Fox Hills residents and businesses owners will have another opportunity to hear from City Hall about an initiative planned for their community on Thursday, Aug. 25.
The second community meeting for “Reimagining Fox Hills” is scheduled tonight beginnig at 7 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Building, 41117 Overland Ave.
Representatives from various city departments presented a variety of concepts at the first meeting last month, including infrastructure improvements, new streetscape with wider sidewalks, shared parking districts to add additional office/commercial parking and a “main street” with new retail stores and restaurants along Bristol Parkway.
Councilwoman Meghan Sahli-Wells, who won the admiration of many Fox Hills residents when she opposed a billboard plan for the area two years ago, says she learned a lot about the needs and preferences of Fox Hills residents during that battle.
“For me, one of the initial confusing parts of this was the name ‘Reimagine Fox Hills.’ Maybe we don’t need to reimagine it at all,” Sahli-Wells said. “One of the most important things about this is remembering that first and foremost, Fox Hills is a neighborhood. And we need to be really clear what their priorities are.”
Culver City Economic Development Manger Elaine Gerety-Warner said the city is in its assessment and public outreach phase and is gathering public input for the initiative.
According to the Fox Hills Neighborhood Assn.’s website, at last month’s meeting residents expressed concerns over traffic, parking and increased density brought on by new projects— similar complaints heard in other Culver City neighborhoods as well as in communities throughout Los Angeles.
They also echoed another concern here elsewhere: the loss of their neighborhood’s character with the advent of new projects.
Sahli-Wells thinks the neighborhood association’s growing involvement in civic affairs has made Fox Hills a new and important voice in the city. “It’s exciting to see how organized they have become. I feel like there’s been a reawakening there,” she said. “Let’s take this opportunity to show what a wonderful community Fox Hills is and make sure it receives the recognition that it’s deserved after all these years.”
Gary Walker contributed to this story.
