RTD Finds Site Only to Learn It’s Not for Sale

What looked like an attractive site for a new Rapid Transit District bus yard on Monday night turned out to be not for sale on Tuesday morning.

The RTD is seeking to relocate its Venice maintenance yard. The newest proposed site, at 12655 Beatrice St., was described to enthusiastic community members Monday night as an acceptable alternative to six other parcels that they have opposed since April.

On Tuesday, RTD spokesmen said they had added the Beatrice Street property to their list of prospects.

But the owner, Quotron Systems, said it is not interested in selling. Bruce Jackson, executive vice president of Quotron, said the Los-Angeles based company bought the property from Bennett Medical for about $13 million and has no intention of backing out of its sales agreement

“We have purchased it. It is in escrow,” he said. “We have taken possession of part of it as the prior owners (have) moved out.”

RTD spokesman Marc Littman responded, “We do have power of eminent domain, but no decision has been made on any of the sites. They are looking at a number of sites, including the Beatrice property.”

F. Ronald Rader of Klabin Realtors said he told RTD representatives about the Beatrice Street property the first week in May, but they did not show any interest in it.

“In order to get proper attention (Supervisor) Deane Dana wrote a letter to John Dyer, head of the RTD,” Rader said. “It took a little cage rattling to get their attention. In June, when they looked at it, it was still on the market, still being shown.

“Quotron went into escrow July 10. By that time RTD had seen the property five times and added it to their studies list.”

Littman said the RTD will recommend a preferred site early in October and additional hearings will be held. A site will be selected in late November.

A public hearing on a draft of the environmental impact report will be conducted in January. Final certification of the report is expected in April.

Monday’s meeting was attended by about 140 residents and representatives of Dana, Los Angeles Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, the Westside Homeowners Alliance, the Greater Rancho Park Chamber of Commerce and Westwood South of Santa Monica Homeowners Assn.

The other locations are described in a 29-page analysis distributed by the RTD at four community meetings held over the last few weeks.

In objecting to the sites, residents have cited potential noise, air and water pollution, traffic congestion, safety hazards, reduction of property values, and, in some instances, the use of eminent domain to obtain property.

The sites are 4.71 acres at the southwest corner of Olympic and Centinela boulevards; 6.98 acres at the southeast corner of Olympic Boulevard and Stewart Street in Santa Monica; 4.41 acres fronting Maxella Avenue on the north and bordered by Del Rey and Glencoe avenues, just east of Marina del Rey; 6.5 acres bounded by Sawtelle, Pico, Sepulveda and Exposition boulevards in the Sawtelle area; 7.2 acres at the southwest corner of Culver Boulevard and the Marina Freeway, also east of Marina del Rey, and the present site in Venice.