Fences letter to Councilman Rosendahl, and Free the Fences Organization!

Hello Neighbors,

I have written a letter to Councilman Rosendahl, that I have pasted below for your use. I suggest mailing it to his office (address below), and also sending it by email to the following addresses:

The Councilman's office: councilman.rosendahl@lacity.org
Venice Neighborhood Council President, Mike Newhouse: president@venicenc.org

and to Venice Friends, which is an address I have set-up to gather and count all support letters: venicefriends@gmail.com
This additional address is important so that we can calculate how much support we have for existing fences and hedges.

Thank you! The letter is pasted below:

Councilman Bill Rosendahl
City of Los Angeles
200 North Spring Street, #415
Los Angeles, CA 90012
councilman.rosendahl@lacity.org

Dear Councilman Rosendahl,

I am a Venice property owner who believes that current fences and hedges should be allowed to remain as they are.

I believe that property owners, neighbors and families should make our own choices with regard to safety, privacy, and how we choose to express our neighborliness.

Forcing residents to remove our hedges and fences is a misguided approach to community-building. There are more positive, less divisive ways to improve our neighborhood.

Many families feel that they are safer with their existing fences and hedges; they certainly have more privacy. Most of us live in modest houses on very small lots. Our fences and hedges allow us to use our outdoor space as private living space. They also allow us to safely keep animals, lawn furniture, bikes and surfboards in our yards.

Removing fences may create a nostalgic feeling, but it is not going to change underlying facts about crime, gangs, drug dealing, and social inequity.

I hope you can work with the citizens of Venice, to find a way to permit or grandfather existing fences.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
(be sure to sign it with your name and address!)