valley, feeling completely disconnected from the Olympics.” Rodriguez represents parts of the San Fernando Valley alongside colleagues Bob Blumenfield, John Lee, Nisha Raman, and Adrin Nazarian, who also discussed Olympic plans and community issues during a panel session led by journalist Alex Cohen.

Rodriguez shared that her father, who works at USC and the nearby Los Angeles Fire Station Office, often recounts stories from the Olympic Village.

Blumenfield, representing areas including Reseda and Woodland Hills, reminisced about his youthful escapade of sneaking into the men’s gymnastics finals in 1984, even walking through an exit door to do so. He had a good seat—right near actor John Travolta, as he recounted to The Times.

Looking ahead to the 2028 Olympics, Blumenfield is planning a watch party in his district where locals and visitors can enjoy the games on a big screen. He’s optimistic that a transit line will facilitate travel for visitors to Olympic events in the basin and increase foot traffic to local businesses.

“We want the Olympics to be part of the entire city, including the West Valley,” Blumenfield shared in an interview.

Resistance to the ’84 Olympics wasn’t unique to the valley; many Angelenos expressed concerns about the expected traffic and safety risks associated with the influx of visitors, especially following the tragic events of the 1972 Munich Olympics.

However, the pushback in the valley also followed Mayor Tom Bradley’s attempts to relocate Hollywood Park Racecourse to the Sepulveda Basin in 1978. Homeowners and local business groups opposed this move, leading to its eventual cancellation.

Many of the same opponents re-emerged when the mayor supported hosting swimming, archery, rowing, and cycling events in the basin.

Renee Weitzer, then president of the Encino Homeowner Association, had fought against the Hollywood Park project but later shifted her stance to support the Olympic venue in the valley. Peter Ueberroth, the head of the committee responsible for bringing the 1984 Olympics to Los Angeles, recounted that he was advised against a prolonged battle over this location due to cost concerns.

According to Weitzer, the valley lost a significant opportunity for transformation with the Sepulveda Basin, which could have hosted pools and other facilities funded by the Olympic committee. “It would have served the valley well,” she expressed.

Meanwhile, in the lead-up to the 1984 Games, city council members in the northeastern San Fernando Valley pushed for a charter amendment to ensure taxpayers would not bear the Olympic costs. Ultimately, the ’84 Olympics turned a profit of over $250 million.

Rich Perelman, then vice president of press operations for the LA Olympic Organizing Committee, stated, “There were concerns it would be a financial disaster for LA, which is why we didn’t include the valley in the plans.”

Bradley recalled wanting to avoid conflict with valley council representatives when discussing Olympic venues. “The valley was completely left out of the games,” said council member Zev Yaroslavsky at the time. “Reflecting back, many would likely say it was a mistake.”

While the valley didn’t host events, Birmingham High School did receive a new synthetic running track for Olympic athletes to train on. Birmingham Community Charter, as it’s now known, is located in an area called Lake Balboa.

However, the exclusion of the valley from the Olympics isn’t the only challenge facing LA28, the private committee responsible for overseeing the event.

Today’s valleys are much more ethnically and culturally diverse than they were in 1984, and Rodriguez has consistently raised concerns regarding the representation of Latino communities, encompassing areas like Mission Hills, Sylmar, and Pacoima.

The entertainment aspect of LA28 includes appearances from prominent figures such as Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and Olympic athletes, but social media commentary has highlighted a lack of Latino representation.

Latino and Asian organizations have subsequently addressed this issue, mentioning their disappointment in a September 2024 letter sent to LA28 chair Casey Wasserman and Mayor Karen Bass.

In a recent ad hoc committee meeting for the 2028 Olympics, Rodriguez confronted LA28 leaders about the apparent absence of Latino representation during the flag transfer ceremony at the 2024 Paris Games. “Given the current challenges facing our community, if similar omissions occur during our games, I’ll be deeply upset,” she noted.

The state of play

– Playing cards set: Mayor Karen Bass, along with other political leaders in California, has backed a federal judge’s recent ruling that prohibits soldiers from making arrests of immigrants and assisting civil law enforcement in the state. This order could potentially be overturned by the Ninth Circuit or the Supreme Court.

– Up, up, away? : The estimated costs for the planned expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center have surged to $2.7 billion, reflecting an increase of $483 million since six months ago. The project aims to connect two existing convention halls to a new structure and introduce a significant digital billboard, including one facing the highway.

– Bad Owner: City Attorney Heidefeldsteinsoth revealed that the city has settled multiple lawsuits concerning illegal short-term rentals and alleged favoritism in Hollywood. One case involved Franklin Apartments, which converted several rent-stabilized units into short-term rentals, effectively becoming underground hotels.

– Meet the trash can: Bass has launched the Shine LA initiative to clean city streets ahead of the 2028 Olympics, focusing on areas like the San Fernando Valley.

– Targeted Padilla: A group of city council members has submitted a notice regarding their intentions to recall Imelda Padilla from her position. This notice is reportedly supported by some residents connected to the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council, though they did not respond to requests for comments. Padilla’s Chief of Staff communicated that the focus remains on enhancing community life and ensuring safety for all residents.

– Garcetti returns: Former mayor Eric Garcetti has emailed funding proposals for US Representative candidates, noting his return to the valley after serving as the US ambassador in India. Acknowledging his roots in Encino, he expressed, “It’s great to be back home in the San Fernando Valley, where my LA journey began.”

Zine exits. Who didn’t see this coming?

Former city council member Dennis Zine abruptly withdrew his candidacy for a committee tasked with amending the LA charter last week.

Previously a sergeant with the LAPD, Zine had served on a similar committee in the late 1990s, often being outspoken in his critiques. He shared that he met with two council members before his nomination hearing but ultimately chose to withdraw due to what he described as a “hostile and anti-LAPD” atmosphere among elected officials.

While declaring no personal grievances towards council member Isabel Jurado, Zine mentioned that other council members indicated there would be no support for his appointment.

“I didn’t want to see a split decision on the council floor,” he expressed. “It’s best to avoid unnecessary conflict.”

Zine, who had a history of opposition to several initiatives, said Blumenfield erroneously assured him that council approval was not required for the appointment.

Blumenfield remarked that he had anticipated a smoother process, highlighting Zine’s potential contributions given his extensive institutional knowledge and experience.

Quick Hits

• Where is the inside? Within SAFE, Bass’ initiative aiming to protect homeless individuals, representatives visited Skid Row this week.
• About Dockets next week: The City Council is set to vote on the proposed convention center expansion. The Council’s Transportation Committee will review the latest updates regarding transportation plans for the upcoming 2028 Olympics on September 10.

Let’s stay in touch

That’s all for this week! Feel free to send your questions, comments, or gossip to laontherecord@latimes.com. If someone shared this email with you, you can sign up to receive it every Saturday morning.