FENCES AND HEDGES CONT'D.
I too like the previous bloggers on this site have lived in Venice my whole life, and remember the days when we were able to leave front doors unlocked, and not worry about parking our car on the street for fear of a break-in. These are different times in our neighborhood when a high front yard fence serves as extra added protection. We are fools if we don't acknowledge the crime problem in this area, and if a high front fence on my own property line makes me feel a little safer,so be it. I am deeply offended that other neighbors feel they have the right to standardize what a "sense of belonging to the community" is by stating that a high front yard fence hinders community participation. If it were that simple that if we removed all the high front fences in the area, Venice would become more united? That is complete nonsense. Maybe we should form "task forces" to remove abandon cars and other junk from neighbors yards, which in my opinion is more of a lack of participation and respect for your community than a high front fence.
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Hedges and Fences
>
>
>
> My name is Pamela Johnson and I live at 807 Amoroso Place Venice CA.
I
> have
> been informed there is to be a "forum" to hear input from the
neighborhood
> about the hedge and fence issue. Since I will be out of town I want
to
> make
> sure my voice is heard, loud and clear. I am strongly opposed to the
> enforcement of the hedge and fence issue. I have lived in this
> neighborhood
> for over 20 years and have first hand experience with what happens if
you
> don't have security around your property. I had an attemted rape
with a
> man
> climbing in my bedroom window. It took the police 1/2 hour to
respond and
> all they did was pull into the alley out back and didn't even get out
of
> their car but said I could file a report with lots of paperwork but
they
> really couldn't do anything about it. I had numerous items stolen
from
> the
> front and back yards. Since I had a wrought iron gate installed in
back
> at
> great expense and grew my hedges in the front with a nice wood gate I
have
> had no trouble. My family feels secure. I know the police stance is
that
> an open yard allows them to see if criminals are hiding in your yard
but
> since they aren't around unless a criminal activity has already
happened.
> I
> would like the statistics on the break ins over the past 10 years and
if
> those houses had hedges/fences. I know that a criminal is looking
for an
> easy target and to get in and out with merchandise he can carry. It
would
> not be easy to access my home so he's going to go looking for the
ones
> with
> nice easy access and wide open yards. Security is number one reason
why I
> am against this but privacy is another issue. I am friendly with all
of
> my
> neighbors except one. Having a private yard allows me the ability to
> enjoy
> my yard without people walking by gawking at me. I can have a
cookout
> with
> my family in privacy. I can keep my windows open and my shades up.
If I
> am
> forced to remove my privacy I will be forced to live behind shades.
The
> neighborhood has homes that are extremely close together and privacy
is
> hard
> to come by. Some have said if you want privacy to use your back
yard.
> Many
> have done that so they now have to park on the street instead of
providing
> their own parking causing a problem with parking in our neighborhood.
Not
> only that the police drive up and down the alley so if you are to
have an
> "open" area it would be much better to have that in the back vs the
front.
> Rarely, if ever have I seen the police walking on the walk street
> patrolling
> unless a crime has already happened. At the end of Oakwood it is
widely
> known there are drug problems and crime problems. The helicopters at
> night
> tell you that if nothing else! Lastly, I feel that enforcing this in
any
> way will de-value my property. This issue came up before and there
was a
> hugh outcry from the community and it was very clear the majority
were
> against enforcing this issue. The few who want it have quietly been
> working
> towards this and hope that it can be slipped through. It is very
time
> consuming to have this issue keep coming up. I truly wish it would go
away
> permanently.
> Sincerely,
>Pamela Johnson
Fences and Hedges
I agree with Pamela Johnson's comment completely! Our family relies on our fence for privacy and security.
Our lot size, and house size is very small, and we need our front yard for living space. I totally appreciate the need for community feel, and neighborly-ness, but without our front patio, we'd lose about 25% of our living area!
We arent trying to be rude by walling that in, but we are trying to take our meals in privacy, and leave our bikes and yard furniture outside without locks and chains. (we live just east of the Brick House).
There is gang and criminal activity at the end of our block at least as frequently as every weekend. We live in a state of peace and harmony with the gangs down our street, but I do want to keep them at arms length. To me, that means keeping our patio and living area out of view.
We take care to plant, water and cleanup the sidewalk in front of our house, and we do that for our neighbors and community. Our sidewalk would be pleasant and easy to use even for someone in a wheelchair. Why dont we focus on cutting back plants that block sidewalk access, and repairing cracked and buckled sidewalks? How about spending time and money providing the kids with community services like sports, art and music?
As long as there are drug dealers and gangs on my street, I will fight to keep my fence. It may be true that my house is statistically more vulnerable because it is fenced; who knows? But I do know that without it, we would lose the use of our yard, and we would have no light in our livingroom.
How about everyone who doesnt want a fence takes theirs down. If you all do that, maybe us fence dwellers will get really jealous of your amazing quality of life, and choose on our own to switch over?!
Finally, I'd really like to address the class issue that many fence opponents raise. Calling people yuppies, neophytes, and trying to one-up each other by saying how long you have lives in the neighborhood is childish and unproductive. Look, its too bad that Venice isnt the way it was 20 years ago.. I guess. The fact is, there are 5 billion more people on the earth today than there were 75 years ago. 5 billion. Thats a lot of people, and the sad fact is many of those people are going to move to southern california. We all need to get along, and calling people yuppies because they have a house with a fence is just silly.
I'm a relative new comer. I'll admit it. I grew-up on 72nd street and broadway in new york city. When I was a kid that was a working class neighborhood full of artists musicians, jewish intellectuals and immigrants from puerto rico. Today its a posh neighborhood packed with upper middleclass people. Its neither good nor bad, it just is. I'm not going to move back there and tell the "new people" they dont have the same rights to the neighborhood that I do, because I was born there! That is insane. We all have a right to our neighborhood, and we have a right to privacy if that is how we wish to live. Lets turn the page.
Fences and Hedges ... oh my!
What
absolutely agree
When I bought my dream house in Venice, I did not buy into a Homeowners Association. I bought private property which I would like to keep private and secure in any way I deem best - not the city. And I would also like to point out, my property tax IS NOT an HOA fee.
Personally, I think policies A-D are not only ridiculous, but run counter to my rights as a property owner. And frankly, Policy B makes absolutely ZERO sense. Who will be the judge of what is acceptable creativity? And why should that person and their "tastes and sensibilities" have ANY AUTHORITY over what I choose to do with the property I bought and maintain, and where I reside?
Not to mention what this all could do to the value of my property.
This is all a colossal waste of time.