Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council · Held · Special
Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council special meeting, September 14, 2026
From the minutes: The Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council's board, meeting jointly with its Planning and Land Use Committee on Sept. 14, 2026, approved two $2,000 Neighborhood Purpose Grants, for Northeast LA food distribution and a Day of the Dead event, each 9-0, and up to $200 each for four park Halloween events, according to the council's draft minutes. The committee voted to send a letter supporting a new house at 480 Crane (DIR-2026-2358) and took no vote on a $6,066.24 request for tree wells on Isabel Street. The draft minutes record no vote on the agenda's $1,000 for promotional materials.
Outcomes for the September 14, 2026 meeting of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council come from its posted minutes.
| Where | Online by Zoom |
|---|---|
| Agenda | Official agenda (posted September 11, 2026) |
| Minutes | Official minutes |
| City Council districts | Council District 1, Council District 14 |
This was a special joint meeting of the board and the Planning and Land Use Committee, held on Zoom. The council’s draft minutes list 10 board members present at the start and five absent; one member left early. The minutes are marked draft, and no record of their approval was posted in the council’s 2026 meeting files as of Oct. 1, 2026. The Sept. 9 agenda also listed the two $2,000 grants.
2.a-c. Halloween events at parks
- What it asks: Pays for free family Halloween events at Sycamore Grove Park and Ramona Hall, Rose Hill Park and Montecito Heights Park (agenda).
- Amount: Up to $200 each, $600 in all, our sum (agenda).
- What happened: The Sycamore Grove Park and Ramona Hall motion passed 10-0 with 5 absent. The Rose Hill Park and Budd Weiner Park motion and the Montecito Heights Recreation Center motion each passed 9-0 with 6 absent. Natalie Seaman moved all three (draft minutes).
- Records differ: The draft minutes list a fourth motion as item 2.d, up to $200 for a Halloween event at Carlin G. Smith Park in Mount Washington, passed 9-0 with 6 absent. The posted agenda’s item 2.d is up to $1,000 for promotional materials, and the draft minutes record no vote on it (agenda; draft minutes).
2.e. $2,000 for Northeast LA food distribution
- What it asks: A Neighborhood Purpose Grant to “Studio 50 Inc.”, fiscal sponsor for North East Los Angeles Food Distribution (agenda).
- Amount: $2,000 (agenda).
- What happened: Passed 9-0 with 6 absent, moved by Natalie Seaman and seconded by Roy Payan. The draft minutes name the grantee as Avenue 50 Studio, Inc., fiscal sponsor for North East Los Angeles Food Distribution (draft minutes).
2.f. $2,000 for a Day of the Dead event
- What it asks: A Neighborhood Purpose Grant to “Studio 50 Studio” for its Day of the Dead event (agenda).
- Amount: $2,000 (agenda).
- What happened: Passed 9-0 with 6 absent, moved by Natalie Seaman and seconded by Steve Austin (draft minutes).
5.a. New house at 480 Crane
- What it asks: Discussion and possible motion on case DIR-2026-2358: demolition of an existing single-family house, grading, and construction of a 2,899.63-square-foot house with a detached two-car garage and pool. Presented by Jim Ling and the project engineer (agenda).
- What happened: The committee voted without opposition to send a letter supporting the project as compliant with the Mount Washington/Glassell Park Specific Plan, moved by Lynnette Kampe and seconded by Pilar Mendez. The presenters said one protected walnut would be removed and replaced four to one, and seven significant trees replaced one to one (draft minutes).
5.b. Tree wells on Isabel Street
- What it asks: A funding request from LACC for concrete cutting of seven tree wells on the 1200 block of Isabel Street, part of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Greening Project. The agenda gives no amount (agenda).
- What happened: No motion was made. The request was for $6,066.24; the draft minutes say the council does not have that much available and that presenter Sara Higley would draft a letter asking CD 1 for support, for the board’s Sept. 28 meeting (draft minutes).
Other votes
- The committee approved its Aug. 10 minutes, 3 yes and 1 abstaining, and moved its October meeting to Oct. 5 (draft minutes).
Every item
| # | Item | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2.a-c | Up to $200 each for free family Halloween events at Sycamore Grove Park/Ramona Hall, Rose Hill Park and Montecito Heights Park | Passed: Sycamore Grove 10-0 with 5 absent; Rose Hill and Montecito Heights 9-0 with 6 absent |
| 2.e | $2,000 Neighborhood Purpose Grant to "Studio 50 Inc.", fiscal sponsor for North East Los Angeles Food Distribution | Passed 9-0, 6 absent (9-0) |
| 2.f | $2,000 Neighborhood Purpose Grant to "Studio 50 Studio" for a Day of the Dead event | Passed 9-0, 6 absent (9-0) |
| 5.a | Demolish a house and build a 2,899-square-foot house with garage and pool at 480 and 480 1/2 Crane (DIR-2026-2358) | Committee voted without opposition to send a letter of support |
| 5.b | Funding request from LACC to cut seven tree wells on the 1200 block of Isabel Street | No motion |
| 1 | Call to order and roll call | |
| 2.d | Up to $1,000 for promotional materials for outreach events | No vote recorded in the draft minutes, which list a $200 Halloween event at Carlin G. Smith Park as 2.d, passed 9-0 |
| 3 | Move the October meeting date and approve Aug. 10 minutes | Committee minutes approved, 3 yes and 1 abstaining; October meeting moved to Oct. 5 |
| 4 | General public comment | |
| 5.c | New checklist for project review | |
| 6 | Updates on Metro's Heritage Square joint development and the committee's review process | |
| 7 | Adjourn |