Southern California Edison Awards $40,000 Grant to Friends of Ballona Wetlands
Southern California Edison (SCE) today awarded a $40,000 grant to the Friends of Ballona Wetlands, Los Angeles’ preeminent wetlands education and preservation group, which will help the organization continue its stewardship and protection of the environmentally sensitive Ballona Wetlands area.
“SCE’s generous gift will be used to extend our community outreach and education programs,” said Lisa Fimiani, co-executive director of the Friends. “People need to understand how important these remaining wetlands are to the entire region.” The present 600 acres are a remnant of an estuary that once covered more than 2,000 acres. Friends of Ballona Wetlands was formed in 1978 to protect and defend the wetlands, crucial habitat for hundreds of species of birds and other wildlife.
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JS Rosenfield & Co. Acquires Coast Village Road Shopping Center in Montecito
An investment group led by Santa Monica-based real estate company J.S. Rosenfield & Company has purchased the 30-year ground lease from Pacific Capital Bank, NA on the Coast Village Shopping Center in Montecito with plans to convert the 45-year old center into a country mart, according to James Rosenfield.
The 40,000 square-foot Coast Village Road Shopping Center sits on four acres of land at the northern end of Coast Village Road, the main retail street in the coastal community near Santa Barbara. Anchored by a Von’s market (which is not part of the ground lease) and Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, the retail center also includes small restaurants, local retailers and service providers. The property is currently 50 percent occupied. “Coast Village Road in Montecito, like Fourth Street in
Berkeley, Montana Avenue in Santa Monica and Main Street in East Hampton is one of the few intimate retail environments in the United States sustained largely by longtime family businesses,” says Rosenfield.
“It is an ideal location for the country mart model, which focuses on exceptional public spaces, essential neighborhood services, and small independently owned and operated merchants. Our goal is to create an environment that brings social and economic value to Montecito in keeping with its small, rural community nature.”
