Huizar Hopes to Retain Northern Highland Park in Final Redistricting Maps

Staffers from José Huizar's office said the councilman supports an amendment to the Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission's final maps that would keep York Boulevard's booming business district in Council District 14 and unify the neighborhood of Glassell Park.

Last week, some residents of the northern portion of Highland Park were dismayed when, after nearly six hours of talks, the commission that would have kept their portion of the neighborhood in Huizar's district. 

At last week's commission meeting, residents of both Highland Park and Mount Washington spoke in favor of Amendment G, which would have unified the neighborhood of Glassell Park in Council District 1 and retained a portion of York Boulevard in Council District 14.

"As a business owner and resident of north Highland Park, I feel a strong tie to the Eagle Rock community," NELAart Director Cathi Milligan said.  "I'm hoping all of you will take this relationship into consideration. We have a lot of projects in CD14 that will disappear if we become a part of CD1, and I'd hate to see that happen. The economic development in this region is of the utmost importance."

Eagle Rock residents also spoke in favor of Amendment G, saying that Eagle Rock and the northern portion of Highland Park were both in the midst of transportation initiatives that are being steered by Huizar's office.

Bob Gotham, of The Eagle Rock Association (TERA), expressed a similar sentiment, saying "there's a synergy between these communities and we feel it will stay that way if they stay in the same council district."

The amendment--which was penned by Huziar's commission appointee Antonio Sanchez--was withdrawn at the last minute due to several critical errors, including inaccurate population numbers and misidentification of council districts.

On Monday morning, staffers from Huizar's office said the councilman would continue to advocate for the boundaries proposed in Amendment G.

"We've certainly heard a lot of people saying they want CD 14 to continue the work they've been doing on York Boulevard, and however we can make that happen, they'd be good with that." said Huizar spokesman Rick Coca.

Field Deputy Zenay Loera added that Huizar hoped to continue working on ongoing projects along York, including the New York Vision Plan initiative.

While the commission has completed their work on the maps, they will meet again on Wednesday to finalize the several hundred page report they are required to submit to the City Council along with the maps.

Starting in March, then, the City Council Rules Committee will have their opportunity to make alterations to the map before it goes before the full council.

The final maps won't be approved until July.

According Huizar Chief of Staff Ana E. Cubas, the alterations proposed in Amendment G would only call for boundary shifts in Council Districts 1 and 14, and would not have ripple effects throughout the other 13 districts--meaning other council members would have little incentive to vote against the proposal as long as  Huizar and and Council District 1 Representative Ed Reyes were both amenable to the proposed changes.

The commission will meet again on Wednesday, Feb. 29 at 4 p.m. at the Van Nuys City Council Chamber, located at 14410 Sylvan Street.

Members of the rules committee can be reached with public comment at the following addresses:

Jose Huizar: councilmember.huizar@lacity.org
Tom LaBonge: councilmember.labonge@lacity.org
Joe Buscaino: councilmember.buscaino@lacity.org
Mitchell Englander: councilmember.englander@lacity.org
Herb Wesson: councilmember.wesson@lacity.org