Jan Perry Proposes "Public Hearing"
at Nov. 17 Community Meeting

City Councilmember Jan Perry spoke publicly about the Little Tokyo Recreation Center at a Community Forum on November 17 for the first time since the City Council voted unanimously to conduct a feasibility study of the project. "This is a controversy, and I am committed to working through this controversy,"said Perry about the difficulties of the Recreation Center project. The project has had a seven year history beset with challenges from Little Tokyo stakeholders and previous City Councils. In the months since Perry was elected to her Council seat this year, the project has made some progress in securing a site on the First Street and Temple Street block, the most significant being the unanimous City Council vote to complete a Feasibility Study for the Recreation Center on this site.

More than 120 supporters of the Little Tokyo Recreation Center project attended the Community Forum to discuss with 9th District Councilwoman Jan Perry the status of the project. Moderator Bill Watanabe welcomed an audience made up of basketball players and families, martial artists, residents of Little Tokyo, and seniors in the Koreisha Choshuko Kai hot meal program. Colorful banners from the Recreation Center CoalitionÕs handprint petition surrounded the participants on all sides.

For close to an hour, Councilwoman Perry presented her views about the progress of the project and answered questions from the assembled community. The councilwoman began by reporting a lack of agreement about the proposal from First Street North stakeholders, which include the Japanese American National Muesum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the WWII Veterans Memorial, the ChildrenÕs Museum, and the Union Church arts building.

Without going into the specifics of complaints, Perry cited concerns about noise, and traffic patterns. In addition, Perry noted the problematic current security situation around City Hall which has prompted the city to close off Judge John Aiso Street above 1st street as well as her concerns about the financial feasibility of the project. According to the Little Tokyo Service Center Community Development Center project studies, the facility would cost about 8 million dollars to construct.

To resolve these issues, Perry offered to host a public hearing or forum in which public comments and concerns could be recorded by the City. This, she said, would allow these issues about the Recreation Center proposal to come to the surface publicly. "I propose to hold some kind of public forum and invite all the stakeholders on the block and the whole community. The important thing is that we have a record that is fair and democratic".

To date, none of the stakeholders on the block have publicly commented on the project. The event could be held as early as Dec. 8, as Perry emphasized her desire to come to a consensus as soon as possible.Perry discussed possibly having a panel to hear comment, and have questions prepared in advance about the project. What Perry made clear was that all concerned parties would have to attend the event and publicly declare their complaints in order to participate in the resolution of this project.

Most in the audience seemed receptive to the proposed hearing. "I think this is a very good idea to move this process forward", said attendee Dennis Kobata. Audience member Dean Toji noted before the proposal was announced, "None of the other stakeholders on the block have had to go through what we have had to. We are being discriminated against here." After PerryÕs announcement, he accepted the idea as a way to make progress for the Recreation Center.