Venice Neighborhood Council · Held

Venice Neighborhood Council meeting, October 20, 2026

October 20, 2026, 6:30 p.m. · Updated October 21, 2026

On the agenda: The Venice Neighborhood Council's board was scheduled to meet at Westminster Elementary School on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. The agenda listed a motion urging the City Council not to consider the Planning and Land Use Management Committee's Oct. 13 approval of the Venice Coastal Zone Al Fresco Access Study until the City consults the council and Venice stakeholders (Council File 20-1074-S5), opposition to higher land use appeal fees (Council File 09-0969-S4), support for widening the Marvin Braude Bike Trail before the 2028 Olympics, and a proposal to hold every other board meeting online from January. The agenda had 14 motions.

Agenda only. As of October 21, 2026, minutes for the October 20, 2026 meeting of the Venice Neighborhood Council had not been posted. This summary is based on the agenda and does not report what was decided.

The agenda set an in-person meeting in the Westminster Elementary School auditorium. Speakers were allowed up to 1.5 minutes per item and 5 minutes in total per meeting. Under item IV, the agenda announced that the Communications Chair seat held by Soraya Moss had been declared vacant for absences on July 21, Aug. 18 and Sept. 16, under Article V, Section 10 of the council’s bylaws. Consent calendar motions (V.E) were to be voted on together unless one was pulled for good cause (agenda).

II.A. Supporting a wider Marvin Braude Bike Trail

• What it asks: Motion 143-26-VNC supports Councilmember Traci Park’s proposed motion asking the Department of Transportation, with the Bureau of Engineering, Recreation and Parks and Los Angeles County Public Works, to report back in 30 days on the cost, funding and resources needed to widen the Marvin Braude Bike Trail through Venice Beach so it can hold a pedestrian path in time for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It also suggests safety improvements to the bikeway between the beach and Oxford Avenue (agenda).
• Who brought it: The Parking, Infrastructure and Transportation Committee, which voted 4-1-1. It is listed as old business (agenda).

V.B. Outdoor dining permit at 4089-4101 Lincoln Blvd.

• What it asks: Motion 147-26-VNC recommends approval of a Coastal Development Permit (case DIR-2026-3260-CDP-CDO) for The Turtle, formerly Brennan’s, at Carter Avenue: outdoor dining on private property, a street wall if the Lincoln Boulevard design overlay requires one, and a perimeter sound wall. The six conditions call for a construction noise plan, soundproofing at the west boundary next to Carter Avenue homes, no outdoor stage or dance floor, outdoor dining hours ending at 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, free customer parking, and at least 12 large native trees (agenda).
• Who brought it: The Land Use and Planning Committee voted 6-0-1 on the motion and conditions 1 to 5, with one member recused, and 8-0 on condition 6 (agenda).

V.C. Third-story addition at 238-240 Horizon Ave.

• What it asks: Motion 148-26-VNC recommends denial of a third-story addition to a duplex and a new two-story ADU (case DIR-2026-2577-CDP-MEL-HCA) between Main Street and Riviera Avenue, unless the applicant consults the City’s Office of Historic Resources, keeps all setbacks the Venice Coastal Zone Specific Plan requires, and plants two front-yard trees if the mature backyard tree is removed. The agenda says the property is a contributor to a SurveyLA historic district (agenda).
• Who brought it: The Land Use and Planning Committee, 8-0. It replaces an earlier motion on the project, 138-26-VNC (agenda).

V.D. Online board meetings every other month

• What it asks: Motion 149-26-VNC would hold every other regular board meeting online starting in January: in person in January, March and May, and online in February, April and June (agenda).
• Who brought it: President David Feige (agenda).

V.E.1. Opposing higher appeal fees (CF 09-0969-S4)

• What it asks: Motion 150-26-VNC opposes the City’s proposal to raise the appeal fee for non-applicants to $1,145 inside a project’s noticing radius and $2,289 outside it (agenda).
• Who brought it: A stakeholder, on the consent calendar (agenda).
• The council file: The Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved the two higher non-applicant appeal fees on Aug. 25, 2026, and the Budget and Finance Committee concurred on Oct. 6, 2026 (CF 09-0969-S4).
• Neighborhood council positions: The file lists no Community Impact Statements as of Oct. 18, 2026 (CF 09-0969-S4).

V.E.2. Delaying the Venice Al Fresco study (CF 20-1074-S5)

• What it asks: Motion 151-26-VNC “strongly urges CD-11 and the City Council NOT to consider” the Planning and Land Use Management Committee’s approval of the Venice Coastal Zone Al Fresco Access Study and Mitigation Plan until the City consults the council and Venice stakeholders, and urges the Council District 11 office to have City Planning, LADOT and the Bureau of Engineering begin that outreach. The motion says the City did no outreach to the council or its committees before the study went to the committee (agenda).
• Who brought it: Committee chairs Mark Mack and Richard Stanger, on the consent calendar (agenda).
• The council file: Councilmembers Traci Park and Tim McOsker moved the file, on the L.A. Al Fresco program and coastal development permits for outdoor dining in the Coastal Zone. The Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved it on Oct. 13, 2026, after an Aug. 20, 2026 City Planning report. The file lists no Council date and no Community Impact Statements as of Oct. 18, 2026 (CF 20-1074-S5).

V.E.4. Supporting a review of street tree spacing (CF 26-1050)

• What it asks: Motion 153-26-VNC supports the Council motion in CF 26-1050 to review tree spacing guidelines with the goal of planting more trees on City streets (agenda).
• Who brought it: The Arbor Committee, 5-0 (agenda). Councilmembers John Lee and Eunisses Hernandez moved the council file (CF 26-1050).
• The council file: The City Council adopted the motion on Sept. 15, 2026, as amended by two amending motions, 14-0 with Councilmember Imelda Padilla absent (CF 26-1050).
• Neighborhood council positions: The file lists Community Impact Statements from the Palms (Sept. 6), North Hollywood Northeast (Sept. 23) and Westside (Oct. 2) neighborhood councils as of Oct. 18, 2026 (CF 26-1050).

V.E.6. Signage at 52 Windward Ave.

• What it asks: Motion 155-26-VNC opposes an appeal of a Department of Building and Safety order to comply over signage painted on the building at 52 Windward Ave. (Case DBS-260034-DCP, Order to Comply A-6539238), supports the department’s position, and sends a letter to the Zoning Administrator (agenda).
• Who brought it: The Land Use and Planning Committee, 8-0 (agenda).

V.E.7. Palms on the beach

• What it asks: Motion 156-26-VNC supports the Venice Gateway Planting Project of palms on the beach. It says the palms respond to beach aesthetics concerns and that the Arbor Committee remains committed to California native trees elsewhere in Venice (agenda).
• Who brought it: The Arbor Committee, 4-0 (agenda).

Previous meeting: September 15, 2026 · All meetings