From 2002-2006, we saw a slowdown of new efforts to redevelop Marina del Rey, but since then, over a half dozen massive projects entered the permitting process. They include the following proposed major demolitions and/or redevelopments, all of which we oppose since none of them is either people- or environmentally-friendly:

• Fisherman's Village (new 56 foot high hotel across the Village's entire length)
• Villa Venetia (massive 13 story redevelopment at channel entrance, Fiji Way)
• Marriott Residence Hotel and parking structure on Mother's Beach
• Woodfin Hotel (19 stories on seasonal wetlands at Via Marina and Tahiti Way)
• Neptune Apartments redeveloped at approximately double density
• County Administration parking structures and office building (75 feet tall, end of Panay Way) replacing the Pacific Mariners Yacht Club
  
• Edie’s Diner and Harbor House replaced by 8- and 4- story apartments plus 30,400 feet of office space

These seven projects are just the beginning. Most of the marina's major buildings are proposed for demolition and replacement with high rises. The impacts on our traffic, our air and water, our lives, and our health will be of disastrous proportion unless we take back the marina from an unholy alliance of County officials and developers.

The Coalition to Save the Marina has learned how to defeat such insensitive, illegal proposals. Our successes include:

• Effectively monitoring the implementation of our 2001 legal victory mandating a review by the California Coastal Commission of our Local Coastal Program (LCP). The Coalition has caused considerable people- and environmentally-friendly language to appear in the Commission's draft reviews of the LCP, which are being finalized. Developers are racing to build ahead of this review.
• Joined with the Sierra Club, the Coalition won a lawsuit barring the County from draining the Strand’s Grand Canal wetland, which would have deprived it of its natural tidal flow and its marine life.
• The Coalition helped litigate and negotiate the state purchase and permanent preservation of all the open space west of Lincoln and south of Fiji Way and just east of  Lincoln and north of Ballona Creek (altogether over 500 acres).
• The Coalition defeated the previous owner of Villa Venetia, who had a plan 5 years ago, like the current proposal, to install a 13 story, 140 foot apartment high rise.
  

The Coalition’s legal efforts continue. The main objectives of our six current lawsuits are:

• To greatly limit developer/leaseholders' ability to profit on public land.  If the court restricts such profits to the legally mandated "reasonable return on investment," it would eliminate illegal profit opportunities and halt the unwanted development pressures we are witnessing.
• To protect boaters, live-aboards and some residential renters from unwarranted, arbitrary evictions.
• To prevent illegal discharges of sewage by the large party boats into Marina waters.

To continue fighting effectively, we need your support now. We ask every household to consider an immediate donation of $200. We ask those who can to consider donating $1000-$5000. With the requested support, the Coalition can continue to fund a legal team of the sort needed for success in this long term battle.

Sincerely,

David De Lange, PhD
Executive Director