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GBlist: GBList: LA "green" buildings



Dear Ian Theaker,

Thanks for your GBlist post re "green" buildings.  I was quite
flattered to see L.A. Eco-Village included among the L.A. green
architecture list.  I was sorry to see that Eco-Home was not, as
it is an outstanding example of a eco- retrofit of an ordinary old
California bungalow.  Founder Julia Russell has been involved in
sustainable development demonstration and public advocacy for 15
years.

I was a little put off by your "high ambitions, little funding...
sigh." comment about L.A. Eco-Village.  I am sure you did not mean
to offend.  However, in the interest of setting the record
straight, let me offer that:

1.  We paid all cash for our 1922 built 40 unit courtyard
apartment building (i.e., $500,000).  We have no bank mortgage!
The eco-retrofit of this building was always planned as a three
phase, 10 year project.  It was not planned that way because of a
shortage of money.

2.  We are not concentrating on community economic development.
We have concentrated quite a bit during the past five years on the
development of community:  building a sense of
inter-connectedness, trust and social cohesion.  From such a basis
in community, larger physical and economic changes are possible
without larger bureaucratic structures.

3.  We are not located in "deepest darkest East LA" (what does
that mean?).  We are located about 3 miles west of downtown in the
Wilshire Center/Koreatown Redevelopment area.  Our two blocks,
built out in the 20's, are mixed use, within walking distance of
20 buslines and two subway stops.  Many of us who live here
intentionally no longer own automobiles (we invite others to join
us here for autoless urban living). The 1800 acre redevelopment
area, close to the heart of our city is, according to our planning
document, to be guided by the principles of sustainable
development.  It is a 30 year plan.  It is one of the most
multi-ethnic places on the face of the earth, with many billions
of dollars of investment from all over the world and many press
headquarters from all over the earth.  So, you see, we easily have
the potential to help make some very radical, very rapid and very
deep changes worldwide.  The chairperson of the board of our
Redevelopment Agency, the largest in the country, is very
committed to sustainable development.

4.  L.A. Eco-Village is about demonstrating sustainable urban
living patterns.  Acquiring more of the buildings in our
neighborhood is part of our agenda and eco-retrofitting our
buildings in phases and, significantly, out of cash flow,
demonstrates significant economic sustainability.  We have a
community revolving loan fund and are offering self selected
interest rates for loans to our fund (0 to 8%) at self selected
terms (18 months, 3 yrs. and 5 yrs.) and at self selected amounts
($1500 and up).

5.  We have spent our summer deeply involved in saving a
significant corner of Eco-Village from the Los Angeles Unified
School District bulldozers.  It has been an opportunity to expand
public awareness about sustainable community at the highest levels
of local and state government.  And it looks like the bulldozers
have been turned back for now (without one cent spent on
attorneys!--we are about demonstrating a different way of being in
our city).

6.  We conduct three hour public tours if you or others plan to
visit our city, which generally include a vegetarian lunch.
******************************************************************
Lois Arkin 3551 White House Place Los Angeles, CA 90004

Los Angeles Eco-Village:  a sustainable community-in-process and
the west coast node for the Ecovillage Network of the Americas
(ENA)

phone:      213/738-1254 fax:        213/386=8873 email:
crsp@igc.apc.org web:
http://alumni.caltech.edu/~mignon/laev.html

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