The Inglewood City Council meeting held Tuesday was packed with residents opposed to the proposed Crenshaw/LAX Light Rail Line station that may be placed at the northeast corner of Florence and La Brea avenues. The placement is a recommendation by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), and the Inglewood Redevelopment Agency has been given until August 1 to submit their own recommendations on what is best for the city.
What probably came as a surprise to the council is that unlike the original meeting discussing this topic which spoke to a room of about 10 people (being generous) the meeting this week attracted at least 100 people. So many that the council chambers were filled to capacity, and even after more chairs were brought in, about a third of the attendees had to be moved to a different room because of the safety threat that the crowd posed. Apparently the word had gotten out.
At last week’s meeting, the vote to approve the recommendation that the station be placed at Florence and La Brea was rescinded to allow Councilwoman Judy Dunlap the opportunity to give the people in her district fair warning. Dunlap had previously argued that the public had not been adequately notified of the proposal, which would greatly affect them, especially if the Walgreens that currently sits in that location is torn down to make room for the new station.
The meeting, which after the Pledge of Allegiance and a small photo op, began at approximately 7:20 p.m. opened for public comments on the agenda items, and about 95 percent of the comments were aimed at the proposed Crenshaw/LAX Light Rail Line station at Florence and La Brea Avenue. Most were in opposition to the station, because many people feared the loss of their jobs and the disruption of their neighborhoods.
Many employees from Walgreens, Buy Low, and Don Lee Farms, voiced their concerns about the effects that the proposed station might have on their livelihood. The public comment section lasted more than two hours and speakers discussed everything from loss of jobs to loss of revenue for the district to public safety.
The resolution was approved by the Inglewood Redevelopment Agency. This does not however, set in stone that these businesses will be torn down. Although that may be a possibility, and is a fear for many, the resolution only determines that the northeast corner of Florence and La Brea will be the station presented to MTA as recommended station site. The fate of the businesses in question were not included in the agenda.
