Accomplishments

By D. Scott Malsin

Scott has served Culver City with dedication for 20 years. It's not just his dedication that sets him apart, though - its his creativity and initiative.

Here are some of the ideas he's promoted which are helping shape Culver City in ways both large and small:

Zoning changes that reduce building density, are creating walkable neighborhoods, and are providing new open space and other public amenities. Scott recognized that the City's mixed-use development regulations needed to be changed to preserve the character and quality of life of our community. Result: He put forward a plan that radically reduced permissible building size and created incentives for developers to incorporate small parks and additional public parking in their designs.

Fighting for Our Fair Share

Ensuring our Expo Line station was designed and built right the first time.
Scott worked with County officials to ensure that Culver City didn't have to settle for a second-rate "temporary station" while the rest of the Expo Line was being constructed.
Result: The Culver City Station on the Expo Line is being built right the first time, and the City and MTA have collaborated to create plenty of parking on site to preserve the peace of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Preserving Culver City's Charm

Neighborhood design guidelines to preserve Culver City's charm.
Progress doesn't have to mean we give up our City's charm. Scott listened to residents' concerns that development standards didn't protect the character of our multi-family neighborhoods.
Result: He proposed the creation of design guidelines to prevent over-built and out-of-character development. After extensive public outreach, guidelines have been adopted for the Gateway neighborhood of Culver City. City staff are working to bring the same protection to other parts of town.

A Cultural City

Efforts to bring in unique events and cultural facilities.
Culver City's progress over the past decade is a marvel. We have become a nationally-recognized dining and cultural destination. That transformation is the result of years of planning and effort, but we can't rest on our laurels.
Result: Scott has been an incredibly active "ambassador" for Culver City. Perhaps the most visible example of his efforts is IndieCade - the International Festival of Independent Video Games; IndieCade has garnered worldwide press and attracted visitors from across the globe. He has worked for three years to find a permanent home for the Wende Museum of Cold War history, a internationally-recognized cultural institution. This past December the City began negotiations to locate them in the former National Guard Armory at Veterans Park.

Creating Community

Mini-grants that help families fix up their neighborhood parks.
Always ready to help out around town, Scott recognized that the City should do everything it can to foster the energy of community-spirited residents.
Result: The City's Park Enhancement Program (PEP) grants, which have been used in neighborhoods City-wide to improve our parks. PEP grants have been leveraged to bring in thousands of dollars of donations from local businesses, too.