On January 4, 2009 the Los Angeles Police Department Olympic station opened. Now Windsor Square is served by two police stations, the Olympic and Wilshire stations. Residents west of the center line of Plymouth Boulevard continue to be served by the Wilshire station. Residents east of the center line of Plymouth Boulevard are now served by the Olympic station.

The following is updated information about the Olympic and Wilshire stations:

Olympic Community Police Station
1130 South Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 382-9102

Olympic station Senior Lead Officer (”SLO”) assigned as liaison to Windsor Square:
Senior Lead Officer Joseph Pelayo
(213) 485-5950
31762@lapd.lacity.org

Wilshire Community Police Station
4861 West Venice Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(213) 473-0476

Wilshire station Senior Lead Officer assigned as liaison to Windsor Square:
Senior Lead Officer David Cordova
(213) 793-0650
31646@lapd.lacity.org

Please direct any questions you may have to security@windsorsquare.org

LOS ANGELES - With snowpack levels in the Sierra Nevada at 50% of normal and drought conditions continuing throughout California, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) urges customers to shut off sprinklers over the next several days during periods of rain.

Under the city’s Water Conservation Ordinance, it is illegal to water outdoors when it’s raining. Violators are subject to citation and fines under the municipal code. Enforcement is handled by the department’s 15-member Water Conservation Team who patrol the city investigating water waste and issuing citations.

“Our water supplies have been cut and our snow pack in the Eastern Sierra is precariously low,” said David Nahai, CEO and general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. “We are now in a situation where all of Los Angeles must be in a water conservation mode 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round. Let the storm water soak your yards while saving our precious fresh water for drinking, showering and other necessities of life.”

Customers should shut off irrigation systems for a week or more following rain without affecting the health of grass, plants and other foliage. LADWP conservation experts estimate the average residential customer would save about 800 gallons by not watering outdoors for a week, which also results in savings on water bills. Additionally, customers can take advantage of the Department’s rebate program by installing weather-based “smart irrigation” controls that automatically gauge whether watering is necessary. The rebate is available to all LADWP customers. For more information, call 1-888-376-3314 or log on to www.bewaterwise.com.

To date, the Water Conservation Team has issued 1,100 citations to water wasters. The first violation is a warning. Subsequent violations are subject to fines ranging from $100 to $600 depending upon the number of citations issued and severity of the waste.

The LADWP encourages customers to report water waste by calling 1-800-DIAL DWP (1-800-342-5397) 24 hours a day or or sending an e-mail to the water conservation team at waterconservationteam@ladwp.com

The following is the Windsor Square Association monthly column published in the Larchmont Chronicle, written by WSA Board Member Chris Sieroty.

Update on law suit, new police boundaries

Windsor Square residents heard about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting uses at the Scottish Rite Masonic Lodge and Auditorium and the passage of Measure R at the annual Windsor Square Association annual town hall meeting in November at the Ebell Club.

More than 100 residents heard from Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, representatives from the Los Angeles Police Department and members of the association’s board of directors.

Elected to the 2009 board of directors were: Katie Badami, Michael Barton, June Bilgore, John Carpenter, Bill Cutler, Sean Elliot, Michael Genewick, Scott Goldstein, Larry Guzin, Regina Chung, Fred Rheinstein, Presilla Wright, Debbie Hassan, Wendy Savage and John Welborne.

Windsor Square Association president Mike Genewick updated residents on the ongoing upkeep of the Larchmont Boulevard median, between First and Third streets.

“We are still maintaining the median at a cost of $5,000 to $10,000 a year,” Genewick said.

Councilman Tom LaBonge assured residents the city was moving closer to “curb to curb” repaving of Wilshire Boulevard.

“With 4,000 buses a day traveling Wilshire, their weight has torn up the curb lanes. The money is being set aside to pay for the project.”

He also explained that the rezoning of Larchmont Boulevard was on its way to the City Council. According to the proposal, maximum building height will be 35 feet for new developments, and 50-foot width of storefronts.

John Welborne, WSA vice president for Planning and Land Use of the Windsor Square Association, updated residents on the U.S. Supreme Court ruling limiting the uses at Scottish Rite Center Masonic Lodge and Auditorium. He said the matter of leasing the site for for-profit events has been solved.

“Now the building is for sale for $19.5 million,” Welborne said.

Capt. Eric Davis, commander of the LAPD’s Wilshire Division assured residents that crime was down in the area and that detectives had several leads involving a recent home invasion robbery in Larchmont Village.

Davis t introduced Capt. Matt Blake, the commander of the new Olympic Station that will open Jan. 4.

“There has been a lot of fear about having two police stations,” Blake said. “Windsor Square is the jewel of the Olympic station. If we are doing everything right, you won’t see any changes.”

He explained the new station would cover 6.2-square miles, which is an incredibly small area for the LAPD to patrol. “The smaller the area, the quicker we can get to your calls,” he said. “We will have an extra 80 police officers to work this area.”

Blake said the division between Wilshire and Olympic stations will be Plymouth Boulevard.

“I’ve heard your concerns, but I really believe you will be happy with this,” he told a cautious audience.

Blake invited residents to attend an open house for the new station on Jan. 17.