The Brentwood Homeowners Association, one of the oldest and largest homeowner associations in California, encompasses homes from the 405 to Canyon View Drive and San Vicente Blvd. to Chalon Road.
Incorporated in 1946, BHA has 3,200 single-family homes in their geographic territory, of which 1,000-1,200 contribute membership dues. President Raymond Klein spoke to Westside Today on a variety of issues facing the association today.
What makes your area unique?
Raymond Klein: Many of our residents are third generation, the grandchildren of original Brentwood homeowners. BHA includes areas both north and south of Sunset Blvd., and our residential community is either adjacent to or includes within the territory the 405, VA, private and public schools, hotels, houses of worship, and retail businesses.
Describe the types of homes and residents.
The single-family homes in the BHA territory average over 3,000 square feet and include families attracted by the high quality schools, as well as empty nesters and retired folks.
What is an advantage of living in your area that you can’t get elsewhere in Los Angeles?
Brentwood offers a residential community with safe streets, good schools, good air quality, located a convenient distance from everything from the Pacific Ocean to Downtown.
What is the biggest issue facing the area today?
Traffic congestion, particularly on Sunset Boulevard, has been our most significant issue for the past 10 years. Residents are forced to try to arrange their schedules and appointments in order to avoid peak traffic hours. We are constantly exploring ways to reduce and mitigate traffic congestion in order to improve our quality of life.
What kind of policies would you like to see put in place as soon as possible?
We believe that immediate attention should be given to re-striping and identifying the confusing eastbound lanes of Sunset Boulevard at Church Lane and the 405, restricting right turns on Sunset during peak hours from northbound Barrington Avenue and Barrington Place, and exploring restrictions on northbound turns from Wilshire Boulevard during peak hours by eastbound vehicles attempting to escape the delays that will occur from dedicated bus lanes between Centinela and Federal Avenues.
What environmental impacts affect the area?
The vehicle congestion in Brentwood, and the resulting air pollution from idling vehicles, are primarily the result of residents in the Valley who travel to and from work in Santa Monica. Santa Monica has increased its tax base with business and office development without concurrent residential development. Brentwood also has an unresolved issue of low flying helicopters that cause noise pollution and interruption of our peace and tranquility.
What are some violations that can land a resident in hot water with the HOA?
BHA is a voluntary association of homeowners in our geographic territory and the properties are not subject to any recorded conditions or restrictions. However, we do respond to homeowner complaints and encourage City enforcement of violations that affect neighbors.
What membership benefits do residents have? (Monthly meetings? Events? Etc.)
For over 60 years, BHA has had a volunteer group of homeowner Board members committed to developing solutions to neighborhood concerns. Dues pay for a part-time staffer who maintains our web site and email newsletters, and serves as a conduit with City government to address and resolve issues. Over 450 people attend our Annual Meetings to learn about current issues and hear from elected officials such as Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Mike Bonin. Our Board meetings on the second Tuesday of each month are open to our resident stakeholders. Every Friday, we send to our email list a newsletter with alerts regarding crime activity and street closures and detours. On August 30, we will have our summer picnic with food and drinks, entertainment, and door prizes. The primary benefit of membership is that the more funds we have, the more we can do to keep residents informed and keep Brentwood a great place to live.
If you had one wish that you would want the City to fix, what would it be?
Traffic is the primary cause of frustration and pain on a local level. The alternatives of bikes and walking are not realistic alternatives for our area. If the genie gave us one wish, it would be for a comprehensive and efficient mass transit system. Meanwhile, an additional eastbound lane on Sunset between Barrington and Church is something the City could quickly install that would relieve the congestion of cars headed to the 405.
What was the biggest news story to come out of your area in the past few years?
We helped deter a development on Bundy at Olympic that would have added 20,000 car trips to that intersection per day! We entered into long-term agreements with Brentwood School and Archer School that limit further expansion, limit car trips, and impose financial consequences for violations of conditions. These agreements go beyond the City’s conditions and help protect the quality of life for the surrounding residential neighborhood.
