CATHERINE JUN/ Daily Bruin Tom Hayden
(left) and Jack Weiss (right), running for the
Fifth District City Council, debate at the Westwood Mann Theater on
Wednesday morning.
By Dexter Gauntlett
Daily Bruin Reporter
After a year of campaigning, 11 candidates and more than $1
million later, the election between the two remaining Los Angeles
Fifth District Councilman hopefuls ““ Tom Hayden and Jack
Weiss ““ comes to a a close at Tuesday’s runoff
elections.
With the lowest voter turnout in the fifth district during the
primary election ““ 14 percent of registered voters in the
90024 zip code ““ both candidates pulled out all the stops to
draw interest from Westwood’s constituents this last
week.
Both candidates made attempts to distinguish themselves one last
time at last week’s Wednesday debate at the Mann Theater.
“I think what we need more than ever is a new generation
of leadership that’s positive and
constructive,” Weiss said at the debate.
He went on to draw from his experience growing up in West L.A.,
before a disgruntled Hayden interrupted, “Pardon me?”
taking much offense to the Weiss comment.
Hayden referenced his eight years in the state senate several
times in order to show the considerably younger Weiss that he had
the larger advantage of more experience.
Such incidents have been typical of this race, with Hayden
claiming Weiss represents the “who’s who of downtown
lobbyists” and Weiss saying that Hayden’s only chance
in this race is to “demonize and distort the
opposition.”
The debate featured a panel of two journalists and a talk radio
station that had prepared questions for the candidates.
The candidates maintained their similar positions in regard to
issues such as traffic and other related problems.
Both candidates want to make sure the parking meter revenue is
reinvested into the revitalization of Westwood.
“I want to put an end to the quota system that traffic
enforcement officers are required to make 45 tickets per day
““ that’s one ticket every ten minutes,” Hayden
said. “This has a negative impact to say the least on
business and for consumers.”
Also, the candidates agree that the community needs to take
advantage of existing public transportation.
“We need to focus on development and the creation of the
Dash shuttle system,” Weiss said.
Both candidates also agree that UCLA students need to make
better use of the BruinGo! program that allows students to ride The
Big Blue Bus for free.
The program almost met it’s demise this year, but a letter
from Hayden in support of the program may have been key to its
return.
Hayden has maintained a strong opposition to the $45 million
proposal for a parking structure under the intramural fields.
“I want to make sure the UCLA proposal is either fully
mitigated or reconsidered,” he said.
The proposal would call for the complete closure of the
intramural fields for at least one year.
Hayden has also openly opposed the recent MTA proposal he
considers “devastating to Westwood.”
The proposal would call for 52- foot buses to take up two whole
lanes of traffic down the Wilshire corridor.
Weiss said he differs from Hayden in that he will take a
personal approach to the maintenance of Westwood.
“I want to be responsible for the state of the streets,
the state of the sidewalks, the state of the infrastructure of this
district, because I will live it every day.”
Hayden responded, “I’ve already done that as your
senator. Jack is promising what I’ve done.”
The revitalization of Westwood has been a major issue for the
two candidates.
“Getting a quality bookstore in the university community
and building on the street shopping on the farmers market,
neighborhood serving business ““ those are the concerns that I
have,” Hayden said.
The Palazzo Westwood proposal submitted by Chairman of Casden
Properties Inc. Allen Casden, has fueled the fire between the two
candidates late into the election process.
It calls for a five-story, 528,490 square foot project with 350
luxury apartments on four levels on top of one retail ground
floor. It would also include a subterranean 1,550-spot parking
structure and require Glendon Avenue to be closed for at least one
year.
Casden is an associate of Ira Smedra, who submitted a request
for a similar project that was defeated by Tom Hayden in 1998.
At the Wednesday debate, Hayden made it clear that he opposed
the Smedra Proposal and the new Casden proposal.
Although Weiss said “I will kill any Smedra proposal that
crosses my desk,” he did not reference the Casden
Project.
Three businesses, including Madison Marquette, Century West and
Arden Realty, the owner of the Napa Valley Grill, along with
Friends of Westwood President Laura Lake and Save Westwood Village
co-presidents Terry Tegnazian and Mike Metcalfe, have filed an
official opposition to the proposal.
The Palazzo Westwood project would call for the demolition of
Glendon Manor, a building red tagged as a historical monument.
The apartment complex is one of 12 remaining original buildings
from 1929 ““ the year Westwood Village was founded.
The 41-unit apartment structure currently houses only two
residents, the rest have either moved out or accepted monetary
compensation from Casden to leave. Casden has refused to rent out
any new units over the past few years, despite the need for
affordable housing in Westwood.
Weiss said he glanced through the Casden Proposal and would have
to consider the Environmental Impact Report before making an
official decision.