1950 DEC 20 CC MIN - 521
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as a messenger to convey some evidence to the Council,
which I shall present shortly.
About two months ago I knew nothing about any
proposed drilling in the district in which I live. By
accident, in a neighborly conversation with a gentleman who
was walking by my house, perusing around, I struck up a
conversation, and he said, "What do you think about this
drilling of oil ?"
With that needling, I made it a point to find
out what the proposition was in respect to drilling of oil
in the neighborhood in which I live and which I consider a
residential area as designated by the Zoning Commission
which called it an R -1 zone.
I went down to the City Council and the City
Council, it happened that night, presented a resolution fron
the Planning Commission entitled Resolution No. 87. I made
it a point to get a copy of that resolution, to acquaint
myself with the facts in the case. I studied the case and
I formed my opinion, and that opinion is that I did not
want the oil wells.
I also felt a certain civic concern, although I
had never had anything to do with the community politics.
I am new in town. I have been here-something around three
years. I have been busy building my own house. I built
my own house over there. It isn't the best house in El
Segundo; it doesn't have a long, sweeping veranda; as a
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DAVID ETl Ltbinv, UFFI - - - - -- -
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matter of fact, I am not much of a house - builder, but I am
going to make it look like a nice house before I am through
with it.
I thought I owed some civic duty to inform other
people who did not know anything about oil being drilled in
that neighborhood. I want to show deference to the City
Council here that in the case of the hearing before the
Planning Commission everything that is properly notified
in so far as legal aspects go, however, that is about as
far as I know, only a notice in the E1 Segundo Herald. I
think it was on October 19th. Undoubtedly there might
have been other notices sent out. However, I received no
post card notice, I saw no signs of any proposed variance.
I took it upon myself to talk it over with my
neighbors and my neighbors also acted as individuals and
thought that it would be a good idea for them to contact
other people and tell them what is going on in our town.
I made a copy of Resolution No. 87, which covers all the
details of the proposition at hand. I took that resolu-
tion and, along with a petition, I went around and I con-
tacted people in my immediate neighborhood. I did not try
to influence people. I believe that everybody has got a
right to form his own opinion.
With a copy of Resolution No. 87 in my hand and
with them laying it out before the people and giving them
the opportunity to look at it, I asked them whether or not
1 they would sign this petition. I ree6ived quite a few
2 signatures. My wife was very active and she went out in the
s day time because I put in eight to ten hours to twelve hours
4 a day working at the Northrup Aircraft,actively engaged in
5 defense, and we are all pretty busy over there.
s I don't have any figures as to how many per cent
7 of the people that I contacted -- how many of those are for
8 or how many of those are against -- and I don't have any
9 figures in terms of thousands of square feet. But I would
10 like to read, with the Council's permission, the petition
11 that was circulated amongst the people -- by that, I mean
12 the people in our neighborhood, amongst those generally who
13 would be affected. The petition is as follows:
14 "To the Honorable City Council of the City of
15 E1 Segundo, City Hall, E1 Segundo, California:
..ls "Gentlemen: We, the undersigned property owners
17 of the City of El Segundo are of the opinion that per-
18 mission for further exploration for oil and other hydro-
19 carbon substances, as outlined in Resolution 87, should
20 not be granted. Since Resolution 87 would substantially
21 change the indicated areas from the original R -1 designatior.
22 and affect bordering areas in a similar manner, the best
23 interests of the City of E1 Segundo and the property owners
24 therein would not be served."
25 I would also like, with the permission of the
26 Council, since I have no facts as to what per cent of the
62
1 they would sign this petition. I ree6ived quite a few
2 signatures. My wife was very active and she went out in the
s day time because I put in eight to ten hours to twelve hours
4 a day working at the Northrup Aircraft,actively engaged in
5 defense, and we are all pretty busy over there.
s I don't have any figures as to how many per cent
7 of the people that I contacted -- how many of those are for
8 or how many of those are against -- and I don't have any
9 figures in terms of thousands of square feet. But I would
10 like to read, with the Council's permission, the petition
11 that was circulated amongst the people -- by that, I mean
12 the people in our neighborhood, amongst those generally who
13 would be affected. The petition is as follows:
14 "To the Honorable City Council of the City of
15 E1 Segundo, City Hall, E1 Segundo, California:
..ls "Gentlemen: We, the undersigned property owners
17 of the City of El Segundo are of the opinion that per-
18 mission for further exploration for oil and other hydro-
19 carbon substances, as outlined in Resolution 87, should
20 not be granted. Since Resolution 87 would substantially
21 change the indicated areas from the original R -1 designatior.
22 and affect bordering areas in a similar manner, the best
23 interests of the City of E1 Segundo and the property owners
24 therein would not be served."
25 I would also like, with the permission of the
26 Council, since I have no facts as to what per cent of the
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people that I contacted live in the area adjacent to me,
to give you the addresses only of the signers of the peti-
tion. Some of the addresses are as follows:
714 Hillcrest Street,
110 -A West Maple Avenue,
643 West Palm Avenue,
714 Hillcrest Street,
724 Hillcrest Street,
724 Hillcrest Street,
657 West Palm,
657 West Palm Avenue,
653 West Palm Avenue,
639 West Palm Avenue,
639 West Palm Avenue,
65�+ West Sycamore,
654 West Sycamore,
634 West Sycamore,
634 West Sycamore,
23.3 East Acacia,
213 East Acacia,
746 Hillcrest Street,
I don't want to go on and take all your time.
I want the Council, when they receive this petition, to
take particular note of the fact that the signers of this
petition are, I would say, just offhand, probably ninety
per cent residents of the immediate area which will be
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DAVID ETTLESON. O /rICIAL COURT REPORTER - MUTUAL 7789
64
1 affected by Resolution 87.
2
I would like to present this petition as an
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exhibit on the part of the appellants.
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MAYOR SELBY: Gentlemen, is there any objection?
5 If not, the Clerk will assign it a number.
6 CITY CLERK McCARTHY: It will be marked as
7 Opponents' Exhibit No. 1 and received in evidence.
8 Whereuponthe petition above referred to,
consisting of 19 pages, was marked as Opponents' Exhibit No.
9 +
10 1 and received in evidence ...
11 MR. SWAN: I would also like to present as an
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exhibit on behalf of the opponents a copy of Resolution No.
13 87 that I made myself, which is not certified, in order
14 that they will realize that we did not misrepresent any
15 facts.
MAYOR SELBY: Any objection, gentlemen? If not,
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17 the Clerk will assign a number to this document.
18 CITY CLERK McCARTHY: It will be marked as..
19 Opponents' Exhibit No. 2 and received in evidence.
... Whereupon the document above referred to was
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21 marked Opponents' Exhibit No. 2 and received in evidence ...
22 MR. SWAN: There is one final statement which I
23 want to make. I drove my car to the Council meeting tonight
and consider myself a patriotic citizen. All I know is
24
s. There has been no evidence of
25 what I read in the paper
ible rationing. I do not feel that
26 any gas shortage or poss
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DAVID ETTLESCIN
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1 I was unpatriotic by driving my car down here tonight!
2 (Enthusiastic applause.)
3 MAYOR SELBY: Is there anybody else who cares-
4 to speak in opposition to the application for a variance?
5 MR. WALTER EASTMAN: I have lived in El Segundo
6 for thirty -nine years and I wish to state that I agree
7 with the gentleman who spoke before me 100 per cent. I
B think this is very vague and nobody knows what they will
D get out of it. They have explored this country for
about thirty years that I know of, and I don't believe that
there is any oil in that neighborhood.
Another thing, I don't think that another 38-
barrel well would save the nation. I think that it should
be put up to a vote of the people of El Segundo!
Thank you. (Applause.)
MAYOR SELBY: Mr. Eastman, were you sworn?
MR. EASTMAN: Yes, I was, sir. My address, whicl
I failed to mention previously, is 638 West Palm.
MAYOR SELBY: Is there anybody else who wishes tc
speak on behalf of the opponents?
MR. A. M. URQUHA.RT: I live at 724 Hillcrest
Street, on the corner of Hillcrest and Oak, right out in
front of the site. I have been sworn.
I want to speak as a homeowner and from the ideas
that I have gotten from many homeowners whom I have talked
with in that area, and all of them that I have talked to
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were well aware of what Resolution No. 87 said. The high-
lights of the resolution were explained to them without
prejudice either way in explaining it, so that they thorough
ly understood and they understood the information on top of
the petition, too.
I would like to speak about what my home, what my
neighbors, and what my community means to me. In doing so,
I would like to make mention in regard to some of these
areas that were spoken of, the one where he said it was
within 1000 -foot radius, it has approximately half a dozen
homes in it, somewhere around that. I don't know whether
that is the exact figure or not.
But I wish to speak about what my home and what
my neighbors and what my community mean to me and the effect
of the resolution, of the granting of the resolution, upon
them. To me, my home is my castle. It represents a place
where I spend many happy, brightful hours with my family,
with my neighbors, and with my friends. They may not
happen to be living in the neighborhood. It represents my
savings, the largest investment I have, and I am proud of
j. t .
I know that my neighbors, as well as myself,
spend many hours and dollars for the improvement of our
homes. And this continues to increase our pride in our
investment and in the development of our community, one
after the other. The accumulated investment of our homes
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DAVID ETTLESON. OFFICIAL COURT REPORTER - MUTUAL 7789
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in this community directly adjacent to this proposed site
represents hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is an
enormous investment, and compared with the investment of
oil speculation, I don't think there is any comparison. That
means a lot to us as individuals and otherwise as a commun-
ity.
Even though our community is comparatively young
-- and some have lived here a long time also -- it is
growing continually because of the prospective homeowners
recognizing our efforts and the potential future of the
area and the security that it affords and the efforts that
we put in.
The growth is most desirable. It not only
continues to improve our community right directly adjacent
to this oil well site; it offers greater security to the
commercial development of our City.
Now, let's take a look at what the resolution,
if it is granted, Resolution No. 87, will do for us. There
is bound to be hauling, there has to be heavy hauling over
the streets, even if it is Imperial Highway, which is, I
think, posted for 3000 pounds, or something like that.
There would be hauling of oil -well equipment, engines, cas-
ings, and all the materials necessary for this type of
business.
Along with it comes the noises that can't be
completely shielded at all times, and it can't be while it
251 t-or the people to have a vote on it.
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is being put in, and it takes some time to put it in. The
odors, the fumes, and many other irritating annoyances
would exist, and it would take too long probably to enumerat
them right now, but I think we can all realize what they
are.
And with this going on during this period, can
you imagine a prospective homeowner driving down our streets
with this thing going on and seeing them stop and looking
at property that is in that area now for sale? They are not
going to stop. They are going to keep right on driving.
They are not going to invest their money.
This means that our future security of the home-
owners can be seriously affected. For when a community
stops building, stops developing, it is on the downhill
grade.
I am positive that we will protect and want to
protect the incentive to continue to improve our homes and
our community so that we may continue to look on ourselves
and our neighbors' homes with pride, and to see that our
community builds for the future and insures the happiness,
as happiness insures our investment.
And I ask that Resolution No. 87 not be granted
and, if possible, that we have a long enough time for people
to be given an opportunity to understand it thoroughly and
for the people to have a vote on it.
Thank you. (Applause.)
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MAYOR SELBY: Is there anyone else who cares
to speak in opposition to the granting of the variance?
MR. JOHN B. LEAVERS: I reside at 639 West
Mariposa. I have been sworn.
I own my property at that address and being
within the radius mentioned, the area affected, I naturally
am intensely interested. I also am interested as a citizen
of E1 Segundo.
As the testimony has proceeded here, I have
been taking notes. I haven't prepared any speech before-
hand but I have noted down statements of different people
who have talked.
It seems to me, of course, that a person has a
right to exploit their property, but the question in my
mind and the question which I would like the City Council
to consider is this: Do those people have the right to
exploit their property at the expense of their neighbors?
I have read Resolution No. 87 and in so far
as my understanding of it goes, there is no remuneration
to the City of El Segundo included therein, although the
City, I assume, will receive the small amount of taxes from
the equipment on the property within the City of El Segundo,
On the other hand, the use of trucks to develop
the property and in the process of carrying on the operation
•trucks going over our streets, are going to wear the street:
out, which will mean perhaps an increased taxation to repair
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